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How To Use Books To Teach History and Social Studies

So I’ve had this post planned for quite some time now but do you know what keeps me from blogging more? It is my lack of creativity. I can’t come up with catchy titles and I don’t have the skill of taking pretty photos so I let that deter me from writing. I have the knowledge and content in my head but lack the pretty way to present it. I need to let that go and get all the things in my head down! So if you’re looking for a pretty blog, this is probably not it but I hope to provide you good content!

What I want to share with you today is an incredibly cost effective and interesting way to teach your kids about history and social studies. BOOKS! If you have a library card you can go a long way to teaching your kids about history, especially your young kids. I know so many people worry that they have to know a lot or spend lots of money on big curriculum to be able to homeschool but that is simply not the case. Even when I was teaching, for the most part for Social Studies we would read from the textbook, discuss and answer questions. We do that with library books here at my house and the girls don’t even know we are learning. They ask for these books all the time, not just during school!

These books are totally applicable as read alouds for non homeschoolers as well!

Who HQ Book Series

These books are phenomenal! They are all approximately 10 short chapters and the perfect amount of information for young kids. Both my 6 and 8 year olds love them. The books give a general overview of the lives of many different well-known people, places or things from history (or even the present). They typically begin with the birth of the person, touch on their childhood and then focus on what they are known for. There are hundreds of these books available. They are less than $8 to purchase on Amazon and also available through your library. I purchase the ones I know we will want to keep and order the rest through the library. We have all had different favourites so far but we all LOVED Helen Keller! I can’t wait to read the one about the Paralympic games and Steve Irwin. Hailey has loved so many she can’t pick a favourite! Sophie liked Sacagewa the best so far and is really excited for me to read the one on Serena and Venus Williams. There are people from different eras in history and different walks of life. Reading Maya Angelou gave us a really good jumping off point to discuss racial issues as that booked talked about the segregated seating on busses back then.

Conversation is such a huge part of history and social studies. We need to talk with our children about the things we read and why it is important for us to know that as well as how it impacts us today. Why do we need to know about racial segregation in movie theatres and busses? Well, I think at this time in history we can see that it’s important to understand what different people groups have gone through and why they may have the feelings they have. Knowing and understanding history should help us to not make the same mistakes twice and to appreciate where we have come from and how things have improved.

I can’t recommend these books enough, even if you aren’t homeschooling. Don’t leave all of these important conversations to the teachers to have with your children. These are short reads and will be awesome conversation starting points for you to have with your kids!

HEroes For Young Readers Series

We recently discovered this series as well, all based on different noteworthy Christians. These are the younger child equivalent to the Christian Heroes: Then & Now series (which I am also excited to read). These younger version books are hard covered, illustrated on each page and written in rhyme. They are a one sitting read, no chapters or anything. My girls absolutely love these books! So far their favourite is definitely Bethany Hamilton although Hailey really enjoyed Amy Carmichael as well. I think they are all easy to listen to, quick to read, catchy and interesting. They all highlight the good each person did for people and for God throughout their lifetime.

To be honest, I have not checked my library yet for these as I wanted to own them. I have just been slowly acquiring more through Amazon. I keep them in our morning time basket and often read one when we finish our Bible time.

Christian Heroes: Then and Now

These are not pictured in the above photo, but I wanted to make sure I mentioned them as they are also an awesome addition to read alouds for history and social studies. I have the book about George Muller here just waiting to be read to the girls. If Sophie was my oldest I would not read this series yet. I know Hailey would enjoy it but I am torn if I should wait for Soph to be a little older and that’s why I haven’t read this one yet. But for anyone with older kids, these are phenomenal. I want to read them all myself to learn more about the lives of these amazing people.

Let the conversation flow when you are reading these books. Don’t be stuck to a timeline and getting through the book quickly. Let the kids ask questions, look up the answers you don’t know, follow any rabbit trail it may lead you on. For instance, my kids became intrigued by Braille after we read about Helen Keller. I ordered a bunch of books on Louis Braille, we watched videos on both him and Helen Keller, and I ordered books actually in Braille so they could check it out. Let those inquistive minds inquire!

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About Me

Hi I am Kristin Stewart. I consider myself so lucky to be a homeschool mommy! Before I was a mother, I was a teacher in both public and Christian boards and I loved teaching so much. However, once my first daughter was born I knew God was calling me to be at home with her. So when it was time for her to start school, homeschooling was a natural fit for us. Read More…

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Kristin Stewart
*GIVEAWAY* 🥳 I am giving away a set of Theology *GIVEAWAY* 🥳 I am giving away a set of Theology and Doxology cards from @septemberandco ! This is the cutest little set to start a conversation with your kids! 

To enter; like and save this photo, follow me and @septemberandco (this giveaway is not affiliated at all with their business but since they made the cards I think you should follow them), and tag a friend! Every tag is an entry! Sharing in your stories is an entry as well (you must tag me or I won’t see if!).

 Closes Sunday at midnight AST. 

This giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram in any way. 

Good Luck!
Today’s morning line up from the couch on this d Today’s morning line up from the couch on this dreary day. (Not pictured is Haileys Bible. She read it from the other couch) I love doing grammar together and I love leading the kids through some apologetics together. Our kids have questions and they have smart, impressionable minds. Don’t underestimate the conversations you can have with them. 
This Case for Christ for kids book goes through the different arguments some have on why Jesus isn’t the Christ and works in helping kids learn to critically think and look to scripture. 
As parents, let’s not rely on the church and Christian kids programming to disciple our kids.
That’s OUR responsibility as parents. The church can, and should, come along side families but let’s not shirk our God given responsibility to disciple our children. 
Start small and encourage discussion and questions. Use resources available if you wish but don’t forsake the Bible itself. Teach our kids to use the word of God. 
Let us not grow weary in the battle for our children’s souls.
For many years I worked hard to make sure I was ne For many years I worked hard to make sure I was never alone. Early morning play dates and late night tea dates if thomas was working. If he was going away making sure I had friends lined up to visit with each evening. I was so terrified to be alone with the thoughts in my head. 
Now, I enjoy my alone time. I enjoy the quiet and time to think. I even crave it. 
Maybe this is what healing looks like.
Here are a few resources we love for our morning t Here are a few resources we love for our morning time. Character cards from @septemberandco and Choose Wisely cards from @bear__squirrel. 
I’ll show them in my story today
Teach them to bless you and serve in the home with Teach them to bless you and serve in the home with a few daily chores. It lets them learn to serve with joy and learn responsibility. 
Tip: don’t expect them to know to do things they haven’t been taught. Whatever you want them to do, be sure to take time to teach them how to do it and give clear expectations. 
Then have fair expectations of them and thank them for a job well done and for blessing your home. 
Putting these 2 in charge of breakfast dishes has blessed me so much. They rotate days but often end up helping each other even when it’s not their day.

(Many days there is complaining. Fair enough, I also dislike doing dishes. We all can use practice on diligence and serving with a joyful heart as unto the Lord. We don’t always get it right as adults either. Gentle reminders and expect them to work diligently at their task)
Today was day 1 of our Easter Unit called An Expec Today was day 1 of our Easter Unit called An Expectant Easter by @treehouse_schoolhouse. When we use these theme units we sub them in instead of other copy work, narration and printing we are doing and do this instead.
Along with many other things, each week has a song to learn about and sing together. It’s so important to me that the girls understand, as much as they can with their limited life experience, the meaning of the words in the worship songs we sing. 
The week one song is one of my faves, In Christ Alone. As I read the lyrics through with the girls, pausing frequently for explanation, the tears were right there behind the surface. As we started the music and joined our voices to sing it together, the tears didn’t want to stay hidden anymore. 
This song always gets me in my feels. 
“And as He stands in victory, sins curse has lost it’a grip on me.
For I am His, and He is mine, bought with the precious blood of Christ.”
And my tears burn with the overflowing gratefulness of one who knows what I deserve. Who has tasted and seen what life looks like without Him. Who knows what it feels like and looks like when sin does have a grip on you. And I sing those words through tears as one who knows that sin has lost its grip on me. Hallelujah. I’m bought with the blood of Christ. Those sins weren’t cheap and He paid the price. And that humbles me to tears on my knees. Cause I can see the sins laid on Him and how I put them there. And how they’re paid with His precious blood.
And when you know that, how can you not praise Him. 
The emotion of it all overwhelmed me this morning. What He did for me. And the absolute honour of teaching my kids what He did for them. For the visual we followed it up by watching Sophies fave “Flawless” by Mercy Me to see all those sins be washed away and we are then presented before God white as snow. Bought with the precious blood. 
I’m so forever thankful for the freed to homeschool and to centre our learning around that which matters. 
I’ll leave you with the words on my heart today:
“Oh what a Saviour. Isn’t He wonderful. Sing hallelujah, Christ is risen. Bow down before Him, for He is Lord of all. Sing hallelujah, Christ is risen.
What. A. Day! We had such a great afternoon hiking What. A. Day! We had such a great afternoon hiking here all the way out to the lighthouse and enjoying the view
*GIVEAWAY!!* 🙌 I’m getting settled into my ne *GIVEAWAY!!* 🙌
I’m getting settled into my new place and so thankful for all of YOU and the connections we’ve made in this little space. To thank you I’m giving away my favourite thing...BOOKS!! 

😍The Tale of the Three Trees
😍 Easter Egg by Jan Brett
😍Nate Saint from the Heroes for Young Readers
😍 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

To enter, you need to do the normal giveaway stuff:
✅ save this post 
✅ follow my account 
✅ like this post
✅ comment your fave book to read to your kids 
✅ tag a friend ( 1 entry per tag)
✅ bonus entry if you share this post in your stories. 

I will personally check these things and keep track. This giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram or anyone but me in any way. 

Closes at midnight on Friday, March 12!
I think we’re going to quite enjoy exploring our I think we’re going to quite enjoy exploring our new home
I haven’t posted about my awesome felts from @tw I haven’t posted about my awesome felts from @twigndaisy lately but I still love them. I brought this map of Canada one with me to quarantine so they could practice it. Since we just drove from AB to NB it means a little more to them now and they can use a real life experience to remember
Cross posted from my personal account: I should h Cross posted from my personal account:

I should have expected it really. Other than her baby/ toddler years, the hardest seasons with her have been our last move and when we were evacuated. I know she doesn’t do change well.
I always think she will be affected the least because she’s the introvert, and then it always takes me days to figure out why she’s acting out and being difficult.  It looks a little different every time because she’s older. 
Then I remember. I remember the other times and the pattern. I remember that being out of her comfort zone is a problem for her.
And that she doesn’t regulate well.
And I remember I need more compassion, more patience. Not excusing or allowing rudeness, defiance, disobedience; but a gentle and loving approach to handle and correct. 
I remember I need to connect with her before I can correct.
And I remember she needs forced alone time because she won’t take it herself and she needs it to reset. 
So I’m reading right by her and she’s playing alone. She will come over when she’s ready and then we will chat.
Forever my refiners fire. Always keeps me on my toes. 
Worth every time I have to figure it out again.
I don’t want to give the impression that there a I don’t want to give the impression that there aren’t hard days of homeschool, there are. They get grumpy. I get grumpy. We all get tired. Some days they don’t want to do school. There’s mess. There are distractions. We have bad attitude days. We fight. 
But I am also careful with what I share to protect them and respect them as they get older. I don’t want to air out all their dirty laundry or embarrass them publicly. Trying to find that balance. 
This one is struggling. New move, new house, new time zone, none of her stuff yet, lots of feelings she struggles to regulate. She’s not wanting to do school. 
We’re taking it slow. Pushing just the right amount. And I have the privilege of knowing what that amount is. Because she’s mine. Because we spend every day together. Because I’ve learned it by trial and error. 
So I lowered my expectations a lot for today and met her where she was at. Instead of writing in her book I let her write on her dry erase board. She likes that. It’s still writing. So win win. And we did her math verbally. Accomplished the same outcomes. 
Takeaways: it’s not always easy, you have a unique advantage because you KNOW your kid, meet them where they are, know the limits, think outside the box. 
And if that doesn’t work, remember relationship is the most important. Hug it out and save the rest until tomorrow.
Talking about the books I got for my girls (8 and Talking about the books I got for my girls (8 and 6) for our upcoming 10 day road trip in my stories today if you need ideas.
We love using our big 100 floor chart for math. Us We love using our big 100 floor chart for math. Used it for adding 10 for grade 1 math and now skip counting review visual for grade 3 math.
Thank you so much for joining me here in the is li Thank you so much for joining me here in the is little space and joining me in the conversation about homeschool, faith and intentionally raising our kids.  I am so thankful for the friendships and the love you’ve shown me and my family this year.  See you in 2021! Happy new year!
Walking and seeing the hoarfrost never gets old. D Walking and seeing the hoarfrost never gets old.
Due to lots of upheaval over the next few months, I’m starting a slow launch with math tomorrow. We can’t get behind in math as I don’t want to school through the summer!! 

(I know..behind isn’t a thing in homeschool but I have certain goals for math I like to reach!)
Read this for the first time tonight and it might Read this for the first time tonight and it might be my fave ever
Sophie and I loved this book but be warned, it’s Sophie and I loved this book but be warned, it’s like 30 pages and the pages are covered in text. We started for bedtime last night without knowing how long it was so had to finish it this morning. 
A heart warming story about an orphan girl, a doll no one wants and a kind police man and his wife. Beautiful photos and endearing story.
Such a heart warming story about a boy who gives a Such a heart warming story about a boy who gives a sweater to a man who needs it and then at the end all his family comes through for him as well. I don’t want to give the story away but we love this one! It’s a longer one, but such a beautiful story! 

I know I’m slacking! I never wrote my blog post on these. (Sorry Mandy!) Lots has been going on here that I had no control over. I’ll get to it soon!
This is a very silly little interactive book. If y This is a very silly little interactive book. If you’re familiar with the other crayons book you’ll know the humour. This one comes with little paper dolls and built in envelopes and lots of fun extras. A very silly little Christmas story about a box of crayons.
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