3 Easy Steps For Getting Started With Notebooking

Hey, folks, it is Paige again. I am here today to share with you all three easy steps for getting started with notebooking.

Notebooking is a fantastic way to record what your students are learning in science or any other subject you are studying.

This technique has been around for hundreds of years. Men and woman like DaVinci, Beatrix Potter, and Thomas Edison all took advantage of notebooking.

That said, notebooking is a bit of a departure from the traditional worksheets used in schools today. So, it can be challenging to know how to get started.

I trust that these tips will help you get over that barrier and start reaping the benefits of notebooking.

Getting Started With Notebooking

Let’s get right to the steps!

Step #1 – Read Up On notebooking.

The first step for getting started with notebooking is to read up on the concept itself. To effectively teach notebooking, you need to understand the why’s and how’s behind it.

Here are a few articles I have written that will help you learn about notebooking:

• What is Notebooking?
• How to Use Notebooking with Different Ages
• Why Choose Notebooking over Worksheets

And here’s the Sassafras Science notebooking Pinterest board to help you research even further:

Step # 2 – Choose Your Material.

Now that you are familiar with notebooking, you can move onto the next step—choosing the material the students are going to study.

For this step, you need to decide what you want to study and then pick a resource that will present that information to your students.

You can choose to use:

• An encyclopedia;
• A living book;
• A non-fiction book;
• Or even a textbook

Whatever you choose it needs to present the facts to the students in a way that they will understand. This way, they will be able to pick out the key facts or remember something interesting from what was read.

Step #3 – Create A Notebooking Page.

It is time to put what you have learned and chosen to work as part of step three—creating your very own notebooking page!

Begin by reading the material you chose in step two to your students, or have them read it on their own.

After you have finished reading, discuss what was read with the students. You can ask the following types of questions as part of your discussion:

1. Leading – This type of question is designed to pull out the most important information. (E.g. What is different between male and female lions?)
2. Broad – This type of question will help you to see what material the students have absorbed. (E.g. What one thing that you have about lions in this chapter?)

Once you are sure they understand the material, have the students write or dictate to you an age-appropriate narration. This can range from one simple sentence to a paragraph or more.

Then, top it all off will a related image and viola—you have entered into the wonderful world of notebooking!

A Final Thought

The best way to get started with notebooking is to learn more about it, to decide what you want to notebook about, and then try it out.

So, have some fun today—ditch those worksheets and give notebooking a whirl!

Psst . . . Still overwhelmed by the idea of notebooking? It is ok, we can help! Join the thousands of moms and teachers who use the Sassafras Science living books and logbooks for notebooking with their students!