Have we talked about spiral notebooks?

[Runningmom80]

I think I might try this. Right now I just write things down after we do them in a planner. I actually think ds would like to see a checklist, he always wants to know what we are doing at the beginning of the day.

[fairy4tmama]

sorry double post

[fairy4tmama]

I just wanted to link this blog post from Blog She Wrote I have been incorporating some of these ideas into our assignment notebooks and I like the way it fits.

[blackjackoaktree]

I have ADD, have a son with autism, a dd with ADHD, and a son that may or may not be autistic,  and this is actually how I run all the kids schooling or afterschooling because it is a nice spin-off of the system I use for myself. I used to try and buy those dated day runner things, but then if we had a down week or a plan change, I would go bonkers trying to readjust. So I actually use sturdy top bound spirals for each kid.

 

 

So Sunday evening, I pull out the stack of spirals, date off the next seven days (usually two per page) and write all their assignments and chores. Only my afterschoolers use a combined subject, so my entry would be    SOTW1- ch 9 pt. 1    w/*kid2 and kid3*  and mom    So they know that for this subject, they work with their siblings and it's parent directed. We have a shorthand.

 

At the bottom, I note if there's an activity, dr. apt, visiting aunt Birtha that Sat. etc. so THERE'S NO EXCUSE AND NO WHINING THAT "I DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE GOING TO AUNT BIRTHA'S THIS WEEKEND!"  Yeah, ya did, because it's in your spirals.

 

It seems like a lot, but it's super easy and I get it done in the time it takes to drink an iced coffee or whatever floats your boat! I do have a master binder that I'm going off of with this where it's all consolidated, so it's basically copying off of that. That gets updated about every three months.

 

 

[EmseB]

I have started a assignment notebook for DS7 this week and he loves it!  He's a check-the-box kind of kid, though, so this is right up his alley.  I put fun things on there like "Don't let DS2 get too crazy" or "give your baby sister a kiss" and he eats that up.  I think I might need to incorporate some fun physical exercises into his list too.

 

Now, if I could just find something more motivational for DS6.  He may want his own notebook after seeing his brother with one for awhile.

[Targhee]

I do not currently use a spiral notebook, but my kids do have weekly checklists. I make a general plan for the year, and then I plan a week at a time. If I try to do more, life gets in the way and messes with my nice plans and makes me frustrated and want to give up on planning at all. However, changing this over to the spiral notebook would still give the kids their checklists, but also give me a nice log of what we do throughout the year. That is novel and appealing to me. I tried using computer based planning systems/tracking systems and they just don't meet the flexibility needs I have. Besides, I like pencil and paper things a lot.

[ChocolateMomster]

I searched, but didn't find anything. 

 

http://amongstlovelythings.com/spiral-notebooks/

 

A small group I'm a part of is raving over this. I'd like a wider variety of opinions.  Has anyone tried it? 

 

I already have a LARGE notebook planner. I have a column for each child each day. I fill in his assignments and check them off as they are finished. It sounds very similar to what is described, except that I own it and there are no chores on the checklist. Chores are posted on the wall. 

 

I'm thinking that this would accomplish a couple of things:

 

1. Sagg works independently. It would require more of a check in with me. I would have to fill out the book each day and he would have to turn it back in to me. I trust him to work on his own for pretty much everything. I don't check in with him nearly as much as I should.

 

2. Aries is incredibly scattered. I could put EVERYTHING from personal hygiene, to chores, to school in the book and require him to check each one off. This would possibly help prevent him "forgetting" to do tasks, even after multiple reminders. 

 

3. My binder is HUGE and unwieldy. I would love to streamline or possibly even eliminate it. 

 

My concerns:

 

1. Redundancy. Would I just end up writing everything twice? Or 5 times? Once for myself, once for each kid?

 

2. Time and stress. Will I spend more time tracking down notebooks than they would save? Will this become yet another thing to lose, ruin, and fight over? Will I resent and dread sitting down every afternoon to write everything AGAIN? Will I have to give up something I'd rather be doing for yet another mundane task?

 

3. Organization. I like to keep things simple. I don't like messes and loose parts. Will these be another pile of stuff that I have to contend with? I have some ideas for corralling them, but I don't need ONE MORE THING to be responsible for. I know, in theory, the kids are responsible for them, but is that how it really works? Or is it just one thing that I will have to stay on top of them to be sure they stay on top of it?

 

We're coming off of our holiday/baby break. I feel the need to streamline our process so that we can add things back in without adding a ton of stress. I don't have a lot of extra time or energy just now. My kids are reasonably responsible and highly cooperative, but my personal resources are at a low point. I need things to run fairly independently. Will this system help?

 

 

We started using our Learning Notebooks, because I got tired with our ever changing schedule. My boys would learn our new routine, but got frustrated every time there was a interruption. We never finished a whole day of school. Now I can plan our day, in the morning....knowing exactly how much we can get done, because I know approx. what our day is going to be like.  I blogged about ours here.

 

1. Yes you'll be writing everything  few times, but for me I feel this time is gained back because they can do their work independently. I can write down exactly how much information they need. My eldest only needs to know which book he needs to work from. My second needs chapter plus title as well and maybe some extra pointers.

 

2. Habits, habits, habits! Yes, we lost ours a few times. They're now being put on the shelf with all their schoolbooks, every evening, and we loose them less often. Get a big A4 hardback notebook, which will get lost much less easily.

 

3. I don't know...it depends. My boys are 5 and 7 and they are fine with them, they hardly need help. It takes me 5 minutes in the morning to fill in their notebooks, whilst they're doing chores.

 

[.Michelle.]

I tried implementing this over the last two weeks, but I'm not happy with the experiment.  First, we use a program that comes with lesson plans.  It already is laid out for me.  My goal in using the notebooks was to have my second grader do some things independently while I worked with a younger child or got siblings up and ready for the day.  I went through each day's assignments and picked out the pieces that did not require instruction, things like copying vocabulary or spelling words, a sheet of math problems with concepts we've already covered, cursive handwriting, etc.

 

It did work in that he was able to start independently.  It did save time.  I don't like it, though, because it made our lessons seem very disjointed.  He was doing parts of things independently, then we'd have to go back and touch on that subject again for the day's lesson.  He'd balk at the lesson because he felt that he already had completed his assignments, even though we stressed that his planner and my planner were not identical.  I also felt like I wasn't as in touch with how he was completing his work because I was in another room.  Did it come easily?  Did he struggle to complete?  I didn't know.

 

So, once we get back to work after Easter break, I'm going back to our old method.  It's a better flow for our day to have teach him, then set him to the independent work for that subject while I work with a younger kid.

[MerryAtHope]

If I was going to try this,  I think I'd get the My Student Logbook. I know I wouldn't keep up with writing it out daily!

 

However, in our case, workboxes accomplished the organization, getting things done, not doing too much etc... issues, plus it keeps all of the supplies organized. 

 

Do what works for you!

[kateingr]

Workboxes are my simple version of this, too. I use post-its if I need any more specific instructions.

[Butter]

Workboxes didn't work for me, but I absolutely love the idea of them.  Of course we used an entirely different curriculum them so they might work better now.  If I had room that is.  Anyway, I've been doing the spiral notebooks for the two middle kids for a couple weeks and it is working fabulously, especially for the 8 year old.  He LOVES his list.  I put a star next to everything they can do on their own.  This will be especially useful this morning since I'll be taking the little one to a dentist appointment and the older ones can get some of their school done without me here.  I also put their schedule (outside of the house stuff) and to do list (chores) for the day on their spiral notebook page.