Everything You Need to Know About Homeschool Unit Studies is a comprehensive guide to creating and doing your own unit studies. I found it to be a completely thorough resource for anyone interested in unit studies. As well, knowing the author personally has helped me to see that her methods really work. She has three graduates who are all very gifted--living proof that she has achieved success at what she teaches.

This excellent resource is divided into six very detailed chapters. Topics include teaching methods, planning your studies, and using unit studies with a high school student. There are also extensive book lists as well as contact information for other unit study resources. In the Appendix the author includes many helpful reproducibles, such as book report forms, planning grids, and a very helpful master plan one could use with each study. One page from the Appendix I especially found useful was the sample assignment sheet, a handy check-off form to help your student stay on track.

Suggestions for a bird unit study included the following: write a poem, describe how airplanes and birds are alike, make a diagram showing the parts of a bird, study spelling words, and list birds mentioned in the Bible. As you can see, it would be easy to cover many subject areas.

The book also includes sample schedules and an extensive list of possible unit studies. There is actually so much information in this book, you may need to read it through a few times to absorb it all. I would even suggest using a highlighter to mark information that is especially helpful. The only thing I would change about this wonderful book is to make shorter chapters so that the information could be digested in smaller bites. I am delighted to have this excellent resource and would recommend it for any family interested in including delight-led learning in their school time.

Review by Jennifer Pepito, Contributing Writer, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, January 2007