Lapbooks Lap Books Lapbooking

Lapbook, lapbooking, lap books, notebooking. All are correct. All are words that describe the most incredibly engaging and scaffolding activity for any and all content of any aged student. If you are not familiar with lapbooks, they are an inexpensive collection of facts and information from a unit of study, built and created specifically for and by a student. And for all of my, uh-hum, “veteran teachers” out there, kind of think of them like a quarter or semester’s worth of notes and handouts that we put in our Trapper Keepers, only way more cool and useful.

Using Lapbooks in the Classroom

During the school year, a student can create several different lapbooks. For example, the lower school aged children (K-2) can build lapbooks and then use them in centers for independent study and application of their understanding. Building a lapbook can be completed in small group or large groups. I like to use them when I am at my small group table, this way I can interact with each of my kiddos while they are working. Plus, when you have your little humans in arm’s reach, it is much easier to stop a glue glop gone wrong.

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Ways to Use Lapbooks:

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• In any grade level

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• In small groups

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• In whole groups

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• As independent work stations

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• For independent study and review

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• For teaching and scaffolding your child’s lessons

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Hands-On Project

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Building a lapbook is meant to happen over time. It is supposed to be a work in progress. For example, when my kiddos are making this math lapbook, they only complete one concept at a time. I want them to completely understand and be able to apply their knowledge to the next level or build up from that concept. There is no need to jam all the pieces in the lapbook at one time. Remember, this is not an assessment, it is a learning tool and scaffolding of their understanding.

Assessment

When the lapbook is in progress or completed, your child can use the lapbook to practice the concepts inside. For our math lapbook, I use a 10 frame to assess one to one correspondence, addition and subtraction to 10, and number concepts. These assessments are not always formal assessments, they can be informal and used to drive your instruction. Lapbooks have so many useful, practical, and efficient modes.

Differentiation

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Differentiating is made easier with lapbooks too. Think of it as your on-going portfolio for each student. What better way to share with parents and administration what growth and differentiation you have provided for each of your little humans. Don’t you just love it!!

Lapbooks on Educents

You are going to love the choices the Educents gives you for lapbooks too. They have made it very easy and inexpensive for you to try out a lapbook to see if it is for you and your teaching methods. Below are a few for younger students. Simply click on the image and it will take you to the lapbook information page.

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Thanks for reading all about lapbooks and how they can be used and implemented either in your classroom or in your homeschool. I am a firm believer that if we, as teachers, can have our little humans interact with their learning and lessons, they will retain current and understand future concepts so much easier and longer.

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Now go grab a lapbook and get cutting and teaching!!

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9/6/2015

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