As a homeschool mom of four, I have learned a few tricks that make our days simple and easy. For years we have used simple menu covers to sort, display, and use our homeschool curriculum and printable sheets. 

This blog post explains how I use menu covers in my homeschool, plus my favorite tips for storing and keeping them clean so they can be used for years to come.

In this blog post:

• How to use a menu cover in your homeschool
• Benefits of using a menu cover in your homeschool
• Ideas for using a menu cover in your homeschool
• Tips for cleaning and maintaining a menu cover

How to use a menu cover in your homeschool

A menu cover is a clear, plastic laminate folder that holds 8-½” x 11” pages. In my homeschool, we often use menu covers to display our homeschool curriculum or to utilize printable sheets. For printables, I insert the pages into the menu cover so my children can write on the laminate sheets with a marker and use printable worksheets multiple times.

Ideas for using a menu cover in your homeschool

These are some ways we have used menu covers in our homeschool over the years. Pairing menu covers with homeschool curriculum transforms worksheets into tactile, hands-on options for learning.

Calendar and weather charting

Each weekday morning, we review the calendar and daily weather as part of our homeschool morning time. The very first thing we do is grab our Morning Time Menus – a printable calendar and weather chart – and get to work on our Traceable Monthly Calendars.

The Traceable Monthly Calendar was designed so children can practice letter formation and spelling of the current month as they trace each letter at the top of the page. They will also have numeral practice as they trace each number in the current year and up to the current day’s date. Everything is more fun with dry-erase markers, so my children love having this printable inside of a menu cover.

As we review the calendar, the children learn about the seasons and the weather. 

Related: Our Homeschool Morning Time and Calendar and Weather Charting for Kids

Letter formation

Menu covers are the perfect tool for subjects that require repetition, such as learning the alphabet. Use a menu cover with the Wonder of Nature Alphabet Sheets so children can learn, form, and practice tracing letters of the alphabet. This is a simple and easy way for children to practice their ABCs over and over again. 

Download a FREE printable of Letter A, including:

• A-Z letter formation chart to teach proper formation
• Alphabet sheets for letter A: shape it, form it, trace and find it
• Printable alphabet cards for letter A: print and cursive
• Instructions for how to use and teach letter recognition and early phonetics 

Download Letter A here.

Related: Hands-on Alphabet Recognition and Formation Activities

Number formation

The Wonder of Nature Number Bundle offers young children a multi-sensory invitation to recognize, form, and write numbers while developing basic number sense. Slide these sheets into a restaurant menu cover or dry-erase pouch so your child can practice them again and again. Use dry-erase markers and wipe clean after each use.

Related: 50 Hands-On Math Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten

Copywork

In the Charlotte Mason philosophy, copywork is a method of practicing writing skills. Students practice copying words from a passage of literature or other writing source to learn and practice handwriting and letter formation. 

Incorporating copywork in your homeschool does not require any formal curriculum. How you choose to implement this will vary based on the age or skill level of your child. In general, adding copywork requires having a source for your children to copy from, whether that is a few letters or words, a poem, or a selection of literature.

You can use the menu covers for copywork by putting lined paper inside of the menu cover to copy vocabulary or passages. Using menu covers for copywork makes it easy for children to make corrections or practice writing a passage multiple times. They simply erase their work and repeat it. 

You can also use the menu covers as a reference for copywork. You can use them to display poetry or passages of literature, and the children can copy the passages separately onto lined paper.

Related: Copywork in Your Homeschool: Why and How?

Unit study display sheets

Many of our homeschool curricula use display sheets to study different topics, such as a unit of Treehouse Nature Study, Rooted Family Bible Curriculum, or a holiday study. At times I like to give each child a menu cover filled with the display sheets we are studying that week so we can flip to the poem or art piece we are studying. It becomes a nice booklet of material we can refer to throughout the week as we study together. 

Try a FREE week of Treehouse Nature Study.

Related: How to Use and Organize Digital Homeschool Curriculum

Tips for cleaning and maintaining a Morning Time Menu

Before the start of each homeschool week, I spend time reviewing and planning the upcoming week. I use my homeschool planner to map out each child’s independent lessons for the week, as well as the curriculum we will use together, like Treehouse Nature Study or Treehouse Book Club.

Related: Homeschool Planning 101

At this time, I like to take a moment to clean each child’s menu cover. For best results, I like to clean the menu covers with a magic eraser. I have found that regular cleaning helps to remove all of the marker film, which can discolor the menu cover over time.

I also like to give children wet-erase markers instead of dry-erase markers, because I find it is easier to erase and doesn’t leave a film on the menu cover.

For printables you plan to reuse, I recommend printing pages on a heavy-grade printer paper or cardstock. This makes it easier to insert the pages into the menu cover without bending the pages. It also makes it easier to write on the menu covers if the printed pages are sturdier.

For storage, each child has a magazine organizer they use to store their daily items, like their Morning Time menus, daily workbooks, and other independent curriculum. I recommend cleaning the menu covers each day before storing them away for the best results.

Related: Homeschool Room Tour and Setup Ideas and Homeschool Supplies List by Subject

Do you use menu covers in your homeschool? Share your tips in the comments below.