July 19, 2023 – Lapbooks, Notebooks, or Unit Studies – Should I Use Them?

Mercy Every Minute

Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor

Hands-On Summer Fun

We normally school year-round, so we work hard to find hands-on, fun activities to change up our regular schoolwork during the summer months. We don’t stop the academics, but we do slow down a bit and take lots of fun breaks. This has been the time when we do the hands-on learning, crafts, unit studies, and even some lapbooks! Here are some suggestions taken from www.TOSApps.com back issues as well as our own past schooling years:

Lapbooks:

• Need help? Here is a look at what a lapbook is.
• Here are lots of free file folder games.
• Need ideas for other subjects? Here are YouTube videos on many lapbook ideas.
• Here is a simple “I Love Summer” template for a lapbook on Summer.

Science:

• Insects: We love raising our own and charting their growth, or we order from Insect Lore.
• Horses: Does your child love horses? Here is an article about creating your own horse lapbook.
• Experiments: Here’s one of our favorite gooey science experiments to learn about suspensions.

History:

• Beginners Guide to Aeronautics: find videos of the Wright Brothers, flight fundamentals, and simulations, and make a model of the Wright brothers plane from Styrofoam.
• Here is a Wright Brothers lapbook idea.
• A Unit Study on flight.
• Figures in Motion has wonderful moveable historical cutouts, and a free King Tut model to make.

Hands-on Bible ideas:

• Beatitudes memorization strips from Practical Pages.
• Bible People free cutouts from The Activity Mom.
• Learn Bible terms in American Sign Language with your kids!

Math: maybe the kids need to brush up on math facts this summer:

• For daily hands-on practice, try Learning Wrap-ups.
• See what SchoolhouseTeachers.com has to offer in math!

Art: summer is the perfect time for art!

• One of our favorite activities is creating Sculpey® clay projects.
• Here are free art lesson plans from ArtAchieve.

Moms, you need teacher training too, so plan some time to study the Scriptures on why you are homeschooling.

After that, the best way to brush up on what to teach, how to teach, and reminders of why you have sacrificed your time and energy and finances to educate your own kids, is to read through a couple of back issues of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine at our newly enhanced free app.

Above all else this summer, I pray that you find a place of real rest in Christ. He desires your fellowship as you lay your stress, your cares, and your pain at His feet. He wants to suffer with you there, speak to you, and then give you the strength to rise up and face another day. Embrace your weakness as it compels you to embrace your Savior.

With you on the journey,

~Deborah

My Teaching Library received 1st Place for Lapbooking, Notebooking and Unit Studies in the 2023 Practical Homeschooling® Reader Awards!

Sherri Seligson

Unit Studies and Lapbooks/Notebooks – The Perfect Combo

Keeping records of your children’s work is a common homeschool struggle. Although it is not a requirement in some states, it’s a great way to see what you have accomplished during the year (particularly during those times when you really wonder if you’re making any progress). And what better way to record what your children learn than in a lapbook or notebook?

The major difference between the two is that lapbooks are folders made for a specific unit of study or a single theme, such as a nature lapbook or a lapbook about Australia. These can be homemade or purchased, but they’re fun places for your kids to add little flipbooks with key points learned, maps, copywork, vocabulary, and field trip photos. Most children love to cut and paste things into their lapbook/notebook as a craft. They can add stickers, doodles, and make it their own. Throw in a page or two of their math work and you have a perfect chronicle of what was learned!

Unit studies work beautifully with lapbooks/notebooks because you’re focusing on a single topic and learning from all the academic subjects as you go. As your children get older, you might pull out math as a separate subject, but unit studies can still work well for all the others.

Children remember concepts if they have time to dive deeply and explore with activities that use all the parts of their brain (dialoguing, writing, acting out stories, building models, reading/listening to books, etc.). Unit studies provide the perfect way to explore a single topic such as a butterflies, the Civil War, the rain forest, airplanes, a read-aloud book, baking, or practically any other topic of interest. You can easily add in themed academics with vocabulary words, spelling, reading, composition, science, history, and (especially in the lower grades) math. Grab some helpful books from the library as a resource for your topic and let the learning begin!

Doing unit studies with lapbooks or notebooks is fun, easy to do, and one of the best ways to learn!

About the author

Sherri Seligson, M.Ed. is a 21-year homeschool mom, marine biologist. Authoring Apologia’s science courses, instructional videos, and more, Sherri loves encouraging moms and teaching families the wonders of God’s creation. www.facebook.com/SherriSeligsonAuthor

Kenson Kids® Movez® Games – On Sale! Preschool play and learn but fun for the entire family! 25% off with code: KPSfun25 through 9/30/23. https://www.KensonKids.com

Todd Wilson

Familyman Ministries

I Love Unit Studies

Believe it or not, we’ve been doing a unit study this whole week while on ‘vacation.’ We looked at the finer points of family unity/disunity, spending, and extravagant love. We taught our children when it’s okay to stay up late, spend a little extra, and how to resolve conflict (we did that a lot).

In short, we taught them valuable lessons that they will use for the rest of their lives.

That’s the purpose of a unit study: to learn valuable, life-long skills in a complete, natural UNIT of study. It really is the most effective way to learn. It utilizes all the senses and increases retention.

In fact, I really believe unit studies are served up every day in a variety of learning situations that give us the opportunity to teach our children invaluable life skills. Just so you know, I’m not talking about a store-bought, homeschool curriculum.

So, I’ve got to go. Today we’re learning something really important . . . although I’m not sure what it is just yet. I do know that it’s up to me to use what God gives us today to train my children for the future.

Class is about to begin.

Be Real,
Todd

About the author

Todd Wilson is a husband, dad, grandpa, writer, homeschool conference speaker, and former pastor. Todd’s humor and down to earth realness have made him a favorite speaker all across the country and a guest on Focus on the Family. As founder of The Familyman and The Smiling Homeschooler, his passion and mission are to remind moms and dads of what’s most important through weekly emails, podcasts, seminars, and books that encourage parents. Todd, and his wife Debbie, homeschool four of their eight children (the other four are homeschool graduates) in northern Indiana and travel America in the Familyman Mobile. You can read more at www.familymanweb.com.

Pillar of Hope

Christine Weller

Lapbooks, Notebooks, or Unit Studies

If you are a homeschooler teaching multiple children at home, you will soon realize (or maybe you have already!) that not every child learns the same way. Sometimes, teaching from regular textbooks does the trick, but other times, we may find our child struggling with a particular subject that is presented one way.

Consider trying lapbooks, notebooks, or unit studies as a different way to teach your child. Here are some benefits:

Lapbooks:

• Work great for hands-on learners.
• Help children organize information in a more visual way.
• Are a great way to review topics.

Unit Studies:

• Focus on one topic instead of many.
• Can cover topics that are interest-led.
• Have the flexibility to adapt a study to meet the needs of your learner or you can create your own!

Notebooks:

• Encourage and develop handwriting skills.
• Are great for remembering facts.
• Are a good way for your child to review in his own words what he has learned.
• Help with spelling skills.

Finally, here are some important things to remember:

1. Look at your child’s learning style. Would any of these methods of learning go well with how they learn best?
2. Make sure the study is going to accomplish what you want your child to be learning.
3. Make sure it’s fun!

About the author

Christine Weller has been homeschooling her two boys, 10 and 6, since birth in the lovely province of Ontario, Canada. She is also a mom blogger and children’s book author. She is currently working to support homeschoolers everywhere through various roles at The Old Schoolhouse®.

What is the history of the toilet? How have spies and espionage influenced the past? Try Lapbooking through the Ages to get answers to these silly and serious questions in a fun, engaging, hands-on way. With these history-themed lapbooks, learners will be introduced to different themes such as Castles and Knights, the Titanic, Victorians, and many more. Try it today!