Adventures in America, Sonlight K, or something else

[AnneGG]

I bumped into this curriculum and I’m very intrigued. 

https://www.rainbowresource.com/product/051593/Adventures-In-America-Student-Notebook.html

https://www.rainbowresource.com/product/051594/Adventures-In-America-Teachers-Guide.html?

I’m having trouble finding information about the program. RR doesn’t have much and Amazon only had a few reviews. Has anyone here used it? Thoughts? I would be using it in the 2nd half of Kindergarten and into 1st grade. 
 

The other possibility is Sonlight’s kinder American history. I think I would skip the IG and just buy the book pack. Not sure how much we would be missing in doing that. From what I understand, the IG is mostly a reading schedule. 
 

I’m open to other suggestions. 

[Momto6inIN]

I haven't heard of it either but it sounds interesting! 

[Lori D.]

You can use the "see inside" feature at this Amazon page for the go-along booklist, the table of contents, and some sample pages. Clicking on the "surprise me" link several times while using the "see inside" feature brings up additional sample pages.


ETA, after reading some sample pages
The text is written with some "fictional" aspects -- a bit of imagined dialogue plus imagined emotions/reactions, which leads to making assumptions about the mindset and motivations of the historical figures.

I totally get that the purpose is to make the events more story-like, esp. since this is written for the early elementary grades and is most likely trying to make historical facts and figures more interesting for children. But that technique always feels almost manipulative to me, like putting the author's worldview and words into the mouths of the historical figures. I guess I just don't like assuming what people must have been thinking or feeling or saying -- I personally prefer sticking with what has been recorded that the historical figures actually said, or use their own words from their writings... That's just me. 😉 

Edited November 13, 2020 by Lori D.

[AnneGG]

1 hour ago, Lori D. said:

 I guess I just don't like assuming what people must have been thinking or feeling or saying -- I personally prefer sticking with what has been recorded that the historical figures actually said, or use their own words from their writings... That's just me. 😉

Thank you for mentioning this. 

[Lori D.]

10 hours ago, AnneGG said:

Thank you for mentioning this. 

And, just to clarify -- I mean I don't care for adding "guesses" of motivations/thoughts/words/feelings to a nonfiction factual history text. That's fine to do with historical fiction, because it is clear that it is *fiction*. 😉 

Edited November 13, 2020 by Lori D.

[SereneHome]

I wanted to do Adventures in America when my oldest was in K. It was toooooo much reading for that age. My 5 yr old couldn't remember anything. So I just picked some books from the curriculum and he colored a few state pages. I really really liked the idea of doing American History before World History, but it just didn't stick.

But I did like the curriculum - she gives a short "summary", but mostly you are just reading recommended books. Like I said, my then 5 yr old didn't understand it and didn't retain any of it.