Seeling is Believing! Links and Tips for Some Pretty Awesome Lapbooks, Notebooks and Printables

It’s Day 4 of the Back to Homeschool Blog Hop!

Are you a fan of notebooking and lapbooks?

I hear ya!

I wuv them both.

Lapbooks provided a much needed hands-on experience for Josiah when he was struggling to read and write.

Notebooking (along with the practices of Charlotte Mason) have provided to be an invaluable tool as he grows in his abilities, interests and maturity.

Today I want to share with you my favorite sites and resources for lapbooking and notebooks (plus a few other fun sites). This is not an exhaustive list. It would just be too “exhausting’ to list them all. ;<)

I also want to give you a tips on how I’ve managed both successfully in our home with a child who is dyslexic and dysgraphic.

Fortunately for a lot of us, there are plenty of creative people out there who love creating these types of products. I do like creating my own products (I’m really picky), but I have also discovered there is no need to reinvent the wheel.

I can save time when I find one already lovingly created that fits my needs.

Makes more time for other things. Like laundry. And Doctor Who marathons.

For a Humongous list of FREE lapbooks check out this post from Free Homeschool Deals. It will undoubtedly include some from a few of the sites I've listed below. They have separated them into handy subjects for you. 

Hands of a Child ($) – Excellent quality here! They always have a $5 lapbook and a free one available on the website.

A Journey Through Learning ($) also provides excellent lapbooks. Their backstory is so inspiring. I also have a few freebies I’ve gotten through the years.

Every product that comes from Home School in the Woods  ($) is excellent. The graphics are professional and the activities are just plain inspired. I have used several of their products.

Homeschool Share has to be my most used site through the years. For one…it’s FREE! I can’t even imagine the kind of time and attention put into all of their products. I really love using their literature studies. 

Lapbook Lessons was the very first place I went to find Lapbooking inspiration years ago. There is are lots of beautiful (and FREE) lapbooks available.

Homeschool Helper Online- They have a good selection of FREE lapbooks.

The Notebooking Fairy – She is the guru of notebooking. I always find inspiration there.

Notebooking Pages ($)  – She has an enormous collection of pages available. They are very reasonable. Plus, there are a bunch that are FREE.

Notebooking Nook – I believe she has started a membership service. There are FREE pages as well.

Teachers Pay Teachers ($) – I use this site all the time. Almost every seller as some sort of free sample product to try. I have even purchased (or found free) clipart, borders… It’s just a treasure trove of goodies.

Teaching Notebook  ($)  - This is another site like Teachers Pay Teachers. 

Currclick ($) – The Big Momma of homeschool resources. I have used this resource for years. There is always something free. A few times a year they have “hide and seek’ sales. They will hide a product within their pages. I have gotten excellent lapbooks, etc. this way. I also like that my ‘library’ with currclick is always available to me.

Dynamic2Moms – They have some beautiful lapbooks and studies available! I believe Tina has started another page. I am not sure if she has created more products since, but the link is available.

Carl’s Corner – This is basically a language arts and reading site. She is a retired school teacher who has graciously shared all of her wisdom with all of us. I used many of her readers and nursery rhyme studies when Josiah was little.

So there are the sites I’ve used the most. Now I want to give you just a few ideas.

~ Instead of using up my printer ink, I will often get my bigger products printed at a local copy shop in town. They have .5 copies! I don’t bother with the colored ink.

~ I will purchase scrapbook paper and stickers when they are on sale at Hobby Lobby to decorate our projects. Josiah is not much of a decorator or doodler. Stickers suit him just fine.

~ I will always make my own copy of whatever we are doing. I have found that Josiah needs “modeling.” He has to see what is expected of him.

~ I primarily stuck mostly with lapbooks when Josiah was younger. He has dysgraphia and all the writing was hard for him. Lapbooks are straight to the point. They weren’t as laborious.

~ We keep all of our completed pieces in ziplock baggies before assembling lapbooks.

~ I take turns reading with Josiah. I used to read most of his material for him (except for reading instruction). He now has graduated up to sharing the task. 

~ It took several years for him to be able to "do" copywork. He had the hardest time transferring something he saw to the paper. I would create (or find) scripture or quotes or words that he could trace as part of his copywork. He now can copy something from the whiteboard or from my paper. 

~ Be patient. Some of our kiddos need more time to cook.

Don’t forget to check out my own collection of free printables.

Do you have any favorite resources or tips?

This post is part of the Back To School Blog Hop from my friends at  the Schoolhouse Review Crew and Homeschool Blogging Connection. Be sure to check my landing page out for their links...I know you will blessed! 

A TOS Review: Lapbooking Made Simple

I must confess. I (heart) lapbooking. It is one of my favorite teaching tools.  It’s like scrapbooking meets a review. Or scrapbooking meets the book report. Or scrapbooking meets the unit study. You can tell I really like scrapbooking…plus all that other stuff.

I just had the chance to review Lapbooking MadeSimple from Real Life Press. While I have used the lapbooking method for years now, I know lots of homeschooling families who have never even heard of lapbooking or don’t know how to implement it into their own homeschools. This is a great resource to point them to…plus, I’ve come away with lots of ideas for myself.

You might have heard of Heidi St. John from The BusyMom. I get her newsletter emails regularly and I’m always so blessed by her words of encouragement (and of those who contribute). She owns Real Life Press. This is a Christian company that provides terrific and meaningful resources.

What I Received

Lapbooking Made Simple is a 54 page Ebook written by Heidi St. John. Heidi takes the reader step-by-step through the whole lapbooking process.

It came in a PDF file which, of course, you can send to your Kindle or simple print it out. I read it on my computer and printed off the minibook templates (more on that in a minute).

She just doesn't provide us with informative text, but the book is visually lovely. She has provided plenty of  pictures for those of us who need to look at something pretty and helpful. Which, I suspect, is all of us.  

There are 6 chapters in Lapbooking Made Simple.

Chapter 1: What is Lapbooking?

So maybe have wondered this yourself. Heidi gives some great examples of things that can be included in your lapbook She also gives us the golden rule of lapbooking. Your lapbook belongs to your child. I admit it. I have  frequently intermittently interfered. I am very visual and have a certain opinion of who things should look. I took some of Heidi’s advice in our final project, which you shall see in a minute. She also encourages us to make a mess. Which is not a problem for us.

Chapter 2: Unit Studies and Lapbooking.

This chapter talks about how easy it is to marry my two favorite things. Unit Studies and Lapbooks.  I really appreciated the time spent talking about different learning styles.

Chapter 3: Getting Started

This is for those of us who just need a list. We are given 5 helpful steps to just get the ball (or lapbook) moving.  Heidi is not afraid to talk about some of her own mistakes. One of them, hurrying your gang through the creative process, is one I’m guilty of. “Come on and color the dude’s steel plated armor already! We’ve got math to do!” 

This is a list of just some helpful tips. I consider most of them to be useful in almost every situation. Not just lapbooking. 

Chapter 4: Lapbooking Elements

In this chapter, Heidi talks about the elements of lapbooking and why each one is successful. On element in particular, the “tag wheel,” was one I hadn’t heard of before. It’s simply genius.

Chapter 5: Lapbooking versus Notebooking

This is a great chapter for resources. Heidi talks about the differences between lapbooks and notebooks. We’ve utilitized both.  The list of resources is really great. I am going to get a lot of mileage out of them, I can tell.

Chapter 6: Your First Lapbook Step-by-Step.

Here it is. The chapter that leads you through the process. Heidi is really detailed with her instructions. At the end of the chapter there are mini-book templates that you can print out and use in your lapbooks.

How I Used It

So I’ve already confessed my little problem of “control freakiness.”  This extends to only certain areas of my life. I am currently praying for the spirit of “control freakiness” over my laundry to fall fresh on me.

Anyhoo.

I decided to apply some of the principles I learned by having my little reading club make a lapbook. We chose to make a lapbook all about the Pony Express.

Heidi suggests using cardstock for the minibooks, but I used my “use what I have” principle and simply used regular computer paper. I just copied the templates for the minibook.

The kiddos loved every minute. We made messes. We made memories.

One young man (age 11) told me it was the funnest. After I corrected his grammar, I agreed with him.

My own son (age 13) told me on our way home that "he missed it already."

They were all so proud of their lapbooks. 

I have to say that even though we’ve been lapbooking for quite some time now, I learned a lot through Lapbooking Made Simple. If you are just a lapbooking newbie or a veteran I think you will find it a great resource. It’s like having Heidi with you at your kitchen table talking about decorative scissors and flap books. I am glad I have it in my library! (I also think it’s a really great deal…Gocheck it out!)

 You can connect with Heidi via the following social media outlets. Click on the banner to read more reviews. Members of the TOS Crew reviewed this product and a few more.  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/busyhomeschoolmom?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/heidistjohn

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/heidistjohn/

Old-School (and some new)

I can't believe I'm still up. I really need to be sleeping...or doing dishes. I haven't been at the top of my "Homekeeping" game, that's for sure. I actually made Hamburger Helper tonight. It was painful. I am not a Hamburger Helper sort of gal. I apologize to all those out there who need Hamburger Helper to get through the week. I admit I have issues with processed foods, but I, myself, have been in the need of a boxed dinner to get by now and again.

And it is also pretty sad that my son has developed a love for instant mashed potatoes. I'm not sure how it happened. I am a devoted food snob. My supper wound up being a mango and half of an orange.

So why this terrible fall from food snobbery? I have spent the last two days literally surrounded by mountains of scrapbook paper. I'm am so afraid that Maintenance menwill need to come and fix something that everytime I hear a sound in the hall I start making piles and covering them with towels. I am fearful that somebody will turn me into the "Hoarders" show one of these days and I will wind up on TV trying to justify my collection of stick glue.

I got a few things done for Cousin Camp today and did a few things that I had no business messing with. While on yet another search for my elusive box of scrapbook notions I came across a couple of lapbooks that Josiah and I have made over the last few years. Now lapbooking is one of my favorite homeschooling tools. I'll have to post more about it later. But basically it is a scrapbook with lots of little books pertaining to any subject you might be covering. I particularly love to do lapbooks based on literature.

One of my favorite Children's author is Jan Brett. The Three Snow Bears is a retelling of The Three Bears...only set in the Arctic.  This is the cover of the lapbook.

There are many lapbooking resources available. I have purchased ones I can just download, but more frequently I use bits and pieces of either free minibooks others have created or I made my own. Or I find them from resources I already have in my crazy collection of Teacher books. That is another reason to turn me into "Hoarders." I have more teacher books than a gal teaching her only child has any right to. In my defense, I taught other people's children for years...If I have a few (or 250) education type books hiding underneath my bed that's my business. Thank you very much.

I can't stand a naked lapbook. It might be okay for some. I envy you. And to be honest, Josiah doesn't care if they are naked. But I am too visual to be happy with nakedness (now that doesn't sound quite right). Anyhoo. I always use scrapbook paper. And stickers. And other stuff.

Just looking at this stuff makes me long for a good blizzard. Just a small one. It's 100 degrees outside. A day or two stomping through the snow would do us all good. Then it can go back to summer. And wait until January to snow again.

This is some stuff kept in a pocket inside the lapbook.

Another book I pulled out of our long and forgotten completed projects was a Farm Notebook. Josiah did this in 1st grade (I think). A Notebook is different than a lapbook in that, well, it is compiled using a notebook of some sort. We created pockets for this notebook and he filled them with the mini books and other projects.  I didn't take a picture of everything in the Notebook. But you can see some of my favorite little books.

A few little books tucked into one of the pockets. You can see the evidence of my Bubble Letters everywhere. You can take the teacher out of the Early Childhood Classroom, but you can't take the Early Childhood out of the teacher. Bubble Letters Forever!

Another pocket.

 And the cute little book in the pocket. With lima beans.

What? No Bubble Letters on the Baking Bread book? I must have had an "off" day.



And yet again. Another "Bubbless" book.

But how cute is this Peanut Butter and Jelly Book? Makes me think of my Girl Scout days. Which in turn makes me think of Girl Scout Cookies. Thin Mints. Good Grief! That mango and orange didn't really cut it! Anybody got a good late night "Thin Mint" recipe?

And how precious is this. We cute out shapes (and my very strange rendering of a barn) and Josiah made a farm landscape. If I asked him to make the same landscape today you can guarantee that we would find Indiana Jones crouching behind the tree waiting to dig up some sort of lost treasure. They grow up so fast!

Shew! I think I'm ready for bed. I am going to scrounge in the kitchen first. Maybe I'll find an old Thin Mint.

Pumpkin Lapbook

This is our Pumpkin Lapbook we did for our 1st grade year. I am not really sure where I got everything, but I do remember taking a look at some pumpkin lapbooks at
http://lapbooklessons.com and using ideas I saw there. You shouldn't have any trouble finding printables and minibook ideas for Pumpkins. It is a popular theme with elementary school teachers. I have many myself I have used before when I taught.

This is the back cover. Don't know why I have this up first, but oh well! It is a pumpkin observation sheet used while we carved a pumpkin. Actually, this is the clean one. The original one got ruined.

Here it is opened up. Again, I can't remember where all of it came from! Sorry! Should have done a better job in keeping records. I plan on doing a 2nd grade version so I guess I need to start researching!

Another collection of things to do.

The front of our lapbook. I used lots of scrapbook paper, pumpkin stickers and orange and yellow raffia. This one was such a hit that my mom used it as inspiration to teach with. She gives art classes to Senior Citizens in a nursing home. They make all sorts of jewelry, paint, watercolor paintings and she showed this to the therapists as inspiration for patients who need sensory activities. I made them a Snowman Lapbook complete with touch and feel activies, etc. And I didn't take any pictures!

Again, I believe that most of the activities I found from looking through other some other gals creations at http://lapbooklessons.com. I believe there is also a link for The Pumpkin Patch Parable activities by Liz Curtis Higgs. We love this book and I have used it for several years in a variety of locations around harvest time. And intend on using it again this year!

4th of July Lapbook

Here is our 4th of July Lapbook. To be honest, I don't remember where I got most of the stuff from. I can take some wild guesses! I did use lots of scrapbook paper, stickers and other odds and ends. I was blessed to get stuff at Hobby Lobby when they were marking down all of their stuff for the 4th. I even got some extra for a Flag Lapbook or a Constitution Lapbook, etc., etc.

This is the front. I am sorry it is so blurry. I battle with my little digital camera. If I were so inclined I would figure it out, but that's how it goes! I did copy and paste a vintage 4th of July postcard from online.
This is the back. I used some ribbon, construction paper and cut out the cover of our bulletin from church that Sunday! I believe in using all you have! This holds copywork, etc.

This lapbook I made to open up like a book. If you look really close in the left hand corner you will see some sparkle. Josiah and I made stars from baggies, glitter and sparkly stars.

Opened up in all its glory.

The top flap. It was a cut and paste activity.

More stuff.

I believe the majority of activities I got from http://homeschoolshare.com (all free!)

and some more activities from liveandlearnpress.com...which has several free downloadable lapbooks if you sign up.

Camping Lapbook

We made this lapbook this summer after we had spent a week at VBS. Our church had a Camping Theme and Josiah was thrilled! I will disclose up front that my idea of 'roughing it" is a Motel 6. At the end of our Camping Unit, Josiah and Daddy camped out. Of course, it was in the Living Room (do to some really hot weather and scary storms), but all in all it was a success!

This lapbook camp exclusively from http://homeschoolshare.com, but we also did activities courteous of Smokey the Bear http://smokeythebear.com. Smokey the Bear has fun for all ages!

I used a variety of scrapooking paper and stickers. I also used some cute wilderness buttons and attached them to ribbon. Fun!

Monkey See, Monkey Do Lapbook

We just finished (well, almost finished) our Monkey See, Monkey Do Lapbook. Basically, we learned a little about monkeys and Africa and read a lot of Curious George books. Josiah has always loved Curious George and has a lot in common with the little monkey! I must have had some forewarning of what was to come because Josiah's first birthday was a Curious George party!
I am not a very good picture taker, but I will try the best I can to explain what is on each page.

This section opens out from the center of the palm tree. I cut the palm tree from construction paper and each top leaf can be lifted up. The little cutout monkeys are answers to addition and subtraction problems found in the Barrel of Monkeys pocket. I got the cutouts at the teacher supply store. A very inexpensive way to add color without using your computer ink!
The green polka-dotted pocket is actually a little file folder that opens up and reveals some sort of science or discovery project we did. I got the file folders at the teacher supply store as well. I plan on using them in other lapbooks.

This page opens up to find all of the little books we did while we learned about monkeys and Africa. I will put some links at the end that inspired me. The yellow thingy across the middle of the book is actually a felt sticker that says bananas. It came with a monkey (that I put on the front of the lapbook) and a few smaller bananas.

These are a variety of activities. The top petal book is actually monkey idioms. There is a great little book at Homeschool Share already to print out, but I ran out of space and had to make my own smaller version. The Curious George puppets (which Josiah loved) and the Invent and Built It came from either the PBS Curious George site or the publisher of Curious George Houghton Mifflin (links to follow).

The Finding the Ending Sound pocket goes with the little monkeys (g,m,t). This is actually a little young for Josiah, but he loved it anyway. I got this activity from The Mailbox Magazine.

The yellow-pocket file folder has another activity we did together.

This is the cover. I copy and pasted a Curious George Picture I found online into my publishing program (Printmaster). I used scrapbooking paper throughout the lapbook as I do in most of our lapbooks.

The back of the lapbook is just a pocket that he could put his copywork and any worksheets or coloring pages we might have done.

The sites I used for this unit were:

The Publisher of Curious George, Houghton Mifflin
http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/cgsite/games.shtml

(this also has an author page and we had intended on making a minibook, somehow it was forgotten)

The PBS site for Curious George.
http://pbskids.org/curiousgeorge/
Wow! This has a little bit of everything. What I used the most were the Science and Engineering activities. They certainly have enough material to print of to make several lapbooks!

http://www.homeschoolshare.com/

This is one of my favorite sites ever! They not only have a Monkey Lapbook (which I used some of the components from), but a Curious George Lapbook as well.

http://www.handsofachild.com/shop/

or

http://www.currclick.com/

are sites you can go to purchase lapbooks or unit studies for Curious George.