Convention Notes: Notebooking and Multi-Level Teaching

The speaker for this workshop said that notebooking is really just educational scrapbooking.  I could not agree more.  I really love the idea behind notebooking; more specifically, I love the method that the speaker suggested using.  Here are some of the things she said during her workshop that I wrote down:

Homeschooling is not about patience -- it's about resolve!

Education is discipleship: this is our goal.

Multi-level Teaching Benefits:

• Biblical Integration is easy
• Less fragmented education
• Older children mentor the younger
• Less time consuming than teaching everyone individually

In regards to Multi-level Teaching, she suggested the school bus approach.  Everyone gets on the school bus and you begin reading from your text (or teaching, or however you plan to do it).  After about 10-15 minutes, you get the littles off the bus and give them something that is at their skill level (like coloring a picture) that is also subject reinforcing.  Then, in another 10-15 minutes, you let the middles off the bus and give them a worksheet, copywork, a crossword puzzle, etc. that also reinforces what is being taught.  Finally, the olders get off the bus and begin their advanced work on the subject.

Now, onto what she said specifically about Notebooking.

STEPS:

1. Read about the subject/topic.
2. Write a list of what was talked/learned about daily. (She said that she writes down just one or two words on her white board, and keeps a running list everyday.  It's not erased until after they've notebooked.)
3. Spend four days learning in active teaching, one day for notebooking.  For her, it was Wednesdays ... and that was all that they did on that day.  For me, I think it will be Thursdays because we have our homeschool PE co-op group on Thursday afternoons.
4. Each child creates notebook pages according to their age and skill level.  For example, the littles only create one page on one topic that was discussed throughout the last week.  The olders create more like three to four pages.  (My idea is to have my Eliza and possibly Kate create a notebook page for each subject.)

SUPPLIES:

• 3-ring binders -- D-ring, 3-4" wide
• Sheet protectors
• Card stock (she was adamant about using card stock and not regular paper because regular paper doesn't hold as well)
• Markers, colored pencils, scissors, crayons stickers, glue, templates, etc.

BENEFITS OF NOTEBOOKING:

• does not need to be expensive (I'm excited to use all the paper my sister and sister-in-law just sent us!  Thanks, Anna and Aubrey!)
• boosts creativity
• turn reluctant writers into researchers
• works for all learning styles
• works for all homeschooling styles
• provides a memoir of schoolwork, or a portfolio for older students

WHERE TO START:

1. Don't make it complicated! (Individual mastery is: math, reading, and writing.  Use Notebooking for multi-level subjects, such as: science, history, music, art.)
2. Use time wisely. (Can't create a love of learning in a stressful environment.)
3. Teach to the OLDEST child. (Follow the school bus approach.)
4. Take time. (You don't have to go 100% right at the beginning.)

5 KEYS FOR SUCCESSFUL NOTEBOOKING

1. No correct or incorrect way.
2. Study one topic with all children.
3. Make allowances for differing ages (ask more of olders, less for littles).
4. Allow child to choose topic that interests them. (Even let them choose a topic that wasn't discussed and allow them to research it for their notebook page.)
5. Teach children to clean up after themselves (organize home for success).

IDEAS FOR PK-2:

• copy work
• coloring pictures
• glue items

She opened her workshop open at the end for questions.  I asked about my severely perfectionist son and how to get him past the "no correct" way to notebook.  I asked that because I can picture Andrew just sitting there and not even starting because he wouldn't want to do it wrong.  She suggested showing pictures of finished notebook pages and letting him see all the different ways to do it.  I was thinking that the whole idea of notebooking reminded me of Smashbooks (have you seen those?), and I thought I'd just show Andrew the YouTube videos of smashbooks.  She also said that she will have slides of notebook pages that her children have made throughout the years on her website.  (I haven't seen them yet, and it's been a week ... I hope she gets them up on there soon!)

Anyway, it was a very informative workshop.  In fact, I attended three of this particular speaker's workshops and each of them was extremely informative.  I loved them all.

Yesterday I told my children about notebooking.  They seemed so excited to get started.  I am too!  I can't wait to get rid of a day of school to just be creative ... and yet still be learning!