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HOMESCHOOL REVIEWS
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History for Little Pilgrims
 History for Little Pilgrims This is a very unusual history book, especially for the early grades. The purpose of this book is to provide a view of history that puts God at the center. Thus, the first half of this history text is actually more of a Bible and Protestant church history. Then it shifts to highlights of American history for the second half. Aimed at first and second graders, the book features large print and colorful, cartoon illustrations by Vic Lockman. The vocabulary is challenging enough that parents will need to read it to most first graders and some second graders. Since the purpose is to present “His Story,” the authors have selected highlights to illustrate God's working through history rather than trying to cover subject matter comprehensively. For example, the book begins with creation, the flood, and the Tower of Babel. It discusses the beginnings of the church, the spread of the church, and the Reformation (disproportionately large coverage of this topic with entire sections on Luther and Calvin). Then, the section on American History mentions exploration and colonization, the Great Awakening, the Revolution, westward movement, and other selected topics up to the present, with a few pages devoted to each. Brief unit review questions and answers are included in the text. The teacher's manual expands on topics presented in the text, gives a memory verse to be learned with each unit, defines the words to know (listed in the text without definitions), and offers additional discussion questions and activities. Using the teacher's manual will require some preparation time for parents to read through the material before presenting each lesson. The optional coloring book features black-and-white versions of Lockman's illustrations.
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