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One method that has gained much traction in the homeschooling community is the use of unit studies to help teach a variety of concepts and topics.

A unit study starts with a theme a child enjoys or wishes to learn more about.  It could be anything, from mermaids to dragons, apples or weather.  From there, parents or teachers can create a lesson plan of learning activities that integrates learning from multiple school subjects.  It’s a fun way for kids to learn.

Here you will find a growing collection of secular homeschool unit studies for elementary aged students.

Benefits of Unit Studies

Using unit studies allows the homeschooling family to:

  • teach multiple kids of various ages and grades
  • encourage a love of learning as the child can choose a theme that interests them
  • more easily retain the information learned
  • study multiple subjects at once
  • incorporate a variety of resources

What to Include in a Unit Study

There are so many fun learning activities that can be done with homeschool unit studies.  For each theme you choose to study, you may wish to incorporate:

Ideas for Tools to Document Your Unit Study

There are a number of tools and supplements you can use to document your unit study. It’s a good idea to try several to help easily accommodate children’s various learning styles. Some of the most popular are:

  • Journals
  • Lapbooks
  • Notebooks
  • Flipbooks
  • Poster boards   

Regardless of what you choose to use, keep your child’s learning needs and interests in mind.

If your child likes to draw, they may enjoy using a lapbook or flipbook to document what they study. If you have a child who prefers to write, they may enjoy taking the journal route.

Summertime for most homeschoolers doesn’t necessarily mean months without learning. However, some parents often wonder how to continue the learning streak but with a laid back kind of approach. If this is you, consider using the unit study method to create a summer plan that takes everything you do and anywhere you go and turns …

Read More about How to Create a Summer Themed Unit Study

Here are some fun duck activities for preschoolers. It includes: book lists, music ideas, arts and crafts, games, colouring & cut and paste printables, videos to learn about ducks, duck jokes and more. Our Preschool Duck Theme Ducks became the theme of our preschool homeschool this winter. We feed the birds every winter.  This year, …

Read More about Preschool Duck Theme Activities