Science Corner: What about lapbooks?

We have used lapbooks in the past for science with great success. They are a wonderful way to review what you have learned and to create a quick reference guide to use in the future.

So what are lapbooks?

A lapbook is a record of what your child has learned in scrapbook form. You can make one after a field trip or as a form of notebooking or to review what you have learned. Lapbooks are extremely versatile and can be used for any subject.

How can we put one together?

You begin by deciding what information you want to include. For example when we did our solar system lapbook, we started by looking back through her notebook to see what we could include. Princess decided that she wanted the Sun, all the planets-Pluto included and some information about the other stuff out there-meteors and so on. I decided that the poem we have worked on memorizing also needed to be in there. Next you decide into what you will put your information. Usually you use a file folder to for this, but I have found that two pieces (or more) of cardstock taped together also do a great job. Then you decide how to fit it all in and what types of mini-books and flaps we would use. There are websites with free templates, but once you get the hang of it you'll be making your own mini-books and flaps. The next step is to add the information to your mini-books and flaps. This can take several days or an afternoon depending on how much your child wants to do. Finally you glue all your mini-books and flaps into your lapbook and your fantastically beautiful resource is finished!

Some websites to look at for ideas...

Getting started is sometimes the hardest part, so here are a few places to look for ideas.

• Homeschool Helper: This website has lots of free mini-book templates and directions for lapbooks that you can make.
• Jimmie's Collage: This is another homeschooling mom's blog. She has some fantastic resources to share, plus she has some great post on lapbooking that are sure to inspire you.
• Finally do a google search. There are so many homeschoolers that do lapbooks and lots of ideas out there. So do a search and see what you find :).

My daughter has treasured each lapbook we have taken the time to make. She looks back at them often and reads what she wrote. It's a sneaky way of reviewing, but more than that lapbooks give her an educational resource she can enjoy for years to come.