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A lap book, layer book, flap book, or shutter book is a type of single-subject book created by a student, generally as a supplement to a curriculum. A lap book generally consists of a paperboard folder such as a file folder with small pieces of folded paper glued inside. Sounds easy enough eh? They can be very simple, or quite complex. They can be used as a way to completely study a subject or to show case just a part of it.
I found this youtube video that will help you to better understand what a lapbook is and how to make them.
Advantages
– fun elements to put together
– concise storage of subject matter – one file folder per subject
– Specific points to research
– hands-on activities that help cement the material learned
– adjustable across age levels
– memory keeper
Disadvantages
– cutting, pasting and putting together
– figuring out how to store them
– designing of the elements. Websites like Student Folder help.
Work arounds:
If your student is at all like my son, the actual putting together and making a lapbook will be a source of HUGE annoyance to him, so our workaround was to not actually make a lapbook but to use cardstock as the page to glue things on to, and then place them in a binder with dividers. This makes for more of an interactive notebook feel, but it works! 🙂
Free lapbooking sites
One of the most popular lapbooking sites is Homeschool Share. You can also find them in Facebook and Pinterest.
Free homeschool deals maintains an extensive list of Free lapbooks. Do mind that some of the links do charge now. Also on Pinterest.
Lapbook Lessons. They maintain a list of faith based as well as topical lapbooks – history, science, character etc.
Homeschool Helper Online has a few free lapbooks.
Lapbooking101 is a helpful blog that gives all sorts of helps for lapbooking.
Tots and Me has a couple of lapbooks you might want to look at: Ladybug and Creation.
Paid lapbooking sources
Currclick. They sell all types of helpful resources, not just lapbooks.
In the Hands of a child. has a whole variety of lap books that are well done.
Home School in the Woods does excellent history based lapbooks. In fact we’ll going to be using their World War 2 one.
A Journey Through learning does some great lapbooks as well. I’ve done at least one of these lapbooks.
Knowledge Box Central has a good variety of lapbooks.
While I’m thinking about it I should let you know about Amanda Bennett’s Unit studies. These are not quite lapbooks, but they are fun and interactive. Anyways, she’s having a sale because she’s working through a new site. It’s worth checking out eh?
