| Author | |
Maryan
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 02 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3145
|
| Posted: March 24 2011 at 11:51am | IP Logged
|
 |
|
This year was rough for us due to my many doctor's appointments and then working with a cute little newborn. 
Since all pregnancies from now on will be like this, I've decided the easiest thing would be to plan to be pregnant rather than to adjust our year when I do become pregnant.
Things that drove me nuts this year:
- We did the file folder system which worked well... but their paperwork never made it to a binder, got all over the house, etc.
- I never had the time to do Writing with Ease, Right Start, or any Mom led programs really well. That became most stressful for Math where I really wanted to make sure we were doing some math every day.
- Keeping up with all the books for the different subjects. The many books made it hard for babysitters to follow... and for us to grab them all if we were going on the road to someone else's house.
So I need to streamline.
Has anyone made a notebook form of a file folder system? I guess I mean copying everything for the next year and instead of putting it in a file folder, you would make a spiral notebook of it all. Like those BIG book preschool books?
This would also include, their phonics, and math etc. Short stories or history chapters from the Baldwin project website, vocabulary etc. (I know... crazy). Let me try to be clearer: I'm thinking that I could make a September book for my first grader with his math workbook pages, Explode the Code pages, copywork, narration pages, poem to memorize, etc. I'm thinking I could bind it like CHC handwriting books at the top, so it's easy for boys to write on. I know it would be expensive to bind all of those. I guess I could also make a binder for them? But those are kind of clunky.
For my fifth grader, I could do a September book for math, vocabulary, narration pages, poem, short stories, writing assignments, pages to color and/or narrate what he's reading, saints stories, history stories... etc.
So anyone done this? Any thoughts? Suggestions? I *know* this would be excessive -- I'm only considering it since, I just won't know when we might have to switch to on the go mode.
__________________
Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JennGM
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 17702
|
| Posted: March 24 2011 at 12:42pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Maryan, I think that would work really well. I haven't done it, though, but it does make complete sense.
I just was at Staples getting a book spiral bound. And I was looking at Notebooking Pages which has the ProClick system so you could make your own.
How about two books? One with the reading work, the other with the workbook pages? Would that be too complicated to follow? If monthly books get to be too much, maybe making one for each quarter so it's not too cumbersome, and there would be a sense of completion.
You are very organized and I think you could make it work. I understand about no one being able to fill your shoes and get things done while you were away. I've often thought about "Could I have a substitute teacher?"
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Maryan
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 02 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3145
|
| Posted: March 24 2011 at 2:00pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Hmmm... I read Jen's old binding thread and didn't think about ProClick. Thinking outloud: I don't think it does the top binding very well, but if I did the side, it would be fine. Hard to know how much I would spend Staples vs. Proclick. Although compiling all the pages might be work enough and paying for someone else to bind it might be worth the price.
And the thoughts about two books help! In my mind first grade could have everything together. But you're right that readers make things complicated! I think you're right that the reading material in one and the notebooking type stuff in the other would be good.
We do a family timeline as well, but the HUGE book that it's in is too big. I think I'm going to break timelines into smaller books for each time period. Either way, I'm not toting the timeline book(s) anywhere. We'll just catch up when we can on that one!
__________________
Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Becky Parker
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 23 2005
Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2582
|
| Posted: March 24 2011 at 2:38pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I use the file system now, but I really like your binder idea Maryan. The only difficulty I could see would be if the kids were overly exhuberant in turning the pages and they ripped out.
I could see where having all the work in a binder would really cut down on the need for storage space too. And, on days like today where I am taking my kids to piano lessons, science club etc., we could just grab the binders and go.
I think if I were to try this I would have a binder set up per semester or maybe even per quarter. That way they wouldn't have to be so huge. Maybe even in different colors so it would be like "moving up a level" when they finished a binder. (For some reason my kids are really into levels!)
__________________
Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
Academy Of The Good Shepherd
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Becky Parker
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 23 2005
Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2582
|
| Posted: March 24 2011 at 3:05pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Coming back because you really have me thinking about this now Maryan! 
I didn't read carefully enough because I see now that you were thinking about making monthly notebooks.
But I'm wondering, how would you divide them? By subject? Week? I'm using a file system now that is divdided by week so everything for that week is in a file - math, copywork, reading assignments, etc.
__________________
Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
Academy Of The Good Shepherd
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
CrunchyMom
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 03 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6385
|
| Posted: March 24 2011 at 3:33pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I can't imagine a week's worth of pages is very thick. What about using a stapler along the very edge and using one of those clear presentation/report folders that has the sliding plastic thingy to hold the side? I guess it would not allow for the folding back that spiral binding would, though, I find that comb type binding tends to come apart with that type of use anyway.
Or perhaps just a three prong folder pocket folder for each week's work? What if everything were loose but three punched and it was slid into the prongs when completed. It seems easier to keep contained than a mere file folder.
Another trick might be to get one of those clipboards that open--can't think of what they are called, but dh has them because he used to inspect boats. He could open the clipboard where he stored forms and then put the desired form on top in the clip part when working on it. Then you could continue to use your current system, but it would ensure everyone had a designated space to keep the papers throughout the week. It would also be big enough to stash a workbook, multiple pencils and sharpeners, and even colored pencils for work on the go. I've often thought they would be ideal for nature studies.
__________________
Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
CrunchyMom
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 03 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6385
|
| Posted: March 24 2011 at 3:37pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Whoops, I didn't read carefully but missed that you wanted to put an entire month or year together. I was envisioning Becky's file folder system bound or on the go. That seems more manageable to me. You could still make them all over the summer, but having so much stuff bound sounds so "committal" to me 
__________________
Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Angel
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 22 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2293
|
| Posted: March 24 2011 at 4:53pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Here's an old thread on the full year notebook system.
__________________
Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
KackyK
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 22 2007
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1811
|
| Posted: March 24 2011 at 9:37pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Maryan...we are on some weird wavelength...I was sort of thinking about something like this too...but not from past prego reasons just simple sanity reasons.
I like the idea of a reading binder and the work binder. If dc are pretty similar you may not have to change out the reading binder (at least the whole thing) kwim.
Hmmm...something to ponder when in the middle of the night my little guy decides to wake up oh so many times and I lay there with him, all contorted and uncomfortable and NOT sleeping while he nicely sleeps away...did I say that outloud! HA! Okay...pondering...
__________________
KackyK
Mom to 8 - 3 dd, 5ds & 4 babes in heaven
Beginning With the Assumption
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Maryan
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 02 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3145
|
| Posted: March 24 2011 at 10:39pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Okay, Marion is refusing to let me respond to all these thoughts, she wants to be in bed all contorted...
Thanks for the thoughts... be back.
__________________
Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Becky Parker
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 23 2005
Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2582
|
| Posted: March 25 2011 at 6:21am | IP Logged
|
|
|
KackyK wrote:
If dc are pretty similar you may not have to change out the reading binder (at least the whole thing) kwim.
|
|
|
Oh, that's a great idea!
__________________
Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
Academy Of The Good Shepherd
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Paula in MN
Forum All-Star
Joined: Nov 25 2006
Location: Minnesota
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4064
|
| Posted: March 25 2011 at 6:24am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Maryan, I did something similar. Yes, I printed off all the various downloads, too! I have a ProClick and I think it works fine on the top - you just have to watch where you place the paper before punching the holes. I have three sizes of binders - the largest is 1/2 inch and holds about 100 sheets of paper, plus some cardstock for covers and dividers.
Once I had everything printed I organized by day and week, and was able to put about 2 months together. I'll definitely do it again.
__________________
 Paula
A Catholic Harvest
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Maryan
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 02 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3145
|
| Posted: March 25 2011 at 8:00am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Angela, thanks for the old thread! I had no clue how to search the archives. Unfortunately, the Avilian method site is down and my googling didn't find it anywhere else. (If anyone knows I would love to see it!)
The Full Year Notebook gave me a lot of food for thought. But I have a huge aversion to big binders, so I know I'd like to tweak it. Did you try to do any of this?
Lindsey, you have a good point about commital... but I have to do everything in the summer. If it doesn't happen in the summer, it doesn't happen in the year. But how do I know we can stay on track or make it a little bit flexible? Not sure. I was toying with printing everything and putting it ina file crate, but then not binding it until we were at that point. But part of me is really afraid it won't happen and I'll have a paper mess again.
And Becky... the organization of it all is *the* question!?!?! Not know. (that's a saying around here).
Kacky, I can see being able to do one whole reading binder and then the workbook binders... and then perhaps their own notebooking binder. But if it gets over three then it wouldn't be worth do it. One would be ideal. Two doable. Three? Am I entering confusing?
So if three spiral notebooks:
1. All the reading assignments that I download (but that doesn't include any BOOKS like fiction or Usborne History Encyclopedia type stuff... for the year.
2. Breaking down their workbooks into a month notebook: math, phonics, vocabulary, spelling, etc. (divided by subject I think with check by instructions for the month in the front of the book) Do I include narration pages for history and reading... or...
3. Do I make a special notebook for narrations for history and their history reading. If I do, is it for the year? For the month?
Or do I combine any of these numbers... hmmm.
This is the stuff, as Kacky pointed out, that will keep me up at night as I lie contorted with my baby!!
I think Paula printing it all out and then assessing it is wise! Thanks for the feedback on the ProClick... I think you, Jen and Jenn have empowered me to think in that direction!
__________________
Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Angel
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 22 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2293
|
| Posted: March 25 2011 at 1:23pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Maryan wrote:
The Full Year Notebook gave me a lot of food for thought. But I have a huge aversion to big binders, so I know I'd like to tweak it. Did you try to do any of this?
|
|
|
No, I didn't. The front end work turned out to be too much for me, and a simple checklist, some text/workbooks for certain subjects, and a basket of books to read (for history, science, etc.) has turned out to work pretty well for my oldest, who is now 14. My older kids are very independent. If we have to do a lot of school in the van, they can pack their own backpacks with workbooks and books to read. (The only thing they can't do in the van is math; this is where a math *workbook* would really come in handy). If their dad is home with them (or anybody else is in charge), they know the routine and can keep themselves going. I just have to get myself together enough to provide the resources.
However... I had wanted to put together some copywork/writing books for them last spring because I knew this year was going to be tough, with a new baby and a move... but then for the 3 weeks before the baby was born there were people throwing up and we ended up moving 2 months early, so I didn't get the books made. I really like the sound of having everything together in 1 (or 2) books for the little ones, especially in those difficult times, but my problem has always been freeing up enough of my time to put in that kind of labor, even in the summer. And I would *really* have a hard time doing it during our school year.
Still, I really, really like the idea. 3 notebooks per kid sounds unwieldy to me, though. I wonder if you couldn't break your history/geography and science up into units and rotate through them. So you'd have your "skill" notebook and then whatever unit you were working on at the time. Then you'd only have 2 notebooks and they wouldn't be tied to dates, so if you got behind on your history, you wouldn't still be using your "September" notebook in November or something.
__________________
Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
sewcrazy
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 17 2006
Location: Illinois
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 735
|
| Posted: March 26 2011 at 1:47pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I used to do this, and am thinking about going back to it for this coming school year. We are so seldom home and have fallen way way way behind this year.
I bound a quarter at a times worth of work, with daily checklist in front. I would label them--day 1, day 2 etc 45 days in each book.
__________________
LeeAnn
Wife of David, mom to Ben, Dennis, Alex, Laura, Philip and our little souls in heaven we have yet to meet
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Becky Parker
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 23 2005
Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2582
|
| Posted: March 28 2011 at 3:02pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I took some time to think about this over the weekend and I really think this notebook idea would work well around here. I already do a weekly file system so it wouldn't be that much of a change. Thanks for the great idea Maryan!
I think, in each notebook, I will put 6 weeks of work because we like a 6 week on 1 week for catch up sort of system. At the end of the 6 weeks, while I am going through the notebooks and transfering finished papers to their "Completed Work" files I can re-evaluate goals and get a good idea of where we are at for the year.
At the front of the notebook, in page protectors, I thought I would put items like a copy of that child's academic and behavior goals, maybe a schedule, perhaps of record of extra curricular activities, a list of books to read, etc.
The work will be divided by week / day so dividers will say "week 1 day 1", "week 1 day 2" etc. as this is how I have the file system set up.
I'm anxious to try it so I think I will do a practice run with our last 6 weeks of school for this year!
__________________
Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
Academy Of The Good Shepherd
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Maryan
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 02 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3145
|
| Posted: March 28 2011 at 8:39pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Again! More great food for thought ladies, thanks! Although.... right now I'm generating more paper mess trying to figure out which system might work best.
__________________
Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
4Real Forums : Planning and Ordering our Days
Topic: Planning for School on the Go?
