scbusf Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 Talk me into it!!! I'm scared to do it because it means I'm actually committing to a curriculum!!! Does it really make your life easier? And easier for the kids because they aren't fighting with the book to stay open? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PentecostalMom Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 Depends on what book. Some I cut off and coil bind, some I cut off to make copies for use in my homeschool. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 Talk me into it!!! I'm scared to do it because it means I'm actually committing to a curriculum!!! Does it really make your life easier? And easier for the kids because they aren't fighting with the book to stay open? Absolutely worth it to *me*. :-) I cut the spines off and drill the workbooks for three holes and put them in three-ring notebooks. Yes, even if the pages are already perforated. And my dc don't have to fight the book to keep it open, because I take out each page so they can lay it flat on a writing surface. Having to twist their arms/hands/wrists to be able to write in a book can totally mess up their penmanship and writing posture and the whole thing. So they write on the page and return it to the notebook. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momto6inIN Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 I cut most of mine off and put them in 3 ring binders because they're easier to take stuff out and photocopy when needed (most of my stuff is copyrighted to allow for photocopying within the same family - when it's not I don't cut the bindings off to remind myself not to violate the copyright!) It also makes it easier for me and the kids to find the page we're on and the binders line up better on the shelf that way too and I don't have to sift through a bunch of slim workbooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 I do this for any thick workbook she'll be writing in extensively. I don't bother for thinner books, because it's easier to "break" the binding and have it lie flat, but I definitely don't want her struggling with keeping her book open while she's trying to write. So I did it with Write from History (really fat!) and with all the W&R books, but not with The Fun Spanish and the LOE Cursive book. For the LOE workbook, I pull out the perforated pages and she does them on a clipboard. She likes the clipboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 I took all of ours to FedEx/Kinkos and had the bindings removed so that I could make weekly folders. :) It is the second year I have done so, and it is definitely worth it! Mandy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 Absolutely worth it to *me*. :-) I cut the spines off and drill the workbooks for three holes and put them in three-ring notebooks. You cut them off yourself, not pay a copy place? What do you use? And do you really drill? Seriously, I wish you'd make a video and show us how to do this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 A cousin posted a picture this morning of her little 6yo's first day of First Grade. Her right-handed daughter is writing in a workbook of some kind, not very thick, with her hand hooked around the top the way a leftie does because he hasn't been taught how to slant his paper the opposite direction from a rightie. She's hooking her hand because if she's writing on the right-side page, the left side page will be in her way if she turns the book at all. I wanted to avoid that hooked hand. I didn't notice my younger dd was doing it until she was 10ish. ::smacks forehead:: That's when I began tearing out pages, then cutting off the spine and so on, and laying her papers flat on the table. For awhile I taped her paper to the table so it would remain slanted properly, and that naturally caused her hand to be correctly positioned. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 I have a big fat three-hole punch that I have had for years that has been worth every penny. I used the three-hole punch and put the work in folders with fasteners. It makes a week's worth of work travel friendly and very easy to tote for use in the car or at the library. ;) Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 I have neat little prong folders for storing ds's first grade work. I also have an adorable collection of my twentysomethings' old workbooks and twentysomethings with terrible printing who have pretty much forgotten the cursive I taught them before their high school and college teachers told them to just print or use the keyboard. So....for first grade it was doable to scan and print because he isn't going to be doing much writing, but what do I need to get for next year to cut the spines off? Some sort of a saw or something cute and fun from the office supply store that might be on sale this week? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymonster Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 If you're truly scared and looking to figure out the process, go grab a $5 Spectrum workbook, and get to work on it. It takes five minutes. You can either tear out the pages if they are perforated (SOTW Activity books are), or use an exacto knife, or go to Kinkos/Office Depot and have them cut it off. I prefer to have the professionals do it. I think it's about $2 for them to cut off the spine and three-hole punch it (OPGTR happened this way). I shop for three-ring binders while they work. Done and done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 I have neat little prong folders for storing ds's first grade work. I also have an adorable collection of my twentysomethings' old workbooks and twentysomethings with terrible printing who have pretty much forgotten the cursive I taught them before their high school and college teachers told them to just print or use the keyboard. So....for first grade it was doable to scan and print because he isn't going to be doing much writing, but what do I need to get for next year to cut the spines off? Some sort of a saw or something cute and fun from the office supply store that might be on sale this week? Believe me when I tell you that the most practical thing to do is to take all your books to FedEx/Kinko's and let the professionals do it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brit29 Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 Interesting! Could anyone tell me how much it costs to have it done at Kinkos? I can't imagine much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 Interesting! Could anyone tell me how much it costs to have it done at Kinkos? I can't imagine much. No, it isn't very much. A few dollars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 I just took 4 HIGs to Staples to have the spines cut off and spiral bound. It cost me just under $17. Just cutting the spines off could be cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 I am not sure exactly, but I had the spines cut off of, I think, 19 workbooks, and it was under 40 dollars including tax. I can't remember how close it was to thirty. Why don't you call and ask someplace local? HTH- Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 I don't know id the prices changes based upon book size for cutting the spines off. The HIGS aren't super thick. I would think you'd be $2 or likely under for spines only. My price includes spiral binding and I think generally speaking there isn't a huge difference in price between the different spiral bindings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truemind Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 Does anyone cut the spines for Singapore math? I have been thinking about doing this to avoid switching back and forth between TB and WB. Without the spines, I could probably put them in a three ring binder and pull out what I need. Anyone do this? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 I cut them off so I can do the hanging file folder system. I love it. I've also had spiral binding put on some books to keep them open and sometimes I've put them in 3 ring binders as needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arliemaria Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Does anyone cut the spines for Singapore math? I have been thinking about doing this to avoid switching back and forth between TB and WB. Without the spines, I could probably put them in a three ring binder and pull out what I need. Anyone do this? Did you end up doing this? I am thinking about doing exactly this and also the HIG. Perhaps even adding in the appropriate review, drill/copywork, extra practice from MEP or other random materials that correspond with each SM lesson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Talk me into it!!! I'm scared to do it because it means I'm actually committing to a curriculum!!! Does it really make your life easier? And easier for the kids because they aren't fighting with the book to stay open? It is SO much easier for the children to write on a piece of paper that is lying flat on a table than to wrestle down a workbook. My right-handed child developed a left-hand-like hook from curling her hand around the top of her workbook pages, which was strange because we didn't use workbooks that much. I cut the spines off of perfect-bound workbooks and drill the pages for three holes so I can keep them in three-ring notebooks (yes, even if the pages are perforated). Dc takes out a page to work on and puts it back when it's completed. On saddle-stitched workbooks (stapled in the middle), I remove the staples then have the books drilled *right there* where the staples were. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Does anyone know how much they charge to spiral bind something once the spine is cut? We did FLL3 this year and I am thinking for FLL4 I need to cut off the spine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Does anyone know how much they charge to spiral bind something once the spine is cut? We did FLL3 this year and I am thinking for FLL4 I need to cut off the spine. I get charged just under $5 to have the office place cut off the spine and do the spiral binding. Honestly, I just mentally add $5 to the price of nearly every bound school book I buy - BFSU, the SOTW AG... It's so much easier to be able to leave the page flipped open where I want it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I usually have it done at a FedEx/Kinkos because that's the most convenient place for me. I have them bind it and they usually only charge me for the binding & not for the cutting itself. I plan on having FLL4 made into 2-3 smaller workbooks so it doesn't seem so overwhelming. I'll probably have the TM done that way, too. It would be easy to have them 3-hole punch it instead or just leave them loose if I were to do weekly file folders or some other organizational method. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truemind Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Did you end up doing this? I am thinking about doing exactly this and also the HIG. Perhaps even adding in the appropriate review, drill/copywork, extra practice from MEP or other random materials that correspond with each SM lesson. Yes, I did do this. The copy shop charged me $6 to cut and combine it into two sets of book. I first had them cut the spine off of the TB and WB and then organize the TB and WB pages into two sets of books(this process is time consuming). One thing is annoying is the page number of TB and WB does not align. Other than that it turned out really well. Definitely worth it. Life is much easier now. I will post some pictures when I have some time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Does anyone cut the spines for Singapore math? I have been thinking about doing this to avoid switching back and forth between TB and WB. Without the spines, I could probably put them in a three ring binder and pull out what I need. Anyone do this?I would not combine both TB and WB unless you weren't allowing the child to write in the workbook and/or only have one child. I have three kids so I reuse the textbooks and buy new workbooks. Also, SM has oretty good resale value so I want to be able to resell my textbooks when we're done. I have sold a things that I had cut the spines off and spiral bound without difficulty, though. Combining the TB/WB might interfere with it. YMMV, just something to keep in mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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