How to Teach History At Home 

Homeschooling your children can be rewarding and fulfilling as you’re able to play an active role in what and how they’re learning. However, many parents and caregivers can find themselves struggling with engagement, particularly with subjects that don’t immediately capture their children’s interest. If you’re fighting this very battle with a subject like history, here are some helpful hints to regain control of your home classroom and engage your little learners:     

Find an Engaging Homeschool History Program 

Not all historical information for children is as interesting and engaging as it could be. Start researching the best US history homeschool curriculum and see what you can find. Talk to other homeschool parents, browse the internet, and read reviews on the history curricula you find. The best history programs are those with engaging videos and digestible content broken down into multiple lessons.  

Make It Fun with Storytelling 

Children can often find it challenging to absorb information from a traditional timeline of events in history. However, when the same information is turned into an action-packed book, it can be a different story. Engage your children in different historical events by reading historical fiction and biographies aloud. You can even create your own books!  

Discover Your Family History 

History isn’t always interesting to children when the events don’t involve them. Improve your chances of engagement by involving your family. Discover your family history with your child and associate what you find with the historical events of that time.  

For example, if you traced an ancestor back to their participation in the First World War, it can be an opening into learning more about this topic and what it could have been like for the family member.  

Prioritise Hands-On Learning 

Not all children are reading/writing learners. Some are kinesthetic, auditory, and visual. If your child doesn’t readily absorb information from reading materials, make hands-on learning your focus.  

Plan historical crafts, cook recipes from specific eras, and take trips to local museums and historical landmarks. Your children can learn the same information as they would from a book, but in a more engaging and fun way.  

Try Roleplaying 

Some historical events can be complicated. Not all children will be able to grasp the concept of what they are learning from books and videos alone. When you know your child is a hands-on learner, introduce them to the idea of roleplaying. They can act out critical moments in different historical events, such as the physical barrier of the Berlin Wall during the Cold War. In this way, children can learn and have fun at the same time.   

Let Their Interests Guide Your Lessons 

Not all children will enjoy all parts of their history lessons at home. However, you may improve your chances of having more engaged little learners by letting their interests guide your lessons and activities. Pay attention to the parts of the lessons that engage them the most. Use what you discover to enhance future classes.  

Teaching history at home doesn’t have to involve sitting still for hours on end, hoping to comprehend important details from a book. It can be fun with engaging videos, well-planned lessons, trips to museums, and interactive activities. Now might be the right time to introduce these fun learning methods to your homeschooling schedule.  

Image Details

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash