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Hi Ladies,

I was just curious: HOD is such a RICH curriculum as it is and a whole lot of fun. But before I found it, another homeschooling mom had strongly encouraged the hands of child website (lapbooking) as an add on curriculum for science. They even have bible and Jesus project packs/ lapbooks. She suggested it because of the wonderful way that this really gets the kids to learn the subject in a hands on way. What I loved about it is the fact that it seems to help the child really retain what they've learned in any particular subject and everytime they show someone their lapbook they are reviwing what they've learned.

Anyway, my question is: does anyone else here do lapbooking in addition to HOD studies? HOD as I said is soooo rich and definitely hands on...Do you think it's even necessary to add to it something like lapbooking?? I'm only asking because I feel like I've been so obsessed with having to "purchase" everything that "I" think I need (I'm a first year homeschooling mom of a 6 and 3 1/2 yr old)...And money is tight (though I have spent a whole lot of $ for our budget in spite of this). Although each lapbook project pack ranges from like $9 - $14.00...so it's really not that expensive...I was planning to order a project pack from hands of a child this fall on rocks or weather and do it with the kids in addition to the science that's covered in LHFHG...But just wondering if I should just slow down, relax, and try to take some time and enjoy the curriculum that I've already purchased for a while (which is LHFHG, and LHTH)...

Anyway, I was just curious if there was any other mom here who have done this or who have even heard of hands of a child??

I think also because this is my first time homeschooling I may be too concerned with meeting the requirements of our state...or maybe wanting something that I can "show" off to other family members..even my hubby... So I can "show" them what I am indeed teaching my children??? I dunno... maybe I SHOULD just slow down and relax...Maybe I've answered my own question...LOL

Ok let me stop babbling LOL...
Thanks in advance,
Charika

I think with a little help from free site you could easily take what you are doing in HOD and put it into a lapbook.

I do lapbooks (or have just started really), but I make my own with free reproducables that I can download. I plan to do them on things like seasons/holidays....and mostlly just 'cause they are fun. We just did one on apples/Johnny Appleseed.

Here are a couple of sites that I've found and like...
http://www.homeschoolshare.com/
http://www.lapbooklessons.com/

HTH!

We did our first lapbook in August on the Olympics. We are about to begin one on cooking. At some point this year we will do one for addition, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have decided to just add them when there is something extra I want to add or to reinforce a concept.

I would say that anything additional is not needed, since HOD is so thorough, unless your state has a particular requirement. For example, my state has a requirement for Health, so we added a 'workbook' for that, and it covers Health and some P.E. topics, which is also required. I have heard of the company you are speaking of...and they do have nice lapbooks...but I would say do HOD as is for a time to see if you really still want to do extra. Once you've done it that way for a while you can decide if you want to purchase a lapbook; but there are many free resources availalable on the internet too. Do a search and you should find plenty to download and try out if you want.HTH

Charika30 wrote: I think also because this is my first time homeschooling I may be too concerned with meeting the requirements of our state...or maybe wanting something that I can "show" off to other family members..even my hubby... So I can "show" them what I am indeed teaching my children??? I dunno... maybe I SHOULD just slow down and relax...

I haven't tried lapbooking, but my children love to show off their projects/notebooking/activities to Dad, Grandpa, Grandma, anyone who looks like they might be remotely interested... I think you'll have plenty to "show off" to the family. I let the kids leave the masking tape letter on the floor so they can show Daddy what they got to do on it making its sound each week. (Then they have to take turns peeling it up and throwing it away. ) They love to show off the art projects they do. We invited Grandma over to see our "Graham Cracker Continents" from Bigger before we finished eating them. She loved this! Yesterday we left our tape on the floor from our "jumping game" that we all participated in. (This was in Grant's history in Bigger.) We had marked our jumps and then had Dad try the 3 different jumps. Then as we started lunch Grant told him why we were jumping - a spontaneous narration of what we read in history.

If you want to, go for the lapbooks. But I think your kids will have plenty to "show off" without them!

Thanks guys I think I'll hold off on the lapbooking. I realized that we really do have plenty to work with for now. And the truth is that I really don't think we're lacking anything. Kathleen, I agree...there is plenty to "show off" with the art and learning activities with LHFHG and still waiting for LHTH. But when we're ready, I'll check out those free lapbooking sites. Thanks again
God bless, Charika

Charika30 wrote:Thanks guys I think I'll hold off on the lapbooking. I realized that we really do have plenty to work with for now. And the truth is that I really don't think we're lacking anything. Kathleen, I agree...there is plenty to "show off" with the art and learning activities with LHFHG and still waiting for LHTH. But when we're ready, I'll check out those free lapbooking sites. Thanks again
God bless, Charika

One simple little thing that helps me "show off" their HOD work to my dh is having a BIG fridge magnet clip for each ds. They clip their work from the day up on the fridge, and on the nights my ds is home, they take them off the fridge and show him while I'm putting supper on the table.