Here are some lapbooking questions I have received through e-mail.

1. How do your older children feel about lapbooking?

      My older children enjoy it even more than my youngest. In our co-op the jr. high age kids were put out when I had not planned a lapbook for them one semester.

2. Why do you like lapbooking more than narration, notebooking or worksheets?

      I do like lapbooks a great deal. I do not think they replace all other mediums. I admit that I do not care for worksheets. I like the thoughtfulness that goes into narrations and notebooking. I feel that lapbooks combine that thoughtfulness with creativity and teach kids to organize and present  their gained knowledge. Lapbooks do take more time and effort and therefore we are very selective on the topics we choose for them.

3. Do you use pre-made kits?

      No. We like to create our own. We use the Excel program on our computer to create a lot of our booklets. We also trace patterns from various sources onto colored paper. We often add clipart from public domain sites or our own artwork as well. We like adding maps and timelines whenever possible.       

      I have gotten several templates from http://www.homeschoolshare.com and http://www.homeschoolhelperonline.com/lapbooks.htm.

      If you do want to look at some free kits, check out currclick for the weekly free item. http://www.currclick.com

     I believe that Jimmie's lapbooking page would be helpful to visit for additional thoughts on lapbooking. She also has other resources. http://www.squidoo.com/lapbooking

      I'd love to see your finished products. Please post a link in comments or e-mail if you are able to. It is nice to share ideas with others. It keeps the creativity flowing and can inspire others.