Note: I have started trying to add some curriculum reviews into the homeschooling blog. If you would like me to review something, please let me know. Since many different methods work to homeschool, my hope is to give information as unbiasedly as possible.
If you know anything about lapbooking then you are familiar with Hands of a Child. Hands of a Child is a company who sells project packs, clip art and other materials that go well with the lapbooking method of homeschooling.
Some Benefits
The one thing that Hands of a Child is really known for is selling complete project packs that you can use to do a lapbook. Everything you need is right there including clip art, information, and the ‘how to put it together’ instructions. Many people use HOAC as it is called, as their entire curriculum for homeschooling. This is a unit study approach to homeschooling. (A lapbook, in case you’re not familiar with the terminology, is a means of recording everything you learn in a unit study, into a book. You can read more about them here. An example of our finished Arctic lapbook is coming soon!)
I have to say too, that their project packs are incredibly well done and thorough as far as the material that is covered.
What I Like About Them
There are a few things that I really like about Hands of a Child. The first is that they offer a free quarterly download. Let’s face it: lapbooking might not be everyone’s cup of tea. I think taking advantage of one of their free project packs is an excellent way to get to see their projects and decide whether or not it’s for you.
They have a yahoo group so that you can e-mail questions, ask for ideas and share ideas with others. It builds community and while you don’t have to be a customer to join, if you are a customer, it’s a great way to get a hold of the owners. They are on regularly from what I can tell and always have answers for their customers.
If you’d like to try lapbooking and really are not sure where to start. . .this is the place to go. While it is true that you can pull everything that you need together yourself, sometimes it’s just nice to have it done for you!