You have forced my hand.

I had no choice but to return to this blog today.

I tried to explain to you why you should never purchase one of the Sassafras Science books, but apparently, you do not listen!

Over the past two years, the popularity of the series has grown. I have become more and more convinced that I must try another approach to sway you from supporting the dream of my nemesis, Cecil Sassafras.

I see that Cecil and his annoying little niece and nephew have convinced you that notebooking is better than worksheets. And it seems to be one of the big reasons that you people are drooling over the Sassafras Science series.

So today I, the Man with No Eyebrows, will convince you that notebooking is completely overrated!

4 Reasons Why Notebooking Is Completely Overrated

#1 - Writing is not supposed to be fun.

Students are to learn the facts, to write them over and over. As educators, we must drill them into their heads through proven methods, like worksheets and dittos.

Notebooking allows students to have fun as they write out their work rather than simply slugging through the discipline of writing.

Fun is overrated, just as notebooking is completely overrated.

#2 - Student portfolios should not be colorful.

After a student passes kindergarten, the only art you should see them produce is in art class. Written work should be black, graphite gray, and white. If any pictures are included, they should be simple, small black-line images that do not detract from the facts.

Notebooking allows students to add colorful pictures. It gives them the freedom to create a rainbow-colored journal of facts. ACK - one gets lost in appreciating the art and forgets the facts!!

Color is overrated, just as notebooking is completely overrated.

#3 - Written work should be uniform for easy grading.

As educators, we have a lot on our plates even if we only have a few students, so grading needs to be quick and easy. Worksheets are clear-cut, right or wrong, which makes them super easy to grade.

Notebooking on the over hand allows too much freedom! Students actually enjoy personalizing their work and there is no clear-cut, wrong answer. This is not the way it should be - first graders need to know where they stand in the grading scale!

Freedom is overrated, just as notebooking is completely overrated.

#4 - Students do not need a scrapbook of their work to reference in later years.

Students should have the thrill of tucking facts into their minds and chucking their binder full of worksheets into the trash at the end of year.

But notebooking allows the students to create a scrapbook of facts that they do not want to part with. Something that they want to reference for years to come. Not so! Scrapbooks are for when junior took his first step, not for what he has learned!

An educational scrapbook is overrated, just as notebooking is completely overrated.

A Final Word

I trust that it is now abundantly clear to you that notebooking is overrated. That it is not a viable option for the written portion of science. And that in fact, the presence of notebooking in the Sassafras Science curricula excludes it as an option for your family.

I hope that I will not have to return to {ahem} convince you of that fact.