| When I first heard about lapbooking, I thought it | | | | stapler, a hole punch, tape or glue, and writing |
| would be time-consuming and overwhelming, but it | | | | utensils. Choose a topic of study and break it into |
| has quickly become one of my family's favorite | | | | subtopics. Then use one of the many online |
| learning tools. Lapbooks are file folders that | | | | templates available to make little books about |
| contain homemade mini books about subjects | | | | those subtopics. You can make your mini books |
| your children are studying. They are fun for | | | | as simple or elaborate as you choose. You can |
| children of any age level and learning style, but | | | | also add charts, graphs, diagrams and pictures to |
| are especially appealing to visual and hands-on | | | | your lapbooks. |
| learners. | | | | If you are new to making lap books, start slowly |
| Lap books help children break information into bite | | | | by using one of the many preplanned packages |
| sized pieces that they can easily understand and | | | | that are available online. Print the templates for |
| remember. They give older children an | | | | your mini books in advance, and have your |
| opportunity to strengthen research skills and | | | | children complete them on a comfortable |
| express creativity. Once completed, these | | | | schedule. At our house, we complete one mini |
| projects can be used for review or shown to | | | | book every day or two. |
| family members. Because they are flat, lapbooks | | | | At the end of your study, tape or glue your mini |
| are easy to store and won't fill your home with | | | | books to your file folder. Your children now have |
| clutter. | | | | a completed project that they can use review |
| To create a lap book, all you need is a file folder | | | | what they've learned, and you have proof that |
| and basic household supplies like paper, scissors, a | | | | they're actually learning something! |