Notebook Dividers

Notebook Strategy Overview

The Stevenson Notebook is a simple tool that will enable your Stevenson lessons to flow more smoothly, provide ample materials for review and reinforcement as well as providing an independent center for each student.

In order to begin using a notebook system, three ring binders of approximately 1 inch in size must be acquired for each student. Dividers for the notebooks can be the traditional tabbed dividers or simply laminated paper in various colors. (Make sure students all use the same color for divider one, two etc... for ease of instruction) Once the notebooks are assembled, they do not leave the classroom. Other folders may be provided to carry work home or to carry work back to a mainstream classroom.

Introduce the students to the notebook and it various sections. This might be done most easily by learning about one section at a time. Add additional sections as appropriate to student age and development. During direct instruction time, the student should have his notebook in an easily accessible place as well as his Stevenson reading book and workbook. Some teachers have found it easier to provide slightly larger notebooks and incorporate the workbooks directly into the student notebooks. I want to stress that the items here are only suggestions and you as an instructor should feel free to adapt these items to individual classroom settings.

During direct instruction the student may work in all three sections depending on the lesson being presented and the objectives of the instructor for that lesson. Then, as the instructor finds it necessary to work with individual students or move to instruct another group, the notebook will provide appropriate independent activities for the student. These independent activities may be assigned in a variety of ways. The student or instructor may make notes on an assignment sheet in the front of the notebook during the group time and may include work not completed during group instruction. The instructor may provide assignment sheets for each student on which assignments for independent work have been pre written. Or the instructor may write assignments on the chalkboard/overhead/poster for the student to copy onto the notebook assignment page. Find the method that you and your students are most comfortable using.
Below you will find handouts from my workshops describing each notebook section, the type of paper to be used in each section and the purpose/objective of the section.

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Sample Student Pages

Notebook Dividers

(These masters may be copied on colored card stock and then laminated and hole punched for use in the student's notebook.)