Procedures and organization are so important. They are especially important at the beginning of the year. After creating monthly student planners, I thought it would be great to add some more details about how those planners can be used in student binders. You can read more about student planners here: Student Planners.
When I first started teaching, I used the paper folders to place student homework and notes. It didn’t work out well. They got destroyed easily and had to be replaced often. I started to use the more durable plastic folders for sending homework and newsletters. Those worked a lot better. Then, I realized that binders such as the one pictured above were way more durable and could last the entire year as long as students didn’t lose them. In this all-in-one binder students would keep most of the things they usually use. This could include their monthly planners, homework, morning work and newsletters, I-Ready passwords that they may need to access at home. In addition, a copy of our class or school schedule. If your students chart their weekly spelling tests or sight words then you can add those too.
This binder would essentially be their only take home binder which means they would have to bring it back to school each day just like they would bring any other type of homework folder back to school each day. The only difference is, it would include their monthly morning work books that they use each morning as they enter the classroom. The morning work books that would go along with this setup are here: First Grade Morning Work. Kindergarten Morning Work . This binder system is easier if you use a systematic morning work approach. These morning work books are spiral review books. They are set up by month and are easy to print. Once they are printed for the month and placed in binders, you won’t have to go searching for morning work for the entire month. One less thing to do.
Do you need to place all the pieces from this set in your student binders? Absolutely not! Place as little in the student binders or as much as is practical. You know your students best and what would work in your classroom.
As students enter the room in the morning, they take out homework and place it in the homework bin. Usually we have one page of a reading activity for homework or one page of a math activity in first grade. This binder system can work for first graders or second graders. There’s not much assigned for homework in first grade. They get started on morning work for the day in that same folder. It’s already there for the month so they already know which page is next and exactly what their morning work task is. During this time where they are doing morning work, I would be taking attendance and checking homework. After checking homework, I place it in the plastic slip in their binder that says keep home. I do this at the end of the day.
They keep completed homework at home. It does not stay at school or in their binders. After they are done with morning work, we review it as a class and they turn in binders to me. That’s it for binders until the end of the day. At the end of the day, while they do partner reading or silent reading for the last 15 minutes of class, I place new homework in binders along with any school related news. If you have your planning period closer to the end of the day, then I guess you could do that then. In the section of the binder that I have included their behavior logs, I would mark their color for the day or add a note.
Color systems are not used as much anymore, but writing notes home to parents is essential and helps to build partnership with your parents. If you would prefer to keep morning work separate or have a folder just for homework and things that go home, that is totally up to you. This is just another idea of keeping things organized. There are many pieces in this planner and binder set. How you use them is completely up to you. They are all editable to fit your needs. Take a look at some of the pieces below. They are all in the set. You can purchase the set here: Editable Planner and Binder Templates
There are editable binder covers, planner templates, newsletters, reading logs, A parent folder template and many other essentials for your students. If you would like them, you can grab them here in my TPT store. The files are editable so that you can change them to fit your needs.
Now granted, it will take time for you to put together in the beginning, but it will be so worth it. Setting up student folders and binders can easily be done over the summer. One thing I can say is that you will need to model everything for your students and maybe even create a reward system for students keeping their binders neat and in order. A great thing to have is also a list of the tabs at the front of each student binder so they know what’s in each section. Have procedures in place if students lose binders or if they are missing their binder for the day. I just want to emphasize that not everything works the same for all classes. if you decide that keeping homework and morning work folders separate works best for your students, please do that. This is just another idea.
Do not underestimate what your little ones can do. I know it’s often hard for first graders to keep papers together and to keep organized, but setting high standards for them is what we do as teachers. At the beginning of the year it will be a bit tricky for them but as you model, you will be surprised to see how well they do with keeping their binders together and the pride and accountable that they display throughout the year.
Everyone gets a white binder. Ask parents to provide page protectors and dividers as part of your supply list. You can create DIY tabs or just use standard ones and paste or write the subject for each tab.
You can have them choose a cover or choose a standard one for all your students. There are several editable cover choices I have added to this set. If you are not already subscribed to Kadeen Teaches, subscribe below so you will know when I’ve added more classroom organization posts.
At the front of the binder, place these cute little keep and return cards. The keep and return cards are in the editable binder set.
The keep home sticker is placed on a plastic sleeve because this is where things from school that need to stay home will go. You want parents to see it right at the front and take them out of the plastic sleeve.
The return sticker goes on the left side of the binder so you can see right away when something has been returned. Right behind that is a plastic sleeve with a parent letter about the binders and how to replace them if they get lost. You can add a homework section to your binder if you choose. Homework letter and templates are included in this set.
It’s a good idea to keep the homework letter in the plastic sleeve or binder all year. Behind that are a list of spelling words. You can add your weekly words or add the words for the month so you don’t have to worry about it for the month and it can just stay in their binders.
With the actual homework templates, you can type the homework for the week or have your kids write it in. At the beginning of the year, I prefer to have it all typed up. Just to make it easier. Around October they can start copying it from the board. Just to let you all know, right as I snapped the picture below, I realized the dates were wrong…lol. Not to draw your attention to it, but I just know someone is going to notice and email me about it, so I want to let you all know that I know. Glad I got that out of the way.
There are behavior logs and communication logs and also behavior calendars if you want to add any of those to your binders.
You can also download this free optional communication form.
Here are some other templates you will find in this set.
You can use these pages to have students journal about their emotions.
You can add a password section with passwords that students use at home such as their I-Ready passwords or other passwords they may need. Special area charts are also included so parents and students can keep track of what specials they have on what day.
Again, planner templates are included in this DIY set as well. Check out the post on student planners here.
As they go through the month, they add little reminders, notes, color the weather, draw their monthly portraits, fill in the dates and other tasks on planners.
Planners can be kept separate from their binders or be added later down in the year.
Here are some examples of the monthly newsletters included in this set.
Here are some example of the data charts you will find included.
I created some simple goal sheets where teachers can write up to three monthly goals for students. It can be an academic goal or another type of goal that they need to work on. Students can also do self reflections and write their own goals .
I would love to hear how you manage morning work, home folders or student binders. Let me know in the comments below.