European History 300-500AD

We have been continuing our history studies using RC History as our outline but substituting where I have felt a need for our family. To this end I purchased History Links Unit Eight The Medieval Era to help out with some more hands on activities, it does and it doesn’t have what I was searching for.

Truly I am coming to realise more and more that every family is unique and we all have our own style of learning. For my family we are definitely literature orientated. I have been trying to incorporate more hands on activities with my children and yet they often aren’t interested. Some of them seem to be interested if they think of the idea but usually they are happy reading, they’re not keen on writing either. But that is a ‘whole ‘nother story’ as they must have writing skills, how to achieve this end is a constant challenge.

Well to share what we have been reading for the younger children first:

Once Upon a Time Saints was used once again, this time we read Sts Ambrose, Dorothy and Genevieve. And we also delved into More Once Upon a Time Saints by Ethel Pochocki reading Moses the Black, Simeon and Adauctus. There is just something so appealing about Pochocki’s style of writing and the children love her stories.

Margaret Hodges Saint George and the Dragon is often begged for by my ds9, the story is stirring and the pictures are beautiful.

Tomie de Paola continues to rate up there as one of the best picture book author’s of saint stories. Patrick Saint of Ireland is informative and interesting. At the back of the book Tomie includes ‘extra’ information about St Patrick.

We also read a couple of stories in OOP books by Joan Windham. The same story of St Nicholas appears in Saints specially for boys and Six O’Clock Saints. Saints specially for boys also includes chapters on St Patrick and St Daniel of Syria. In Seven Saints for Girls we read about Sts Victoria, Sylvia and Pauline.

For the over 10s
It was really difficult to find many chapter books for this time period but we managed to find:

The White Stag by Kate Seredy retells the legendary story of the Huns’ and Magyars’ long migration from Asia to Europe where they hope to find a permanent home. We read this aloud, like Kate Seredy’s other books the language is exceedingly rich and descriptive.

Rosemary Sutcliff’s Lantern Bearers concludes the Roman Britain trilogy. Aquila, a young legionnaire, chooses to stay behind, in order to join the fight to save his native land when threatened by a tide of invaders, the last of the Roman Auxiliaries leave Britain forever.

Non-Fiction
We concluded with Famous Men of Rome

and began Famous Men of the Middle Ages by Haaren and Poland. Both books are popular with homeschoolers for giving a readable glimpse into life of those times.

57 Stories of Saints and St Athanasius by FA Forbes were saint stories for the older children to read. Einstein particularly loved the story of St Athanasius and excitedly gave me a full narration of the book and continued to read out bits of the book to us. His enthusiasm was catching and the whole family read the book. Only a slim volume but it gave the children a good picture of the Arian Heresy.

*Be sure to visit Aussie Book Threads for more book reviews.