Unit Studies (General)

A Unit Study is an approach to learning in which the bulk of the school day revolves around studying one particular subject, and usually lasts between four and eight weeks.  This subject can be anything from the solar system to the human body, the rain forest to the desert, or an event that is happening right now.  This approach gives the teacher the option to study in-depth where there is a lot of interest, or just hit the high points when it is something that doesn't keep the children's interest or is very difficult to understand. As we are entering our second unit study, I have found several pros and cons for this approach.

 PROS:

• Concepts are better understood by children when the information is repeated, or revisited, then built upon on a daily basis
• Information is better understood and retained when it is discussed across the curriculum (Bible, math, history, science, etc.)
• Finding books about a particular subject encourages children to think creatively (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, etc.)
• The children know what to expect next, and look forward to what else they can learn about a subject
• The teacher has the freedom to see what events are taking place in the world or what her students are interested in, and teach the things that they are interested in learning, while still reaching pre-set goals for the school year
• The teacher can extend a study or follow a unforeseen path when there is a need or desire from the student
• Varying ages can learn together, though the expectations are not the same

CONS:

• There is a lot of homework to prepare to teach a unit study, organization is key
• It is still necessary to use textbooks in some subjects (spelling, grammar, etc.
• Information must be found in many different places (internet, textbooks, library, etc.
• It is difficult to plan in advance the many activities that a unit may require, so many options should be prepared

I have downloaded four of Amanda Bennett's unit studies, and have really enjoyed them. My children love making lap books, and they will have them to look back on in the future to refresh their memories of the things they learned. It also gives them a sense of accomplishment when they see their very own book! I've also gotten a lot of information ideas from KONOS, which is very detailed and filled with activities from across the curriculum.

So far, my children have enjoyed this approach and have really enjoyed learning so much about each subject. We've studied the five senses, and have begun studying the four seasons. Fall is upon us, and I have found that there is a vast amount of information to discover right under our noses! Although I planned this unit to take six weeks total, it appears that it will take eight. As long as there is interest and the desire to learn more, I am going to fill their minds with whatever we can find.

Trying and Testing

We have entered into our fifth week of school, and I've began making changes to our curriculum.  Maxwell (5) has breezed through learning his numbers, so I ordered him the same Math books as I am using with Maya (7), Horizons Math.  The two books will (hopefully) be here by the end of the week.  M5 has already finished 4 addition pages, and is hungrily asking for more!  I hope this enthusiasm lasts for a while!

One bit of information that I learned from this purchase is that waiting until late-August (or later if it fits into your schedule) allowed me to pay about half-price for the books I purchased, compared to buying them before our school year began.  I also plan to buy the same phonics books for M5 that we've used this year, so I will be watching the prices of those books to get the best value for next year.

For those of you thinking about homeschooling, I can tell you about one overlooked bonus - your house stays clean!  I know you think that having your children home all day will leave your house looking like a tornado has touched down in every room, but that just isn't the case.  The bulk of our day is spend in a structured learning setting, with scheduled lunch, recess, and activities planned into the schedule.  Your children are not running from one room to another just looking for things to do, which happens a lot at our house on Saturdays and summer days.  Plus, adding a chore for each child to complete into your daily routine helps to ensure that they are doing their part to keep the house in shape.  Elementary-aged children can:

• empty/take out the garbage for pick-up day
• sort/fold/put away laundry
• dust
• wipe kitchen counters
• vacuum
• make beds
• straighten rooms
• wipe down sink/toilet in bathrooms
• clean the windows/doors with Windex 
• loading/emptying dishwasher
• setting table for meals

I'm sure there are more they are capable of doing, we just haven't found them yet.  Do you have any suggestions for chores/activities for elementary-aged children?  I'd love to hear about them!

Homework, Questions, and Decisions

We have been quietly considering homeschool for our children for about a year now.  Our decision was ultimately made for us last year because of our newest addition, Nina Grace.  At under a year old, I didn't think that was the atmosphere to begin such a big change in our lives.  This year, Nina is almost two years old, and is very satisfied with playing on her own, looking at books, and listening as we read.  She will provide her fair share of distractions and entertainment, I am quite sure, so I pray the Lord give me the grace to handle each day as it comes.

Our "Homework" prior to making our decision to homeschool has included reading a basic book of introduction called, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Homeschooling, which my loving husband generously found for me at a used book store.  We needed to start somewhere, and this was a good start for us.  It introduced many factors and ideas that we needed to consider, including the plethora of curriculum available to choose for our family to use.  Obviously this was going to be a hard choice, and one that would require a lot of reading and exploring.  This was the next part of our "Homework."

Once we had our cirriculum chioces narrowed down to a handful, I emailed many of the parents I know who had homeschooled their children, or are homeschooling now with many of our "Questions."  I also contacted several of my friends who had been homeschooled by their parents.  The feedback I received was overwhelming, full of helpful information.  There were both pros and cons to think about, and some of the cons were some we had never considered.  However, upon prayerful consideration, we decided that the pros far outweighed the cons, and continued with our research.

I found a great book at the library with a lot of great insight, Rebecca Rupp's Getting Started on Home Learning: How and Why to Teach Your Kids at Home.  Seth read this book first, and was enthralled by some of the approaches the Rupp family used in their homeschooling approach.  I've been reading this book, and am equally intrigued by her ideas.  

We are becoming more and more sure that this is the right choice for our family.  However, we are also doubting some of our lifestyle choices, and the way they may affect our children's education.  I am working hard at becoming more orgainzed and task-oriented.  We're decluttering our home so that the distractions surrounding us are at a minimum.  I'm also trying to find out (from observing our current home life) which times would be the most appropriate for our schooling to take place.  For this decision, I have to consider Nina's sleeping schedule, the children's work ethic, and my own habits.  There will be some shifts in our daily schedule, and some of them will be less than desired - for me as well!  But in the hopes that the education of our children will be improved upon, those sacrifices are willingly made on my behalf.

Please pray for our family.  This decision is one of the most important we have made thus far, and we pray for the Lord's hand be upon us as we try to find what is best for our family.  We know His plan is perfect, while man's plan is hopelessly flawed.  Therefore, we pray that He lead us to His plan, and not our own, and that we accept it willingly.