How Do You Notebook Language Arts?Notebooking is language arts. You are expressing what you learned using a variety of media including language. I do not think this is the answer you are looking for though when asking this question. So let me try to give you a glimpse of what we do and maybe that will give you some ideas of what you can do in your homeschool.We have used several different setups for our language arts notebooks. This changes throughout the year as we decide to organize things a little differently or because a notebook may become full and we want to thin it out for easier handling. Essentially though, we keep one or more notebooks for spelling and dictation, copywork, and formal writing. The older kids also keep a Latin notebook. The Spelling NotebookThe primary spelling program we use (Spell to Write and Read) has the kids create a spelling log book each year. In the front of the book, they log each of their new spelling words with the correct markings (taught in the program). In the back of this book, they create reference pages which consist of pages that show how to follow spelling rules, lists of phonograms, and a handful of other pages like abbreviations, number pages, and grammar lists. These reference pages are taught and reviewed throughout the year. We add new spelling words to the reference pages as we encounter them in our spelling lists. For example, there is an IE/EI page where we talk about the spelling rule for using IE vs. EI. Every time we encounter a word spelled with IE/EI, we add it to the page. Whether you use this spelling program or not, you could create a similar notebook for spelling. You would want to include a space for their new words, phonograms, spelling rules and examples of each, tests (Maybe. I am getting to where we just do the tests on marker boards and I keep track of their commonly misspelled words to retest later. However, if you need a paper record of their tests, then keep those in their notebook.), special spelling words (geography terms, science terms, Books of the Bible, etc.), and if you do dictation, keep a section for that as well. Printable lists of spelling words, phonograms, and much more
Same website, also includes spelling rules and rules of syllabication
The Copywork NotebookI have created a special set of notebooking pages just for copywork (in addition to our Alphabet Copywork Pages). I was inspired to create it for our poetry memorization as I wanted to make copywork pages that worked easily with the variations you find in poetry. These pages also work well with other copywork. We also love the chosen passages from our dictation book (Spelling Wisdom) so the kids copy their passages each week into this special copywork notebook. We follow a rotation each week for copywork with the older kids who have œmastered their handwriting basics. Each week, they copy their key Bible verse/passage, dictation exercises, and current poetry readings, plus anything else we may come across that seems copywork worthy. I make special notes of good copywork selections from our history, science, and literature readings. (Are you wondering, "What is copywork?". Click the following link for our article, "What is Copywork?".
For younger children who are still learning to form their letters, I would suggest you keep a sampling of their work each week. My younger kids do a Bible verse each week after practicing a variety of letters and new words. When the kids are first learning their letters and how to read, we create an alphabet notebook using our Alphabet Copywork Pages. In this copywork book, the pages have spaces for them to practice each letter or to copy words that start with these letters, to draw or paste pictures, etc. We do a little bit of work on different pages each day. By the end of the year the whole book is complete. The Formal Writing NotebookIn our writing notebook, we keep all of our writing tools: adjective, adverb, preposition, and banned word lists. We keep checklists for the various writing styles and structures we use in our chosen writing program (Institute for Excellence in Writing). Each child has a folder in their notebook to keep their various works-in-progress pieces of paper: outlines, assignment guidelines, original works, drafts, etc. When an assignment is complete, they file three things: the original outline(s), 1-2 draft copies, and the final copy of their assignment. At the end of the year, we will compile these into their much larger language arts binder that we keep from year to year unless they fit in one of their other notebooks under a specific topic or study. We will put the final copy in sheet protectors with all of the other stuff in between the final copies inside the sheet protectors. So all you see is page after page of their final writing assignments. It is great to read through these to see how they have grown as writers! **Note: We do not do a separate grammar program right now. We have tried several different ones in the past, but found that our time was better spent teaching grammar during our writing, dictation, and copywork sessions. We get hefty grammar lessons in our Latin program (The Latin Road to English Grammar). However, if you do use a separate grammar program, you may want to keep samples of their lessons in this notebook. They could create their own writing tools' lists and checklists as I mentioned we used. I have some free pages to help you with this (border pages essentially), if you would like to use them for your notebook. The Reading / Literature NotebookRight now, each of our kids keeps a reading log of all books read, a test record of reading comprehension exercises, and any notebooking they may do for the books they read. I may develop some more creative or helpful ideas for this notebook as I learn more about how to teach literature to my children. The resource we are using is called, Teaching the Classics by Adam Andrews. For now though, we just add the mentioned pages to a small notebook they keep for reading. |
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