One of the reasons I began Raising Little Seekers was so I could put the units I created as a public school teacher (and then used in my homeschool) together in a “pretty package” and offer them to the general public. I’ll admit, this process hasn’t been easy. I am a novice graphic designer at best (and an utter failure/copycat at worst). Though my ideas are genuine and well thought out, I generally just throw them together in my planner and go from there when executing them. It’s the presentation for public consumption that has had me struggling–that, and finding the time to do it! All that to say that this journey has already taken longer than I hoped when I started out. The first unit I released was the Fruit of the Spirit family devotional. You can read more about that here. Then came my composer study on Pyotr Tchaikovsky, which is a 6-week close look at the composer, his ballets, and his country of origin. I didn’t necessarily promote that unit very well (again, something I struggle with) but my kids and I had a really good time listening to his music and studying his ballets when we went through it ourselves! But this next unit is very dear to me as it is one of the first units I ever actually wrote when I was a public school teacher. During my final year of teaching, I was (wrecklessly) moved from the fourth grade to the first grade–in the middle of the school year. It had been decided that the first grade needed more help and that I was the teacher for the job. It was a frightening experience but I stepped up to the challenge. And then I proceeded to make my own curriculum and write several author studies along the way. The first of which was an author study on beloved author and artist, Eric Carle. I have since taken the lessons from this unit and put them together in a comprehensive way and aligned it to today’s kindergarten standards.

So let’s dive into the colorful world of Eric Carle! In this comprehensive kindergarten unit, you will find 14 unique lessons across the curriculum–meaning, they will hit on language arts, math, science, art, and more! You and your child will read over 15 of Eric Carle’s beloved children’s books. You will dive into time, calendar knowledge, number sense, plants, moon phases, colors, optical illusions, food, and conversations about friends and socialization. All while reading some truly remarkable picture books. What could be better to jump start your child’s education?! Or what could be better to add a little “umph” to the end-of-the-year slog we homeschooling mamas sometimes feel?! Because this unit is only 14 lessons long, you could easily take anywhere from 7-14 weeks to complete it. There is also an accompanying set of printing practice pages that is FREE with or without a purchase of the author study. So even if now is not the time for you to purchase another resource, you can absolutely get the Eric Carle themed printing pages for free from my shop.

Ultimately, I really hope you enjoy this Eric Carle author study. It is the first of (hopefully) many! And if you’re ever in Western MA, be sure to check out the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art!