American History

Nancy, if you use the revised schedules here http://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/scmguide/history-modules-overview/

you’ll be hitting explorers at the end of your fourth year, then moving on from there.

But don’t let this keep you from enjoying some of the terrific American history books written for younger children. By all means, read The Matchlock Gun, or The Cabin Faced West, or Little House in the Big Woods, whenever you want to. One could even make an argument, based on Charlotte Mason’s use of English history and also history of other countries, that you could study both at the same time, although I’ve found that difficult to do with several children.

Enjoy the good books. Take a little time and add in some study of your state. Have some of the simple books of American history stories as a bedtime reader for your children. Or, another fun way, use the holidays around the year to add in American history study–your kids should know who the Pilgrims are before fifth grade, for example–they’ve lived through many Thanksgivings by then! A D’Aulaire book for Lincoln’s birthday, a fun living book about the Declaration of Independence in July–there are a lot of sources for adding this sort of thing in. You can “do it yourself” or look here for ideas:

http://www.rootsoffreedom.com/dnn/

http://www.americanheritage.org/

There is another set of plans using holidays to teach history on the Ambleside Online page but you’ll have to visit the main page to look for the link.

Also I have a book called How to Raise an American that has lots of fun ideas.

Hope some of these ideas help!

Michelle D