What is the Right Exercise Book Size?
Choosing the right exercise book is an essential part of supporting student development, and their needs will change as they move through the school years and progress in specific subjects.
That said, all too often, we hear that teachers are simply using what they can find in the stock cupboard rather than taking an active role in choosing the right size books for their age groups and subjects.
So which exercise book size is best for schools?
Here we take a look at the different sizes available and understand their value in the school classroom.
Why would I use an A4 Exercise Book for school?
A4 Exercise Books are the most popular UK school exercise book size. It's a standard size and one that we are regularly using at home and in the workplace, whether as notebooks or as copier paper in our printers. Long before we start school we'll have used A4 paper for doodles or drawing. And because it is a best-selling size, there are lots of cover colours and rulings to choose from.
At Primary School, in Key Stage 2, the A4 Exercise Book is ideal for children who are able to focus for longer and deliver bigger pieces of work. By the time they get to Secondary School and Key Stage 3, students will be using A4 Exercise Books in a wide variety of colours and rulings that are specific to the subjects they are being taught. You can't go wrong with an A4 Exercise Book!
What size is an A4 Exercise Book?
- RHINO A4 School Exercise Books are approximately 297 x 210mm
Why would I use an exercise book that is slightly larger than an A4?
A4+ Exercise Books are a relatively new size, designed this way to support the use of education worksheets in the classroom and as homework. As important as it is for students to know how to use a pair of scissors, so much valuable teaching time can be lost trimming worksheets and this oversized exercise book provides the solution - no more paper cuttings or forgotten sheets lying around!
So whether it's for sticking in homework or keeping a record of your science experiments or art projects, the larger than A4 Exercise Book can keep your teaching on track and make the process of using handouts a whole lot easier (and it'll keep your classroom a whole lot tidier too). Ideal for Primary School Children, from Preschoolers and Reception right through to Juniors in Year 6!
What size is an A4+ Exercise Book?
- RHINO A4+ School Exercise Books, also known as Oversized A4 or 13 x 9" Exercise Books, are approximately 339 x 240mm
Why would I use an A5+ Exercise Book?
We know that A5 paper is half the size of A4, but in the exercise book world, the closest size to an A5 Exercise Book is the classic 9 x 7, which traditionally might have been called a jotter and is actually slightly larger than A5. We also like to call it an A5+ Exercise Book. It can be used in Secondary School to support learning as a supplementary exercise book in older year groups, for planning or revision notes and formulas.
But the 9 x 7 Exercise Book is a firm favourite in Primary School, as it's the perfect size for infants - much like in the story of 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears' this size is 'just right' for small hands and there are lots of rulings that support early writing with space for drawings - whether top plain and bottom lined or alternate plain and lined.
What size is an A5+ Exercise Book?
- RHINO A5+ School Exercise Books, also known as 9 x 7" Exercise Books, are approximately 226 x 178mm
Why would I use small exercise books?
With school budgets being stretched, it's really important to use just the right amount of paper that you need and this is where the use of smaller sizes can really help you get the most from your exercise books. If you're in Key Stage 1 or Key Stage 2 and have a focus on spellings, vocab, or times table testing, then the 8 x 4 Exercise Book (approx. 200 x 100 mm) is just the size.
As children learn to read they love to practice letter formation and to make this a little easier, small handwriting books can really help this process. Using small exercise books with purpose can be of particular support when you have a focus on developing specific skills and it's easier than using small scraps of paper when you are trying to keep a record of pupil development.
What smaller exercise books are there?
- RHINO Small School Exercise Books include 138 x 165mm, 165 x 200mm, 200 x 100mm, 200 x 165mm
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