After choosing the subject, I check out several kids books from the library and read them.

As I am reading, I make a list of things I would like my kids to learn about the subject.
Here’s my list for Amelia Earhart:
Family Tree
Birth Details
What was she like growing up?
Timeline
List some Jobs Amelia had
First Atlantic Flight
First Solo Atlantic Flight
Writing Career
The Ninety-Nines
Flight around the World

Then I just incorporate each of these ideas into a mini book.
I use these templates and add text and pictures to them. You can right click on any of my templates and copy them to your clipboard. I just ask that you only use these for personal use.

I hope this helps you! Please consider submitting your lapbook to share with others at Homeschool Helper.

With our first daughter, we started out using Learning Language Arts Through Literature (LLATL) from Common Sense Press.  We bought the program used, so it was fairly inexpensive.  You can get most of the books to go along with it through the library.  You can view sample lessons at the Common Sense Press  website.  At that time LLATL used the Bob Books for beginning reading.

Although I liked LLATL, I decided to switch to ABeka after the first year of homeschooling.  So, our second daughter learned to read using ABeka’s reading program.  They publish their own readers that coordinate with their worksheet books.  This worked well for her.

With both of our girls, after they learned how to sound out simple words, reading just seemed to click and they could suddenly read about anything.  So, it was quite an adjustment for us when these methods didn’t work as well with our son.  As we went along with the ABeka program, he could sound out the words that he had to, but it just never clicked for him like it did the girls.

So, we started looking for new approaches.  We decided to try ClickN’ READ Phonics. It appealed to his space interests and seemed more like a game to him than school work.  You can read more about our experience with it here.

I have also heard of several people who have used Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons successfully. We also used Starfall’s free learn to read program as a supplement to our other resources.

What programs have you used?

Guest Post by Jennifer from TheLiterateMother.org

How many times has one of your children come home from the library or book fair with a book you have never heard of? It has a great looking cover, which is probably why they chose it, but you have no idea what the book’s content is and you wonder if it is appropriate for the age and maturity of your child. Or, this actually happened to me, the school librarian suggests a book to read aloud to your 2nd and 4th graders. Half-way through a very interesting book, a story line is introduced about a teenage girl who gets pregnant and you just weren’t planning on having that conversation right now! What’s a mother to do?
At www.TheLiterateMother.org we personally read and objectively rate youth and young adult literature on a scale of 0 – 5 in the four categories of violence, language, sexual content and adult themes. As a parent or concerned adult you will then have the information you need in order to suggest or discourage certain books, discuss sensitive material or simply strike up a conversation with your child about the book he or she is reading. Whether you have a sensitive child you would like to steer away from certain topics, a voracious reader who needs to be guided toward more appropriate books, or just want to be informed on the subject matter to which your young reader is exposed, we hope you will find help at www.TheLiterateMother.org.

Personal finances and the economy seem to be on everyone’s mind lately. We are blessed that my husband still has a job, but this recession has got us looking at how we spend our money. I like to think we are pretty frugal people, but there is always something more we could do. I thought I’d share with you the ways we save on homeschooling.

• Buy used curriculum – We shop from several homeschool used book sales every spring. The trick to shopping at these sales is to have a list made ahead of time listing what you need and sticking to it.

• Utilize the Library – We make a trip to the library every week. We get books to read for fun, books to supplement our school learning, music, magazines, videos for the kids, and they even have current video releases for dear husband and I. We get so much stuff there every week that I had to make bags for each of the kids to haul their own stuff. If they can’t carry it, they can’t check it out!

• Make your own resources and share them with HomeschoolHelperOnline – I try to make one or two lapbooks or unit studies each month to supplement our studies. These really aren’t hard to make. I usually get some books from the library and let those be my guide as to what booklets to make for lapbooks. I also do online searches to find additional information.

I hope this list helps you. Please share your homeschooling money saving tips with me!