Unit Study Masterclass

Description

I hear you. You’re thinking, “Wait. I thought Cindy was a Charlotte Mason-inspired homeschooler. How exactly does a unit study fit into the mix?” Oh, it’s easy! 

During the years when I was homeschooling multiple ages, unit studies saved my bacon in a lot of ways. We studied history and science in four-year cycles. In each one of those cycles, there were a bunch of topics to cover within a year’s time. Unit studies were the perfect opportunity to include a bunch of topics in a reasonable amount of time. (I can’t wait to show you how easy it is to do this!)

Because you can adjust unit studies almost effortlessly for abilities and interests, they allowed me to easily homeschool multiple ages at the same time. Everyone was able to study the same topic together – meaning ONE teaching time for me! But, when it came time for individual work, my children could do the job on their own levels. (Again, I can’t wait to show you the simplicity!)

Now that I’m only homeschooling one, we still do unit studies! They tend to be less formal than the ones I orchestrated with multiple kiddos, but they are no less worthwhile! In fact, there might be even more digging into learning during these simple unit studies since the world is my son’s to explore without any pushing or pulling of siblings.

Besides the giant reasons I’ve already mentioned, here are some other reasons I love homeschooling with unit studies:

• Unit studies open the door to a bountiful feast of learning opportunities for your children.
• They allow space for interest-based learning.
• They promote research and real-life explorations naturally.
• Both of the above promote higher-order thinking skills.
• They leave wide, open spaces to enjoy piles and piles of fiction and non-fiction living books.
• Many subjects can be included at the same time.
• They can be used with ALL ages.
• They are fun!

Some people love using unit studies full-time. Others prefer to simply add them in here or there in order to shake things up a bit. During this masterclass, I’ll teach you how to do both! 

We’ll walk through the process of planning a thorough unit study that includes the perfect amount of everything for everyone in your homeschool. I’ll show you how to plan “the big ones” and the less formal ones.

We’ll talk about a few other important things, too:

• The negatives of unit studies. (There are a few.)
• Where to find GOOD unit studies when you don’t want to plan your own.
• How to be sure you cover “all the things”.
• How to grade unit studies.

As far as that Charlotte Mason-inspired question, it’s really very easy to reconcile the two if you go at it with the right thought process. Unit studies certainly allow you to set a beautiful learning feast before your children. In my experience, they have promoted some of the most natural inquisitive learning opportunities, too. They don’t have to be full of meaningless hands-on projects – but don’t underestimate the power behind well-placed and meaningful hands-on experiences. And, of course, don’t forget the living books!

But honestly, it really doesn’t matter what style of homeschooling you cling to. If unit studies seem like a good fit, they ARE a good fit. You do you and do what’s best for your sweet children. I’m looking forward to showing you the unit study possibilities!

As a bonus, you will have access to a private Facebook group to submit your lingering questions afterward!

Approximately 1 hour of training and 30 minutes of Q&A time