Cambridge Spiral & Wireless Notebooks

What are spiral notebooks used for in the classroom?

Students use spiral-bound notebooks to complete writing assignments, take notes, or solve math problems. A spiral-bound notebook contains lined, dotted, or graph paper. It’s bound with a metal coil, making it easy to turn the pages. College-ruled spiral notebook paper has narrower lines than wide-ruled.

Students use dotted spiral notebooks to sketch, draw, and make lists. The dots provide alignment guidance but don’t distract from a student’s creation as solid lines do. Perforated spiral-bound notebook paper also makes it easier for students to remove a piece of paper cleanly. The best notebook for a student depends on class requirements or preference.

Wide-ruled spiral notebooks

College-ruled spiral notebooks

Dotted spiral notebooks

What’s the difference between a notebook and a spiral notebook?

While students might use spiral notebooks for journaling in the classroom, it differs from a typical journal notebook. Journals have bindings sewn or glued bindings and include a closure to secure their pages.

The sizing between these types of notebooks is also usually different. Spiral notebooks are often larger, about the size of a piece of computer paper. Students might have one spiral notebook per class or purchase a larger multi-subject notebook with dividers between each school subject.

1-subject spiral notebooks

2-subject spiral notebooks

3-subject spiral notebooks

Are spiral notebooks better?

Some students prefer using a spiral notebook because it can lie flat, providing an even surface for writing or drawing. Spiral notebooks can also be folded in half, taking up less space on a table or desk than other notebooks. Multiple subject spiral notebooks often feature convenient dividers with folder pockets so that students can keep all their work in a single book. Spiral notebooks are an alternative to traditional binders.

Black spiral notebooks

Five Star spiral notebooks

Mead spiral notebooks