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Using Notebooking in Your Homeschool

 One of my family's favorite ways to incorporate more writing into our homeschool days is with notebooking (aka journaling). My kids enjoy it because they get to choose what topics they write about and they can add sketches and graphics. I like it because it's simple, requires very little planning, and it encourages my kids to write without any fuss from me.


How Notebooking Works

Notebooking is essentially just journaling. A notebook serves as a place to record observations, opinions, short stories, sketches, diagrams, and interesting facts. My kids each have several notebooks, each one for a different subject or topic. In our nature journals we record sketches and descriptions of interesting plants and animals we come across on our outdoor adventures. We have reading notebooks where we record notes and sketches about books we're reading. My oldest daughter loves art, so she has an artist notebook where she records notes about famous artists and different art styles. She also keeps some of her own artwork in it. One of the wonderful things about notebooking is that it can work for just about any subject or topic. 

A notebook can be as simple as some blank or lined paper in a binder or folder. You can also make or buy notebooks with customized journaling sheets.



Benefits of Notebooking

Something I love about notebooking is how open ended it is. Unlike worksheets, there are no pre-scripted answers. Children get to record the information that they deem important or interesting. This encourages individuality and critical thinking. It also fosters a love for learning since children get to focus on topics that spark their interest. 

Another thing I really like about notebooking is that it works for a wide age range of kids. There's an almost 6 year gap between my oldest and my second child, and notebooking allows us to explore many subjects together, even though they are working at very different levels. Even my youngest, who is only 4, keeps her own nature journal. At this point she just draws pictures and occasionally asks me to write short notes about her observations in it, but it's an activity that will grow with her over time.

Notebooking is affordable. With many families having multiple kids and resources being quite pricey, it can get expensive to homeschool. Since notebooking essentially only requires paper and writing utensils, it can be a very affordable way to cover some subjects.

Notebooking works well with many different homeschool styles. Traditional and classical homeschoolers can use notebooking alongside their curriculum or in place of worksheets. The unit study crowd can use notebooking to compile information about topics they cover. Unschoolers can use notebooking to record about anything they're working on or find interesting. Even as an adult, I keep a nature journal with sketches and notes about new plants I encounter. Notebooking can be a really wonderful tool for just about everyone!


Our Favorite Notebooking Resources

As I mentioned earlier, notebooks don't have to be anything fancy. A notebook can just be some blank paper in a binder. But if you're looking for something with a little more structure, check out the resources below:

FunSchooling Journals

The FunSchooling Journals from Thinking Tree are really cool! They offer journals on a wide variety of topics. Journals include writing, sketching and activity prompts and are meant to be used with your choice of library books, videos, or other resources.

Nature Journals

Nature journals are a great way to get acquainted with the concept of notebooking. A nature journal is simply a notebook in which you record observations and sketches (or photos) of wildlife you encounter. 

You can use a blank sketch book or something a little more formal. Below are a couple of the ones we've used and enjoyed:

-Exploring Nature Journal for Kids by Kim Andrews

-The Nature Explorer's Sketchbook by Jean Mackay

DIY Journaling Sheets

I often make customized journaling sheets for my kids, to fit in with whatever they happen to be studying or are interested in at the time. Some journaling sheet ideas include:

-Sheets to record and sketch about books: you could include space to record the book title, author, and other notes. My 12-year-old is currently working on the Percy Jackson series, so I made her sheets for taking notes about characters and their links to Greek mythology.

-Customized nature journaling sheets: sheets specifically for insects, or plants, or birds. Plant sheets could include space to sketch blooms, leaves, and other identifying parts.


-Sheets for taking notes about documentaries you watch

-Zoo animal sheets: include space for recording type of animal, notes about diet and habitat, and sketches.


-Art appreciation sheets: include space for recording the artist, type of art, notes, and sketches.


If you enjoyed this post, check out: 

Writing Activities for Reluctant Writers


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