Walking by the Way

Meerkat Lapbook

Elijah has been asking to learn more about Meerkats for a long time!   We read Meerkat Mail (very cute!), another book about Meerkats, and now we are reading Rikki Tikki Tavi to learn more about mongooses.  To see an up close and personal look at the window book, check out this post.   

These lapbook templates will be posted at Homeschool Share sometime in July. 

Strawberry Pickin’ Time!

"…Jewels of strawberries we didn’t deserve,
Eating our way down.
Till our hands were sticky, and our lips painted,
And over us the hot day fainted…"

The Gap Theory

I was browsing some curriculum sites today, and one caught my eye with their bold claim– “…you can feel confident knowing that your child is receiving a complete education with no gaps…”   Oh-no.  Not the G-word. 

Gaps. 

Those huge holes in your child’s education that will remain empty because you didn’t cover all your bases or follow a premade checklist or choose the right curriculum.   Everyone will forevermore know that you were a bad homeschooling mom because of GAPS.  (Gasp!)

This is really something that you just have to get over.  In this age of information there is no way that you are going to cover everything.  It’s impossible.  If you try to cover everything, your student’s education will be a mile wide and only an inch deep.  Wide,  but not deep.  You’ll produce a student who thinks they know everything about everything, but really, they won’t know anything about anything.

It can be done by you being sensitive to the curiosity God has placed in your child’s heart and mind.  What does your student delight in?  What is he hungry to learn more about?   That’s what you need to feed him.   And trust me, he will come back for a second helping.  

Remember the Gap Theory– "there will be gaps, and that’s okay!" 

Happily Gapping Along,

Dinosaur Lapbook

This really was a great unit for us.   We were able to discuss creation, the fall of man, the effects of sin, and the flood while learning about dinosaurs at the same time!

Cover Page (thanks Marie for the photo!)

Here is the second folder:

Some pictures of various minit books open:

This is a free lapbook offered at Homeschool Share. 

Tot School

For the most part, Simon plays, plays, and plays.  We don’t do anything structured unless he wants to be at the table like "Buuuuuuub" (and yes, you really must drag that short u sound out in order to say bub right). 

You can buy this puzzle (and others like it) from Mudpuppy.  
 

Reference Lapbook

I made this up as I taught a lapbooking workshop; I thought I’d never use it because I’m very familiar with all the minits!    But, it came in handy when Elijah made his bear lapbook; he looked at my reference lapbook to help him make choices and organize his information.

First file folder

Second file folder

You may want to consider making one of these up for yourself or for your student if he is ready to venture out and make his very own lapbook!

Making a Window Book

Note:  Four Window Template can be found at Homeschool Share

When I was designing the Meerkat Lapbook, I needed something different.  Something new!   So, I tried a four window book (thanks Jimmie for the inspiration and template!)

Meerkats have different jobs within their mob (or colony).  With three different jobs and a cover page, I knew I had the amount of information needed for a four window.    I asked Breezy to draw up some meerkat pictures for me (and she did FANTASTIC!). 

First, I cut all four pages out, and I used an exacto knife around the windows. 

And, viola!  Here is what the finished book loooks like (after Elijah narrated to me and colored/cut/pasted the pictures in).    He thinks this book is too cool. 

And, that’s all, folks!   We are finishing up our Meerkat Lapbook today.   Hopefully, I will post some pictures sometime before JULY.