Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Using Ordinary Notebook Paper Day 8: First Cousin to Notebook Paper

Welcome to iHN's Hopscotch at Blog, She Wrote! My topic for the 10 day series is Ten Ways to Use Ordinary Notebook Paper. Thank you for joining me. Please take a moment to subscribe, so you don't miss out- you can follow, subscribe by email or RSS feed (just look to the right!) and follow Blog, She Wrote on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. I'd love it if you'd stay connected and visit again!
 


Today's notebook paper topic is: First Cousin of Notebook Paper- Primary Paper. I debated a bit on whether to include two closely related relatives to ordinary notebook paper because they may not be considered so ordinary. But, I simply could not leave them out! I'll feature one today and one tomorrow.

Primary paper is a MUST for younger students and my favorite of all time is the paper printed from Startwrite software. In fact, I love it so much it's one of the very few products for which I am an affiliate. It is so versatile and I use it everyday. It's the ordinary notebook paper I use with my second grader and I typically use it through third grade. Before you think your kids are too old for it, consider using it for cursive writing for your older kids.


Startwrite
I use the Startwrite primary paper in a variety of ways. Here are a few:
  • Copywork- With the software I can type out any copywork I'd like. It can be traced on dotted line  letters or copied. I can type it out in solid type (of varying fonts) and have my student copy it on the following lines. In the picture above, I made a page of copywork from our current FIAR story- Pumpkin Runner.
  • Plain half sheets of paper- I can make copywork or just plain paper in half sheet for so my students can draw pictures above it. This works splendidly with programs like Draw, Write, Now.
  • Plain whole sheets of paper- As they get older and can write longer but still need bigger lines, this is very useful. 
  • Notebooking Paper- You can do full or half sheets and add pictures or glue pictures or elements to the page and still have lined paper for younger students to write on. This is my chief complaint lapbooks. They usually do not account for the less refined fine motor skills of younger children.
  • Narration- I love to make copywork from my students' narration to me. Simply type as they narrate to you and when you are finished you have a copywork sheet made from their own words.
  • Notebooks/Assignment Books- I can use my ProClick to bind these papers into a spiral notebook for younger kids. I think I'll do a bonus Hopscotch Day this week to remind readers of how we do assignment books here. Of course it uses plain notebook paper!

There are many ways to use primary paper and in particular Startwrite paper in your homeschool. The software is a great investment and will give your young students an skill appropriate way to complete notebooking assignments without frustration. 

In fact, this is the only software I used for handwriting after my first child did a more formal program. You can choose letters that have arrows for letter formation and make nice instructional and practice sheets and I love that I can do that with my child's own words or the text from the things they are already studying.

Tomorrow I'll share another close cousin of notebook paper. Thanks for the grace on the delay of Day 8's post!

Thanks for joining me!

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Please visit the other bloggers participating in iHN's Hopscotch over the next two weeks. While you are taking a look at the other Hopscotchers, check out the Pin It to Win It giveaways sponsored by Prufrock Press.
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2 comments:

Phyllis said...

How do you make that blank space at the top of your Startwrite pages? I was given the software, but it has no instructions, so I am really not sure how to use it. I didn't even know you could make the top part blank.

Heather said...

I just press enter a bunch of times and make some lines- say five lines.

Then I take the whole block of lines and move it to the bottom of the page. So, you click on the edge of the lines and you should see the icon that allows you to move everything on the inside. Then you drag it toward the bottom.

I forgot to say you can choose pictures for kids to color from there as well and print it out to go with the handwriting. Pretty cool.