How to explain Beyond's history to a friend...

[busybee4]

because she called me and asked the other day if any of the stories in the history reads were actual recorded facts or all just fiction. I told her that I thought that the stories were a mixture of both.

She pointed out the story about the little Holland boy who sticks his finger into the hole in the dike to keep it from crumbling under the pressure of the sea. She went to the net and searched for that story so that she could delve deeper into it with her children and found out that it was not a true story or at least it didn't happen in Holland.

I have praised HOD for two or three years now and she says that it was my influence that had a part in choosing HOD for her family so I guess I feel like I should be able to explain this to her?

She made this statement to me before getting off of the phone, "I don't want my children to grow up, find out that what I'm teaching is not actually true and then wonder what else I've taught them that wasn't true." (i.e. Biblical teachings).

So....can anyone help me out? I've always told my children that some of the details are true but many of the stories are not. They have been okay with that simple answer so I'm honestly not really sure where to begin with my friend.

Any advice? Thanks!!!

[Bramble]

aw, I'm sorry that you are feeling you have to shoulder responsibility for her choice in curriculum. Wow! That doesn't seem right to me. (HUGS) I just wanted to offer my support. I have not used Beyond.

[busybee4]

aw, I'm sorry that you are feeling you have to shoulder responsibility for her choice in curriculum. Wow! That doesn't seem right to me. (HUGS) I just wanted to offer my support. I have not used Beyond.

No, I don't feel that she is blaming me for anything, and I know that she loves and is enjoying Beyond. I just want to be able to explain to her clearly what the reasoning is behind choosing these particular books. (So I decided to get help in doing that cause I'm not really all that good at explaining things... )

We have always LOVED the history in Beyond and I know they do as well, she just wants to know about the above mentioned question.

No complaints from her or I about HOD, just wanted this question answered if at all possible.

Thanks for your support thought Bramble!!! I can always use someone's support!!

[Bramble]

oh good, I'm so glad I misunderstood.

[Tansy]

Hopefully this will help...

I think we need to look at history and written material as a whole. And now is as good a time to learn as any not all things written down are true (other than the word of God). There is a Story like the dyke in one of my Kids Chinese story books it just takes place in China and its dam. There is also a story very much like it in my India child's Grandma tales, a book of folk tales. Which came first Who Knows. It is a strong folk tale of America tho, so worthy of some of our attention.

My Dad was a superintendent and b4 that a principal... he teaches a course in a local college called "Conflict Resolution." He uses the past issues of the local paper and past board meeting notes, as his text... some times he even has recording of the original proceedings. Only one newspaper article so far.. has ever gotten all the facts correct (but they spell peoples names wrong). In class he has some people only read the article, others listen to the recordings (if available), and others read the meeting notes. Then he hits em with an irate parent question (usually one he got hit with the next day). Always there are very differing opinions as to what happened. What is true???? What is skewed... The news paper man was there, but his article is written from his point of view. Same with the secretary what she writes down is what she feels is most important not letter perfect.

It's what real life is about. That commercial on T.V. touting "Bump it's" not available in stores!!! send 19.99!!! (5 months later on the clearance section of local supermarket for $5). its all around us every day.

Warn her the cherry tree and I will not tell a lie is coming up. We always use these as opportunities to show truth is truly only found in Jesus.

I cant tell you My kids think most of what I read them is not really true. When I take them and show them the constitution, it clicks... When I bring up a photograph/video of a real person and they are like Wait Mom.... Hellen Keller was a real person? That is what my kids are thinking!!! What we are teaching them, is so far out of their reality at this age. Huh they are real?? is much more of a response than "One story you told me was a lie." Mya be I just have pessimistic kids. But I don't think she has a lot to worry about just yet.

[busybee4]

Thanks Tansy for your post.

It really puts a lot in perspective, a lot that I hadn't really thought about!!

I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

[my3sons]

History has been recorded and passed down in a variety of ways through the years. Oral narration is one of those ways. Written letters, memoirs, journals, etc. are also used to compile history. All of these methods are far from fool-proof or mistake free because people aren't perfect, and point of view deeply influences what is said and what is written. Living history books often portray facts in a storytelling, narrative way. This brings history to life, and IMHO does a much more effective job of teaching history because the flavor of the time period can be ascertained. Even if a person were to sit down and read a dry textbook or encyclopedia that only contained history "facts", that book would still be skewed by which facts the author chose to include. In fact, in many history textbooks Creation, God, and the Bible are completely excluded, which gives a totally inaccurate view of history.

She made this statement to me before getting off of the phone, "I don't want my children to grow up, find out that what I'm teaching is not actually true and then wonder what else I've taught them that wasn't true." (i.e. Biblical teachings).

This is a big responsibility we have as parents. The Bible is the only 100% correct teaching tool we will ever use, as it is the only book inspired - and thus written - completely by God. I tell my dc this often, and they do not expect any other book to be 100% accurate. It is challenging to find excellent history books that are living. I think HOD does an outstanding job of carefully combing through the options for teaching history in a living way and choosing the very best. If a person thinks she can do better, she should certainly try her hand at it. That is the beauty of homeschooling! But, I'd bet that another person could quickly find something wrong with whatever book she chose too - because no book is perfect.

In Christ,
Julie

[Carrie]

The ladies have already done a great job of talking through these questions with you, so I'll just pop-in to share that the focus of Beyond's history is to set the stage of early American history by providing the historical background of the various countries and cultures of people who settled in America. While the actual children named within American Pioneers and Patriots were not necessarily all real people, the background, settings, and time periods of the stories are. Often, the children in the stories interact with real people who were a part of the history of the time to add a feeling of authenticity as well. These stories are meant to provide a glimpse of what it would have been like to be a child during this time in American history. Likewise, the Stories of the Pilgrims and Boys and Girls of Colonial Days are in a similar vein. Once children have a feel for the time period of early American history, they will then move into the factual stories of real people within Bigger Hearts. In this way, Beyond and Bigger Hearts work well together with one setting the stage and the other focusing on the real people who played out history on this stage.

Blessings,
Carrie