Unit Studies on the Fly

It’s June, which means it’s the perfect time for some lighter learning. Unit studies are a great way to accomplish that, and they’re so easy to just pull together on the fly.

Unit Study Pros and Cons

You may have thought I was done talking about unit studies, but nope! Today I’m sharing the pros and cons.

Homeschooling 101 | Transitioning to Unit Studies

Unit studies have been an integral part of our #homeschool over the last twelve years. Although some families can seamlessly transition to a unit study approach, other families (like mine) may need to have a few things clarified first.

Unit Studies Are Perfect for Every Learning Style

Let’s talk learning styles. There are so many different types. That can make traditional education a bit tricky.

Homeschooling is such a blessing in that it allows every family to choose a method that fits them. Unit studies happen to be one of my favorite approaches because, unlike many other styles, they include activities for EVERY learning preference.

Unfortunately, many people don’t know that. In fact, the idea of unit studies scares a good many homeschooling parents to pieces. Don’t let the myths about unit studies intimidate you. They can work for every family. All you need to do is give them the chance. 

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Our Beginning-of-the-Year Homeschool Plan for Elementary and Middle School

I can’t believe it. Our new homeschool year begins next week already. Wow, this past six weeks went quickly!

As I was gathering books at the library for our first unit study the other day, I realized that some of you might like to see how I’m planning for our homeschool days to unfold, especially in regard to our unit study. I’m fairly certain that, even though I address unit studies quite often, they can be a bit of a mystery to those who are unfamiliar with them.

As you might be aware, for years I’ve been breaking my children into groups for their learning, simply because I have so many of them. 😉 (This year I’m homeschooling 8 again.)

However, now that my second youngest is ready to move up to the middles group, I’ve got a bit of a dilemma – that leaves my youngest alone in the littles group. She’s not too happy about that.

3 Practical Hacks for Homeschooling High School

Over these past ten years, I’ve realized something about homeschooling high school:

It is way too easy to overcomplicate things.

Honestly, though, it’s understandable. It’s a big deal! What if we mess up?? The fear is all too real.

So what do we do to ensure that won’t happen? We overcompensate. We overschedule. And worst of all – we start trying too hard to look like school.

5 Ways Unit Studies Saved Our Homeschool

Once upon a time, I quit homeschooling and sent my kids back to school.

Yes, really.

It’s not something I’m proud of, but I’ve come to realize that that dark experience is what gave me the courage to be as – ahem – outspoken about homeschooling and the public education system as I am.

While there were many things that gave me the courage and confidence to take them back out again after two years to begin our homeschool anew, today I’m going to focus on one thing that has kept us grounded:

What Does a Typical KONOS Homeschool Day Look Like?

As a busy homeschool mom of 11, out of necessity, I have become a bit of an “expert” in finding ways to keep our learning time manageable, simple, and efficient.

Unit studies are one of them.

Although I have come across so many fantastic unit study curriculums on this journey of ours, the one that has become a mainstay of our homeschool routine has been KONOS. 

Fall-Related Unit Studies and Homeschool Activities

I cannot believe that fall is already here. It seems like only yesterday I was celebrating the first day of summer.

Time flies when you’re having fun!

As much as I wish the warm weather could stay forever, there’s just something about this season that inspires creativity in me that I never knew existed. With the smell of the changing leaves, the colorful trees everywhere, and the crunching sound beneath our feet as we take our walks, the kids and I all love to incorporate these experiences into our homeschool routine.

With this in mind, today I’m going to share with you a list of autumn-related unit studies and hands-on activities. Enjoy! 

Large Family Homeschool Hack #2: Uncomplicated Unit Studies

Welcome back for Day 3 of my How to Homeschool Multiple Children Without Going Crazy series. I’ve really been having a lot of fun writing these posts, and it’s my prayer that they will be helpful to you.

Anyone who knows anything about my homeschool style at all is very aware that I am a huge fan of unit studies. In fact, my friend, Jen, often calls me the Unit Study Queen, a name I wear with honor. 😉 They’re such a wonderful way to teach your children together while keeping things fun and engaging. (For more, watch my video on this topic.)