Unit Study Suggestions for 6 year old?

[Banana731]

We are going on an extended trip to visit family. We'll be gone for about 6 weeks. I know that lots of that time will be spent going places and goofing off, certainly outside quite a bit. (it's Florida)

I was thinking how perfect to do a unit study! But...It's my first

I'm looking for something that I can incorporate some basic math into. And I will have her doing copy work on simple vocab that is relevant to it, and I will have access to a library for getting books for her to read, but whatever it is I want to make sure it includes a good read aloud book for us, one that we can finish in that 6 weeks.

Any great ideas for me?

Thanks in advance!

[sbgrace]

That sounds perfect for something like five in a row to me. Most libraries have many of the books and they are almost always wonderful books. Five in a row covers all the content areas and you can be flexible in time spent and choices made. Our library system has the first three volumes of five in a row. I'd plan what I wanted to do with books available to me before I left.

However, if you're going to a place with specific opportunity (say ocean) planning some books and fun stuff around that would be nice. Is it ocean? I can suggest some things for that.

We've never been on vacation for that long but we have been gone for over 2 weeks and I didn't find it easy to do any school honestly and at this age it's not really necessary. If it were my kids I'd probably just bring the five in a row or other great book lists with me and plan to do great read alouds and whatever basics you feel need some regular attention. For us that would mean my kids were reading (library books or just life opportunities will do that), practicing handwriting some, and maybe some review type math given this is six weeks. I'd consider the great things to explore in a new place as better than any unit I could plan even education wise.

[koru]

I would pick something related to the trip. Maybe put something together about the indigenous people in the area? Study maps, talk about the weather, what grows in that location?

We recently went to Montana & I wish I had done something like this beforehand! I did have our local librarians pick out books for us but that wasn't quite enough.

What an awesome opportunity!

[nov05mama]

I would check out Homeschool Share...I always refer to them for Unit Study ideas if I have a theme in mind (or if I am looking for a theme). They have a LOT of FIAR studies and focus on doing lapbooks as well, but there are SO many great resources there!!

[ancoda]

Five in a row would be great, or they have some great stuff at lessonpathways.com.

[Banana731]

Thanks for all the ideas! We will definitely be heading to the beach at some point. We will also be going to some springs, probably DeLeon Springs. Florida has a lot of history, I could really do a lot with that!

I saw something on homeschool share about a study based around a book about going to the moom. We could totally go to Cape Canaveral, as well.

[tankgirl73]

Look at Teacher's Book Bags through currclick.com too. They have PK-K unit studies, and grades 1-3 studies, either of which might be right for your kid depending on the individual. There are "monthly" studies going back several years on loads of topics. They're all book-based (so far as I'm aware) in that there will be one or two main read-aloud books and then loads of activities based on the theme, and suggestions for lots of other related books. There's a great variety of activities, from handwriting to play-acting to scavenger hunts to crafts... DD just did the August 2009 study which was about Seasons, Trees, and Me -- part of the "Seasons" aspect was asking lots of people what their favourite season is, recording it with tally marks, then plotting the results on a bar graph. She loooooved this!!!! And she is now totally knowledgeable about the seasons, and is so excited right now because the season is changing and she's noticing it and is able to have the right name for everything.

Intellego also makes fantastic unit studies, but I suspect they're all too big for what you've got in mind here. The TBB studies are nice because all the activities are suggestions - you can pick and choose and don't have to do them all. Plus, they're really, really cheap.

Oh, another idea would be Homeschool Bits, also off currclick. We did the "Chocolate" unit which DD loved. They're also really, really, REALLY cheap, and just short little studies on particular topics.

[Lillian J]

I think that just being on a trip and with family will provide all the learning a 6 yr. old can need or retain. Even when my son was *7* and in 1st grade, his two teachers were delighted just for his going on trips, and never had any concerns whatsoever about time away from their school practices. They felt those things - even skiing and going to Hawaii - were every bit as valuable as whatever they were doing in school, and that he'd easily catch up, which he always did. I'd let her just be totally absorbed in whatever's going on rather than distracted by studies, even if it's just "goofing off," because those are things that will be important memories in her life, whereas anything else can easily be caught up with later. Reading wonderful books and/or stories to her is something that can fit anywhere, but I honestly don't think it will be particularly valuable in the long run to think in terms of studies for her age rather than just pure imaginative enjoyment.

This website has ideas and reviews for good picture books, many of which are great even for older children: Children's Picture Books.

This website has suggestions from members of this forum for favorite free audio resources. And don't miss this one: Kiddie Records Weekly - Classics from the Golden Age - there are a variety of ways to listen to them free, or you can order copies for your computer or MP3. Lillian