This book, by Valerie Bendt, is a compilation and update of several earlier books: How to Create Your Own Unit Study, The Unit Study Idea Book, For the Love of Reading, and Success with Unit Studies.  Because there are four books in one, there is some repetition; however, I found it to reinforce and encourage the important points, rather than seeming tedious.

The first, third, and fourth books are full of ideas for teaching our children naturally.  (The second book is purely examples, for the benefit of those who need to see what it looks like.) Foundational methods are introduced, as well as ideas to spark the reader’s imagination.

The text is immensely practical, and I appreciate that Mrs. Bendt’s ideas offer a structure without rigidity. She presents a framework which can be adapted for any unit.  These unit studies are not intended to be an adaptation of the “stuff the student’s head with a predermined set of facts” method but, rather, are designed to provide gentle direction to a student who then learns and discovers on his own.  The ideas sound fun, even to me as the parent!

By far my favorite portion of the book, though, is the section Mrs. Bendt added as an introduction to the compilation.  This section is called Biblical Parenting or Schooling at Home and, I believe, presents an exemplary perspective of what Christian “homeschooling” should look like and aim for.

All in all, I very highly recommend this book.  It is one of two homeschool “theory” books I consider “must-reads.” (The other is Teaching the Trivium.)  Armed with this book, the Bible, and The Big Book of Books, you can more than adequately educate your children!