A common question among new homeschool moms with young kids is, “What do I need to teach them?” Math, reading, and handwriting usually make the top of the list. That covers the basics when we’re talking about preschool to kindergarten (and even 1st grade) kids. Some people will include science for little kids, but rarely do you hear people mention history. History has always been one of our favorite subjects in our homeschool because we use engaging books that bring history to life. Homeschool history is so much more than the dry textbooks that many of us used as kids.
The Narrow Focus on Skill Based Subjects
There’s a huge push towards early academics for young kids. Kindergarten as we knew it is long gone. It’s no longer focused on learning through games, stories, and hands-on experiences. As homeschoolers, we can do better. We don’t have to focus solely on skill-based academic subjects so much that we no longer have time for learning through play and stories. We can have both!
A big stack of books will go farther to educate our little kids than a pencil and paper or a computer screen. We can share fables, myths, fairy tales, and other engaging stories with our kids. These stories often share traditions and cultures from different time periods from around the world. What our kids learn from those stories comes out in their play.
This is what homeschool history looks like for young kids. As they get older, we should continue to share stories with them about history and cultures around the world by using engaging books including historical fiction chapter books and biographies.
BookShark Level 4 – American History
Homeschool History through Stories
The story of history can’t be told through traditional textbooks. Sure, we can learn the names of conquerors, battles, the rise and fall of civilizations, the functions of different governments through time, and perhaps, a bit about cultures. We can memorize the dry facts long enough to pass a test. That’s what I remember about history class when I was a kid.
It’s impossible to tell the story of history through dry textbooks in a way that’s engaging enough for students to connect with and remember. As homeschoolers, we can do better. We can help create a life-long love of learning through sharing engaging stories through a wide variety of books.
That’s exactly what BookShark’s history curriculum has done for us. We get to learn about the important dates, places, and people throughout history, but we get far more value by reading the stories behind these historical events and time periods. BookShark uses history spine books that share the “nuts and bolts” type details of the lessons, and also read-aloud books and readers that help us dive deeper into the story. We get to learn about history through a wide variety of viewpoints which gives my kids a far deeper experience and understanding than any textbook can provide. Even though they’re older now, these stories still come out through their play.
Related Post – Homeschooling Multiple Kids with BookShark
This book, World Wars, inspires many deep dive conversations with my kids.
Deep Dive Discussions
When was the last time a history textbook kicked off a deep dive discussion with your kids?
Has a textbook led them to ask detailed questions or inspired them to seek out more books about a topic?
Have you ever lost track of time because your kids got so wrapped up in a conversation or a debate about something they read about in a history textbook?
Dry history textbooks will rarely (if ever) give you these experiences with your kids. This is the magic of homeschooling! Experiencing the stories behind history through engaging books will make deep dive conversations a regular part of your homeschool journey.
This is where connection is made. Connection between my kids and the material. Connection between my husband, myself, and our kids through fantastic conversations. This is where real education happens.
Related Post – American History Lap Books
Homeschool History is Not Just for the Kids
Using engaging books to teach history is not just for the kids. These books pull me into the story too! I had the boring history textbook experience as a kid in public school. Now, history has turned out to be one of my favorite subjects, and I get to learn along with my kids.
Each year I look through the scope and sequence of the BookShark levels we’ll be using and pick out a few specific people, time periods, cultures, or countries that I want to learn more about. I seek out additional books for me to read just for myself. When we covered World War I with level 4 this year, I found a few books about Tsar Nicholas II and the Romanov family. Now that we’re getting into World War II, I just requested a few books for me from the library.
Learning the stories of history through books with my kids is one of my favorite homeschool experiences. We get to dive deep into the people, events, and cultures from around the world as a family. Our kids get to see me learn along with them through my own reading. This wouldn’t happen if we skipped history, used dry textbooks, or learned from an online program. These connections come from using engaging books for homeschool history.
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