LightSail’s libraries are packed with books and other resources. In fact, there may be times when you’re not sure which items to look at first.
On those days, make your way to the Unit Studies area of the platform. There, you’ll find carefully curated collections of LightSail resources that have been put together by experienced educators and parents.
Once you discover Unit Studies, you’ll want to use them again and again. Here are four ideas to help you get started.
1. Capitalize on your children’s current interests.
When kids get into a new hobby, they often go all in. Suddenly, they’re thinking, talking and dreaming about that topic all day and night.
As much as you want to support your kids’ interests, there’s probably a limit to the amount of video game talk or dinosaur questions you can handle.
Before your eyes glaze over too much, let Unit Studies come to the rescue! Most include a mix of books and other media, such as videos, audiobooks, encyclopedia articles, and even quizzes. Turn your kids loose with these studies, and they can explore to their heart’s content.
There’s a wide range of kid-friendly topics available — and, yes, that includes both video games and dinosaurs.
2. Go deeper with your kids’ current school subjects.
Ah, homework. It’s not typically a favorite activity for students or parents, but it has to be done. LightSail’s Unit Studies can make the process easier.
With these valuable resources at your fingertips, your family may spend less time stressing about school projects and more time learning.
- Are your elementary students getting ready for a science fair? Science Magic is packed with experiment guides to help you find a suitable project.
- Middle schoolers may have to deliver speeches to their classes. Inspire their writing with the unforgettable addresses in Famous Speeches.
- When your high schoolers start a Shakespeare unit in school, point them toward The World of Shakespeare so that they can learn more about the playwright’s background and cultural context.
Whether your kids are looking for inspiration or information, Unit Studies can provide the homework help they need.
3. Prepare for a research report.
In addition to using LightSail’s premade Unit Studies, your family can also create original collections. When your kids have a school assignment that requires research, a custom unit can be a great way to keep all of their resources in one place.
From a child or parent account, navigate to the Create a Unit Study interface.
Give the unit a title, and then click “Add Content.” Using the search feature, find as many available resources on the topic as possible.
Stick each one in the collection so that your young researchers can easily come back to these books, articles, and videos again and again over the course of the project.
4. Dig in for summer enrichment.
LightSail’s Unit Studies will still come in handy after the school year ends. In fact, summer break may be one of the best opportunities to use these resource collections.
The more kids read and learn over break, the less likely they are to experience the dreaded summer slide.
Of course, not all kids are eager to engage in educational activities during summer vacation. Fortunately, thanks to the wide variety of interesting topics and multimedia resources in LightSail’s studies, there’s something to hook nearly every kid.
LightSail’s Unit Studies are as fun as they are educational. Use them to enhance your children’s at-home learning or supplement their school studies. Either way, these engaging collections are a win for both kids and parents.
Posted on 12.Dec.21 in Reading at Home Tips
