One of the tools a number of music teachers and school teachers use for younger students is the lapbook. These books can be focused resources to help students learn about reading music, music history, the parts of their chosen instrument, and any other area that students are learning about or need to work on.
Let’s take a look at what lapbooks are and how your child can use them to further their music education like the guitar lessons in Atlanta they are taking.
What Is a Lapbook?
A lapbook is similar to a notebook, but it contains more than worksheets. Think of it as a handmade textbook that is focused on learning a specific skill or area of knowledge.
They are a tangible way for students to show what they’re learning or what they have learned. Lapbooks aren’t textbooks, though, in the sense that most students have a single textbook for a subject.They may make multiple lapbooks. For example, in math class, students may have a lapbook for multiplication, another for division, and another for learning the order of operations.
For music students, lapbooks can focus on learning how to read sheet music, notes, music history, a group of particular composers, and even a set of particular songs.
How Does it Work?
A lapbook doesn’t have to be anything fancy or special. In fact, most are made out of a standard file folder. Students are encouraged to decorate the folder and personalize it.
Then, for each lesson, they’re given handouts and small books of various sizes and shapes that they glue into the folder. When the student opens the folder, they have all of these resources available at a glance.
When helping your child create a lapbook to study music, you can make it as simple or as complex as you want it to be. Instead of gluing small handmade mini-books into the folder, you could create pockets to hold notecards or made a fold-out guide.
If you’re helping several children create lapbooks, remember that they don’t have to make them identical. In fact, teachers often encourage students to arrange information in their lapbooks in a way that makes sense to them. What is intuitive for one student may not be for another.
Keep it Focused
You want to be sure you keep your lapbooks focused on a single topic. The idea is that these folders aren’t overloaded with information and become overwhelming. Think of them more as a quick guide your child can go to when they want to reinforce the lesson.
For example, if students are learning about different composers, they could create a lapbook for each one. Then there could be a lapbook for the time period or style that gives a basic overview of the style or period those composers were a part of.
You don’t want the lapbook to be so general that there’s too much information to include. However, you don’t necessarily need to make a lapbook for every music lesson or concept. Let your child take the lead.
If they’re struggling with something, a lapbook may be the best way of concentrating the information in one single file. If they get the concept quickly, they may not need this resource.
Also, much like writing down information helps you remember it, the process of creating the lapbook can help your child learn the concept. That’s not to say they won’t ever need the lapbook again after making it, but as they’re putting the book together, they will become a little more familiar with the topic.
Ready for Music Lessons?
With lapbooks as a resource, your child is ready to start learning how to play an instrument! Our teachers come right to your home for private lessons, allowing your child to learn in a familiar, comfortable environment. Contact us today to discuss setting up their first session
