Notebooking

I get a lot of questions about Notebooking, and while I don't mind at all answering those questions I thought it might be a little easier for YOU if I tried to to notebooking information to one post.

So let's see if I can get them covered. (Feel free to ask more, I'll answer as I get them and try to keep this post updated)

1. Why notebook? I'll tell you I was enthralled with the idea of using File Folders and went through a time of making File Folder games and then eventually Lapbooks, but they never really clicked with us. After trying that for a while we went to Notebooking, but in a different manner than we do now, using, quite simply composition books. Again, this wasn't quite meeting our needs so it wound up going the way of the lapbook (that is: into storage). At one point I thought I might be interested in using an 8 x 11 binder with page protectors, but really wanted something all together. Which is when I found the 10 x 10 spiral bound scrapbook at Walmart. I picked up a few and decided to give it a shot, and the rest is, as they say, history.

2. Where do you get your notebooks? I buy the Spiral Bound Scrapbooks from the Walmart craft section. They run around $7 and last a full year for us.

3. What type of adhesives do you use? Since these ARE kids books we use glue sticks. Lots and lots of glue sticks. We also keep spray adhesive on hand, but it doesn't hold as well.

4. How many sheets do you use per study? The basic rule of thumb in our house is a 2 page spread per week. Which translates to a 2 page spread for most FIAR titles (or grade school books) and multiple pages per middle school books.

5. How do you add extensions to your pages? Ahh, that's easy. I cut an 8 x 11 piece of paper so that it is 8 x 10 (our books are 10 x 10) Then I fold the 8" long piece over by a few inches, making it around 5 1/2 x 10. Glue the 2 1/2 inch flap down.

6. Where do you find all of the worksheets you use? I just search the internet. There are a lot of great sites. Give homeschool share, ABC teach, enchanted learning, the Homeschool Mom and Gander's Academy a try.

7. Where can I get other notebooking ideas? Here is a list of few notebooking sites. They are everywhere, so don't be afraid to use google!
Notebooking
Lapbook templates
Notebooking.org
Making Books with Children
Homeschool share/lapbooking ideas
Let's book it <---Great ideas Education World
Graphic Organizers
Free Notebooking Pages<--- Notebookingpages.com great studies on here Candle in the Window
Lapbooking on Squidoo
Free Homeschooling lapbooks
Lapbooking vs. notebooking on Squidoo

8. How many notebooks do you use? We only use one notebook per student, I know many families like to use multiple notebooks and separate the subjects, but we like the ease of one notebook. I also think trying to decide whether to include an awesome drawing of the water cycle complete with definitions in art, science or language arts would prove too difficult over time and "I" would most likely drop the notebooking altogether.

9. What do the completed projects look like? That's easy, look in my left sidebar and click away. I have links to notebooking pages we have completed. Be sure to look at more than one since they are all different.