I always loved school as a kid, but history was never one of my favorites. As an adult and as a homeschooling mom, it is absolutely my favorite! I very much enjoy how we are learning about history, and I think it is beneficial for the kids in many ways.
We do not have a history textbook. We do have focused time periods in history that we study, and we read “living books” set in those time periods (this follows the Charlotte Mason method that I wrote about in this post). I read aloud historical fiction, biographies or autobiographies, and then the children do narrations after our reading (oral or written). They also write a book review when we are done reading each book. Our music, art, and geography are lined up with whatever time period we are reading about. All of these aspects: living books, narration, and cross-curricular teaching/learning really solidifies their knowledge and ability to articulate that knowledge.
Some of our favorite Living Books:
–Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt– (Civil War)
–Of Courage Undaunted by James Daugherty– (Lewis and Clark)
–Beorn the Proud by Madeleine A. Polland (Vikings)
–The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom– (WW2)
-The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan and John Bunyan: The Tinker of Bedford by William S. Deal
*I highly recommended reading both of these simultaneously! It is also my personal preference/recommendation to go for the original Pilgrim’s Progress as opposed to a children’s version. Even though the language can take a bit getting used to, they can handle it! And it also prompts good questions and discussions when something is worded in a way we’re not used to.