One day, during collaboration, our principal told our team about how her son's teacher was using data binders with her class. She told us all about them and the benefits of them . . . I think she knows that if she mentions it to me, I will go out and try it right away! (Sometimes I try to close my ears when people share an idea!)



A week after our collaboration, I had 22 binders from my WONDERFUL parents, and was ready to rock 'n roll!

• I put a parent's signature page in the front of the binder.
• I put a parent letter in the binder to explain what the data binder was all about. Here's the note:

• I wrote each child's name on the spine labels and put them down the spine. Here are some of the labels that I used. I like to have them numbered so the kids can put them in alphabetical order quickly. (I always alphabetize by first names.) I also LOVE my rounded corner cabinet to store the binders. Keeps everything nice and tidy!

• After the binder was set up, I used a 3 hole punch to punch any assessment pieces (graded papers) and then printed a graph to go along with it.
• Each Monday (or the first day of the week), after we passed out papers, the kids recorded their scores on their graphs. I've really seen an improvement in their spelling scores . . . they are competing with themselves and trying to do better each week.

• I originally made my graphs with the number of items on a page. I just created some different graphs that are based on percentages instead. I also made some of the graphs open-ended and some of them with subjects at the top.