This post is going to discuss how to make a complete simple lapbook. The use of a folder is optional. The minimum materials required are:
| In homeschooling, there are two terms which should not be confused: lapbooking and notebooking. Lapbooking is colorful, kinesthetic, and probably appeals more to right-brain learners. Notebooking fits the themes of classical education, can improve penmanship and spelling, and likely appeals more to left-brain learners. Those are general statements, not strict rules, but observations I've made. While notebooking involves a lot of writing for the student, lapbooking can cut down on the writing aspect of traditional assignments, such as book reports. If you have colored paper on hand, it is a lot more engaging! Here's one side of a completed (but blank) lapbook page. Students could fill in information about ANY topic they are studying, reviewing or interested in inside each of the elements. Using clipart, stickers, and flat objects like feathers & buttons is fun for pre-K students. They love to show this project to others. |
Paper #1 becomes a Tablet
Paper #2 becomes a Peek-a-boo Square and Accordion Mini Book
Paper #3 becomes a Window Fold and Mini-Book
Paper #4: The Cardstock (or Folder)
If you've got a folder, simply open it flat so the interior is facing you, and do a window fold on the folder. Here's an example of what that looks like with a single folder (first two images on the page) and an example of how to put an "extension" in if you need a bit more room in your lapbook.
Here is how to link three (or more!) folders together for a larger lapbook.