Studying history is incredibly valuable for a child’s personal and intellectual development. It is only by understanding the past that children can begin to grasp the complexity of our present world. Everything around us, from international political events to our personal family trees, has been shaped by events, people and trends from the past! When students study history, they develop a broader cultural awareness about the world. More importantly, they gain the opportunity to investigate where human beings have gone wrong and plan for a brighter future.
Yet too often, we see disengaged students who lack the motivation to learn about history. The past can seem so foreign and distant to them. After all, who cares about the many expeditions and wars started by old men? To exacerbate the issue, teachers frequently adopt a teaching-from-the-textbook approach when exploring history in the classroom, rather than truly engaging students and igniting their curiosity. Students are commonly expected to regurgitate isolated dates and names in a mind-numbing fashion. Furthermore, students face the additional challenge of understanding complex historical terminology, like the difference between primary and secondary sources.
Nevertheless, it is crucial for all educators to be well-equipped to cultivate students’ interest in History. In Australian schools, children start to learn about history in early primary and continue studying the subject until the later stages of high school. This is where Schooling Online can help.
Our History for Kids series takes a narrative approach to teaching historical concepts and terminology. The series addresses learning requirements outlined in the NSW Education Standards Authority syllabuses and the Australian Curriculum, covering material for Kindergarten (Early Stage 1) to Year 6 (Stage 3). Our captivating stories contextualise important dates, historical figures and key events, while whimsical animations bring the past to life! Students travel back in time with our exciting narrator and fun characters to learn about Australia’s past. As they visualise abstract concepts and events, children will gain effective memory aids.
As a team of professional educators, we can sympathise with students who find studying the past to be tedious. But we can’t let them give up so easily. Studying history is essential for students to truly understand themselves and the modern world. Indeed, the famous civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. once said:
‘"We are not makers of history. We are made by history."
For less than the cost of your daily cup of coffee, help your child to clean the cobwebs off history! Join Schooling Online today.