What, you might wonder, is "learning unabridged?" Our family, like many homeschoolers who follow classical and Charlotte Mason models, believes that history and literature should be taught using whole books, sometimes called "living books," for both nonfiction and fiction. Reading an entire nonfiction book--preferably one full of primary source material--on a subject, as opposed to a textbook entry, gives students a much fuller scope in which to formulate historical opinions. Likewise, literature can never be fully appreciated and analyzed if only snippets from an anthology are read.
Homeschoolers new to this method usually begin with history and literature and then often progress to whole books in other subject areas. After more than a dozen years, our family has embraced this method quite thoroughly and uses texts and workbooks sparingly. We love learning unabridged, and I look forward to sharing the joy that whole books can bring to your children.