For those that make student books/planners (or re-bind curriculum into one planner)

[matrips]

I saw on someone's post where they made student books/planners for the school year and I loved the idea.  With three kids, we have workbooks and papers all over the place, and we are often on the go.  I am enamored of the idea of just bringing along a binder or two for each kid that would have all our work.  (Of course, I need to make my own teacher planner/binder as well).  But oh, this would be so much less than all the books we currently have!  Anyone else do this?  I have questions!

 

What would be bindable out of these subjects I have?  What is a workable size binder?  What have you regretted binding?  And what just would be easiest left alone?  I would want a coil binding if I did this.  Sometimes I have a tendency to go overboard...

 

Singapore Math 4A (Text, Workbook, IP, and CWP) - the kids would love a book that lay flat!  And I would love to keep track of less books.  Would I just take off the current binding and separate them with a tab before rebinding into a Math binder?  Would I want to buy 4B at the same time to keep in the same binder?  or redo another one for the second semester?  Not sure how I would handle IP and CWP then?  They take us much longer to finish.

 

Math U See Delta - just the student text - I could put this in another tab behind the Singapore...

 

Handwriting without Tears Cursive - could I add this into a binder?  I'd have to lay it sideways to fit.

 

Writing with Ease- how would I handle this?  The kids do their copywork and narrations on looseleaf paper from HWT and we keep it in a 3 hole binder (one per kid).  We don't use the WWE writing pages in the back.  It would be nice to have all subjects together, but does binding looseleaf paper even make sense?  I would still have the teacher book.

 

Spelling?  We do AAS; can't really think how to include this one.  The kids currently have a running spelling notebook from the past couple years.

 

CC Review - This sounds do-able.  I could print out the Memory Master stuff and include in their binder.

 

Building Thinking Skills - I suppose I could count out how many pages I think they'd do and include in their binder.  Probably easier than hauling those big books around.

 

Mapwork - ideas?  Laminate some maps and include some blank pages?

 

IEW SWI-A - this will be our first year doing IEW.  I believe they get a student notebook (they haven't arrived yet).  Is this easier to keep separate or should I find a way to include it?

 

I would love to know what feedback you can offer!  I am in the middle of planning mode!  Thanks.

[Amy Jo]

I'm in planning stages too. We'll finish out the year with the individual books I've already bound. As to size, I got a good deal on a wire-binding machine, and it is limited to 1/4" spines. That limits me to 20-30 pages.

 

Handwriting without Tears Cursive - do you mean landscape format? That should be fine.

Writing with Ease- I see no issue binding lined paper, make sure it's full size. (I've seen some packs that aren't.)

Spelling - we are doing SWR, and I *think* I'm going to bind 1 blank page per spelling list per week (1 for DS7, 2-3 for older boys). I'll keep their reference book separate. I might also print a typed list of previous spelling words for fluency practice.

Mapwork - Laminated master maps that I've added a grid to, and I've used my photo editor to make blank pages with a matching grid. The blank ones I will bind - I'm thinking 3 per week.

 

My plan is to print almost everything for the year, and file it by subject & child. Then make up the books ~6 weeks at a time. Mine will have to be weekly due to my machine, but that's okay with me. It's less to potentially get torn or lost. Going overboard is the only way to go.  :driving: 

 

Doing the File Crate System a few years ago changed how I evaluate curriculum. One of my priorities is that it be printable. That way I can do it my way.  :gnorsi: 

[anabelneri]

I'm considering something similar too.  I was putting together a calendar notebook for my K-er, and thought my older dd could benefit from similar activities.  Next thing I know, I've got a list of potential pages, including math facts practice, logic pages, lists of readings, history pages... oh my!

 

I'm assuming I can't put in a page of math facts practice for every day.  Our regular math curriculum (MEP) has a single page for every day of a 36-week year, and it's about 1" thick.  So I'm narrowing down what might go in.  Though I like the idea of breaking it down into smaller chunks -- then I could put in her facts!  :)

[Maela]

Here are two threads:  http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/475963-i-made-my-own-all-in-one-curric-and-had-it-spiral-bound/    and    http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/343821-does-anyone-make-their-own-workbooks-from-other-materials/  that you might like.  

 

I had my kids' workbooks spiral bound at Staples for ~$4 each.  I think the employee there said they could do up to 160 pages in a workbook.  In my rising first grader's books I put:  Math Mammoth, EM language arts stuff, blank notebooking pages for history and literature, EM and Scholastic science stuff, lined paper for copywork, SotW activity pages, spanish workbook pages, and some scholastic reading comprehension pages.

 

In DS's book I included various prek and k workbook pages and MEP reception pages.

[matrips]

Hmm, never thought I might to limited to a certain number of pages. I better check with our office stores. I was starting to dream big!

[MotherOfBoys]

I like how organized this all sounds. And you say your reason for doing this is because you might need to go somewhere and take school with you? Is there any other benefits to doing this binding? I like it but we don't go anywhere during school hours.

[matrips]

The main benefit I think is that I will have one book each for my kids to use, and for me to check work in, instead of having multiple workbooks, notebooks, and loose papers per child.  We can transition from one subject to another without returning books, finding the new ones etc.  And I can keep my schooling area much cleaner without tons of books and papers taking up space and getting messy.  I am just loving the idea.  I hate clutter, yet live amid it.  This should help!

 

I'm still trying to figure how much to put in one binder and thinking through the details...hoping some more moms will chime in.

[MommaOfThree]

I loved the idea too, but took it in a different direction.. Instead of binding the whole year, I am going to go four weeks at a time.

 

-I have planned my years worth of subjects and broke them down into subject binders for each kid. They are in weekly order with notes, so they are ready to be pulled out when I need them.

-Every four weeks, I will put together a work binder for each student. I have a 1 1/2 inch binder for each student with 4 oversized week dividers, and in each week I have regular sized subject dividers. So at the end of a four week period I can take completed work out and file accordingly and then set up their work binders for the next four weeks.

 

I decided to go this route because every year I feel like I have to "tweak" something and I would hate to have to undo something I had bound. I have also decided that we are going to school year round (so we can take breaks when I, oops we need them), with a schedule of four weeks on and one week off.

 

I'll be starting it up next month, so we'll see how it goes!

[Murphy101]

I'd love to do it, but it would be extremely time consuming and expensive for the curriculum I have decided to use.

 

I think the only thing I could bind would be MCP math.

 

Everything else isn't divided neatly into lessons in a page. So I'd have to copy only the lesson(s) I wanted for each sections. I wouldn't mind doing that for a one small resource, like their cursive books, but it'd be a major PITA and the cost would really start adding up for all of it.

 

ETA: I do plan things out for the year and write it down for at least 4-6 weeks at a time though.

[matrips]

I think I'm limited by the size of the binders, so I can't do a whole semester or school year in one.  However, last year we started trying to do 6 weeks on, and 1 week off.  I think I'm going to schedule out my 36 weeks (not my day!, but by- this is how many lessons/pages I expect them to be able to cover).  Then I want to compress that into 30 weeks, so that when we do 6 on and 1 off that we are not schooling into my summer time.  I love the idea of schooling year round, and we still are doing some schooling.  But I think I like summer break better :)  So I will do my binders into 6 week chunks, and when the kids are ready for their week off, I can make sure they've completed their 6 weeks of work!  It will be something defined, instead of something in my head or a random schedule.  Last year, I never felt like we really accomplished what we intended in our 6 weeks and it was hard to enjoy the week off.

 

Still need to figure out how to handle some subjects if anyone wants to chime in more on the specifics listed in the first post....  :)

[jenamiles]

I really have considered doing this as well for a few reasons.  My kids hate binders and they really don't like when workbook pages don't lay flat.  After having my planner bound last year, I went out and bought a Zutter Bind It All and various sizes of o-wires.  (I would have preferred true spiral bound but those machines and supplies were more expensive) The quality of their cut/bind job and money spent at the office store just didn't meet my expectations.  I decided I could buy the Zutter once and do it myself with a much better result and that it would pay for itself after only a few uses.  It takes me a bit more time to do it myself but I'm much happier with the end result.

 

[threedogfarm]

I agree with Momofthree about smaller chunks.  That way if you accelerate in one subject and slow down in another, you won't be too far off.  I would still prefer to do each subject separately though.  For example, last year my son was getting a little bit lifeless with Singapore so we switched to some more "fun" things for a week here and there.  Now my son is very good as seeing the whole picture and if he knew we were skipping Singapore daily in favor of doing something else (i.e. we're bypassing the singapore pages) then he would figure out how to get around math regularly (acting bored = switching things up).  BUT if singapore is on its own then we're all set. I just present it as introducing a new topic.

 

I also agree with the other poster(s) that mentioned they did not like the whole processing of taking out and putting away books after each subject.  I solved this by having a hanging file folder box for each child.  Each book or folder is kept in a hanging folder in the file folder box which is kept by their chair.  Now it's easy to switch in and out (also useful for creating a study carrel when each child wants a little privacy at the table).  Now that our subjects have grown in number there are two folder boxes per child.  They can be taken out at the same time but I prefer to arrange them according to "before break" and "after break" subjects so only one box is out at at time (we have three dogs and the floor space fills up quickly).  Each subject is put back into the folder box after each subject.  I use these (a different color for ds and dd):  http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Decoflex-Black-Desktop-23013/dp/B0012VIJGS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1373639794&sr=8-3&keywords=hanging+folder+box

 

I don't always bind my subjects.  For example FLL is in a two pocket folder with a three hole punch area down the middle http://www.amazon.com/Filexec-Report-Blueberry-Strawberry-Tangerine/dp/B002G9TXDI/ref=sr_1_33?ie=UTF8&qid=1373639946&sr=8-33&keywords=filexec+folder.  Left side is for completed lessons, right side for future lessons.  New lesson is taken out of the right side, paper clipped and put on L side at the end of previous lesson.  Three  hole punch area is for memorization poems and grammar rules as we go through them.  I divided the lessons in half and made two folders for each child for the year.  That way there is no daily filing.

 

WWE I use a composition book instead of loose leaf paper.  Again, no filing, easy to use daily.  Dictation used to require keeping a folded piece of paper to cover the previous day's copywork sometimes but now we don't do copy work (advanced on from that) so it's not a problem.

 

I don't know how your spelling works but we also do our spelling in a composition book (we use HTTS).  Spelling is kept in same hanging folder as WWE and FLL since we pull all three out at the same time and do them together (it takes less time to do spelling sometimes than just taking out and putting away those books individually).

 

Math is bound in quarter year sections (I have my own binding machine).

 

Maps for history are bound by the time period.  History composition book is kept in there.

 

Latin is bound by sections (vocab, etc.).  All bound sections are kept in hanging folder.

 

Science is done in a composition/lab book.  Any additional books are kept in the hanging folder.

 

Unit studies, when done, are bound separately.

 

Geography is bound for the year.  An atlas is kept with it in the folder.  The best maps I have found are the Painless Placemats.  Easy to ready, and we use them at lunchtime as place mats.  Ours are three years old and are still in great condition.  The kids even take them down to the play room to use when they are playing.  They can be written on with dry erase markers AND have an outline map with out labels on the back side.

 

Art, Music, and Nature Journal are kept in separate hanging folders and consist of a book and a presentation book where the notebook page is filed when completed.

 

I have tried using magazine holders, three ring binders (they were just too big and bulky AND I hate filing daily) and vertical cloth hanging folders on the wall (now holding scrap paper, construction paper, extra blank forms for nature journal etc.--much better for that).  This works the best for us, remains neat, and makes it easy for me to pull out and make changes as necessary.  I really prefer a neat, clutter-free system that is efficient.  This is all three (and they fit in one kitchen cabinet's bottom shelf with the pen/marker/pencil caddy).  

 

I realize that this system won't allow you to take a single book to grab for each child but you could just take a couple with you.  Also, if I was going away for a couple of weeks and needed to do that, it wouldn't be that hard to put that together.  But I am like another poster, I really don't bring school with me many places.  If we are going out for our school time some reason (this is rare) we either do school earlier or I bring something totally different but portable with us.

 

Before I make any changes I always ask myself if I am just creating more work for myself.  I also check to see if my system is redundant.  I also want it easy for my kids to use.  Next year we're going towards more independent work and I am going to modify my system just a bit.  One box will be independent work and one will be for the work we do together.  I also like to have my systems be something that my children can use and modify for themselves as they get older.  If I am always given them something that is "just do the next thing" they would be at a loss when they have to create that for themselves b/c college courses don't work that way.  

 

Sorry for the long post but I wanted to answer all your questions and I think I managed to do it!

[Maela]

I'm still trying to figure how much to put in one binder and thinking through the details...hoping some more moms will chime in.

I made eight workbooks with ~100 pages in each.  It may be too much for one year; I got a little excited.  :o  If so, no problem, we'll just use them for second grade too, as most of it's above grade level anyway.  My plan is to school for 40 weeks this year though, and there are fun things in there too like little booklets to make or little cut and paste projects; so maybe we'll finish it.  The school year hasn't officially started yet, but DD pulls her first workbook out and works on it every few days.  She says she wants to get through the "hard or boring stuff" to get to the "fun stuff."   :)

 

I decided to go this route because every year I feel like I have to "tweak" something and I would hate to have to undo something I had bound. 

Ha!  One of the reasons I had them spiral bound was to keep us consistent. Last year I switched things around way too much.   :o

 

Everything else isn't divided neatly into lessons in a page. So I'd have to copy only the lesson(s) I wanted for each sections. I wouldn't mind doing that for a one small resource, like their cursive books, but it'd be a major PITA and the cost would really start adding up for all of it.

 

Yes, one downside to the way I did it was that when I originally printed out the curriculum for each subject, I printed duplex.  So there are two pages (each side of the page) of spelling in a row, two pages of math in a row, two pages of grammar in a row, and so on.  I figure we'll just skip pages sometimes if it seems like too much spelling in one day.  I'll mark the page and we'll come back to it the next day.  So it's definitely not a perfect system.

[Maela]

That way if you accelerate in one subject and slow down in another, you won't be too far off.  I would still prefer to do each subject separately though.  

Agreed.  I think that when DD has finished the eight workbooks I put together, I'll then start making one for each subject:  English (spelling, grammar, vocab); Writing; Literature; History/Geography; Math; Spanish; and Science.  

 

Not sure yet though; we'll see how this year goes.

[Mandy in TN]

I bound last fall by quarter and found it frustrating when I wanted to add things and that I really needed the pages to all be the same size to be included. This year we are doing weekly folders with pockets and brads. One folder for each week sorted by subject rather than by day. It isn't cheaper than having it spiral bound, but I can hole-punch and add things easily. Any paper that isn't the correct size can go in the pockets or I can put it in clear sheet protectors and easily insert it in with the rest of the work. Additional instructions or notes can also go in the pockets.

 

This year I almost purchased Calvert 6, but instead ended up buying materials that were the same as or similar to those used in Calvert 6. I had the bindings cut off of the following:

 

Holt Skills Practice (coordinates with Elements of Language)

MCP Plaid Word Study

MCP Spelling Workout F

Evan Moor Daily Paragraph Editing 5

Evan Moor Read and Understand Poetry, Grades 5-6+ 

EMC Write-in Reader, Grade 6, Redwood Level 

CHOLL Guides and other guides

Evan Moor Daily Math Practice, Grade 6

World Geography and You, Book 2 Eastern Hemisphere

Conceptual Physical Science Practice Book

Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way Student Guide

 

I divided up the first semester into weeks and put each week into its own regular school folder with brads and pockets. This will cut down significantly on the number of things ds must keep up with. He can put the folder, his current literature book, A Message of Ancient Days, PH Readings in Social Studies, and Conceptual Physical Science in his backpack if we leave the house.

 

I think Holt Elements of Language can be used as a reference book instead of daily and Write at Home, the composition course he is taking, is entirely online. Hopefully, he will complete the necessary reading in Aristotle Leads the Way one day each week and will not need it daily, so it will not need to leave the house every time we do. I am thinking about having him use Derek Owens for math. If so, I hope to print off the necessary materials and put them in the folders rather than adding another book. I am not sure what to do with Competition Math for Middle School. Maybe we just won't use it. Maybe I should purchase something like Zaccaro's Becoming a Problem Solving Genius that has definite lessons and pages large enough that the spine can be cut off and the sheets put in the folder.

 

This will keep him down to a folder and 4 or 5 books daily. I think that the number of books and manuals involved with Calvert looks more overwhelming than necessary for what needs to be completed each day, but this looks comfortable. My son is 10 and will be 11 this fall. Because he is prepubescent and doesn't enjoy having me try to handhold him, we have reached a point where he needs to figure some of this out himself. I have not decided how much managing of his folder will be required. I think that this is going to be a we'll-wait-and-see situation. Anyway, I hope this works for my little guy.

 

HTH-

Mandy

[stm4him]

I am planning to use Staples Arc System for our books.  It is a disc bound system where you can move the pages in and out easily to resort them as needed.  I am making 24 weeks worth of assignments for our main skill subjects (math, logic, vocabulary, Latin, Greek, grammar, phonics, spelling, reading, handwriting/copywork).  First I will make a master file of all the pages for the week by student and paper clip them together.  Then I will put in one week's worth at a time into their notebook.  I bought tabs thinking I'll separate the work by day so I even know what day we are on (we're using a loop schedule) but I'm still considering other possible uses for the tabs (like various types of blank pages behind the tab....lined, blank, and half and half, etc.)  If I do it that way then they can write a narration when they finish a book and then easily move that page to where they are in their week's worth of work.  I'm keeping the work together (not by subject) on purpose so that we are in basically the same place in all subjects.  Latin, Greek, and Math will extend beyond the 24 weeks but those will also be pretty easy to finish off within 6 weeks of finishing the rest of our work, which helps with spring fever.  

 

There are 3 subjects that are not going in because we need to do them first thing daily no matter what.  Those are Bible, IEW, and EEL (our grammar program).  IEW has its own spiral bound book and I will make a Student Resource Notebook for them by either having it bound or putting it in a folder with brads as mentioned here.  EEL I will have to think about more as far as how I want it to be.  I need to be able to add more blank paper somehow for copying charts as needed.  And there will need to be a place to hold their charts and Trivium Tables etc.  So those subjects will need to be two or three separate books, but I want all loose papers bound.  Their Latin and Greek already come bound, as does their copywork and handwriting books.  Logic comes bound together but I may have the binding taken off to slide those in with their other work, but that may be uneccessary work for me to do.  

 

Math is going to be a little tricky because it is newsprint paper and won't work well with the kind of notebooks I'm using but I discovered that if I staple a week's worth of lessons together with a front and back printer paper cover I can slide it into a pocket divider and I also can use the front and back cover for drawing while I'm teaching or writing important math vocab words down for them to refer to.  My oldest will be using 5/4 and since that is new to me I haven't planned out how I will put that together yet.  But I'm pretty sure that the student text will have to be kept together so she will have to have that.  

 

We use magazine file boxes to keep their stuff together.  They should only need one or two including the current books they are reading.  Booklists for literature and content subjects will be put at the front for them to highlight as they finish them.  A Bible reading schedule will also be there.  

 

Last year we used a bunch of notesketch books for them to write narrations and draw illustrations of what they were learning.  This year I bought reams of paper from Miller Pads and Paper and I will punch them myself according to how many we need.  That way no paper is wasted and they don't need all those notebooks.....it will all be in one book that I will change out weekly.  At the end of the week the pages will go back into the file they came out of paperclipped by student and then at the end of the year I will decide what to keep or toss and how I want to organize their finished work.  It may get bound into one book for the year with subject tabs in there and an illustrated cover of one of their best art pieces from the year.  

 

One last comment.  It drove me nuts this year that we were in a different place in all the different subjects for all my kids.  So this year we're all staying together in the subjects and the subjects are all organized together by day so I know we are all on the same day on the same subject.  I know exactly where everyone is without a bunch of calculating.  If I am busy with one student and the others are waiting I have a list of things they can do by themselves while they wait such as flashcards, reading, puzzles, coloring, etc.  I scheduled our work out in only 96 days for the core subjects b/c we will be in co-op 24 days and the other days I want to shift focus to geography, Bible timeline, History timeline, science, and fine arts.  But I want to finish up our skill subjects first so that all they need to do is review those with flashcards each morning while we work on those other subjects over the summer or over winter break.  Keeping their co-op assignments separate and first thing each day and having a playlist for their memory work to listen to daily will allow us to keep up with our co-op and keep everything else in a loop in order of priority for the year.  Until we get to the content subject in-depth work they will still be getting read aloud, silent reading, and memory work in the other subjects so they will still get plenty of exposure to the other subjects.

[MommaOfThree]

Just at matrips suggested, I did decide to consolidate everything into 30 weeks. We have a tendency to be ahead in some things & behind in others, so I figured this gives us plenty of wiggle room.

 

And like stm4him commented about all the kids being in different areas of study. I changed all of our studies to the same for the year. It required ALOT of library searching, but by using alot of reading this year to put everyone on their "skill" level, we can all stay on the same topic. (High school DS will be using SWB's book summaries -tweaked a bit- for all subjects to allow him to stay with us in all subjects) We will be working on the same topics in Science, History, Art & Music Appreciation, and Geography. Everything else has to stay separate for obvious reasons... I have also added a few report/projects for each level throughout the year (again based on their skill/age level), so I was able to keep things a little more streamlined ... Just LOTS of books lists!

 

My kids like binders because they can take the pages for the day out and flip them over, lay them flat, etc.

 

I have NEVER been this "together", but I really needed all my kiddos to be streamlined. I am hoping that having most all subjects together, and keeping all current work in one binder per child (easy for checking), that life will be easier?!?!?

 

Time will tell!!!!

[JudoMom]

Each of my boys have a 1.5 inch Better Binder from Staples, each with a set of 15 Avery tabs.  Each book or subject (depending on what makes sense) gets a tab.  I put about 6 weeks worth of work behind the tabs.  I binders better than coil bound because they remove the completed pages and turn them in to me for grading/checking.  It's also a bit more flexible than spiral bound (sometimes we switch things up into the year, or they make a leap and no longer need certain work, etc.).

We started IEW in May, and I did make a separate binder for that.
 

[Carrie12345]

I'm working on mine right now.

 

I decided to start out with 10 days worth of work. They drew pictures for me to laminate and use as front and back covers. I'm using the Proclick.

 

Right now, I have the pages they need from an MP lit guide, instructions for WWS, the worksheets from BTB Spanish and their Latin, Geography worksheets, handouts and lined paper for our PBL unit, and graph paper for their math work.

 

I plan to add HWOT paper for practice b/c their penmanship stinks, more lined paper for cross-curriculum writing, SOTW maps, paper for AAS, and vocab lists.

 

I still have to pick out tab dividers, which will separate subjects. 10 days worth of checklists will be in the front. (If they decide to move ahead, they'll know exactly what's coming up that they can do independently!)

 

They'll still need multiple books, but all of the paper they need will be in one spot. I'm so eager to try this out! I figure 10 days should be long enough to decide whether or not we hate it. If we hate it, it won't hurt as much to drop it as it would if I put together a whole semester.

[TraceyS/FL]

Each of my boys have a 1.5 inch Better Binder from Staples, each with a set of 15 Avery tabs.  Each book or subject (depending on what makes sense) gets a tab.  I put about 6 weeks worth of work behind the tabs.  I binders better than coil bound because they remove the completed pages and turn them in to me for grading/checking.  It's also a bit more flexible than spiral bound (sometimes we switch things up into the year, or they make a leap and no longer need certain work, etc.).

 

We started IEW in May, and I did make a separate binder for that.

 

I use the 15 tab dividers also, but have a set for each day. DD needs to only have each days work there, in the order she needs to do it. Anymore than that - she.... freaks.

 

I'm using them in Circa books (like the Staples Arc system, but from Levenger) that I fill on the weekends. I'm pondering trying to move her to a digital notebook, but I think i will wait until further into the year or in January to do that. Just depends on how our schedule is going at that point.

 

I still have to pick out tab dividers, which will separate subjects. 10 days worth of checklists will be in the front. (If they decide to move ahead, they'll know exactly what's coming up that they can do independently!)

http://www.amazon.com/Avery-Contents-Dividers-Multi-Color-11197/dp/B0000AQOB1/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373658610&sr=8-1&keywords=avery+15+tab+dividers

 

One set is $4.88, 6 sets are $15~ - be sure to check all variations because I had big price differences on them for the same thing! Obviously they have ones with less tabs, which I encountered the same thing. It is nuts, but the "bulk" packages of them at Amazon were a lot cheaper than anything else i could find!

[kathkath]

I do one week at a time with the subjects together and the weekly schedule on cardstock as the front cover (Donna younge excel one page plan). I do the filing system but make each book the Sunday before so I can tweak if needed. I love this method.

[Heidi]

I'm considering doing this.  This year my kids have a lot of workbooks this year because it is going to be a crazy year with a new baby and a move over seas.  I was thinking of having the binding taken off of the workbooks and then three-hole punch them and stick them in a binder.  If I do it, I decided it would be best to divide the work into three semesters of work.  I would have weeks 1-12 in my daughter's binder, and the other two semesters already divided up in a large binder that I would put away until we get to it, so I can easily switch out the old semester with the new one.  I would divide the binder into subjects with the week number written in the corner of each page in pencil, just in case we get off schedule.  I figure if there is a workbook I would like as a keepsake at the end of the year, I could always put it back together and get it spiral bound.  Or just spiral bound a sample of the year's worth of work.

[BlsdMama]

I just did it with five kids so far.  Two more to go.

 

Child Kindergarten:

Math workbook from Costco

Copywork

Explode the Code

SOTW Coloring Pages

Christian Kids Bio Coloring Pages

AAR Activity Guide sheets

 

Child 1st grade:

WWE & AAR 2

Same as above essentially without the Math workbook - I kept her Singapore separate

 

Child 2nd/3rd grade:

Same items as above essentially.

Child 4th grade - Organized by day, separated by week:

WWE 3

Copywork

Grammar-Land

Fix-It

Assignment Sheet

Westminster Catechism sheets to match Teaching Hearts, Training Minds

SOTW sheets

CKE Biology sheets

*Singapore math is separate.

 

I had to make a separate book to hold their IEW Ancients writing and Latina Christiana - it was just too much for eight weeks.

 

Child 6th grade - the same except she is doing WWE 4 this year with the above and I redid all of her copywork in Italics Cursive

Singapore Math is separate.

 

I want to make one for Daniella (3) because I think she'd be more likely to sit and do table work if it's like the others.  I'm deciding between Kumon and Rod and Staff 3 and just binding them and then adding in the appropriate matching coloring pages from the kids' science and history programs.

 

I haven't decided if I'm plugging one together for Christian.  I'd love to be this organized but he would resent his freshman year resembling, in any way, the kids' work so I'm thinking that might not be to my advantage.

 

I am loving this.  Absolutely loving it.  I'm working on my own planner right now.  How did it never occur to me that I could make my own planner??

 

 

 

[BlsdMama]

Oops!  Forgot to add - I tried to do it in eight weeks and it is really TOO much!  I'm going down to six from here on out. 

[Amy Jo]

I'm curious how you would get Latina Christina into the workbook, since the weekly lessons are on facing pages. Do you copy them, or is that part of the reason you left them out?

[TraceyS/FL]

I'm curious how you would get Latina Christina into the workbook, since the weekly lessons are on facing pages. Do you copy them, or is that part of the reason you left them out?

Back to back lessons, or two on one side are my new not so favorite thing today.

[Heidi]

I'm curious how you would get Latina Christina into the workbook, since the weekly lessons are on facing pages. Do you copy them, or is that part of the reason you left them out?

 

That's what led me to divide by subject.  Just about all of our curriculum is like this.

 

So I put dd9's binder together last night.  I was able to stick 12 weeks in a 1 1/2 inch binder.  That got rid of 5 workbooks that were floating around!  I like it.

[matrips]

For those using Singapore, have you had any issue with doing a spiral binding due to the size of the pages? Somehow our Singapore books seem smaller than normal paper.

 

I'm still thinking and planning before taking the plunge! Each day I come up with a new 'ooh, almost forgot about about that!' Hopefully I'll be ready for binding next week! I'm really excited about this. I did get our IEW in the mail today and it looks like that will have to stay separate. Still, two books is better than what we have now.

 

And I'm busy thinking of my planner too with all the instructions, answer keys,...

[BlsdMama]

Back to back lessons, or two on one side are my new not so favorite thing today.

 

Latina Christiana and IEW Ancients are the two that caused me problems for the girls.  I simply made two books for them - one of their daily work arranged by day and a much thinner book that has Latin and Writing in it. So, the girls have two books, but that is still better than before.  We also had issues with little girls not putting their writing away correctly so that we could work the rest of the week on it.  With it bound we won't have that issue.   On WWE 4, there are a few two sided student pages and I did just copy them singly as I didn't realize it until it was too late and I'd already made copies.  The UPS store I was using gives a homeschool discount of three and a half cents per page so it was worth it to not have to mess up my format.  Had my books not already been so thick, I would have done single side copies of IEW and LC just because it looked nice.

[BlsdMama]

For those using Singapore, have you had any issue with doing a spiral binding due to the size of the pages? Somehow our Singapore books seem smaller than normal paper.

 

I'm still thinking and planning before taking the plunge! Each day I come up with a new 'ooh, almost forgot about about that!' Hopefully I'll be ready for binding next week! I'm really excited about this. I did get our IEW in the mail today and it looks like that will have to stay separate. Still, two books is better than what we have now.

 

And I'm busy thinking of my planner too with all the instructions, answer keys,...

 

I kept the Singapore workbooks separate.  It wasn't worth all that effort,  But the little kids' books DID have another program that wasn't the right size and we just made sure everything was lined up along the drilling edge.  The page was still in the binding fully, just not lined up perfectly to the top or bottom - it wasn't such a big deal. :)

[matrips]

I kept the Singapore workbooks separate. It wasn't worth all that effort, But the little kids' books DID have another program that wasn't the right size and we just made sure everything was lined up along the drilling edge. The page was still in the binding fully, just not lined up perfectly to the top or bottom - it wasn't such a big deal. :)

Okay, that's good to know. Thanks!