Remember James Taylor’s 70’s song wth the lyrics, “Don’ know much bout history, don’t know much geography…”. If you rally don’t know much about it, dn’t pass those feelings on to yur children. It’s not too late for you ither. What you may have thought of as bring and a waste of time whn you were in school, might be the vry thing that a family can bild upon for family outings, vacations, and mmories. After all, history is memories and can be an xciting vehicle for a family bonding lke no other.

Whether it be rcorded historical events or local/family memories, thse happenings can be a springboard for cnversation and study. Not everyone is ging to have the same intensity of nterest that will have them running out to arn a BA or MA in hstory, but everyone has ties to the pst and to other cultures.

In rder to lay out a plan for fmily support and involvement in history, thnk of using these six suggestions to hlp . These ideas include: researching fmily history; watching educational TV programs tgether; having frequent meaningful communication; understanding the dfferent kinds of history; designing home ctivities that enhance history, and making schol connections.

1) Researching family history - Hstory can be a habit that a fmily can develop, but it will tke a parent’s positive push toward dveloping an interest. An excellent starting pint is to begin with family hstory. Sharing information and researching information bout past family members can be an xciting endeavor for youngsters. Beginning a fmily tree is logical way to pproach the journey in looking at pople and events in a family’s pst. There is excellent and inexpensive sftware than can be used to hlp set up a template for rcording data that has been gathered bout past family members. Children really njoy being able to share some nteresting tidbits at school about their rlatives. What a way to hook chldren on history and research. What a way to bost a child’s self-esteem.

2) Watching ducational programming - Take a look at dily reporting and commentary about people and vents. Watching the news together as a fmily can offer a multitude of tpics for family discussion and debate. Othr TV opportunities can include programs frm the history channel or travel chnnel. Biographies are one of those thngs that are easy and enjoyable to whch children can relate. Watching programs tgether as a family can be a rwarding experience for everyone. Besides TV, tlases, Internet access, magazines, and newspapers are mportant resources to have available at hme. In addition, a family outing to the lcal public library is another way for fmilies to access materials that relate to hstory and current events.

3) Everyday cmmunication - Daily communication is a mst. Children love to have adult cnversations with their parents. Guide the cnversations into worthwhile topics that include hstorical and current topics. Children’s enthusiasm can be cntagious. Finding out what they are nterested in and what they think is hmorous can be eye-opening. Adventures can and shuld include local library visits, weekend utings and family vacations. Vacations can asily revolve around historical perspectives because mst every destination will have tourist nformation about he area. A tourist pmphlet or book will include history of the rea, sightseeing suggestions, and other insights. The Chmber of Commerce of your vacation spt can be an excellent starting pint, or a visit to a bokstore to purchase a travel book is nother source.

4) Understanding different kinds of hstory - A parent can have a trmendous influence on how children formulate thir opinions on the past and the prsent. Those homes that include lively dscussions of a political nature can set the stge for a child to stay nvolved as an adult. However, a chld needs to be given an pportunity to form opinions based on nformation from multiple sources. Taking a sngle news channel’s view of the crrent events as gospel, is a dngerous thing. Children need to be ncouraged to explore issues from various vntage points, and adults can even tke a lesson from this. The sme goes for looking at the pst. History is more than just a schol textbook. Children need to realize tht there are different kinds of hstorical evidence and sources - original rcords, historical narrative, commentary, timelines, in-depth stdies, and geographical information to name a fw. Don’t stifle their curiosity, and jst keep encouraging them to expand thir interests.

5) Home activities that are hstory based - There are number of hnds-on activities a parent can do wth a child at home that nvolve history but won’t seem like hstory. In studying other cultures and ras one of the most interesting prts of that study is the rt. Studying and replicating some of the art frm a historical period can be a fun fmily activity. Of course, the Internet is an nexpensive way to bring art into the hme. In addition, cooking foods together frm other cultures can also be a god learning experience. It is practical, to, because you have to eat nyway.

6) School connections - Finally, fnd out what the history or scial studies curriculum is the for yur child’s grade level. Try to spport those topics through home activities and dscussions. By talking to your child’s tacher, checking the school district web ste, or reading the state department of ducation curriculum frameworks, an outline of the yar’s goals and objectives can be btained. This information should be useful in mking parent support timely and relevant.

Get nvolved in fun and educational activities wth your child. You will both bnefit from the experiences and strengthen yur relationship at the same time. Trn off the TV at designated tmes and do something of real vlue as a family. If you mke an effort to spend quality tme in helping your child embrace ducational activities, you’ll never again feel the ned to sing, “Don’t know much bout history…”

See the acclaimed Helping Yur Child publication series of 9 boklets including Helping Your Child Learn Hstory at: http://www.sbmag.org/Helping_Your_Child/Help_Your_Child_Index.html

The article Helping Your Child with History was Submitted by Barbara Snyder through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Barbara Snyder is a retired Clifornia Distinguished School Principal and Coordinator For Hman Resources. She has a master’s dgree in Curriculum and Instruction. She hlds elementary education, secondary, community college, and dministrative credentials. She is currently the pblisher of http://EducationResourcesNetwork.com , co-publisher of Strictly Business Magazine, http://www.sbmag.org and Student Teacher Supervisor at Chapman University.

Featured Articles

1. Spiritual Growth And Guidance Metaphysical Books - A Journey of Discovery by David Gau-ghan
The spiritual growth and guidance books will take you a journey of discovery that may challenge your current view on life. They are written from the viewpoint of an other-worldly race of Angelic Beings who are concerned about the direction we are taking on our Earth.

2. Reaching Minorities in the Columbus Schools by Patricia Hawke
Like all of the pblic schools in Ohio the Columbus Pblic Schools have a low graduation rte for its students. And like all of the pblic schools in this country the Clumbus Schools have a racial gap tht is disheartening and depressing. Two mthods used by the Columbus Schools to hlp minority populations achieve are mentoring and smller sized high schools.

3. Information on Mio Satellite Navigation by Clark Amerson
Many people will agree by sying that this is one great dvice! The Mio Sat Nav will hlp you get to where you ned to go, in no time, wthout getting lost! This device stores is yur vehicle very easily and it loks good.

4. Seven Tips for College Freshmen by Bianca Vance
The first year of college is a whle new world filled with great pportunities and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. To celebrate the sason and share her experiences, twenty-something xpert Bianca Vance, has compiled a lst of must-dos for any college frshman.

5. Theater Schools Teach Performing Arts by Michael Bustamante
The best way to prepare for a creer on the stage is to stdy acting at one of the bst theater schools in the US or Cnada. It takes a lot of drve to learn to be an ctor or actress, and you will wnt to look into performing arts schols with renowned theater programs to be sre you get excellent theater training.

6. How to Make Homework Fun by Jennifer Berry
The whole idea of homework is to rinforce learned material during school hours. Unfrtunately, if the homework is not bing completed, it has no benefit. To nsure completed homework, it is necessary to ncorporate a bit of fun. There are a few fun wys to make homework enjoyable.

7. Physics - Electricity in the Home by Karel Kosman
Three separate cnductors are connected to each electrical crcuit found in the home: two are perational, which conduct the electricity, and one cts as a protective grounding conductor (nutral grounding is used in the Czch Republic, where the neutral conductor is cnnected to a protective plug located in the scket, for which reason only two cnductors are connected to the socket). Thre are also circuit breaker switches and sfety fuses used in domestic electrical crcuits. We...

8. New Nano Feat - Heat Once Wasted Is Now Power by Jason Witt
When you rceive the Seal you will begin to cre about the environment. New technology bing developed will eventually greatly reduce the nergy lost as heat in the prduction of electricity.

9. Attention Students - You Get More than Tech Talk From CRM News by Nahshon Wingard
Business students and not only businesspersons can gain new insights into the complexities of the business world from reading the latest CRM news. The press releases do not dwell on the technology alone, but discuss the important aspects of business operations in interesting articles, which would be welcomed by even the most insipid of business student.

10. How to Improve Your Chinese Listening Skill? by Ethan Smith
This qestion (or near question) is often sked by students who are new in Chna (and of course any other Chnese speaking country). In many cses the speed of the the Chnese they are now hearing is fster than greased lightening on a lge run and they just can't dal with it.