Creating a Unit Study in 4 Simple Steps | Minimalist Homeschooling

We have been doing a unit type study for years in our homeschool. Every once in awhile we return to a traditional, all subjects, all the time - just for a change, but we always go back to a unit type of format. Deep diving into a topic for weeks is our favorite way to learn. The big tip for creating your own unit study is to not overthink it and to not overdo it. Learning needs space to grow, which I'll discuss more below!

With or Without a Curriculum

This can be done without any curriculum and just covering topics of interest as discussed below. We have done this for years at a time when we were on a tight budget and only had library cards, paper and art supplies at our disposal. However, this can also be done with any curriculum by selecting one subject/topic to focus on [like history, science or health] and then incorporating the reading and math daily. Our reading always includes our faith study and faith is part of our daily lives 24/7 and isn't considered part of core schooling in our home. It's considered core in our child raising. 

Step 1 

Ask your child/children what their interests are. Sometimes they don't know, so try suggesting some topics you know they have shown interest in, or share some of your own interests. Children need to see that their parents are still learning and that this is a lifelong journey. I want to learn how to improve at painting and learn about American history, so I would list these as my own topics of interest. Maybe they want to learn more about plants or local birds, pottery, about sharks or a specific time period in history! I also include any topics or subjects I feel like we are ready to cover. Write it all down in your notebook. 

Step 2 

With multiple children, the next step is to see if there are any common themes or interests between my children and start there. If you have one school aged child, see if the two of you have any common interests and start there. What you're trying to do is spark a joy or excitement about learning. Children remember what they learned when it is something they want to learn about. Of course, life isn't always about only learning about what you want to. There are some topics that need to be covered out of necessity such as basic math skills, personal finance, healthy habits and safety. Life skills are vital. 

So now you have a pool of topics to select your first 2-4 subjects! Pick 1-2 from your child's interests and then 2 necessity topics. Those necessity topics are like the ones I mentioned as basic or life skills.  

Step 3

The next step is to gather materials. Before you jump down this rabbit hole, keep in mind that you cannot do everything. You can always come back around to it next time you study the topic or they'll learn it later through natural curiosity. All of the learning is done by your child, so leave them space and breath to explore on their own! You can use the library, bookstore, amazon, youtube and articles from the internet to cover the topics you want to cover within the unit. Write out the titles of the books, the videos you find on youtube or documentaries you find on a streaming service, field trips you want to take all in your notebook. Choose enough material to do 3-4 days per week for 4-6 weeks. You can plan couple of weeks at a time so don't freak out. 

The reason for 3-4 days per week, even if you do 5 days per week of school leaves that space for curiosity while still providing for structure. If you plan 2-3 weeks you can get a better idea of what you where you want to go with the unit and make changes to your initial plan.

Step 4

Sketch it all out in a notebook : Example - Week 1 : a few picture books on topic for younger kids, begin a chapter book or an art project and add some videos. Keep it simple. Select enough to cover those 3-4 days with space. They can narrate [that link will help you understand narration if you're new to this] or do copywork from the book or article. In our homeschool, when we do copywork, it is either what the kids select from what they read, something I have underlined for them to copy or a combination of the two. That's a whole other blog post, so I'm going to get back to step 4. 

In our homeschool, once everything is sketched out, I put one week at a time in my actual planner. Because, life. Our days typically look like : main lesson [the topic we are studying] and then some math, reading and journaling. Reading is typically from two types of books, one faith related and one literature or non-fiction. The journaling incorporates Scripture writing, free writing and copywork and is how we get our English studies in. We are done in about 2.5-3 hours or less with interruptions from toddlers, babies and hungry bellies. 

It's simple, effective and it's how Salt and Light Homeschool Curriculum [and Lamp + Light before that!] was born!

xo, jane