Writers Notebook

Writers Notebook Description

Writers Notebooks are a great way to see a child's progress throughout the school year. Personalize his or her notebook with their interests, and special events, to make this book extra special. Included is a letter home for teachers to model their own letter by. Please feel free to print! Parents, here are some suggestions for how you and your child can personalize their notebooks. Great idea for those homeschooling too!

Materials

• Free Printable Parent Letter
• Composition Notebook
• Special Photos (resize to 3 x 5 and smaller)
• Photo paper, scrapbook paper
• Laminating Sheets or Clear Contact Paper
• Souvenirs (ticket stubs from special events, pictures from brochures, postcards from trips)
• Magazine Pictures and clippings (cut pictures from magazines of favorite foods, animals, celebrities and meaningful words, etc.)
• Clip Art (Students can use a computer to print out fun or cute clip art)
• Scrapbook materials (stickers, decorative paper, stamps and letters)
• Anything that you can glue to the cover of a notebook! Be creative!
• Glue Sticks and scissors

Steps

• Select pictures, resize to fit 3x5 and wallet work well, print on photo paper for brightest, clearest pictures. Glossy white paper works well too.
• Select a sheet of scrapbook paper for your background to glue on all your items. Your Items will stand out much more than if you just glue directly to the cover. Apply glue stick to the composition notebook cover and to the back of the paper for a strong bond. This double gluing makes a very strong bond compared to just putting glue on one side.Trim edges with scissors.
• Arrange photos, and cut outs on the glued on cover.
• Glue down photos and magazine cut outs, etc onto the cover with a glue stick and then add stickers.
• Souvenirs (ticket stubs from special events, pictures from brochures, postcards from trips)
• Measure laminating sheet and remove corner. Line up with the book and slowly peel backing while smoothing it down from the top. Cut excess if needed or if it is big enough you can fold over the cover and secure on the inside of the cover.

Tips and Suggestions

• We used Laminating Sheets to protect their pictures.
• Suggest that you limit 3-D items to help prevent it from catching on things, getting lost, or ripped off the book and for ease of writing in the book itself.
• Have children make a list in their writers notebook for ideas to generate writing topics.
• Composition notebooks work well for this because of their sturdy cover and are inexpensive at the beginning of the school year.