If you’ve been homeschooling any amount of time then you’ve most likely run across the term lapbook. But what exactly are they and why should you consider using Lapbooks in Your Homeschool? These are the questions that most homeschooling parents ask, and I have the answer!
What is a lapbook?
In a nutshell, a lapbook is an information packed resource created by kids themselves. With a few simple supplies, kids are able to take information they are learning and create something that can be used for review, show-and-tell, or a keepsake.
Lapbooks are perfect for tactile learners who like to use their hands just as much as their minds to learn, create, and do. Many parents are able to use lapbooks as a valuable way to reinforce lessons taught, and children enjoy the creativity behind making one.
The best part about lapbooks is they can accommodate any lesson. Whether your child is learning about the solar system, farm animals, or quadrilaterals, a lapbook can help bring a unique way to learning and remembering information.
How to Create a Lapbook
Lapbooks are super easy to put together and leave tons of room for a child’s creativity to flourish. If you choose to use a pre-made lapbook resource then it will (or should) come with all the templates you’ll need. At most you’ll need to purchase or have the following on hand:
- Manilla folders
- Coloring pencils, crayons, or markers
- Scissors
- Glue (or tape)
If you are not using a pre-made lapbook resource, then there are a number of other resources you can use to create one. Some parents opt in for using cutouts of old magazines, books, things printed from online, and the like. Regardless of the resource you use, what makes a lapbook unique is the way information is placed within it. Of course you can get pretty elaborate, but even the most simple lapbook can provide a wealth of information and be a prized possession of the kid who created it.
There are also different ways of folding lapbooks. You can choose to keep the manila folder as is or fold each flap in half (folding inward to create a barn-style opening). Another style includes gluing several folders together to create a multi-page resource with lots of flaps to open. Other styles include folding pages and cutting them in half to create half-door style flaps. The possibilities are endless!
Pre-Made lapbooks
There are many places on the internet that you can find pre-made lapbooks, here is one of my favorite places to get them. Knowledge Box Central is a great place. They have such a variety of lapbooks to choose from.
Benefits of Using Lapbooks in Your Homeschool
The benefits of using lapbooks in your homeschool reach across several developmental domains. From being compatible with just about every learning style to giving kids a unique approach to learning, lapbooks are becoming homeschooler’s favorite ways to learn (and parent’s favorite ways to teach).
Lapbooks are fun
Lapbooks allow children to take a break from the traditional way of learning with textbooks and gives them a creative outlet to have fun. Art has always been at the top of the student’s most favorite subject charts, and lapbooks provide that.
Lapbooks are perfect for reluctant writers
If you have kids that aren’t particularly fond of writing, then they may love lapbooks. While there may be some writing involved, it is usually minimal. Lapbooks have a balance between writing, drawing, coloring, and piecing things together. Kids who cringe at the thought of writing a full page paper could still end up writing as much, but just in chunks, when using lapbooks.
Lapbooks can be used by kids of any age and grade
From early elementary through high school, lapbooks can be part of your kid’s educational plan. A younger kid’s lapbook may consist of more coloring and simple concepts, while an older student’s lapbook can be more elaborate and information filled. Either way, kids of all ages and grades can enjoy the benefits of creating lapbooks.
Lapbooks can be used for any subject or concept
Quite honestly, lapbooks come to the rescue for the tougher subjects and concepts. If your kid is struggling with a particular math concept, they can create a lapbook that could then be used to help review and ultimately master that concept. Tough stuff aside, lapbooks can be created for any subject and concept!
Lapbooks offer a unique approach to learning
We briefly touched on this earlier, but to provide a little more depth here, lapbooks are perfect for taking the mundane out of homeschooling. It is easy to see learning from a textbook and workbook offers only one perspective; however, learning can happen in many different ways. When putting a lapbook together, there are many ways to gather information which means using a variety of resources to do so. From the Internet to your public library, you can use lots of different ways to learn.
Conclusion
If you haven’t started using lapbooks in your homeschool, I invite you to give it a try. I’m willing to bet both you and your kids will love this approach to learning and never look back!
Check out these other post on the blog: Using Instagram in your Homeschool and Using a Kindle in your Homeschool .