How to Make Your Own Notebooks

Spiral Binding  You can take pages to Kinkos for a spiral binding, or if you'll be doing it much you can buy your own binding tool. I have a ProClick Binding Machine , which I think is simply fabulous. It uses special spines that snap open and closed so you can continue to add to your project even after you've bound it initially. I posted about it HERE. 

Japanese Stab Binding    Instructions

What is Notebooking?

Notebooking is basically educational journaling.  Children use notebooks to show and tell what they've learned.  They show through drawings, photos, and maps.  They tell through written narrations, observations, reports, copywork, lists, and timelines. Some people also use minibooks in their note booking.  

Those familiar with the Charlotte Mason Method have likely heard of her use of nature notebooks, though notebooking may be used for most subjects. Students write a narration of what they've learned, accompanied by a visual component which may be anything from a drawn or painted picture, map, printed image or photo, coloring page, etc. It's great for old and young students alike (the young may need Mom's help writing what they narrate, the old have no limits!). 

Some families use note booking as the means to grade children's progress in place of formal testing. Others use it as a supplement to their other teaching methods. However it's used, it helps children cement what they've learned (note how high it falls in Bloom's taxonomy!), serves as a portfolio and a keepsake.

All you need to get started are some notebooks and writing utensils. If you decide to make your own notebooks, there are several ways to do it but my favorite way is using my pro-click home binding machine. It rocks. If that's the route you go, you just need a few printable blank templates to get started. These are easy to find online for free, see my links below.

Lots of Minibook Examples

One Page Mini-book... cut out shape and fold in half, or cut it out "on the fold" of the paper.  Try different sizes, shapes, and colors of paper. 

Lapbooking Examples

Your child's lapbooks will grow more complex as they get older. Lapbooking is preferable to making posters, etc because lapbooks' size make them easy to store, and perfect for portfolios.  The more material you want to include, the more creative the lapbook layout will be with flaps, panels, and the like.  Here are a few examples to look through for inspiration... but don't let them overwhelm you!  They can be as simple or complex as you wish, according to your child's age and ability.  Just realize the unlimited possibilities, and let your child's creativity run wild.

What is Lapbooking?

Lapbooking consists of making several mini-books w/ details over a common topic, then putting them all together in a lapbook.  Once complete, a lapbook is a great tool for review and fits nicely into your child's home school portfolio.  It's especially suited for kinesthetic and visual learners.

Begin by selecting a topic.  Break the topic down into subtopics, and each subtopic will have its own mini-book.  You may choose to cover a new sub-topic each day, and at the end of the week (or whatever your time table), attach all mini-books to the lapbook.

Assemble a lapbook out of a simple file folder, just folding each flap towards the center fold so they meet in the middle.  Fill the inside with a presentation of the material, including all minibooks on each subtopic.  This sounds complicated, but once you look at a couple and get the idea, it's really quite simple.  They are a great way to demonstrate what the student has learned, from beginning levels all the way up.

Mini offices are a variation of lapbooks, but with extra panels, depending how much space is needed for a subject.  They may be well suited for the teacher to make as a visual aid in teaching, or as a project/report for more advanced students. 

Look through a few 

lapbooking examples here!

Learn how to make fun, 

easy minibooks here!

(these are the little books that go in a lapbook)

Construction Tips...

• Use file folders, poster-board, card-stock rather than construction paper for it to last better
• If you run out of room, just extend it with extra card-stock that "flaps" out
• Consider printing some items onto sticker paper, to omit gluing.
• It helps to have a system in place. Check out these time-saving tips for lap bookers. 

Lapbooking Info...

• The ultimate lap book handbook by Tammy Duby, the creator of lapbooking who coined the term
• Lapbooking & Mini Office summary and cute examples
• Squidoo... lots of lapbooking samples, planning, directions, etc

Lapbooking Printables...

• Home-school Share... lapbook resources & templates, and free lapbooks

Storage ideas...

• Homeschool Creations... Here's how to add a duct tape binding to the side of your lap books, making them easy to bind and store. 
• Practical Pages... Here are a couple more storage options after binding the side with duct tape. She uses folders or comb binding.