The Scoop on Phonics Binders

Okay, okay. I know I said I wasn't going to be very active around here for a while, but I've received more than one email asking if I will please, please, please share more about the binders.

And so I will.

I like you too much not to!

As long as you promise to forgive me for my camera acting up. Everything is stripey and dull, and I don't know why.

Ahem.

So. The binders.

First, we have a couple shots of the tabbed dividers. Ya'll know what tabs look like, right?

Like I said before, this is modeled after the Simply Charlotte Mason Scripture Memory System. I thought it was so brilliant that I adapted it to reading, and it has kept me organized ever since.

There are tabs for:

• Daily: This is where you put the newest cards, to be reviewed every day. I made my own tabs for this section. I used index paper and some Avery Write-On Tabs. The only other thing I needed was a three-hole punch.
• Even/Odd: This section works out to every-other-day review. Cards move to this section once the children know them well enough to skip a day here and there. I made my own tabs here, too.
• Days of the Week: These cards are reviewed on the given day (once per week). Please note that if you know you do not have lessons on a certain day, you should never put anything in that section!
• Numbers 1-31 Tab: This is where you put things that only need to be reviewed once in a blue moon. These stands for the dates in the month, and suggest monthly review, but really it is less often than that if you are like me and skip weekends.

To give an example, today is Wednesday, October 12. So in our lessons, we would use the Daily section, the Even section (because the date is an even number), the Wednesday section, and the 12 section. This doesn't take very long, and it really helps strengthen weak readers.

The important thing is to never require more review than necessary. They second you notice a student is consistently reading a card correctly, start moving in through the various frequencies. If you move it too fast, and your student starts stumbling over the card, you can always move it back!

I have also been asked what in the world I am writing on the lined paper I put at the front, before the Daily tab. The picture at the right will give you a bit of an idea. At the top of each left-hand sheet, I have the list of sight words we are reviewing. The list changes often, as we are often adding new sight words, and then dropping "sight" words as we learn the rules of them {Bob Books introduces a number of words as sight words that are actually rule-following words.}

The paper section is my own documentation for what we are doing. I write the date, the day's reading. I might write a random sentence for extra practice, or a word that my student has been working on that wasn't reviewed that day, but I know she needs it for that day's reading. I also make notations of things that went wrong {or things that went right}. Anything that pops into my head.

Honestly, the notebook section is how I taught myself to really teach reading. I would notice patterns in my notations, and from there I realized weaknesses in my students...or in my teaching.

I know that some of you try and follow my lesson plans religiously. That only really works if your students are keeping pace exactly with my students. If you are printing out the lessons, you could put them here instead of, or along with, the lined paper.

I think that's it. Hopefully this clears up any confusion. If not, feel free to ask questions in the comments!