Spiral binding the student notebooks

[Motherjoy]

Has anyone done this? I absolutely loathe 3-ring binders. They take up too much space, and aren't comfortable to use. I love spiral bound, and was wondering if anyone has bound a student's notebook (the ones that begin in CTC.)

[StillJulie]

I haven't... we're a page protector 3-ring binder sort of family.

I'm not sure if the pages are think enough to stand up to that format well. Would the 3 hole punch interfere with stability? You might want a heavier cover and back page at least...

[Motherjoy]

I wish I loved 3-ring notebooks, because they are the most logical, useful system. I must be weird. I have considered spiral binding at home, and I really should get a machine since I do it so much.

[momxnine]

I spiral bound one of mine and I hole-punched the next one. The both have advantages. I like the spiral because I could turn the pages back and just have it as "one page." But, it's easy to tear too if you're not careful.

The hole punched can also tear, but then you can use the little round reinforcements if you want too. So far I haven't had any tear. The advantage of the hole punched is that I can take out what I need for the week and put it in another notebook for my son so that he has just what he needs. It keeps the whole thing neater.

One of the reasons I don't like just the guide is because I *thought* it wouldn't stay open and then I found out that they're designed and bound to stay open and lay flat. So basically, it's just whatever you like the best.

[LynnH]

I also don't know that the notebook pages would hold up well to spiral binding. I like the ability to take the notebook page out and my ds can then move it around as needed to write and draw on it. I also like putting each page in a page protector when he is done filling it out to protect from tearing and also just preserve it better.

[Gwenny]

The binding would get in the way for some of the boxes. It's very nice to take it out of the binder so it can be completely flat on the table and not have a binding in the way of your hand.

[farmfamily]

I used to spiral bind a lot of things. Then I bought a home binding machine. I love it! My daughter's notebook for CTC we bound at home, and it has held up very well. I like it because there are no loose bits of paper to nag her to put away, and it is so much less bulky than a binder. It fits neatly in my box system. She has never complained about the binding interfering with her hand. Only once did a paper partly rip out. When that happened, I put packing tape over the rip, punched it again and put it back in to the binding. This binding can be opened and closed, though not nearly so easily as a binder. I love this machine and use it all the time. But I've always hated binders & I know a lot of people love them!

[Nealewill]

We personally have preferred to putting them into the binder once they are complete. I just keep the blank ones in a folder until my child needs them. Then they sit in another folder while they are in process. And then they are moved to the binder once they are finished. For me though, I keep a 2" binder for the year with tabs. I have the history notebooking pages in the front, then geography, then science, then writing, then Bible and finally math reviews (copied from the reivews in the student textbook). Basically, anything that she completes for HOD this year goes into the binder. A lot of times we just update the binder once a week. She has her own notebook for dictation, grammar, and common place. But anything loose It works very nicely.

[mrsrandolph]

Mine like to do there written narrations for day 4 on paper. Otherwise, spiral binding sounds good. I use a 3 ring binder with all subjects included. I file written narrations behind history and behind the great notebook pages.

[mom23]

I wish I loved 3-ring notebooks, because they are the most logical, useful system. I must be weird. I have considered spiral binding at home, and I really should get a machine since I do it so much.

'You're not alone. I also cannot seem to find the happiness with 3-ring binders that most people seem to have! I bought a Pro-Click binding system a couple of years ago-has a comparable size to, and the spiral's ability to fold over itself, and the open/close function if there's a page I want to add/take out later. I use it for notebooks at each level, and made a planner for myself one year with it. I had one or two CTC page come out-I think I needed to buy a bigger binding and that would have helped the pages move more freely. When it happened, I cut off the ripped part and re-bound the new edge. It worked.

[farmfamily]

Pro-Click is what I have too. It's great.