We have tried a few different ways to cover history over the years, and a few different curriculum’s. I think that is rather normal for a homeschooling family. This is what I have learnt works best for us: study history together. There! Isn’t that profound?
Seriously though, I have tried:
History for three different levels, all on the same day.
We have tried all together.
Then we tried independent history study versus mum intensive history.
Combining again, but editing on the fly for the sensitive ears that the reading was falling on.
No history at all.
What I have learnt is that we like to cover history together as a family. For one thing, it saves time for mum :big, big smile: Another, it gives us all something to discuss together, outside of our history lessons. History is a not a biggy in schools these days, especially in primary school, which is currently where my three children all slot into. But it is important to learn from others who have gone before us. And I don’t want my children to miss out on the past just because it isn’t covered by their schooled peers. Oh and before I continue, my girls love history! Just this week, one of them commented on how history is one of her favourite subjects (doing the mummy dance).
Here is how we have been covering history this term:
- Veritas Press Flashcards
- VOS Childrens bible storybook
- Greenleaf Press Ancients
- Story of The World Volume 1 along with activity guide
- Child’s History of the World
- Any other resources
- Notebook/ Timeline
- Read Aloud/ Literature
I need to mention that this is for world history. We do history for our country, Australia, differently.
I am using this table as it coordinates chapters in Veritas Press cards along with Story of the World, rather nicely. I don’t have a time frame for completing this study (very unusual for me) and instead we are just going to plug away at it, one hour at a time.
Okay so first of all, I pull out the Veritas Press cards and we review the previous ones. Then I introduce the new card. On the back of the card are listed some great resources, any of those that I have, I will read. We don’t do everything in my bullet points, only the ones pertaining to that days lessons and only what fits into our one hour time-slot. At the moment, I am leaving the second half hour for reading our history literature which is currently Tirzah. We were alternating with Detectives in Togas, but no one is interested in that story. Is it more appealing to boys I wonder?
Due to our heavy extra curricula activities at the moment, we have two sometimes three times a week that we can devote to our history studies. Most of this is me reading aloud and discussing what we have read. I allow an hour for this. During this time, the girls are free to work on crafts to keep their hands busy. We have always had a rule during read alouds that they are not to move around, and they need to be quiet. They all listen really well, even if it is for an hour at a time 🙂 We found some craft kits a few months ago that hadn’t been completed, so they are using these at this time. Unless if they feel like some other handicraft, such as knitting or hand sewing, they have been working on, loom bands are popular this week.
Even though we have started with Ancients a couple of times before, I felt it important to restart there again. For one thing, I want to be sure my youngest has some grounding in that time period before we move on. We may only cycle through history once before my oldest finishes school. I am okay with that. Very okay 🙂
I hope this has helped to give you some direction in your own history planning. Please ask me any questions you have. I love to hear from you 🙂
