The Incredible Benefits of Using Lapbooks in a Homeschool
For years we have used lapbooks in our homeschool. In case you have never looked into using this technique yourself, I’m excited today to share about the incredible benefits of using lapbooks in your homeschool.
Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through affiliate links in this post.
What is a lapbook?
Basically, it’s a group of paper mini-books that are glued or taped to file folders. See below in the pictures for a variety of booklet shapes and styles. We have also taped our folders in various ways and included other objects in them, such as fabric, buttons, yarn, and pipe cleaners.
Lapbooks are fun:
My girls especially think lapbooks are fun to do. It’s fun for them to cut out the shapes and write the information on them.
They are creative:
Even when several of my kids are doing the same lapbook, they always look different. They color them differently or organize the booklets in a different order. You often see a kid’s personality come out in the lapbook!
Good for kids who don’t like (or can’t) write much:
I have a boy who really doesn’t enjoy writing much, and I have a daughter with dyslexia and dysgraphia. I want them to occasionally write about what they are learning. So, lapbooks are nice in that they are often just listing things or writing a few sentences.
Can Use for All School Subjects:
It doesn’t matter what subject you are studying, you can do a lapbook for it!
Perfect for Any Age or Grade:
The littlest ones can do them (maybe just coloring different colors), and the oldest high schoolers can get very detailed in the work they do.
Awesome for Reviewing the Subject Later On:
Because they are fun and colorful, my kids often take them out to look through them. They don’t even realize they are reviewing what they learned!
Are Great for Times When You Need a Break from Regular Curriculum:
You know those times of the year, right? You need to keep doing school, but neither you nor the kids are motivated. Pick up a lapbook and continue the learning in a different way!
Don’t Take Up Much Space:
All the lapbooks we have made through the years fit on one shelf of a bookshelf! They can also easily be kept in a three-ring notebook as well (such as a portfolio of a student’s work for the year).
Make Your Own or Get Them Pre-Made:
I have often made our own lapbooks. (See examples at our Lapbook Fun post.) There are free templates online. Sometimes I’ll make a copy of a picture from a book or print something from the internet to add to it.
However, the best ones are pre-made. They already have the questions printed on them, and the answers in an answer key!
Favorite Lapbook Companies:
Two of my favorite lapbook companies (and I think I’ve used them all!) are A Journey Through Learning and In the Hands of a Child.
Each of these companies has a bundle dedicated to just THEM in this year’s Build Your Bundle Sale!
You can get these pre-made bundles, or build your own with exactly the lapbooks (or other products) you’re looking for. (By the way, the Human Body lapbook pictures in this post are of the one we did from In the Hands of a Child. The Parts of Speech lapbook and Maestro Classics Casey at the Bat lapbook are ones we are now working on from A Journey Through Learning.)
Other companies that make lapbooks:
- Mystery of History folderbooks (Bright Ideas Press)
- Learn ‘N Folders from Live ‘N Learn Press
- Amanda Bennett’s Download ‘N Go unit studies include lapbooks.
Our Favorite Tools for Lapbooking:
- Colored file folders
- Colored printer paper
- Glue Sticks
- Brads
- Laminator(especially good to laminate the covers)
- Packing Tape
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I really enjoyed this! The science lapbook you showed pictures of is exactly what I have been looking for. Thank you for sharing! And I’m really glad I came across your post.