I think that people who enjoy history either enjoy memorizing OR are taught that it is a great adventure story. Needless to say, our family approaches the subject as a story. Right brain learners often say that when they read or hear a story it’s like a “movie in their head.” If they can “see” it – even in their heads, it’s easier to remember.
I have learned and retained more historical information as a homeschool mom than I did in high school and college combined. The light bulb in my head goes off every day “so that’s why Ghengis Khan was important” or “I didn’t know Daniel lived around the same time as Buddha.”
It doesn’t matter if your child is young or in high school, it is easy to build a history curriculum (without buying a text) with a little research, “living” library books, DVDs, the History Channel, websites, local homeschool field trips and educational travel to historic sites and museums, historical dramas, and re-enactments. We’ve had fun making feasts featuring foods from different countries and time periods. Making history “come to life” has been a real education for the whole family.
A private chat with Martha Washington in Williamsburg.
What better way to learn about the “stocks” than by hanging out in them for awhile…
We took a lot of field trips, mostly for history and science. As teenagers, they love history. I think our choice to homeschool is the reason. Make history memorable. Don’t make it boring dates and lists. You might even find YOU like it too!
