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The Big List of Unit Study Hands-on (and Hands-off) Curriculum

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Switching from a strictly classical approach to a homeschool unit study curriculum wasn’t a quick decision, but it was the best choice for our family. Besides learning how to homeschool means making the best choice for your family

Homeschool unit studies allow us to work on a mastery-based level on topics that fascinated us instead of learning in small bites.

The Big List of Unit Study Hands-on (and Hands-off) Curriculum

Two things I quickly learned was that prepared homeschool unit study curriculum was not as readily available as curriculum for other homeschool approaches and that not all of my boys wanted to do hands-on activities.

Although there may not seem as many choices for curriculum using the unit study approach, there is still a variety.

Listing some of the ones I’ve used and which ones have more hands-on ideas, I’m hoping one or two here will help you to make the switch to unit studies easier, ease your planning time or just let somebody else take the teaching reins for a while.

Homeschool Unit Study curriculum

Also, where possible if there is a discount available, I’ll point that out because I like to save money too.

Beautiful Feet Books.

Beautiful Feet Books is based on history centered literature and I’ve used it for my boys at the middle and high school level.

Be sure to grab the coupon at my article Medieval History for Homeschool Middle School and read about using Beautiful Feet Books.

You can add hands-on ideas here, but it’s not required.

Before Five in a Row

Before Five in a Row and Five in a Row are literature based unit studies based on living books and I used them when the boys were young.

It’s one of my top choices for the younger years and lot of hands-on ideas are sprinkled throughout which I feel is a valuable component for younger grades.

BookShark.

BookShark is the secular version of Sonlight and I classify it as a unit study because of the literature based focused. I love their 4-day a week schedule and this is an all-in-one program or boxed curriculum because it comes with everything you need for a year.

I like BookShark because it allows me to add my own Christian view. Too, hands-on ideas are not required but I love the fact you can add your own activities.

GeoMatters.

Combining our love for geography, history, living books with a Charlotte Mason twist, makes GeoMatters a fun unit study. We loved doing their Trail Guide to Learning.

HomeschoolLegacy. 

This is an all-in-one unit study provider where the planning is laid out for you.

I’ve tried one of the history ones and enjoyed how easy it made lesson planning. And it has a nice balance of both laid out planning and hands-on ideas.

Home School In the Woods.

If you love history like we do and build a lot of your unit studies around it, then you’ll love the approach taken by Home School in the Woods which is through timelines, lapbooks and hands-on activities.

I love how many ideas are given for hands-on projects, but also a good amount of information is given for background information. If you’re looking for long-term hands-on projects, this is a great option.

In the Hands of a Child.

Then this is a lapbook approach to unit studies. The best part besides the fun lapbook is that they can span many ages.

Intellego Unit Studies.

I love these unit studies though they are light on hands-on ideas and are secular.

I’ve used several of these studies when I first started because I didn’t want to have to research all the information. I like them because the background information is well laid out.

Unit Study Curriculum

I normally end up adding my own Biblical content anyway and have ideas for hands-on.

There is very little hands-on required.

KONOS.

Yes, it’s true they are the absolute granddaddy of unit studies and I used them when I first got started. It is a very comprehensive unit study and you can buy just what you want or buy a laid out curriculum. They have more fun hands-on ideas than most other unit studies.

I love the amount of hands-on ideas for each age given, but again it’s not required because there is a sufficient amount of information given without having to do the hands-on activities.

Learning Adventures.

This is one I’ve been eyeballing and would love to try because it includes all my favorites. It’s for upper grades or 4th to 8th grade, it’s based on living books which I try to always use in our unit studies and our passion for history is what is at the center of the themes.

The Big List of Unit Study Hands-on (and Hands-off) Curriculum

I’ll let you know about the hands-on ideas after I use it, but wanted to be sure you knew about it.

Moving Beyond the Page.

This is a favorite when I need a literature based all-in-one unit study.

They have rigorous academics and when you need a more rounded out unit study, they are a great choice.

My Father’s World.

Incorporating classical education and hands-on, this is a very comprehensive unit study approach.

NaturExplorers.

My favorite curriculum for science always uses a living book approach and is hands-on which is why we love NaturExplorers.

From Beautiful Birds to the Fungus Among Us, you’ll find a title your kids will love.

There are a good amount of hands-on ideas which I love because science should be about doing and not just reading.

Nia Unit Studies.


Though a much smaller company, I love that the unit studies take a notebooking approach and are downloadable as e-books. This is a great choice if you want to get started quickly and inexpensively.

I’m hoping to see more titles, but I love mom-and-pop shops.

Homeschool Unit Studies

TRISMS

Having used TRISMS as well, I love the history approach to unit studies. However, it is very comprehensive because it adds in all other subjects.

I love the research aspect of it and there are several activity ideas to include for each theme.

This was challenging for my middle school boys when we started and I loved that aspect of it. I could make it as challenging as I wanted it to be for them.

Hands-on ideas are offered but don’t have to be done.

Weaver Unit Studies.


Weaver has been around for years too and gently covers multiple subjects with a Christian view. If you want to take a more gentle approach, add in more information and want more of a Christian view, then you’ll love this one.

WinterPromise.

This is another wonderful all-in-one program where the themes are based on history using a Charlotte Mason approach.

Also, I’ve rounded up some other curriculum help below.

Whether you’re new to the unit study approach or if you’re like me and your needs change each year, I know you’ll like having this list at your fingertips.

Switching from a strictly classical approach to a unit study curriculum wasn’t a quick decision, but it was the best choice for our family. Homeschool unit studies allow us to work on a mastery-based level on topics that fascinated us instead of learning in small bites. Two things I quickly learned were that prepared homeschool unit study curriculum was not as readily available as curriculum for other homeschool approaches and that not all of my boys wanted to do hands-on activities. Grab this Big List of Homeschool Unit Studies to get some ideas!

Free 2017-2018 Year Round Homeschool Planning Form

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2017 to 2018 Year Round Homeschool Planning Schedule. Begin building your free 7 Step Homeschool Planner. Not another planner like it!Today, I have the first color choice for the new school year. It is the 2017 to 2018 Year Round Homeschool Planning form and I named this color scheme Sea.

Remember that I create both academic and planing calendars. Though they may seem similar they are not.

When you take a closer look, you will see they each have a different purpose. The form I’m sharing today is for you to PLAN your school year and track the number of days and weeks you’re kids are doing school.

I have all 12 months on it, which means you can start on any month that you begin homeschooling and move forward to plan your year.

Plain calendars (okay, they are not so plain) are just for noting dates and for your reference. I don’t create them to write appointments on them OR to track your school.

Plain calendars are always on Step. 2. Choose Calendars/Appointment Keepers. The 2 page spread appointment keepers are for appointments and have more room for writing.

The form today is to plan your homeschool year with days off, teacher planning days and holidays to take off. It gives you a glimpse of your homeschool year. Plan and track your school year on it.

Because this form is not a calendar but more of a planning tool, I keep it each year at Step 5a. Choose Unique forms JUST for You!

If you need to see how to use it go to that step Step 5a. Choose Unique forms JUST for You! to look at my sample copy.

I hope you like this first choice. I have two more coming and I especially love when I can get it to you early.

Download here 2017 to 2018 Year Round Homeschool Planning Form

7 Easy Steps – “Tons of Options & Pretty Color” Begin building your planner

Step 1. Choose a Pretty Front/Back Cover

Step. 2. Choose Calendars/Appointment Keepers

Step 3. Choose Goals/Objectives

Step 4. Choose Lesson Planning Pages Right For You!

Step 5a. Choose Unique forms JUST for You! Not a kazillion other people

Step 5b. Choose MORE Unique Forms JUST for You!

Step 5c. Choose MORE MORE Unique Forms Just for You!

Step 6. Personalize It

Step 7. Bind it! Love it!

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


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You’ve Pitched the Homeschool Curriculum – Now What?

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You've Pitched the Homeschool Curriculum - Now What? What if you make the same costly mistakes? Check out these super helpful tips and reminders.

Falling in and out of love with homeschool curriculum is a rite of passage for us. But after pitching my curriculum, many years  I wished I would have done something differently besides just purchase more homeschool curriculum.

And of course, any solution has to be easy because by the time you hit a road block, another time zapping and energy draining fix just adds unwanted stress.

Look at these 3 things to do and to not do when you’ve pitched the homeschool curriculum.

One// – Do not use that low time of feeling frustrated to make another mistake, like quitting homeschool or worse yet, joining a confining homeschool co-op.

A co-op may be the solution, but until you identify the problem, something else added to what you’re doing can be taxing.

Two// – Do embrace your teaching personality and style.

We can’t deny who we are. And when we try to fit our style of school into another homeschool teacher’s school, our children could be disappointed.

Before I started homeschooling, I read a lot about not just learning styles for my kids, but about my personality, which is my teaching style. Two of the best books that helped me the most to understand my personality, which helped me to pinpoint my aggravation with curriculum are Discover Your Child’s Learning Style and 102 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum.

Though Discover Your Child’s Learning Style was written with understanding your child’s learning style, you can also take the personality test alongside your child. The results are eye-opening because some of the things you may have been doing unintentionally because you learn best in a certain way can actually be irritating your children.

And the curriculum you chose may or may not be based on the way you need to teach.

For example, I know that one of my strengths is organization, but it can easily go from organizing to onerous if I don’t rein in my personality.

On the one hand, many homeschoolers told me that I would never use a homeschool room, I did. And I used it for a long time.

On the other hand, because I know I have a tendency to be more severe than I like to be, I started doing lapbooks and unit studies with my boys because I didn’t want to make learning comfortable for me.

This may sound opposite of what I’m telling you, but in the beginning I found unit studies that were laid out so that it would fit my personality style of being organized and routine-oriented.

Gradually, as I gained more experience, I created my own unit studies. This was the balance to my personality that wanted to be demanding. I gave my planning, organized itchy self an important task to do like planning my children’s education.

The point is you can’t abandon your personality. And your dynamic personality should come through with any curriculum you choose to bring into your homeschool.

List three things you like and don’t like about the curriculum you pitched and then do the same for your children. As you take the learning style test in the book, a picture will emerge.

I would love to know what you found out if you do the personality test in Discover Your Child’s Learning Style .

Relax Without Regret

Three// – Do rest, step back and relax.

Relaxing is not something a lot of homeschoolers do well. Dare I say we probably downright stink at it? I admit, I do too. Stepping back helps you to look at the bigger picture.

Being a can’t see the forest for the trees person, I have to always pull up and back away from my school when everything seems like a hurdle.

Another reason we don’t have the art of relaxing down is because like me, you also probably have many ideas or projects that you want to accomplish. That comes from a love of learning and teaching.

Some homeschoolers feel they need a certain type of curriculum for guidance, but a curriculum could be sucking the breath of creativity out of your day.

I know, I have heard people say they are not creative, but that’s just not true.

There are many ways to be creative, whether it’s art, history, science, crafts, cooking or the art of conversation.

Instead of purchasing another homeschool curriculum so quickly, take time to rest, discover your strengths and not jump into another stressful situation. You don’t know, you might not need to buy anymore homeschool curriculum.

What has been your experience?

Also, I have a whole lot to say about how to choose homeschool curriculum. Look at these other tips:

45 Ways to Define Homeschool Curriculum – Is Your Definition Holding You Back, Mixing It Up: How to Combine Homeschool Approaches (Without Losing Your Mind) and 10 Signs. Know When to Walk Away from “Perfect” Curriculum.

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

Linking up @ these awesome places:

3 Reasons to NOT Avoid the Homeschool Middle Ground

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3 Reasons to NOT Avoid the Homeschool Middle Ground @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Fighting mini battles while we homeschool becomes part of our homeschool lifestyle. And it’s true that for many issues involving education, homeschoolers don’t wade in lukewarm waters nor take the middle of the ground approach. Being firmly decisive is key to surviving the harsh amount of negativity that is thrown our way.

Standing Firm on Homeschool Middle Ground

However, many things in homeschooling are more successful when you can step back and straddle the middle road. Sometimes taking an all or nothing approach can be counter productive, even extreme at times.

Look at these 3 reasons to NOT avoid the homeschool middle ground.

ONE/  When you do a unit study with multiple ages of children.

You can set your homeschool day up for failure when you use a learning resource that is too high above your oldest child’s head or one that is too young below it.

It’s a common mistake; choosing a unit study resource that is the grade level of your oldest child.

The secret to individualizing a delightful unit study topic is to  choose the middle grade between the ages of your children.

Seasoned homeschool veterans know that it’s easier to scale down activities for younger grades. Use the example of a plant unit study.

Younger students can color, label and dissect a plant. Older students or high school students can use the same unit study, but expand the activities on it to a high school level.

For example, older students can include plant history, learn about the local plants in your area and even spend some time in an apprenticeship learning from local professionals about herbs or plants. Ideas to use for an older student spring from the middle of the grade resource that you are currently using.

Not all ideas are so easy to round up for an older learner, but they are more useful than a resource used for your youngest learner.

TWO/ When you mix and match homeschool curriculum.

It’s easy to use the same curriculum provider with all of your children. Why would you do that though?

Each child is as unique as each homeschool family or should be.

Take the middle ground, avoid the extreme by choosing just one homeschool curriculum and use pieces and parts of a boxed curriculum, unit study and another curriculum to create a study that is unique for each child.

If you’re using just one type of curriculum, then one or more of your children may not be benefiting from it as much as another child. Mixing and matching homeschool curriculum will ensure a better fit for all of your children.

THREE/ When you begin homeschooling high school.

I did it too when I started homeschooling high school and that is to right away in 9th grade take a sock it to him attitude when planning.

High school is not about controlling your teen through his high school years, but it’s about working alongside each other. It is a give and take.

You give because your teen is a different person than you and your husband and he has goals and inspirations now that he too wants to meet. But it’s a take also because you don’t want to give up all your goals or plans for your teen’s future and some things will be must-haves in high school.

What I’m saying is that you choose the middle ground in high school when you help a teen keep balanced in all subjects until he decides his goals.

Some adults don’t even know what they won’t do, so don’t put a lot of pressure on a teen. Take the middle road by keeping subjects balanced until a mommy track, college track or job track is decided.

Also, grab some other tips from my other articles Homeschool Confession – My Homeschool Mistakes, Go Ahead and Make a Mistake: Homeschool Without Fear and Homeschooling – Beginnings are Usually Scary, Endings are Usually Sad, but It’s What’s In the Middle that Counts!.

Don’t give up the fight in touting the decisive ways we need to take a stand when it comes to homeschooling, but just know that the middle ground can not only be productive, but necessary many times in your journey.

What else do you take the middle ground on while homeschooling?

Hugs and love ya,

Signature T

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

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45 Ways to Define Homeschool Curriculum – Is Your Definition Holding You Back?

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I am sharing 45 ways to define homeschool curriculum. Also, look at my page The Best Homeschool Curriculum by Grade Level for more tips.

The word curriculum has Latin roots and it means to “run a course.”

Instead of taking time to expand your definition of homeschool curriculum, it’s easy to run out and buy the first textbook that smells good (okay, I did that). Can you relate?

45 Ways to Define Homeschool Curriculum - Is Your Definition Holding You Back?

Not only am I hoping that it will help you to expand your definition of how to use your experiences in everyday life to teach your children, but I hope you will see how many of these things that you can easily and without much money put your hands-on.

Don’t get me wrong.

You have to have curriculum and it’s paid for somehow.

Whether you spend hours poring over free curriculum or you pay with your hard earned money, homeschool curriculum has a cost!

Looking beyond the cost of homeschool curriculum, I put this list together because I want you to focus more on the content or quality of your instruction.

Many one-room schoolhouses of the past had very little in the way of formal curriculum. Also, they had shorter school days.

What they did have was a strong work ethic and took time to build not only character, but teach kids life skills that would take them into adulthood.

Too, more than ever, we are booming with an abundance of techie devices and online learning, but have they really raised literacy levels?

Don’t let the overwhelming amount of curriculum that we have today, which tout high rigorous standards replace everyday experiences in our life.

Teaching our children how to think can’t be replaced by online learning.

So look at these 45 ways to define homeschool curriculum.

  1. View videos.
  2. Study art prints.
  3. Watch a documentary.
  4. Listen to CDs. Yes, they are still around and sometimes have the best lessons about a subject.
  5. Watch movies.

True ‘Classic’ Homeschool Curriculum

  1. Your life examples.
  2. Your life experiences.
  3. The life examples of others.
  4. The life experiences of others.
  5. Analyze primary resources.
  1. Play board games to learn about math, science, history and language arts.
  2. View online and print magazines.
  3. Use educational apps.
  4. Oral interviews with professionals, experts in specialty fields and persons with first-hand knowledge of current or old events. Think of an interview with a grandmother or grandfather or neighbor.
  5. Animal care.

Grab My Book on How to Homeschool

Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers is a real eye-opener on homeschooling. It will alleviate a lot of the anxieties about getting started homeschooling.

Reading each chapter’s highlights will give you encouragement, knowledge, guidance, and peace of mind to homeschool with confidence. The best part is that you’ll be educating the person who loves your kids the most in this world--YOU! Armed with the knowledge to make better choices in curriculum will empower you to continue the path of home education. Unlike many books based on one family’s experience, Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers is also based on Tina’s many years of mentoring hundreds and hundreds of new homeschoolers at live workshops.When you don’t know where to begin Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers equips you to successfully homeschool your children.

  1. Gardening.
  2. Manipulatives.
  3. Learn about olld toys.
  4. Read any book like history, biographies or cook books.
  5. Your specific written plans about any topic.
  1. Watch and learn from reenactments.
  2. Memorization.
  3. Podcasts.
  4. Visit museums and attend museum classes.
  5. Listen and study music from the past and present.
  1. Learn and study musical instruments.
  2. Analyze old photos and new photos.
  3. Study a timeline.
  4. Review old and new advertisements.
  5. Attend plays.

How to Begin Homeschooling With Minimal Curriculum

  1. Attend a musical or ballet.
  2. Read old newspapers. (or review Old Wills and Deeds at the Courthouse. So cool.)
  3. Take nature walks and a trip to the beach.
  4. Nature collections.
  5. Learning about sculptures or statues.
  1. Old cemeteries not only showcase a period in history, but provide details about people from a certain time.
  2. Specialty workshops or group classes like cooking classes, CPR classes and babysitting classes.
  3. Read old documents in a courthouse. Did you know that most of the documents are free to the public? Read an old Will or an old Deed to learn about what people owned and how they lived their lives.
  4. Visit significant battle sites.
45 Ways to Define Homeschool Curriculum. Is it possible that you could be overlooking one or two of these possibilities. Grab them at Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
  1. Visit first homes of Presidents.
  2. View historic buildings or homes in the old downtown part of your city.
  3. Visit an antique shop to learn about things used in agriculture and everyday life from times past.
  4. Visit an aquarium.
  5. Free online old school books.

More Homeschool Curriculum Tips

What else do you include as homeschool curriculum? Look at some of my other tips below.

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

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