Organizing Notebooks + Supplies for the New School Year

This time of year always feels a bit like Christmas. New books arrive in the mail and fresh paper and pencils fill our shelves. Although our routines and studies flex each year, these late summer months always cultivate expectation for us. We flip through books and organize notebooks and consider how best to arrange our spaces, excited (and sometimes a bit nervous) for what lies ahead.

As a homeschooler, I aim to keep our supply list simple and neatly divided into three general categories: books, notebooks, writing and art supplies. I find it helps me better organize our needs during my planning and also prioritize simplicity of time, space, and budget when purchasing new things for the homeschool.  

That said, I do love gathering fresh school supplies with my children. It is a small pleasure among the other hours spent planning, and the joy shows in them too! We partnered with Staples this year and enjoyed browsing the variety of supplies there to use in our own home and work. Plus their back-to-school sale and in-store expertise was a wonderful bonus! They were so attentive.Keep reading to hear more about the supplies we purchased and how we’re using them to build our notebooks for the year.

ART + WRITING SUPPLIES

In my philosophy, if children have access to high-quality art and writing supplies, they will naturally want to use them. In that thought, I always make sure we are stocked with the basics. For us this includes: Staedtler graphite pencils, Prismacolor colored pencils and watercolor pencils (we love Lyra, too), Sharpie pens, Staples wood rulers, white cardstock, lined notebook paper (college and wide-ruled), lined Stickies, Post-It tabs, and non-toxic Crayola Air-Dry Clay and chalk. I may at times purchase drawing notebooks or watercolor paper, but since the cost can add up quickly, I find a weighty cardstock suits well enough for our use.  

NOTEBOOKS

Notebooking is a favorite way for us to keep track of our learning and reading during the year, and also practice writing and illustration regularly. I’ve noticed in years past, if the supplies are not in place, we can quickly lose papers and interest altogether. Setting everything in its place at the front of the year is key.

During the early years of homeschooling, my children have kept three notebooks: Literature/History, Science, and Poetry/Bible. As my older three children are bridging into upper school years, they each have six notebooks, one to match each seminar in their Classical Conversations classes: Exposition, Logic, Reasoning, Research, Debate, and Grammar.  

Regardless of age and different studies, each notebook is composed the same way: heavy or medium weight page protectors, a two-pocket folder, and pre-loaded paper (lined or cardstock, depending). Each of the children picked out their own folders for their notebooks, each suiting their personalities––from solid colors to bicycle-riding bananas and metallic unicorns! They’re helpful for holding handouts and helpful learning tools to reference, like algebra laws, diagrams, or vocab lists, during their studies. The folder’s primary job is to keep loose papers in place.

The page protectors become a storehouse for finished essays, paintings or illustrations, copywork or narrations. As the notebook becomes full, I can slide out the pages to store away on the shelf until the year’s end, when they each have a catalogue of their learning. I have learned the hard way that all of the writing and artwork can easily pile up during the year if it does not have a home.

How do you like to organize your work during the year? Do you keep notebooks or another system?

#BackToSchoolSpecialists

This post is sponsored by Staples, but all images and opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the businesses that help keep this space afloat.