Enjoyable Lapbooking

Are you new to Lapbooking?  Don’t fret, you were right when you started this endeavor – it is a good thing and your child will like it.  BUT, like anything worth while, you get out of it what you put into it.  So … how do you use your time wisely, plan appropriately and get the most out of Lapbooking?  Start with a plan.  My daddy used to tell me, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.  Oh boy, was that ever me (ok, so sometimes it still is me!!) 

Basic Plan.  Here is a very simple check list:

• Group like Activities together
• Figure out how many days you want to do this study
• Plug in the ‘groups’ to the days available

Now, here’s where I do things a bit differently! 

‘Family Outings’.  Days that we will be out of the house all afternoon get a light academic load.  However, days that we will be home all day get a heavier load!  That way I’m not stressed, “oh, I have to get the kids to finish this before we head out the door.  Now we’re late cause they didn’t get everything done, yada, yada, yada!”  I’m sure you know the drill!!  Learn from me: figure out what is important and don’t major in the minors. 

 “The Basic Five: Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, History & Science”.  Make sure they are all there.  Why do I do this?  Well, I want to show my kids that the Basic Five is in everything you do!  Isn’t this hard???  If you join the HOAC On-Line CoOps, it is already done for you!  But fear not, it’s fairly easy to do for yourself!  The reading and writing is already in every HOAC Lapbook and the rest is easy to throw in:

• Reading: have your child read the guide and then answer the questions to the Activities (you read it to your child if your child isn’t reading yet)
• Writing: have your child write the answers on the Activities.
• Arithmetic: make up simple (or comples - depending on where your child is academically) math word problems.  Your goal here is to show them how math is used everyday and therefore is not the eye roll - “Do I have to do this” subject that they know and dislike so well!! 
• History: if you have a Science Lapbook, when in History did any of this take place?  Example: Desert Habitats Unit.  When was the Sahara Desert first discovered?  
•  Science: if you have a History Lapbook, what Scientific inventions were made during that time?  Example: Declaration of Independence Unit.  Who discovered Electricity and what did he have to do with the Declaration of Independence.  What is electricity?   

I don’t put all five in every single day, but we do cover the “Basic Five” throughout the study. 

So, you’ve got your plan, now what do you do? 

• Print out the activities that you are going to do the night before.
• Some (most) moms cut out the activities for the kids.  My kids need something to keep their hands out of trouble while I’m teaching the lesson, so they get to cut for themselves!!
• If your child doesn’t write out the words perfectly – it’s ok!  You are looking for learning here … not perfection!  (this took me so long to learn)
• We keep all our “little books” in zip lock bags till the last day of the study (cut a corner off the zip lock baggie so that air doesn’t make it puff out)
• On the last day of the study, get out your crayons, colored pencils, stickers, file folders and zip lock baggies full of “little books” and let the kids create!
• Most importantly … have fun!!!   The more fun you have, the more the kids will remember what it is that they are supposed to be learning!!!
  

Maggie is married to her best friend Dave.  They live in the mountains of Southern California where they homeschool their kids.  Their son has Aspergers Syndrome, ADHD, ODD along with a multitude of Learning Disabilities.  Their daughter is “normal” – hyperactive, but “normal”.  You can visit them at http://www.MaggieMcCormick.com  Maggie is also the CoOp Coordinator for the HOAC On-Line CoOps.  You can reach her there at Co-Ops@handsofachild.com with any questions about CoOps. 

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