Introduction to TruthQuest History

Today, I'm starting a new series, which I will update periodically, in which I will review various books that are recommended for use along with the TruthQuest History curriculum.  For now I will be covering books specifically related to TruthQuest American History for Young Students I.  This is the series we will be going through this year and possibly next year as well, depending on how quickly we move through it.  I'm using this with my 2nd grader and my 3 1/2 year old jointly this year.  In case you're not familiar with TruthQuest History, you can check it out here.

This curriculum emphasizes a study of history through living books.  The author, Michelle Miller, composed a list of books related to each subject, person or event and laid them all out for you by title and author in this resource.  She also has available a Binder Builder (like a lapbook), Notebooking Pages and Map/Timeline/Report package which coordinate with the actual TruthQuest History notebook.  Of these options, we purchased the Binder Builder and the Map/Timeline Report package.  I am finding it necessary to supplement the timeline, so I have purchased this product: History Through the Ages - Collection CD (History Through the Ages).  Also, please note that this price on Amazon is significantly cheaper than Rainbow Resource or CBD, which is why I chose to purchase it there!  I'll let you know how this product turns out after I get a chance to put it to good use over the next few weeks!

Our TruthQuest Binder.

The main benefit of owning TruthQuest History is having a huge list of resources to choose from with each area of study as you move through history with your children.  The book is laid out in chronological order by people and events related to that specific period of history.  Ms. Miller includes a short bit of history at the beginning of each section, but you'll mainly get your information from the living books you'll read with your children. You can try to find many of these books at your local library or get them through inter-library loan.  So, you can do this study with relatively little extra expense if you desire.  Also, the books that were in print at the time of publishing are specifically marked.

I personally find it difficult to get to the library often, so we opted to purchase our own selection of books for our history study.  Whenever possible, I try to see a book in person before making a purchase (or at least rely heavily on reviews of other homeschoolers!).  Because reviews of others are so helpful to me, I'll be doing periodic reviews for you!

So, watch for the next post in the series in which I will review A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus by David Adler!