WHAT IS a Lapbook ?

Apples Lapbook

A lapbook is an inexpensive portfolio
or collection of mini-books, flaps, and folded display material,
that provides interactive space
for drawings, stories,
     graphs, graphics, 
           timelines, diagrams,
                and written work,
from any topic, unit study, book you choose,
gathered, glued, and creatively displayed
in a coloured standard sized cardboard folder,
often folded in a “shutter-fold” (though our family doesn’t),
that fits in your lap.

A lapbook is a project book or file folder, laid out in a creative manner, that fits in the child’s lap.

“Using creative means to display unit studies, topics, or projects
- by computer or by hand – for most ages.
* Fold a card folder into a shutter;
* Use mini-books and various folds
to ‘package’ the information and visuals
(photos, graphics, pictures)
Interactive, hands-on, addictive! “

Lapbooks are a wonderful hands-on homeschooling tool – a kind of ’scrapbooking meets homeschooling’ – though more than home educators use them.

Each lapbook is an original creation, will be different according to topic and creator, and will be a treasure for years to come. There is no right or wrong way to lapbook.

Lapbooking is a great vehicle to teach CONTENT and PROCESS.
The CONTENT comes from topics that interest the students [delight-driven] – this brings about more internal-based motivation and therefore greater learning from and ownership of the work.
The PROCESS is what will help the children through life – research, planning, creativity, presentation, evaluation.

The term “Lap Book” was first coined by Tammy Duby, a homeschool mother and writer from Virginia, USA. She named it that because the whole project could fit into a “book” that fits in the child’s lap.

* When you make your own – it’s cheaper, more creative and unique. You learn a lot by doing the research and more thought is put into them. There’s an unlimited number of subjects, since you are not depending on what others have already come up with.
* To use pre-made lapbooks – you can save time and it’s easier to complete a lapbook. It is an easy start especially when you’re new to lapbooking and may be intimidated by the choice. A pre-made provides a ready guide for the children so they don’t get overwhelmed. Of course, you can always alter a pre-made and make it your own!

“Lapbooking is a compact way
to keep and display learned concepts
within a unit of study
that can be shared and reviewed indefinitely.”  – Beth

  Click to Stumble it!

> > Visit the lapbook blogs (long page) and ctrl+f to find your chosen keyword/s on the page/s.

Visual people

especially will need to raid the websites and get a look at examples. Check out http://www.google.com and look in IMAGES for something like lapbook OR lapbooks OR lapbooking. Right click OPEN in new tab/window for pictures you want to see bigger. Also click on the flickr badge on sidebar.

Sign up and check out the FILES and message archives of:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lapbooking101/ – a lapbooking starter independent webgroup that’s not selling you anything. Ask questions, show pics.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lapbooking – over 4000 members, photos, ideas! Search archives.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lapbooking7up/  - for lapbooking with 12 yos + – extending lapbooking ideas for lapbooks, popularly called “presentation folders” for teen age group

The best advice I can give you for lapbooking is “Just Do It”!
No one will be grading you.
Get out your supplies, put on your thinking caps and have fun!
You will be amazed what you and your family can come up with together.

Have fun lapbooking!
Johanna W, in Hamilton, New Zealand
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