Name: Thrive! NCHE Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-05-22T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-05-24T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

Tagged: organization, student binder

This topic has 3 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 3 months ago by Wings2fly.

Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

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January 15, 2015 at 6:14 pm
Wings2fly
Participant
So I found these nice zippered 3″, 3-ring binders with handle/strap and file pocket on clearance and I thought they might help keep our school better organized. I can put readers, books and other documents in the file folder and workbooks and notebook paper in the 3-ring binder. I have never been a fan of binders, but this one is the deluxe model. I search for blogs to see if anyone else has done this and the closest thing I found was one who changes it weekly and another who puts all final work in the binder. http://peacecreekontheprairie.com/homeschool/homeschool-organization/homeschool-schedules/workboxes-study-bindersstreamlining-large-family-homeschool
But these remind me of a briefcase and I want my children to work out of these the whole year and it is to serve as a place to keep final work. Has anyone done this before? I am wondering what drawbacks there may be. So far I found I need a $20 hole punch to get any workbooks in it without having to tear the pages out of the books. I would keep all student assignment sheets in here and most items needed for their work so that as long as they have their study binder, they can go anywhere to do their work and it would not get lost or scattered or stepped on, etc. Some items like art or weekly subjects might not be kept there though.
So can anyone share their experience with anything like this for their students?
I am also wondering if having the workbook or paper on the table works better than working in the binder.
January 15, 2015 at 7:00 pm
sheraz
Participant
When we were using the 3 ring binders, I found that pages eventually ripped through the holes and were messy or getting lost. The spread out folder is awkward in size because it takes up a lot of room on the table. The spine with the ring is hard on lefties when trying to write, so that was another issue. I ended up having to hole-punch hers on the opposite side to make her book work. We started taking pages out, working them, and putting them back in. I finally gave up because it drove me nuts with the time involved just preparing and maintaining. LOL
One thing I will mention if you decide to go this route – see if an office supply store can cut the back off any workbooks and 3-hole punch your pages which would save so much time and stress. It is so worth the minimal cost. =)
January 15, 2015 at 8:51 pm
anniepeter
Participant
We did this for a while and it worked, so don’t despair of using them… It did keep all their work together, so accomplishing my goal, but was never a favorite for the older kids. I did not try to do anything with workbooks though. And I did not maintain or add to our at all. It just housed all there things. They tend to take the paper out when they need to write very much. The older kids have gone to a composition book for each subject now. Those are neat and fairly portable and they prefer that and a basket or backpack to transport. But my younger kids still like to have the binders. I gave them the choice and that’s what they chose.
January 16, 2015 at 12:32 am
Wings2fly
Participant
Thank you both for sharing your experiences. I may just put the workbooks in the file section since they are double-sided and I think it would be harder to write in them in the ringed section. But then I am afraid of running into the same problem I have now of it getting lost and not put away. We have used workboxes for a few years now. But now it seems that these boxes are always in the way and the lids are missing or in the floor and get stepped on, etc. And not everything gets put back in them in a timely manner. Things go missing, etc. My son in 5th grade has most of his books on the shelf now and keeps only 3 or 4 things in his box, including his assignment schedule. So I may use a simple, small binder for his scedule and have him use the shelf. I can put my daughter’s school books in the binder to see if it will help her get more organized and neat. Here are our workboxes:
https://wherelearningabounds.wordpress.com/2014/08/30/organizing-and-storing-current-school-books/
And here is the binder I bought for $7:
http://www.amazon.com/Capacity-3-Inch-Zipper-Binder-D-146-BLK/dp/B007SQZHKW/ref=cm_rdp_product
They do some work at the dinning room table, but they like to read in a comfy chair or on the couch. And it seems every night I get supper on the table, I have to have them clear off the school things. And that is getting old. I think we need more habit training…
Any more thoughts? Thank you.