How Did I Learn to Do Unit Studies?

I learned about doing unit studies by actually doing my own unit study!

The very first time I heard the phrase it intrigued me...a lot.  I think I had a 2 year old and an infant, but I started reading everything I could about unit studies anyway. 

I had a lot of questions and set out to find the answers. I studied books and websites. I lurked on forums and read articles from magazines. I looked for sample unit studies to try myself. 

ALL of these activities were part of doing a unit study. Without knowing it, I actually researched and studied my own interests in a unit study fashion! How cool is that?

I had many questions.
  • Who did unit studies? 
  • What did you study in a unit study? 
  • What kinds of activities or subjects were included in a unit study? 
  • When should you start doing unit studies with your children? 
  • Where do you get unit study resources? 
  • Why is a unit study a great addition to your home and family activities? 
  • How do you complete a unit study? 
  • How do you plan a unit study? 
  • How do you do unit studies in an economical fashion? 
I figured out there were many different ways to do a unit study.

While reading about the different ways to do a study, I started to realize there were many ways to complete the studies.

This was many years ago and there was SOME information available about unit studies, but it never really felt like enough for me. 

I guess I just love bunny trails and in-depth research.  I worked out my first 6 week plan with 6 weekly studies, determined to find out if this would work for my children.

I sure wish I had that first planner page. It would be fun to reminisce about what I chose for studies.

Do unit studies make you crazy for more information?

I remember agonizing about what topics to pick. (Which is ridiculous considering the ages I was working with.)

I remember trying to pick the best books available. I remember being afraid of working around a library schedule and thought it would be 'safer' to own my books for our own 'home library'.

I scoured the internet for hours for free printables and free instructions and free activities.

In the end...did it work?

Yes, but I remember feeling very worn out and very discouraged and very convinced that this was not going to work as an educational choice.

I searched for better ideas. I searched for an answer in a box.
That non-existent, best, most easy, perfect, no child can resist educational product and plan.
Yep. 

It doesn't exist.
Other curriculum plans don't work for me. I can't use one out of a box. It's beyond needing to tweak it. I just can't be spoon fed a schedule.

You might have found that out too.

And that's they way it's going to be. It's ok.

Because my family is different than your family and we're different than the curriculum writers. 

My heart went back to unit studies. 

Actually, it never really left the love of unit study. I've kept trying things until I have a pretty good system that works for me. Maybe it will work for you. Maybe it won't.

But I'll share my ideas with you and hope that there is something here that will work for you.

Trying out the different ways of completing a unit study

I guess I didn't really say that I've tried all sorts of unit studies. Is there a self-help group for this type of obsession? I bet you didn't know you could sub-divide unit studies by so many types?

  • the literature based study 
  • the one week study 
  • the whole month in-depth big topic study 
  • the completely on-line study 
  • the free printable study 
  • the classic book printed on a home printer study 
  • the lapbook study 
  • the overly colored printable study that's 60 pages long and took a whole printer cartridge to look good study
  • the build your own study 
  • the follow a guide study 
  • the just get 50 books from the library study 
  • the large honkin instruction book study 
  • the comb through pinterest for hours study
  • the 200 activities and my children were too distracted by other things and didn't want to participate study 
What I've found is that the cliche is true. You have to have a personal learning statement.

Or call it a philosophy. Or call it goal setting. Or maybe just begin with the end in mind.

What I finally realized was that I needed to have my own personal statement of learning that I wanted my family to know, to learn and to do.

Unit studies help me accomplish that.

To your unit study success,
Suzanne

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