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Hi there!

We'll be beginning Preparing before long and the school supply sales are just about here so....I've been going through my Preparing guide to get a shopping list and I have a few questions for all of you who have already done Preparing.

First, composition book vs. sprial bound notebook? What works best and why did it for you?

Second, what is the reason for having everything in plastic page protectors?

Third, 3-ring binders are mentioned and I'm wondering what size is needed since you can get skinny 1/2 inch, to I'm sure more than 3 inch wide binders. Are these binders used for more than one subject or just one binder per subject?

To be honest, I'm not even sure what a composition book is . It's also suggested to save vocabulary words on index cards, did you find you needed to keep them and have you just added to them in future years or make a separate box of words for each guide?

Are all these supplies to be used for just one guide and then start over in the next guide or have you kept adding onto them in your next guides?

Thanks! I just hate to have too many supplies sitting around that I really didn't need to buy, so I'd love to learn from those who have gone before!

God bless, Michelle

Hi Michelle!

I'm so glad you will be joining those of us who are doing Preparing this year! We are in our 3rd week and we are loving it!

OK, composition verses spiral bound...I have never used composition so I don't know. I just always take advantage of the back-to-school sales at Wal-Mart or Target when you can get 10 spiral bound notebooks for $1.

You don't have to use plastic page protectors. You could put their notebooking, art pages, and science lab reports in folders or large manilla envelopes if you want. I had both available for my children and they preferred the page protectors so they could easily admire their work when they wanted to.

Not sure what size 3-ring binders they will wind up needing. Sorry, someone else can answer that one. I have some bigger ones already on hand if they need them.

My kids have liked using the file box to store their vocabulary words alphabetically but you could also use notebooks as stated in the guide. I believe I will probably add to this box during next year's guide.

You will probably want a notebook each for English, Common Place book, Spelling Dictation, and Written Narrations.

HTH,
Leah

BTW, We have never had any problems with the spiral bound notebooks. I just use a permanent marker to note on the front what it will be for.
Leah