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[…] 4 Weeks To An Organized Homeschool: Unit Studies & Student Responsibility […]
ReplyYvie is taking over our 4 Weeks To An Organized Homeschool series today sharing some great tips on how to use unit studies to make learning more fun for your kiddos! If you missed the previous parts of our series, you can find them all here. ENJOY!
Anyone can facilitate learning from a box, but a ‘teacher’ engages! Find your child’s E-spot, what engages him, and learning will fall into place. Here are some tips for breaking away from the traditional and creating your own experience.
First, decide what matters most to your family, or where the focus will lie. My husband and I are both into geography and history, so that’s what we chose. Since we “road school,” I create units based on our current location, and our at-home studies are one to two-week units on subjects that the kids choose. This is how we end up doing seemingly random units on Ancient Asia (Lego Ninjago) and Scandinavia (doesn’t everyone think Vikings are cool?).
Next, get a good planner, to help you to organize all of the pieces that you pull together. And don’t forget the field trips! There’s nothing like learning through living. Little Learning Lovies has THIS fun planner for planning out Unit Studies! Give it a try!
While I’m responsible for doing all of the planning ahead, each of the kids has a daily dry erase chart, ensuring that they take some responsibility for completing their own work. Little Learning Lovies has a variety of assignment cards you can laminate and use for just this very thing… CLICK HERE to see them all!
Until I created a database of our library, trying to keep track of books was the hardest thing about planning unit studies. I recommend cataloging books as they come in and out of your home. It does take a few extra minutes, but when you’re trying to remember if you have something (or where it is), you will be quickly rewarded.
We use a spreadsheet, but electronic book databases can help to organize and manage your growing library, and they are accessible from anywhere.
So what do you think? Does it seem like unit studies might be a fun way to re-vitalize the second half of your school year? We love to use them over the summer.
Let us know which week was most helpful to you!
Yvie Field is a road-schooling mom of two boys. In the winter, she can be found hunkered down on the family farm, devoting her energies to freezer cooking, crafts, and playing with Legos. Spring through autumn, the family traipses through the United States, learning through exploration. She can be found on the Gypsy Road, Facebook, and Teachers Pay Teachers.
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[…] 4 Weeks To An Organized Homeschool: Unit Studies & Student Responsibility […]
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