How to Use Notebooking In Your Homeschool

Throughout our homeschooling journey, there has been one great constant: NOTEBOOKING.

In the beginning, we were Interest Led/Charlotte Mason homeschoolers; we notebooked.

Then, during a year where we just needed to unschool, we continued to notebook.

Now, we have settled on a Classical path; we incorporate notebooking in our days. 

Notebooking is the perfect way to inspire creativity, document learning, organize material, and learn effectively. It brings organization and REST to our homeschool days.

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Will Notebooking WORK in My Homeschool?

I often hear people tell me their children don't like to WRITE, or that the physical act of writing is difficult. (Let your children dictate their notebooking pages, or allow them to type their pages.)

I also receive many questions from readers about the supplies you need for homeschooling.  (Really, all you need are basic school supplies and some three ring notebooks.)

Notebooking is so personal, so customizable, and allows your child to express themselves with their schoolwork.   

So, how do you know if notebooking will WORK in your homeschool?

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself. If you answer YES to many of them, then you are probably a good candidate for notebooking!

• Do you like to document your children's learning?

• Do you have children who like to be creative, enjoy arts and crafts, and feel the need to dig deeply into a subject?

• Do you have children who think outside the box?

• Do you have children who like to organize and admire FACTS and MEMORY WORK?

• Do you prefer NOT to administer pencil and paper tests, but desire to somehow assess your children's learning?

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Getting Started With Notebooking

Notebooking is one of those things that can sound confusing and complicated. In reality, however, it is SO simple and adds an element of predictability and peace to our homeschool days. 

This post, written by my good friend Jimmie, is your one stop for learning all about notebooking and how to get started.  If you know NOTHING about notebooking, read the post and then come back here. 

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5 Ways to Use Notebooking In Your Homeschool

We've used notebooking in many ways over the years. 

Hopefully this post will give you ideas (no matter WHAT your homeschool method and learners may be) to implement easily in your homeschool this year. 

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Helpful Notebooking Posts

You can notebook through all subject areas, all methods, and across all ages.

Notebooking has been that GOOD THING that has STUCK each year.  

The following posts may strike a chord with your homeschool and style:

• Using Notebooking Pages in Every Area of Your Homeschool

• Music History and Notebooking for The Birds

• Using Notebooking Pages with Classical Conversations

• Planning & Organizing for CC Cycle 1 (includes notebooking videos)

• Harry Potter Notebooking --->> includes a FREE DOWNLOAD!

• Notebooking Through Story of the World

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The BEST Notebooking Resource

Throughout all of the notebooking we have done, there is one resource we have relied on consistently.

Notebooking Pages is a subscription service that allows you to download notebooking pages for virtually ANYTHING you are looking for. 

In addition to being able to download premade pages, children have the opportunity to create their OWN pages using the Notebooking Publisher App. 

Hands down, Notebooking Pages is our favorite homeschool resource. 

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Let me hear from you!  Do you use Notebooking in your homeschool?  Do you have plans to start this year?  Do you have questions about notebooking?

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5 Ways to Use Notebooking in Your Homeschool

Notebooking is one of my children's favorite ways to learn. 

We began years ago, and have been notebooking (in one way or another) for the past six years. 

Why do I love notebooking so much? 

• It allows us to keep a TANGIBLE RECORD of student learning
• It allows for great CREATIVITY
• It can serve as an ASSESSMENT tool
• It is CHILD LED -- not parent led
• It keeps LITTLE (and big) HANDS BUSY
• It can be done ACROSS ALL SUBJECTS

( Don't know what notebooking is all about? Getting Started With Notebooking is an excellent overview! )

*This post contains affiliate links. 

The following 5 ways to use notebooking your homeschool will hopefully inspire you and encourage you! No matter what your homeschool style or age of your children, notebooking can be an effective and fun tool to incorporate into your homeschool

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Notebook by Interest Led Subject

When my kids were younger, we followed their interests quite a bit. 

One particular spring, the kids were just enamored with BIRDS. We learned everything we could about different birds, and they decided they wanted to learn about Cuckoos! 

Perfect. 

I printed some Cuckoo Notebooking Pages (from my subscription to Notebooking Pages) and away they went. 

You can take ANY subject, find notebooking pages about that subject, do a lot of research, and then have your children document their learning with words, pictures, artifacts, and more.  The sky is the limit! 

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Notebook Through Literature

We have used notebooking to work our way through pieces of literature. 

Notebooking while mom is reading aloud keeps hands busy and keeps your children engaged while listening. 

We've participated in literature fairs where we used notebooking pages as integral parts of our display boards.

One of my favorite memories is how my daughter notebooked through Calico Bush. 

We did a state study of Maine (using the beautiful 50 state notebooking pages from our Notebooking Pages membership) and included that on the literature fair display board. 

For a highly creative type like my then 9 year old daughter, getting out all of her favorite colored pencils, watercolors, and twisty crayons was BLISS. She would spend hours coloring her notebooking pages while I read aloud. 

Not only did she have a beautiful finished product, but we also made a wonderful memory!

(You might also enjoy a free notebooking download I created to go along with the Harry Potter books -- MUCH fun!)

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Notebook Through History

We have notebooked extensively through our favorite history curriculum, The Story of the World. 

GIANT notebooks sit in our bookshelf upstairs because we can't bear to pack them away. 

These noteooks were created as I read through the lessons in each volume of SOTW. 

To learn how we did this, you can read How We Use The Story of The World, and/or you can watch the vlog below -- and my goodness, I cannot believe this video was recorded three years ago! 

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Notebook Foundations Memory Work

Now that we participate in Classical Conversations, my son has greatly enjoyed notebooking through the memory work in Foundations.

This not only helps cement the facts he is learning, but it also serves as a great review tool. 

It also keeps him busy -- and digging deeper - while I am sometimes assisting his Challenge age sister!

You can see how I create a history notebook (the summer before school starts so I'm not scrambling during the year), because my son LOVES to expand upon the history sentences. 

Notebooking is the perfect way to do that. 

Between our membership to CC Connected and Notebooking Pages, creating this notebook is very easy. 

It might also be helpful to see the notebook in action:

Create Your Own Notebooking Pages

This is something we will be pursuing during the coming school year. 

Included in every Notebooking Pages Lifetime Membership is access to the Notebooking Publisher Web Application.

This AMAZING feature lets you (or your STUDENT) create their OWN notebooking pages. Not only does this allow for practice with computer skills, but it also lets your child pull resources from the internet to create their very own custom notebooking pages. 

Grant will be able to choose from hundreds of pre-made notebooking pages in his study of the Ancients next year -- and then type in his own information and add his own pictures.

I'm VERY excited about this! 

Do you see how notebooking is so VERSATILE, FUN, and PRACTICAL?

I hope so!  If you have any questions, please leave me a comment below. Or, just feel free to tell me how YOU use notebooking in your homeschool!