From Cindy Rushton's Desk(TOP!)!

Let’s Make Easy Booklets... by Cindy Rushton

Let’s Make Easy Booklets...

Reprinted from Homemade Books! YES! You Can Be a Writer Too!

Slightly edited and expanded for this book!

     Although many of Matthew and Elisabeth’s books are full size comb-bound books, MOST of their books through the years have been simple booklets that they have created along the way. It was easy for us to begin Lapbooking. We just had to compile our favorite booklets into our Lapbooks to wrap up our study. It was easy!

We have always loved making booklets. There was something about the simplicity of making a booklet that just seemed to be “do-able.”  My children would get a brainstorm about something that they were excited to learn and dig out supplies to make a mini-book about that topic. One might be about the “Birds in our Backyard” while another was about the “Books of the Bible.” We have so many. They are precious! You can too! Well, let’s see how easy it is to make booklets. Ready? Let’s go step-by-step…

Step-by-Step Making Easy Booklets…

©       Decide on topic of booklet. Choose any aspect of your study. You can use your booklet to copy vocabulary and their definitions…to display maps…to retell information from your study…to share information about the characters of the book…etc.

©       Gather resources from your study. Library books, Internet information, Copywork, narrations, timeline, pictures of historical figures, vocabulary, sketches, etc.

©       Gather supplies.  See our supply list. You probably have all you need in your home already. For booklets, all you will need is paper (any kind—choose paper that coordinates with your study), markers/pencils, glue, and stapler (We use a long-arm stapler for all of our booklets—these are available at office supply stores.). We keep all of our book-making supplies together in our “Writer’s Nook” so our children always know where they are and that they are free to use them at any time. This helps more than anything with little booklets that they decide to make on the spur of the moment. Gather supplies and watch your young writers get addicted too!

©       Let your child find pictures, stickers, and neat information to add to the pages of the booklet. Photocopy or print out any neat pages that you may to cut and paste into the booklet. Let them hand-copy any information that they want to add into their booklets. Add any stickers that match your themes. Let the children loose to make their booklets all “THEIRS!” You will love to look back on these treasures!

©       Let your children add special touches to the booklet. The sky is the limit! Your child can add any special touches that they prefer to make their booklets special. They may want to add neat borders, sketches, or stickers. They may want to use their rubber stamps to adorn the pages. They may enjoy cutting the whole booklet in a special shape. Just let them enjoy!

©       Remember! Don’t rush! Don’t push! Don’t take over! Enjoy the process!