When several very talented authors create a curriculum that combines the educational philosophies of Ruth Beechick and Charlotte Mason, you know it is worth examining.

Advocates of the unit study approach site studies showing that children learn best when learning is unified rather than fragmented and when learning is more participatory than passive. Unit studies also tend to be more activity-oriented than the traditional approach, a real boon to kinesthetic learners. This may be as simple as assigning pages in a grammar or spelling book, or using a separate 'program' for Phonics and Math. Since one of the additional advantages of a unit study curriculum is the ability to use it with students of varying ages and skill levels, these subjects are generally taught apart from the core curriculum. Each, however, has its own 'system' (progression of skills, mastery of 'rules') which must be followed to some degree. Remaining subjects (Math, Phonics, Grammar, Spelling) can be integrated to some extent via related activities. Subjects like Bible, Geography, Government, English (writing), and Reading/Literature, Music, Home Economics, Life Skills, and Art, are usually easy to integrate around a core topics. Obviously History (the study of events) and Science (the study of 'things') are well-suited to unit studies, and usually form the 'core' around which other subjects are integrated. Rather than teach each subject separately, a unit study attempts to integrate many or all subject areas into a unified study - usually centered around a particular subject or event. What is a 'unit study'? Briefly, it's a thematic or topical approach to teaching as opposed to the traditional by-subject approach.

The Cabin Faced West by Jean Fritz