Skipping notebook pages CTC & up

[Mgs]

How doable is this? I realize we wouldn’t have the maps. My kids would do everything in a regular notebook. How often is there “information” besides maps in the notebook pages? We are on a super tight budget and trying to do a bunch of guides next year, so the pages aren’t an option. Plus the high gloss would drive us nuts.

I also plan to continue using funschooling journals on fridays and a few pages during the week, which will provide a lot of additional writing. I already had these purchased this year.

[LovingJesus]

I wouldn’t skip them. There are numerous projects or reading or maps that use the notebook pages. I’m thinking of a few in CTC that wouldn’t work on NB paper.

I don’t know if HOD would consider it to eliminate this yearly frustration for a lot of moms, but color copying the pages with permission (they are copyright protected) would work well.

Extra fine tip sharpies worked well for my kids. The other thing that worked in High school was to type the narration, print it, and paste it into the NB. At the lower levels writing it on normal paper and pasting it in would work as well.

I think calling HOD for possible solutions might help.

[Mgs]

I think I will have to skip for this year at least. I’m guessing my child can look up the key idea and write about it on those days where there is reading. Or just skip those days. I have res to ref. I see paintings, small biographies, maps. Was hoping someone had done this before

[Rice]

The ideal, if not using the NBing pages, is to at least have a copy to look at for reference, even if the child uses their own notebook to write in, thus allowing you to reuse for multiple children or to resell. (Copying is against copyright.)

However, that doesn't eliminate the expense up front.

They really are an essential part of the program from CTC and up, but if you simply can't afford them, then I agree with what LovingJesus said above: call HOD. They do offer payment plans, and if that still isn't enough to get you what you need, then skipping portions of the program would be the next option.

You can obviously do written narrations, timeline, and copy work even without the pages. It would be the maps, some games, and important info/illustrations (drawings, photos, quotes, etc.) that you would be missing.

If you were to choose just one set to purchase, I would recommend MTMM, as a huge portion of the quotes/speeches for Worthy Words (a lot of history and critical thinking) has text in the pages that year.

Blessings,

[Mgs]

I went ahead and got this for CTC. I’ll have him just use it as a reference as needed this year.

[my3sons]

I'm so glad you got them! I cannot imagine doing CTC without them! They are an integral part of the program. Your child completing the notebook assignments provides portfolio assessment, which is one of the primary means of assessment, as opposed to worksheets/quizzes/etc. that you would find in a more textbook-based curricula.

Without the notebook, it would be difficult to provide proper assessment for work completed. The notebook also gives visual aids/references/helps for history projects, geography assignments, independent history work, research assignments, etc. Not to mention, the notebook is a lovely keepsake of your time spent in the ancients.

Searching through your past posts on the board, you are fairly new to HOD and have probably not used many or any of the notebooking pages - maybe Bigger Hearts? Couldn't tell from searching your posts. The notebooking pages are really amazing! Well worth getting. Just pick the right writing utensil for your student - each of my sons enjoyed choosing their own writing utensil (oldest used good old-fashioned Ticonderoga pencils, middle used clicky pencils, youngest uses erasable frixion pens). All worked great.

In Christ,
Julie