American History Books For Homeschooling
American History Books
The homeschooling community is fortunate to have access to a wide variety of american history resources. Some are books, some are videos and others include unit studies and activities. These resources are suitable for any grade level from kindergarten through sixth grade. There are even some that are suitable for high school students. If you are looking for more options, be sure to check out the comprehensive list of free world history curriculum from The Reluctant Homeschool Mama.
For children who love the idea of learning history through a story, the Newbury Honor Book series is a great option. These books are beautifully illustrated and tell fascinating stories of the people who shaped our country. The titles include Can’t Make them Behave, Paul Revere, Will You Sign Here, John Hancock and What’s the Big Idea, Ben Franklin?
If your children prefer a more traditional approach, Sonlight has an American history curriculum that can be used for any age group. The online textbooks include downloadable lesson plans, quizzes, a timeline, historical music and more. The course covers ancient history, world history and US history and can be used by itself or with other programs.
Another way to teach american history for homeschoolers is to have your children listen to historical stories that are narrated by professional actors. This series has an excellent reputation and is available on CDs or a digital download. The narration is slow enough to be appropriate for young ears. The stories cover various eras of US history and the topics include slavery, civil rights and war.
American History Books For Homeschooling
History is also more fun when you incorporate the use of hands-on crafts and activities. These can be done individually or as a family, and will help your child connect the events of American history with the people who lived them. These can be as simple as a craft project based on the Civil War or as elaborate as an in-depth project like building a model of the White House.
Using the primary source documents that are so important to learning about history, the Critical Thinking Company has created a curriculum that helps children develop a deeper understanding of history. The program uses discussion questions to encourage kids to see the different perspectives on historical events. The program is titled The History of Us and can be used as a stand-alone curriculum or to supplement a different history course.
A few other options for teaching American history are to have your children watch a video series on specific time periods of US history or to read the Drive Thru History series of books. The latter series of books is a favorite at our house, with the children eagerly waiting for the next book to arrive on our doorstep.
It is never too late to introduce your children to the world of history through reading aloud and engaging in interactive activities. There are even some good choices for younger children, including the Dover coloring books that are a staple at our house.