Lapbooking with Special Needs Kids

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Lapbooking is here to stay! It’s popping up all over the homeschooling community. What exactly is lapbooking?

Lapbooking is a form of journaling your child’s learning. You and your child use a file folder to create and display small booklets, circles, pictures, etc of facts your child has learned. This week we are lapbooking a Dolphin unit study from Download N Go by Amanda Bennett.

I am going to walk you through our week’s lapbook. I like to do most of my work all up front so I can be ready for each day and each child.

First you need to fold a file folder into a lapbook. Here is a Youtube sweet and simple how to fold a file folder into a lapbook.

I am using a Download N Go this week so I am going to start today by walking you through what a Download N Go requires from me.

I bought the unit online at the Download N Go site, $7.95. Then I looked through the material. The beginning of the study is for parents helping you with a quick how-to lapbook. Then you are onto each day’s pre-planned ideas. From information clearly laid out for you in the study, YouTube videos that enhance the material, and print offs for lapbooking or worksheets.

I also looked up Dolphin print-ables. I found some great info on Download N Go on Pinterest. About.com had some great dolphin print-ables.

Since some of my children have low tone hands and can’t or don’t want to color much I print some material off on colored paper. I also cut some of the pieces out for the kids. I leave enough for them to cut out so that they enjoy the lapbook and know that this is their lapbook with material that they have learned!

Other things I love about doing a lapbook like this is I can size up the print for any visual problems. You can easily find videos, books, games or plays to go along with most studies. A full sensory learning experience is what I aim for.

Here is my lapbooking tool kit:

For simple lapbooks we use a file folder. Sometimes if there is enough information that you run out of room for your booklets we add a piece of folder that flips into the center of the folder or you can glue two lapboooks together.

colored paper

You can get paper of all colors from pastels to bright intense colors. You can use different weights such as card stock. I even keep a box of scrapbook papers that are especially for lapbooking if there is something super special.

file folders

The file folders are the same you can get manila folders or colored folders. Normal size folder (which I recommend, easier to store) or legal size folders. If we are making a simple straight forward lapbook I tend to keep to a file folder. If this is for my gifted or older child that will be doing more worksheets and possibly writing reports on the subject I like to use a folder that has a 3-ring holder in the middle. Great way to store ALL the information in one spot!

Other tools I use are…

All sorts of items can be used to keep your lapbook together. Staples, to glue, Velcro, to paperclips. For things that turn like a round showing the life cycle of a butterfly you use these great little brass fasteners.

Keep it together

While you are working on the lapbook keep things like scissors, crayons, colored pencils, straight edges near at hand. Since I have a mostly girl household I also make sure we have lots of girlie items like foam flowers or stickers to add to the lapbooks.

Tools to make it POP!

The final item that rounds out your lapbooking experience will be a library card! Download N Go has a list of books at the begin Amanda suggests and which day they are best. I cruise my home shelves then take a quick trip to the library to pick up the rest.

We are off! The lapbook is folded and ready. The print off for tomorrow are already cut or stored in each child’s baggie. Ready to start our first day of Dolphins.Ready to the first day!

Ready to the first day!

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