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?
The “Design Your Own” part 4 link is broken. Please help!
It’s all fixed!
I use a recycled/upcycled dishrack to store my lapbooks, you can see pictures all over pintrest with similar ideas. I find that it is perfect to store the ones we have done at the back and ones we are working on at the front. Great ideas thanks Cathy
The Cheap Chick link isn’t working? I use the duck tape method to store mine but have found I have to use 2 pieces instead of folding it over.
Cheyrl
Hmmm….you’re right! It was working a couple of weeks ago, not sure what happened. Anyhoo, you can see the lap-n-notes that we make at this post: http://www.homeschoolshare.com/blog/2012/04/how-to-make-a-lapbook/
This is the same type thing that Suz makes. 🙂
Thank you so much for your website!!!!! I have been lapbooking for about 10 years and have found your resources invaluable.
Hello! I am new to Homeschooling as of this school year. I have 4 kids of my own grades 5,3,1,and Pre-K and I have an extra child 2 days a week that I is in 1st grade as well. I love the idea of lapbooks and think they make learning so much more fun and interactive! The only issue that I am having is that I am not sure where to find the books that teach the lessons… If there even are specific books for that. I am looking to do the My Body Lapbook by Robin Diedrichs and have already printed the entire thing out for all my kids, but now I need to know where to find the lessons. Thank you so much for your help on this matter. I really appreciate it!!
thanks 🙂