Hi friends! I’m home today…my sweet Tucker is getting his teeth cleaned and him being under anesthesia makes me super nervous! I figured I’d take this time to show you how I put our take home binders together. It’s super simple, and would be a great job for a parent volunteer or older student helper! 

I really like using “view” binders, but you could also put a cover inside. Just make sure the spine is labeled. 🙂 I let my little ones decorate their own covers which they loved. 🙂 

Inside the binder, you will find their homework pocket and a ziploc bag for money. For right now, there homework is just reading. But that’s where it will go so it’s easily accesbile to me and parents! I think I first saw the ziploc idea from Sarah Cooley at First Grader at Last, but I could be wrong! It is a LIFESAVER so little ones don’t have money and important notes floating around their blackholes/backpacks. 🙂 The communication log is where parents can write things to me…usually I really encourage parents to use email, but some of them really prefer it this way! So…just to clarify…I’m not keeping track of when I contacted them. It’s a page that goes between both of us. Some things you might see on it would be:

-Please send Liam on the bus tomorrow 

-Please email me! 

I keep almost everything in page protectors, but you definitely don’t have to! I found that I was replacing the forms throughout the year…even if they were on cardstock. Another option would be the little round hole reinforcers.

I also include a monthly calendar for important dates, etc. You could also use the calendar for behavior! 🙂 I like to keep our class rules there too, so parents know exactly what is expected of their kiddo! 

I also keep an important contact page so they can easily have all my information! Our specials schedule isn’t that nice and patterned, hahaha! But, I know some schools have it that way, so I figured I would include it just in case! I’ve also seen teachers chart their specials on a monthly calendar, so that would be super easy to do too!

I always include lots of curriculum help so that parents always have things to work on with their child!

‘Personally, when a hcild has mastered all of their sight words, I have the parents email me and I give them a new list. 🙂 I don’t test mine regularly, so parents help me with this!

I also put a folder in everyone’s binder! I teach them HOW to put papers in, haha. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!! Otherwise the folder will just be a place they shove things, haha! I know a lot of teachers stuff folders themselves…I like to teach mine, but it takes a LONG time. 🙂

You can find all these all these forms, labels, and a whole bunch of editable forms in my new product!