I've recently been asked a question about what we use for Catholic history. There are some great resources available, but I think from the outset, I need to qualify how we learn history.
We use literature as the basis for our study of many things, history as one of the main focuses of our chosen literature. Reading together is undoubtedly the heart of our learning. I read to my children aloud, and this family read aloud becomes the central focus of our learning, our discussion, our writing and our projects. Our excitement for a topic starts here.
I read during breakfast and lunch. Click here for a previous post on what that looks like.
The kids are attentive to a good novel while I read. After they're done eating, they draw or play with playdoh or little playmobil guys or crochet or any number of sedentary activities. Sometimes I read for ten or fifteen minutes, sometimes an hour. I'm a grown up so it's up to me.
The novels we choose are not necessarily Catholic. They are simply good literature, which gives up opportunity to discuss all the universal themes of literature, and for us, as Catholics, that will include the Church's teaching on ethics, history, personal and governmental morality, philosophical thought.
So many things. So much beauty and opportunity.
The very best book that you must own is Let the Authors Speak by Carolyn Hatcher which seems to sadly be no longer in print, but is available from online booksellers.
Let the Authors Speak is a list of historical fiction (and some non fiction) organized chronologically century by century. It's written by a Catholic homeschooling genius mom, and every single book that we have tried that she recommends has been a ringer.
So, I recommend to rush to your local internet and buy it now.
It is ALWAYS my first go to when thinking about my homeschool year.
Next post: support resources to study history...using your walls.
Children who love history name their cats Artemis. Cats who love history watch me blog about it.
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We use literature as the basis for our study of many things, history as one of the main focuses of our chosen literature. Reading together is undoubtedly the heart of our learning. I read to my children aloud, and this family read aloud becomes the central focus of our learning, our discussion, our writing and our projects. Our excitement for a topic starts here.
I read during breakfast and lunch. Click here for a previous post on what that looks like.
The kids are attentive to a good novel while I read. After they're done eating, they draw or play with playdoh or little playmobil guys or crochet or any number of sedentary activities. Sometimes I read for ten or fifteen minutes, sometimes an hour. I'm a grown up so it's up to me.
The novels we choose are not necessarily Catholic. They are simply good literature, which gives up opportunity to discuss all the universal themes of literature, and for us, as Catholics, that will include the Church's teaching on ethics, history, personal and governmental morality, philosophical thought.
So many things. So much beauty and opportunity.
The very best book that you must own is Let the Authors Speak by Carolyn Hatcher which seems to sadly be no longer in print, but is available from online booksellers.
Let the Authors Speak is a list of historical fiction (and some non fiction) organized chronologically century by century. It's written by a Catholic homeschooling genius mom, and every single book that we have tried that she recommends has been a ringer.
So, I recommend to rush to your local internet and buy it now.
It is ALWAYS my first go to when thinking about my homeschool year.
Next post: support resources to study history...using your walls.
Children who love history name their cats Artemis. Cats who love history watch me blog about it.
