Bismillah
Assalamu alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatu Dear Readers,
Alhamdulillah, we have completed our Prophet Yusuf (as) lapbook.
For those of us new to lapbooking, lapbooking is an easy way to document and organise what kids have learnt of a particular topic. Lapbooks are suitable for all age groups and you can get kids involved in lots of creative and fun ways inshaAllah.
There are many homeschooling sites where you can find downloadable lapbooks with all the mini-books and information you need to put it all together – both Islamic topics and other. You can find a variety of lapbooks at this site with great Islamic references TabarakAllah – http://wp.me/p4xVBE-a
To put a lapbook together yourself, you need a few basic materials:
- coloured manilla folders
- coloured paper
- glue; and
- pens, pencils etc
Also, if you have chosen a topic to learn about; for example, kangaroos, pick a few books on this topic to base your learning on and to use to compile the information contained in the lapbook.
To put together the lapbook on Prophet Yusuf (as) we used Tell Me About The Prophet Yusuf (as) written by Saniyasnain Khan (published by Goodword Kidz). The book is easy to read and has lovely pictures (suitable for younger kids).
The book is divided into 23 chapters each covering an aspect of the life of Prophet Yusuf (as). After we read a chapter, I would ask the kids a question or two (or three!). I would then write this information into a mini-book that the kids created. I encouraged them to create mini-books that were similar to the theme discussed. For example, when discussing the family of Prophet Yaqoob (as), H (7 years old) made a mini-book in the shape of a tent.
Alhamdulillah, I learnt a thing or two about lapbooking from this experience that inshaAllah will make any future lapbooks easier:
- Pick age-appropriate books to read and use as a basis of the lapbook. While the book Tell Me About Yusuf (as) was easy to read and understand, it probably was a little too lengthy for my kids (5 & 7 years).
- Be consistent when working on the lapbook. For example, work on it for 10-15 minutes each day over the period of about 2-3 weeks (longer or shorter depending upon the topic).
- Have examples of mini-books already made up to make it easier for kids to select a mini-book that they like to use.
- Encourage kids to draw an aspect of the story or decorate it with games etc as they wish. This is a great way to get younger kids involved in the process.
InshaAllah in the next post I will include some pictures of the completed lapbook.
Have you used lapbooking in your homeschool? Do your kids love them? Or dislike them? What have been the things you have learnt from the experience of creating lapbooks? We’d love to hear about your experience!
Jazak Allahu Khayran.
Muslim Homeschool Matters 