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Unit studies are a popular way for homeschooling parents to allow their children some freedom in regards to their schooling. This type of learning material allows for the following of a child’s interests while still covering all of the basic educational goals. Since they are centered around the child’s interests, the learning that is occurring is likely to be a more hands on application of the facts rather than a random generation.
This method of learning involves taking a subject that has piqued the child’s interests, airplanes, for example, and trying to tie most, if not all, of the learning materials to airplanes. Reading could involve the parent reading books about airplanes to the child or, if the child can read, taking turns reading books to each other. Even after a child can successfully read on their own, it is still important to read aloud to them.
Math could be real life applications of problems dealing with airplanes. You could have your child find out what the length of a landing strip would need to be for a certain airplane. Or you could use small model airplanes as manipulatives for doing basic math problems if your child is at that level.
Exploring the history of the airplane could also easily involve geography. Spelling words can be tailored to be all airplane centered. You could even take a field trip to a nearby airport or museum that features airplanes. This would enable you to implement a hands on approach to the subject.
