This Country of Ours

[ABQmom]

How have you used this book in your homeschooling? Would it be good to read aloud and discuss? How much American history does it cover and to what extent? What ages is it appropriate for?

 

I've been trying to do a search on this book for this basic info, but the search engine doesn't seem to be working. :glare:

[melmichigan]

You might try TCoO in the search engine, it has been debated ad nauseum. :)

 

Edited to add: It is used in TOG Y3 Dialetic level.

Edited May 23, 2012 by melmichigan

[Laura Corin]

How have you used this book in your homeschooling? Would it be good to read aloud and discuss? Yes. You have to be careful because it has dated attitudes to, for example, native Americans. So it's much more suitable as a read-aloud/discussion text. How much American history does it cover and to what extent? It's quite detailed. We got quite bogged down in the stories of each of the colonies. What ages is it appropriate for? Maybe age ten? It's a bit too wordy for younger children, I think, even though it's in story form.

 

I've been trying to do a search on this book for this basic info, but the search engine doesn't seem to be working. :glare:

 

Once you can use the search engine, you'll find that some people like it and other people feel it is unusable (see note about dated language/attitudes).

 

 

Laura

[coffeefreak]

I think it's boring. I thought there was a free edition online somewhere, but I can't find it now. There are many who find it offensive and racist. Like someone else said, it has been debated to the point of threads getting shut down.

 

HTH!

Dorinda

 

Here's a sample.

 

http://www.yesterdaysclassics.com/previews/marshall_country_preview.pdf

Edited May 23, 2012 by coffeefreak

[KAM]

We used it for a few weeks but it is definitely wordy and not very interesting most of the time. We are reading The Landmark History of the American People (a Sonlight history spine) now and it's going much better.

[Mama2Many4]

I bought it to use with Ambleside Online, but it is so boring and lifeless for the kids. I myself found it interesting, but with the language no matter how spirited a reading I gave they were bored to tears. They are finding a lot of joy and interest in Elemental History though! You may want to try that with younger kids.

[kwickimom]

Its available free HERE

[happypamama]

We use TCOO and generally like it. It stops at WWI. We've been using it off and on since my oldest was about 6 or 7; she is now 10. Sometimes I do have to stop and explain parts to the younger kids, and often the 3yo doesn't listen much at all, but generally they like it. I like that it doesn't talk down to them (I couldn't stand Hakim, for instance). I find that it varies -- sometimes it's nice and scholarly and sometimes it's overly wordy. It was written by a British woman, so sometimes it omits things that I would have thought would be mentioned in a standard US history book; there's no mention of John Paul Jones, for instance. Otoh, there were things mentioned about the American Revolution that were new to me. We have really liked it as a spine; we read a chapter and very often add picture books to reinforce names, get a deeper perspective, etc.

 

I did edit some of the things like calling the Native American savages.

[ABQmom]

You might try TCoO in the search engine, it has been debated ad nauseum. :)

 

Edited to add: It is used in TOG Y3 Dialetic level.

 

I think it's boring. I thought there was a free edition online somewhere, but I can't find it now. There are many who find it offensive and racist. Like someone else said, it has been debated to the point of threads getting shut down.

 

HTH!

Dorinda

 

Here's a sample.

 

http://www.yesterdaysclassics.com/previews/marshall_country_preview.pdf

 

Oops! Thanks for the warning about debates. Amazon reviewers loved it. I'm glad I asked about it here.

 

We used it for a few weeks but it is definitely wordy and not very interesting most of the time. We are reading The Landmark History of the American People (a Sonlight history spine) now and it's going much better.

 

Thanks for the suggestion of something different. I will look into this book.