Teach Your Kids History Through Literature with Beautiful Feet Books

I love history. 

Let me rephrase that. I love history now. As a student, it was probably my least favorite subject (besides math, of course).

All of those boring textbook assignments left me feeling like I didn’t care if I never read another history book again. And the memorization. Oh my Lord. In my opinion, if you’re looking for an effective way to kill any desire your child might have to learn about the past, make them memorize a slew of dates that have no meaning to them.

I didn’t want that for my kids. One of my main reasons for homeschooling is that I want my kids to actually want to learn. 

(Disclaimer- I received this product for free and was compensated for writing this post in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are entirely my own.)

Recently I had the opportunity to try out Beautiful Feet Books with my children, and all I can say is that this curriculum has fulfilled that expectation, well, beautifully…and then some.

About Beautiful Feet Books Homeschool Curriculum

Beautiful Feet Books is a Christian literature-based history curriculum based on the Charlotte Mason method of learning. Rather than using textbooks and drilling to teach this subject, Beautiful Feet Books utilizes living books, narration, mapping, and journaling to create a more holistic way of learning.

While there are many study guides available, we chose to learn about Early American History for Intermediate Grades. Some of the events and historical figures covered in this unit include:

• The Vikings
• Christopher Columbus
• Pocahontas
• William Bradford
• The Pilgrims
• Benjamin Franklin

The selections are a mixture of chapter books and picture books and are meant to be used as read-alouds, although they can certainly be read independently by an older child, as well.

Other features included are:

• Four “Your Story Hour” audio CDs
• Downloadable maps and pictures
• A timeline and timeline characters
• Recommended related websites
• A list of recommended supplemental resources
• Relevant verses and discussion ideas

Why We Loved Learning History Through Literature with This Curriculum

First of all, let me just say that, as a mom of many, one of the most useful tricks I’ve learned is to group my kids. Since the guide we used is at the intermediate level, I was able to use this with my 4th 5th, and 7th graders – the same kids who are usually grouped together anyway.

As a relaxed/eclectic homeschooler, I’ve found that read-alouds and notebooking are one of the most effective and pleasant ways to learn together.

I’m going to be honest and admit that although Beautiful Feet Books came highly recommended, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. However, when I discovered that the entire approach is based on the Charlotte Mason Method, which includes read-alouds and something very similar to notebooking, I was ecstatic.

If you ask me, there’s no better way to learn.

One of the many things I love about this curriculum is the fact that all of the books on the list are in chronological order, and they’re all high quality literature.

I mean, how can you not love a curriculum that includes books by Ingri and Edgar D’Aulaire??

Before I discovered this resource, I often had trouble making decisions about what books to read to my children. Even if I knew what time period I wanted, I was always torn between which people to cover, which events to study, and which books would be the best choices.

With Beautiful Feet Books, that indecision just disappeared because all I had to do was choose a time period – Early American History – and the study guide did the rest for me!

• Quality literature in chronological order? Check.
• A simple lesson plan? Check.
• Narration ideas? Check.
• Maps, drawings, and an opportunity for writing and copywork? Check.

This has easily been the most natural and relaxed curriculum I’ve used in my entire eight years of homeschooling. Ever.

What can be more natural than sitting down with your kids and reading together? I also particularly am grateful for the suggested questions which are included in each day’s lesson. Sometimes getting my kids to narrate can seem like pulling teeth. Having specific questions to get them started is a stroke of genius, in my book.

Since my kids were already used to the idea of notebooking through their read-alouds, we simply continued using our original method for this. First, we read and narrate. Next, the kids help me come up with a word bank which I write on the whiteboard. Using our discussion time and key words and phrases written on the board, my children create notebooking pages – sometimes writing, sometimes drawings – illustrating what the day’s reading was about.

This curriculum has taken a homeschooling routine that we already love and has made it ten times easier for me. Without a doubt, Beautiful Feet Books has got to be one of the best curriculums I’ve ever used – and coming from someone as picky as I am, that’s saying a lot.

If you’re currently on the lookout for next year’s homeschooling resources, I highly recommend Beautiful Feet Books- Early American History.

I can’t imagine a more delightful approach to learning.

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