Thinking of chopping the binding off of everything

[mamachanse]

And hole punching it all and working out of binders Is this a bad idea? I have this grand idea that I can keep all of my TMs for each kid in separate binders each year, put the kids work in their own binder, and keep combined work (art and science and history) in another binder. I was thinking of putting all Miquon in a binder since it is student-lead. And so on. Is this crazy? I can't stand all the manuals and the get this, get that.

 

Who does this? How do you organize? Does it work/not work?

Edited May 5, 2011 by mamachanse
Better wording

[nansk]

It sounds like a good idea to me.

 

I usually print e-books for my dd, so I keep the papers in binders by subject. So, for instance, the Maths binder currently has MM Yr1, MEP Yr1 lesson plans, MEP Yr1 practice book and two Scholastic workbooks separated by tabs.

 

I have other binders for Grammar+Writing, Phonics+Spelling, Latin, and Penmanship.

 

HTH

[Shannon in TN]

You're not crazy. I usually chop the binders and have the TMs spiral bound. They don't stay on the shelf very well that way, though - they like to slide down or bend. If that sort of thing bugged you, then a binder would be better.

 

Go for it!

[Jyniffrec]

I'm considering the same thing and then scanning them and putting them on my Kindle. I already have all my Sonlight schedules on it and am very happy with it. I can cut and paste the documents to have them arranged how I want them and have them in their original format. I think this will be especially helpful for math.

[GoVanGogh]

I have a left-handed boy and I have started to get the binding cut off many books, as he struggles so much with writing already. I decided to take away that one obstacle, at least.

[ChrissySC]

You're not crazy. I usually chop the binders and have the TMs spiral bound. They don't stay on the shelf very well that way, though - they like to slide down or bend. If that sort of thing bugged you, then a binder would be better.

 

Go for it!

 

 

Save a cereal box. Cut the top off. Angle and cut one side - I don't cut both sides. Cover with contact paper. I tend to leave Tony the Tiger showing. My 4yo can run and get the frosted flakes box for me, LOL:lol:

 

We use the cereal boxes for storing notebook paper, cardstock, etc. You lay them on their side and stack. It is easy to retrieve the paper that you need. A larger box with file folders inserted, the top and one side cut, are perfect for completed work by subject.

 

Chocolate milk mix, the plastic container is great for crayons, pencils, and pens too.

 

We are on a recycle and reuse kick because of a unit study!:lol:

[meet me in paris]

And hole punching it all and working out of binders Is this a bad idea? I have this grand idea that I can keep all of my TMs for each kid in separate binders each year, put the kids work in their own binder, and keep combined work (art and science and history) in another binder. I was thinking of putting all Miquon in a binder since it is self-directed. And so on. Is this crazy? I can't stand all the manuals and the get this, get that.

 

Who does this? How do you organize? Does it work/not work?

 

This works! And I find it so much easier!

 

We started on that path with Sonlight - the binder has a set of weekly tabs (1-36) that the Instructor Guide goes into. I ended up buying binders for both the kids, and put all their work into 1-36 tabs as well. Any workbooks get sliced open, and all the pages get filed into the 1-36 tabs (it's easy to shift if something doesn't get done).

 

The large binder is cumbersome, though, so everybody has a smaller binder with 9 weeks of tabs to use at one time. The kids each get a schedule page at the front of their week, and most all of their work, other than their reading, is right there for them. So easy. :)

[TXMary2]

I have been thinking about taking them to the printer and having them spiral bound. Not just the TM's, but workbooks that I don't want to write it, since laying them flat would be easier to make copies. The local print shop charges $2.50 per binding.

[Ellie]

I have a truckload of three-ring notebooks on my bookshelves. :-)

 

I have done that with dc's workbooks, even the ones with perfed pages. I take out each page for dc to work on, so that it lies flat on the desk/table, and put it back in the notebook when she's finished. It's much easier to write on a flat surface than to wrestle around a bound workbook.

 

On a side note, I wouldn't think that Miquon is "self directed," because aren't you supposed to work with the dc first to help him discover concepts, and then let dc do the seatwork? But on a related side note :-) I attached tabs to my Miquon Lab Notations, one for each section. It was much easier flipping around :glare: that way.

[Farrar]

I've always had bad experiences with spiral binding and three hole punch binders. The pages rip, they don't hold up, and the spiral binding begins to slide off and be this annoying pointy thing at the top of the book.

 

Bah. I keep all the workbooks and notebooks in a little box for each kid. When we start school, I pull the boxes out and put them on the table next to the kid's place. Voila. No running to get stuff or put it away.

 

But the binding everything option seems popular to many.

[ChrissySC]

But the binding everything option seems popular to many.

 

 

I do not bind everything. I will often resort to file folders (of course they are stored in my cereal box lol). For example, I printed a workbook for editing, proofing and revision. I did not bind in any fashion. I printed. I stapled the answer key to the folder. I inserted the loose sheets. I pull the folder when needed, and remove what is to be completed.

 

I am a big e-downloader though (with lots of boxes!).

[kchara]

I put all of my TM's (that aren't hard back, I have a few that are hardback) into page protectors and in 3 ring binders. It saves the pages from all of the little fingers around here that just LOVE scribbling. ;) It also keeps the holes from ripping out, and me losing pages. There are a few (my R&S grammar TMs come to mind) that I need to take out and have spiral bound, but those are fairly thick, and I don't think they'll slip down. That would drive me insane.

[CanaryMelody]

I put all of my TM's (that aren't hard back, I have a few that are hardback) into page protectors and in 3 ring binders. It saves the pages from all of the little fingers around here that just LOVE scribbling. ;) It also keeps the holes from ripping out, and me losing pages.

 

:iagree: This is what I do. I don't care for spiral binding my TE. I much prefer this. And then I take out the week's lessons at a time and combine in a teacher's binder. Works great for me!

[LoveBaby]

I love taking bindings off and having them spiral bound. I just bought a paper punch so I can spiral bind things myself at home. It is soooo much fun.

 

I do not like 3 hole punching anything, since too many 3-ring binders start to create a semi-circle and start to plunge off of the shelf at the slightest breeze. In my house with 2 boys running around - it's more like a hurricane and binders are toppling to the floor all. the. time.

 

I love the idea of cereal box organizers. They will hold all of my nice, spiral bound TM's and workbooks on the shelf. I can organize by subject & child, label the boxes and the kids can grab their box and go.

[DarlaS]

And hole punching it all and working out of binders Is this a bad idea? I have this grand idea that I can keep all of my TMs for each kid in separate binders each year, put the kids work in their own binder, and keep combined work (art and science and history) in another binder. I was thinking of putting all Miquon in a binder since it is self-directed. And so on. Is this crazy? I can't stand all the manuals and the get this, get that.

 

Who does this? How do you organize? Does it work/not work?

 

I did that this year. It was nice to be able to find things, but the bigger (3") binder was a little awkward to handle. That's just a little drawback though, and I intend to keep doing it.

 

I also made labels for the binder spines so I could keep track of which teacher books for which kids were in each one. (My oldest required more than one binder.) I'll snap a pic later on if I get the chance (busy day).

[ChrissySC]

I like the idea of arranging boxes by subject. I must admit that other than teacher/student my organization did not go much farther. Thanks! I was short sighted.:lol:

[MrsMe]

I only have one kid, but I despise big TMs, so I hole punch them all, but only put a month to 6 weeks or so in my binder at a time. That way I carry around a small binder for our work. When I'm done with those, I transfer what was used into the big binder. But I never work with a binder that's larger than an inch.

[KeriJ]

Save a cereal box. Cut the top off. Angle and cut one side - I don't cut both sides. Cover with contact paper. I tend to leave Tony the Tiger showing. My 4yo can run and get the frosted flakes box for me, LOL:lol:

 

We use the cereal boxes for storing notebook paper, cardstock, etc. You lay them on their side and stack. It is easy to retrieve the paper that you need. A larger box with file folders inserted, the top and one side cut, are perfect for completed work by subject.

 

Chocolate milk mix, the plastic container is great for crayons, pencils, and pens too.

 

We are on a recycle and reuse kick because of a unit study!:lol:

 

Pictures??? :001_smile:

[mamachanse]

I've always had bad experiences with spiral binding and three hole punch binders. The pages rip, they don't hold up, and the spiral binding begins to slide off and be this annoying pointy thing at the top of the book.

 

Bah. I keep all the workbooks and notebooks in a little box for each kid. When we start school, I pull the boxes out and put them on the table next to the kid's place. Voila. No running to get stuff or put it away.

 

But the binding everything option seems popular to many.

 

I have a truckload of three-ring notebooks on my bookshelves. :-)

 

I have done that with dc's workbooks, even the ones with perfed pages. I take out each page for dc to work on, so that it lies flat on the desk/table, and put it back in the notebook when she's finished. It's much easier to write on a flat surface than to wrestle around a bound workbook.

 

On a side note, I wouldn't think that Miquon is "self directed," because aren't you supposed to work with the dc first to help him discover concepts, and then let dc do the seatwork? But on a related side note :-) I attached tabs to my Miquon Lab Notations, one for each section. It was much easier flipping around :glare: that way.

 

Maybe self directed wasn't the correct word? I simply don't assign certain pages. I let ds look through and pick what he wants to work on and we do 30 minutes worth on Fridays. Possibly student-lead? :)

[sleepymommy]

I chop of the binding of many of our books and spiral bound across the top.

 

Other things I have in the file folders so they are 3 hole punched and put into a binder once complete.

[mamachanse]

Are there cheap page protectors available somewhere? I saw 100 for $20 at Staples.

[DarlaS]

Are there cheap page protectors available somewhere? I saw 100 for $20 at Staples.

 

So for every 100 pgs. of teacher's manual, it would cost that in page protectors? I think you're original idea of punching and putting into a binder was adequate.

 

I can only imagine how nuts I would go putting teacher for three kids for all subjects into page protectors. Sheet by sheet. :willy_nilly:

[mamachanse]

So for every 100 pgs. of teacher's manual, it would cost that in page protectors? I think you're original idea of punching and putting into a binder was adequate.

 

I can only imagine how nuts I would go putting teacher for three kids for all subjects into page protectors. Sheet by sheet. :willy_nilly:

 

That's what I was thinking. Maybe I'll just put things like Singapore HIGs in page protectors and 3 hole punch the PDFs that I can reprint if I need. Or maybe not. Lol.

 

P.S. Boxes of 100 on amazon are around $12. Still $$$ in my opinion, but not as bad.

 

I think maybe I'll put all the Miquon in them though and have the kids use markers and then erase the protector. Something has got to give with all the paper around here.

[joyfulhomeschooler]

:iagree: This is what I do. I don't care for spiral binding my TE. I much prefer this. And then I take out the week's lessons at a time and combine in a teacher's binder. Works great for me!

 

ooh I like that idea! All the teacer lessons for one week together in ONE binder... so simplified and more room on the school table.

[MrsMe]

ooh I like that idea! All the teacer lessons for one week together in ONE binder... so simplified and more room on the school table.

 

Me too!