“Goldilocks and the 3 Bears” was my daughter’s go-to story when she was little. You know, the one she asked me to read over and over (and over and over and over) again. My little blondie even had a “Goldilocks and the 3 Bears” 3rd birthday party. How cute is that?!?!
I remember her cute little voice quoting Goldilocks …”Too soft. Too hard. Just right.” “Too hot, Too cold. Just right”…over and over (and over and over and over) again.
Choosing a unit study can feel like a Goldilocks experience. “Too long. Too short. Too dry. Too fluffy. Too rigid. Too flexible. Too much planning. Too many supplies.” It’s hard to find the “Just right” unit study for your family.
Unit Studies have always been a part of our home education. I had learned about and embraced the concept of “thematic units” and “integrated learning” when I was pursuing my Secondary Education degree. So, using unit studies to educate my own children made sense. [Related post: How We Homeschool – Our Daily Routine]
For over 12 years, our family has reaped the benefits of unit studies.
- Interest-led topics keep my kids engaged and excited about learning.
- Integrated subjects require less overall planning for me
- Hands-on, project-based activities encourage creativity and problem solving
- Academic needs for multiple ages and learning styles are addressed
- Flexibility means a more relaxed home learning experience.
But, search online to find a unit study though, and you can be overwhelmed. There are so many choices. With tons of unit studies available, how do you choose the “just right” unit study for your family? I have discovered 7 things to consider when choosing a unit study.
7 Things to Consider When Choosing a Unit Study
Does it teach a topic my children are interested in? Children will be more engaged, develop more skills and retain more knowledge if they have a genuine interest in the topic being studied.
Does it cover many subjects? A unit study should integrate science, history, art, tech ed, math, geography, language arts and more.
Can it be adjusted for multiple skill levels & ages? If you have multiple children, you need a unit study that can be adjusted for their varied skills and academic abilities.
Is the format “user-friendly”? You should be able to present the information and activities to your children easily. Any format that stresses out mom is going to be frustrating for your kids. [Related Post: New & Improved Unit Studies]
Does it address the needs of your learners? Different children learn different ways. Consider how the information is presented and whether it meets the needs of visual, auditory and tactile learners.
Does it progress through levels of learning? Just acquiring the information is not enough. Kids need to evaluate, respond and create.
Is there a community of other users? Connecting with other homeschool families is important. You can share ideas and successes, along with offering encouragement and accountability.
When looking for unit studies, you should consider Online Unit Studies. Sign up for a free study to try them out. Click the pictures below, enroll, take a look “inside” and ask yourself the 7 questions. Who knows….Online Unit Studies may be “just right”.
How about you? What has been your experience choosing a unit study for your family? What unit studies have you found that are “just right” for your family?
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4th of July Online Unit Study -
United States Presidency Unit Study -
Solar System Online Unit Study -
Stars Online Unit Study
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Thank you for sharing on Top-Notch Tuesday! These are GREAT ideas and we look forward to using them to choose just the right unit study:)
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I often piece together many components from a few unit studies; using books I can find at our library and making craft projects with pieces we already have on hand.
That’s a great way to tailor the unit study to your kiddos’ interest and learning styles.
Thanks for these. These tips are really important. I have liked a variety of unit studies that I have tried. I definitely need them to fit many ages, although I have found that if I teach the older one, my youngers pick up things. I then just go over them every year, and that works really well – and adds knowledge to existing knowledge.
I love unit studies. They are short, they are fun. I like the small projects, the cooking, the science experiments.
They are a lot of fun, and the kids learn a ton.
Thanks so much for this post!
So true about the younger kids picking up when you teach the older ones. I mostly focus on my middle girls’ levels when designing unit studies, knowing that my older girls will take things deeper and my younger daughter will pick up what she can.
Love unit studies! Knowledge goes into long term memory in the brain if the knowledge can be connected to other learning, so unit studies are great ways to help children remember what has been taught.
So true! Natural learning is integrated, so all education should be integrated.