Friday, April 27, 2012

The Homeschool Mother's Journal: With Lapbook Problems

In my life this week…
Thankfully, this week was much less eventful then last week. But if you are familiar with Roosterhill that doesn't mean a lot.

In our homeschool this week…
So  Sweety had Pneumonia and we thought we might be heading to the hospital on Tuesday but by late Wednesday she was doing a little better. Thus we avoided yet another trip to the hospital. She finally made her way out of bed on Friday and did her extra theory lesson with Ms. Bethany and relaxed all day.

Sugar Pie was took a math test this week and we were not happy with the results and we have been reviewing some lessons as she continues to go forward. We really love our math program and I love the way they continue to review concepts and keep them fresh in my children's mind. She has also made very good progress in her phonics and is plubbing along in reading. I think this is our last year using Christian Light Reading and next year she will do Sonlight Reading Grade 2.

What’s working/not working for us…
So we have really bounced around in history. I have not been happy with textbooks or self teaching models in history for Bullet. She really likes to read but I have been unable to find a workable way to record her progress or to know what she is learning.
Hands of a Child
I've always been interested in the Hands of a Child Lapbooks. But up until now in order for us to do one it would of required me to do all the cutting. Additionally, I didn't really understand how the child actually learned from the lapbook. But after talking to a friend and taking a little time to read HOAC lapbook I decided to give it a try.
Bullet's Lapbook thus far...

So when Currclick was have a sale I decided to finally try Hands of a Child Lapbooks. She likes to cut and glue (a little too much glue!) and I felt like she could cut out all the pieces of her lapbook herself. So far she's been able to be pretty independent but it's also been very slow. Now I am having her read quite a few books and each day is taking her a couple of days to finish. Additionally, I had a hard time making the the lapbook and didn't make the inner flaps correctly and I'm still not convinced that I put the lapbook togther correctly.

What is HOAC ?
Now, I'm not an expert so this is what I have learned thus far completing this one lapbook. Basically, the HOAC lapbook has a little textbook included with it, Charlotte Mason would call this little book a spine. From the spine the parent can choose books (they provide a list but I'm trying to use as many of my books as possible.) for the child to read to deepen their understanding of the historical period. So far she has read: Squanto friend of the Pilgrims, The Double life of Pocahontas, Pocahontas and the Strangers and next she'll read Pilgrim Stories as she enters the colonial period. She can read a biography like this in a couple of hours and that's how she spends her afternoons. 
Then she records information in the timeline, or in one of the little books that come along with the lapbook. We discuss what to write in the little books and that is when I get to hear what she has learned and how much she is enjoying the journey. We do a timeline, vocabular and basically small books in which she narrates information  So she gets to read a bunch of books and Mama has a way to see what she is learning, so far I'm pretty happy with this system.

I’m cooking…
I hope you all had a great school week too! Tonight I'm cooking pork spare ribs because they are both yummy and were on sale for $1.27/# a few weeks ago! And we are getting ready for Family Movie Night we'll be watching Indiana Jones! Woowhoo!

For a peek into homeschool around the country you can visit Homeschool Mother's Journal Homeschoolers. :)


6 comments:

Jen said...

thanks for visiting my blog
I have answered your question on there :)

my prayers are with your sick home schooler hope shes all back to full health real soon

I LOVE lapbooks
I honestly wouldnt get too hung about whether you have constructed it properly or not
it more important that your home schooler is learning through using them.

I have a friend who makes lapbooks and offers them for download from her blog

http://marinecorpsnomads.com/tag/lapbooks

there is a bit of construction needed. However the learning that comes from this type of learning I have always found to far out weigh the parental in put in helping to construct them :)

B. Martin said...

What a great idea with continuing to add to lapbooks over the entire study and adding to it. My kids are too little but I'm going to tuck this idea away for a rainy day.

Unknown said...

Have you seen the lap n' notes? I find them simpler and neater to make than traditional lapbooks with file folders. Using scrapbook paper or thick paper, hole punch it to fit into a 3 ring binder then title the first page and add your mini books. It seems easier (for me) to add in other things like book and video lists, additional coloring pages or worksheets, etc. Depending on the size of the 3 ring binder you can add in a years worth of lapbooks. I put divider pages with labels between them. Just another suggestion for you! :D

Desiree said...

Yes, I wouldn't worry too much about construction either. Our first lapbook wasn't "right" either, but as we did more, we figured out what we liked. I don't think there is really a right or wrong way. I actually do put the whole lapbook together for my younger children. Some of them like to sit next to me while I do it and watch and sort of help glue in the pieces. I let my older one put it together herself while she is doing it, but if I'm in a good mood I will put a lot of it together for her so she can just enjoy it and fill it in. Hope you get it all figured out!

Unknown said...

I agree with the above comment - you'll get the hang of putting them together- I'm still learning more about it myself - we are incorporating notebooking into our studies - the notebooking and lapbooking go really well hand in hand- the process of reading the material and then doing a hands on project like this to reinforce it helps move the information into permanent memory - instead of temporary. Students often pass a test and then forget all about what they've learned. You're doing great with your new projects!!! :)

texasmcvays said...

Thanks so much for the encouragement! You all have such great ideas too! I have very little experience with Lapbooking but my kiddo really seems to enjoy it! I suppose this Mom will get used to glueing the folders and flaps together. :)

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