Using Lapbooks with Trail Guide to Learning
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You’ve probably heard me say before that my kids, historically, haven’t been a fan of lapbooks. As a matter of fact, when we got Trail Guide to Learning to review, they offered to send us the lapbook CD that goes with it. I politely declined saying that my kids had such a negative attitude toward my favorite subject, history, at that point, that I didn’t want to try to add in anything else that they had negative feeling about.
(Psst…don’t miss the giveaway opportunity at the end.)
However, every time I saw one of the lapbook icons in the Trail Guide book, I’d get a little more curious.
By the time the folks at A Journey Through Learning contacted me about doing a review, curiosity had won out. Now, the AJTL folks do many, many more lapbooks than just the ones for Trail Guide. That’s just what I chose to review because it fit so seamlessly into what we were already doing.
AJTL offers lapbooks on topics such as:
- History
- Science
- Geography
- Math
- Spanish
- Literature
- Holidays
They also offer a wide selection of lapbooks to go with specific curriculum, such as:
- Truthquest
- Maestro Classics
- The Circle C books (Megan has used and enjoyed these.)
- Apologia and Jenny Fulbright books
- Veggie Tales
- Little House on the Prairie
A Journey Through Learning Lapbooks are so easy to use. They come with complete instructions on how to do all the cuts and folds, there is a master placement guide for each lapbook, and each lapbook template page also contains cutting and placement instructions.
The thing I enjoyed the most about using them was that there was at least one activity to go along with each Trail Guide lesson and each activity pulled out key facts that helped cement the lesson details in the kids’ minds. It also made a great review tool.
The kids didn’t complain about doing the lapbook at all, either, like I thought they might. I presented the lapbooks to them as a review tool to offset that “extra work” mind-set that one of my {cough – Josh} always seems to have when I add in something that we haven’t been doing.
Both of the kids said that they felt like the lapbooks projects helped them remember the important facts and gave them something to focus on when they did their end-of-unit presentations.
They also said that, while they wouldn’t necessarily volunteer to do lapbooks with the next unit (the “more work” thing), they also wouldn’t complain if we did do them. That’s a high compliment, y’all.
So, if you’ve never done a lapbook, but have wanted to try them or you use them a lot and would love to get your hands on another A Journey Through Learning lapbook, here’s your chance!
The folks at A Journey Through Learning are giving away one lapbook of your choice (valued at up to $13) to two WUHS readers. (This will be a digital download copy.) You can also receive 25% off your order if you don’t win or you just want to buy more stuff by using discount code WUHS25 at checkout.
**This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to commenters #3 and #8!**
How to enter:
- Visit A Journey Through Learning, then leave a comment on this post telling me which lapbook you’d choose if you win. (Mandatory entry)
For two bonus entries (optional):
- Follow on A Journey Through Learning on Twitter. (Facebook guidelines won’t allow me to use following on Facebookas a giveaway entry, but the folks at AJTL would love it if you did!)
- Share about this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter. (Please include @Kris_WUHSMom and @ALTL_Lapbooks in your tweet so that I’ll see it.)
Rules: Leave a comment for each entry (up to three separate entries). This giveaway is open to United States residents, ages 18 years and older only. Giveaway ends on Monday, May 28. The winner will be selected at random using Random.org.
The winner will notified via email and given 72 hours to respond. In the event that the winner cannot be contacted by email or does not respond within 72 hours, the prize will be forfeited and and alternate winner selected.
Click to read the complete rules. By entering this giveaway, you indicate that you have read and agreed to abide by these rules.
I received this product free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my personal, honest opinions. Your experience may vary. Please read my full disclosure policy for more details.
Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.
Oh, yes, I would LOVE the Apologia Land Animals of the Sixth Day Lapbook! 🙂 Pick me 🙂
We're planning on trying out POE next year (mostly because of your recommendation!), so I would like to put the $13 toward Volume 1. So excited to try it!
I would love to have the Trail Guide to Learning, POE volume 1 lapbook as we will be starting that in August. I can't wait to start and this would make a great addition. Thanks.
I would love to win the My Favorite Superhero Lapbook!
I am following AJTL on Twitter!
My kids love, love, love lapbooks. 🙂 I think they'd have a blast doing the Summer Olympics 2012 lapbook as we watch the games this summer.
I love this!! We will be doing Holy Cow Science next year and I will definitely use these lap books with them. Also, my son in interested in Ancient Egypt, so that is the lapbook I'd like to win. Fabulous product!!
I would love to win the Trail Guide to Learning Paths to Settlement Vol. 1 lapbook. We are starting TG next year and we will be in POS. This would be awesome! Thank you.
I love a Journey Through Learning! We would love to have any one of the Veggie Tales lapbooks!
I think the All About Me preschool lapbook would be a great learning tool and a fun thing to put in my daughter's memory box.
I would LOVE the Geomatters Trail Guide to Learning – Paths of Exploration Volume 1 Lapbook!
The elements of Literature lapbook looks great!
There are many lapbooks we would love to use. I think for this summer, it would be great to get the Summer Olympics lapbook. Thanks!
I have never done lapbooks with my boys either, mostly because of the "extra work" mentality. However, if I were to receive a free one (!) I'd give it a try. We homeschool year round, too, so I think the summer Olympic games lapbook would be a great starter try. Thanks for the link and review.
I'd love the Knights and Castles lapbook and study guide! It would fit in great with our summer projects!!!
I think it would be
Geomatters Trail Guide to Learning-Paths of Exploration Volume 1 Lapbook …. we are going to try and homeschool with that program. 😉
following on twitter. 🙂
posted on twitter
posted on facebook.
don't publish this one but I really am doing this this next year with my 3rd and 5th grader… ( fell in love with it after reading your review and found it cheap. 🙂 .. but have you done the (light for the trail) ? if so can you tell me what your thoughts on that was? dumbme2u@gmail .com thanks Sara.
We love lapbooks. Started using them in co-op for classes in the American Girl Dolls Cultural Series. We agree it does help in remembering the facts a little easier.
I'm a new follower. Thanks for the inspiration.
We would love the Veggie Tales lapbook.
We'd love one, but we are too far away… boo! But would love to know where to get some in the UK.
I would love the Apologia Astronomy lapbook. We've used A Journey Through Learning lapbooks in the past and really enjoyed them!
I follow AJTL on Twitter (and on Facebook).
I'm sharing on Facebook.
I would love the lapbook for Apologia Land Animals of the Sixth Day.
I would get TGTL POE.
Would love to receive the learning Basic Skills for Preshoolers lap book.
We'd love the Ballad of Little Joe lapbook!
I would choose the government and elections process lapbook.
I would love to do the A is for Adam lapbook. These look fantastic, it would be a hard decision.
twitter follower @julesreffner
I would choose the Government and Election Process Lapbook.