Young children often learn best with hands-on learning activities, and short, age-appropriate lessons. Bede’s History of US from Veritas Press delivers both. My kindergartner has been learning so much about America since we started using this resource.

This $15.00 consumable book features a durable softcover. It has held up well to my six-year-old son haphazardly tossing it into his school drawer each day. There are 84 pages of history lessons, activities, flashcards, and resource guides.

The book begins with an introduction of a red ball of yarn named Bede (which is pronounced “bead.”) Bede is a timeline who will be along for your child’s journey through US history. According to the Welcome page at the beginning of the book, “The instructor should read the book to the student from the perspective of Bede the yarn ball.” Bede helps your child to learn what happened when.

The lessons in this book are age-appropriate for young learners. They are short and to the point. Most are a simple two-page spread. There is text to read aloud on each page, and often an activity for your child to do. These activities help to reinforce the learning, so your child remembers it more easily.

Activities are not complicated, though some will require some common school supplies and a few household supplies. The activities do not take a lot of parental prep. The directions are all explained very clearly, which makes teaching history simple.

One of the very first projects is to assemble a lap book about where your child lives. Other activities include drawing images on a timeline, simple mazes, folding paper airplanes, and doing basic mapwork. Songs and poems from America’s history are also woven throughout this history book.

Throughout the year, your child will read about famous Americans such as Lewis and Clark, Martin Luther, and Benjamin Franklin. They will also learn about important events in the history of the United States, including The Great Awakening, the Civil War, and the very first Independence Day. A few lessons are dedicated to art history and musical history.

None of the topics are covered in-depth. This is written with a younger audience in mind, with the goal of introducing them to American history so that when they study it again in the future, they already have a basic understanding.

My six-year-old son is really enjoying learning more about his country. He especially likes the activities. His favorite was the one where he got to eat chocolate and cheese while learning about The Great Awakening since Jonathan Edwards enjoyed both of those items.

If you are looking for a simple way to introduce a young child to US history, I highly recommend Bede’s History of US.

 -Product review by Lisa Tanner, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, February 2020