And Then What? Part 5 of 5 in Homeschool Share’s Lapbooking Series

Over the past few months we have attempted to answer most of your lapbooking questions.

What supplies do I need? Where do I find them?How do I make them?

How do I design them?

In our final part to the series, we will answer the question,

“What do I do with the completed lapbooks?”

So much time is invested in the making of lapbooks that it would be shameful to just haphazardly pack them away, never to be seen again. Here are some tried and true ideas of how to use and store completed lapbooks.

Uses

Reference, Review, and Reminiscence 

Lapbooks are such wonderful reference and review tools, but not if they are packed away and inaccessible to the children. As we cycle through our chronological history units, before starting a new rotation, we will often pull out our lapbooks to do a quick review of what was learned previously. It is great fun to reminisce about the projects we completed and memories we made.

Evaluation

If your homeschool is required to produce proof of academic achievements, many an evaluator has been impressed with learning through lapbooks. Completed lapbooks, or photos of lapbooks, can be included in your children’s portfolios.

Show Off

Lapbooks are a great way to show off to grandparents or homeschool naysayers. My girls have shown their lapbook creations to public schooled friends, leaving them with a sense of envy at what they are missing out on! Homeschoolers have also been successful at showing off their lapbook creations at science or geography fairs, setting them up on easels. A lot of work went into their making, so show those lapbooks off!

Storage

Binders

Suz at The Cheap Chick makes “Lap-n-Notes”, with lapbook components attached to cardstock which is hole punched and inserted into three or 5 ring binders. We too use this method and like its tidiness.

Little Homeschool on the Hill takes Red Green’s advice, “If at first you don’t succeed, then use more duct tape,” to a whole new level, adding duct tape hinges to the edge of the lapbooks so they are storable in a binder, solving the storage dilemma in a very creative way.

Nadene at Practical Pages uses the duct tape hinges, and then stores her lapbooks in nifty spiral bound notebooks.

If duct tape ain’t your thang, Pear Educational Products sells hole punched adhesive strips that attach to your finished lapbook.

Either way, binders are a good storage solution because they neatly fit on shelves that are easily accessible.

Cereal Boxes

Allison at Wayzley Academy gives step by step instructions (with photos!) showing how to make snazzy lapbook storage units out of cereal boxes.

Magazine Holders

If you don’t have the time or desire to make your own lapbook storage units, magazine holders such as these work well, too.

Hanging File Folders

My friend Ging uses hanging file folders such as this to store her four children’s completed lapbooks.

The possibilities are limitless.

Won’t you please share how you use and store your completed lapbooks?