History of US

[hsmom]

By Joy Hakim http://www.joyhakim.com/history.html. Has anyone heard of these? If you have and you have used them how are they? I found them on Amazon for a great deal. I just want opinions before I buy.

[Lisawa]

By Joy Hakim http://www.joyhakim.com/history.html. Has anyone heard of these? If you have and you have used them how are they? I found them on Amazon for a great deal. I just want opinions before I buy.


They are secular, textbook type... but I like them.... we use them W/ TOG along with many other things... but I like them...

[hsmom]

Can they be used alone or are they more of a supplement?

[Lisawa]

Can they be used alone or are they more of a supplement?

You can use them alone.... you might find you will want to supplimet just for enjoyment maybe... like movies or other books, but yes they can be used alone. I think...

Hope you get a little more feedback!:001_smile:

[Sasharowan]

We're using them next year for 7th grade to supplement SOTW3/4. I got the middle school syllabus and tests from Hewitt. It gives writing suggestions, study aids, and tests and was only $9.00. But we haven't used it yet, so I don't know if it works well.

[JFS in IL]

I have had an 8th grader and now a 5th grader use them (the 5th grader is almost 12, though).

[hsmom]

Well I would be using them for a 5th grader that is almost 12 also. So, do you think the content is alright for that age or should I wait a little while?

His reading level is low. So, I don't want to get something that will fly over his head.

[Sue G in PA]

and as she is a strong reader, the reading level was fine. THe information was a bit overwhelming. I do think had she been a bit older she would have gotten more out of it. We use them w/ the cyber we were a part of. Personally, I really enjoyed them! I read them ahead of her just b/c! I would have like a more Biblical view, but all in all...good books. I'd use them again. Joy Hakin does have teacher materials out...tests/worksheets/etc. I think. My dh actually met her at one of his conferences and she gave him and the other participants a bunch of the teacher manuals, transparencies, etc.

[abbeyej]

I think they're excellent. They're *packed* with information, which can get overwhelming. But they're very narrative in style and I'm enjoying them tremendously. My 4th grader likes them a lot too -- but he's a strong student, and even so I can certainly see that (while I think they're worthwhile right now), he would get even more from them later on. In fact, we may reuse them in a few years as well.

[nestof3]

We used them with our oldest. We are more liberatarian in our political views (she is pretty obvious where she stands on many issues), but overall it is a very conversational, interesting, fun series.

Our library has the audio versions, and I may just check them out for fun.

[ArwenA]

We loved them as read alouds and I've heard lots of great stuff about them as a curriculum.

[8FillTheHeart]

I owned them and sold them (and I rarely sell my materials since I still have so many little ones coming up). I found them skewed. But I am very particular about what I will use for history. I tend to not rely on history textbooks and go more the "whole" source route.

[Christine]

I used them for my eldest and will continue to use them.

I spread them out quite a bit (2 years) as we were doing a lot of American Lit, and Am. Gov't in conjunction with them.

Also, I added historical fiction / biographies, etc. to go along with.

I have a schedule posted on my blog (under schedules). . .

[angela in ohio]

I owned them and sold them (and I rarely sell my materials since I still have so many little ones coming up). I found them skewed. But I am very particular about what I will use for history. I tend to not rely on history textbooks and go more the "whole" source route.

:iagree:

[vmsurbat]

Since they are *so* highly recommended by all the "literature-based" history gurus, I tried to use them twice (selling after each time). I am no longer tempted... :-)

They are a bright, colorful narrative; We could live with the bias (pointing it out, of course). What my kids *didn't* like: 1. the jerky feel--too many sidebars detracting from the flow; and 2. the uneven coverage--minor events/peoples treated like major events/people.

We *have* liked This Country of Ours (available to view online at www.mainlesson.com, also available to purchase at their sister site). This is also a well-written narrative that definitely sidesteps the "jerky" feel but is still prone (as most narratives are) to linger on unessentials... This is my text of choice for upper elementary/jr. high US history.

HTH,

[Kari C in SC]

We read through the whole series and really enjoyed them. In my almost 10 years of homeschooling, this set is one of the very few things we have used that I really want to use again.

[cricketleg]

We used them last year for US History and enjoyed them very much. I will continue to use them. I had no problem with them at all.