Why You Should Consider a Family-Style History Curriculum for Homeschool
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There are some subjects that just cannot be taught family-style, but history (thankfully) is not one of them. Choosing a history curriculum for homeschool that allows you to teach several children at once can be life-changing!
If this is an entirely new concept to you, keep reading to find out why teaching subjects like history, as a group subject, can be one of the best things you do for your homeschool.
Also, you’ll find a great giveaway worth entering at the end of this post!
All the Reasons Why Using a Family Style Curriculum for Homeschool is Genius!
Homeschooling is often a journey of breaking down preconceived notions that we’ve built up over our lifetimes.
The idea that all subjects should be broken down into grade levels and individualized for each pupil can be a difficult thing to move past.
The reality is that all subjects tend to run into one another and there are several that absolutely can be taught in a group setting with several ages present.
I know this to be true because I was homeschooled myself, and this is how my mom did it.
Let’s talk about why it’s worth considering teaching history as a group subject.
#1 History Can Be Dry
As an adult, I LOVE history. It’s something that I’m very interested in and absolutely enjoy learning about.
As a child, however, there were times (before I was homeschooled) that history felt dry and boring. It was a subject that consisted of memorizing (what felt like) arbitrary dates and events.
History felt somewhat irrelevant to the life that I was living.
I don’t think this is a new phenomenon and I’m sure that many others feel the same way as I did. However, it doesn’t have to be that way.
When we can make history come alive through living books, hands-on projects, and group activities, it changes everything.
#2 Teaching Multiple Children Can Be a Juggling Act
Another reason to consider teaching history as a group is that homeschooling multiple children is a juggling act.
This is especially true for the younger years when you really have to be very present to guide your children through their studies.
One way to make it easier on yourself is to teach certain subjects like art, science, history, and more in a group setting.
It makes it so much more achievable to cover more subjects without getting burnt out.
#3 Different Perspectives are Important
“From the mouth of babes.”
A 5-year olds perspective on the Spartan warriors may be quite different from that of a 13-year olds.
Hearing differing viewpoints and perspectives is so important as our children develop their own worldviews.
A wonderful way to facilitate this is to have your children learn together. They will learn from each other and see things that they perhaps would never have noticed before.
It allows opportunities for your children to work on skills such as leadership, compromise, debate, strategy, and so much more.
It provides opportunities for showing humbleness and a willingness to learn from each other.
You’ll likely find you discover things you did not know as well! I for sure feel as though homeschooling has given me a second chance to appreciate the subjects I once despised!
#4 It Lightens the Load for Everyone
We’ve already talked about the fact that teaching history in a group setting can help lighten the load for you, but the truth is that it makes it easier for everyone.
Students get a break from being on their own with their work and enjoy a group learning setting. It’s one less subject for them to be tasked with independently.
#5 Family Projects are Memory Makers!
Connecting the dots between then and now can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be!
There are fantastic history curriculums for homeschool that take all the stress out of it.
A History Curriculum Worth Considering
One such history curriculum is from Home School In The Woods. They offer multiple hands-on history learning activities that will provide exactly what you need to help teach your children history in a real and tangible way.
Some of the resources they offer are:
- Printable Essential Timeline Library
- Hands-On History Activity Pack: Make-A-State
- Time Travelers: Early 19th Century
- Time Travelers: New World Explorers
All of their activities are printable so that you can simply download them for your own personal use at home.
We tried out their Printable Essential Timeline Library and were really impressed! It is printer-friendly and such a flexible teaching resource.
We don’t have a lot of wall space and so I really appreciated the option of making a timeline lapbook instead.
You could make one book for your whole family, or each child could have their own. It is totally up to you!
Why consider using lapbooks and other tangible activities for teaching history? You can find out the reasons for that in this fantastic article about how to use lapbooks.
What it comes down to for me is that it makes history come alive. It makes the lives of those gone before us become relevant to how we live today.
It also makes some fantastic family memories. I still remember building our own models of the watering contraptions the Egyptians used in ancient times.
Children so often learn better through hands-on activities than they do from reading textbooks.
Check out Homeschool In The Woods to see what you can use to make history come alive for your children!
Also, they’re running a giveaway! Enter below for your chance to win!
Conclusion
Some of my most special memories of being homeschooled involve doing family activities together. Whether that was learning Latin, delving into history, or conducting a science experiment, it was something that stuck in my mind.
Studying history together as a family not only lightens everyone’s workload, but it offers yet another time for your children (and yourself!) to grow closer. They’ll get the chance to make memories that they will treasure fondly for years to come.
