One of the popular methods of home schooling is unit studies. It’s also often called the integrated study method and sometimes is also called the thematic unit method. It’s popular because it’s very flexible. Parents can make this type of study very structured or not structured at all, depending on their preference. It’s also an economical way to home school children, particularly if parents take advantage of libraries and the Internet to find information and study materials for children.
With unit studies, the parent picks one theme—the Renaissance period, for instance–and teaches several different concepts using that theme as a springboard. A unit study of that period would include education in art from the era, its history, the science during the period and any discoveries made then, languages, music, social studies, culture, and anything relating to the theme.
One of the benefits of unit studies is that parents say the children retain more knowledge this way, and get a better understanding of the concepts covered. They have a context for learning—instead of just memorizing historical facts about the Renaissance period, for instance, they relate those facts to everything they learn about the era. It feels like a more whole education to many parents and children.
Because one unit study can be used for several children at once, it’s ideal for the parent who’s homeschooling more than one child. And it’s very adaptable to different learning styles. Because almost anything having to do with the theme is a possible study topic, there are a variety of different activities available for a child to do that suits him or her best. Visual learners can read tons of information about the topic, while children better suited to aural learning can listen to the information in a book on tape or from a parent, or do hands-on projects. Art assignments help children who learn in a more abstract way.
Because of its flexibility, the sometimes boring routine of studying math, then science, then English, then social studies is eliminated. The subjects blend together in a common topic. Almost any type of theme will work for unit studies, as long as the parent has the imagination to work in several different subjects under that theme’s umbrella. For those who need some help with themes and the subjects best studied within them, the Internet is a wonderful tool. Curriculum can be purchased ready made for some themes, while plenty of free resources are available online dealing with almost any topic or theme imaginable to help you home school with unit studies.
Comments
No comments.