"Connecting With History (CWH) is definitely one of my favorite options for Catholic families."
Cathy Duffy Reviews

"Connecting with History has far and away done more for my family than any other purchase I have made in eight years of home schooling. Not only have we been brought closer together through this truly family-based approach to history, but never before has the truth of God’s Word and His Church, within the larger context of world history, been made so brilliantly clear to my children. The discussion prompts and supplemental books and activities bring out the deeper concepts in a way that engages their intellects and helps them to connect the facts of their studies with their day-to-day lives and spiritual growth. It has made home schooling enjoyable and interesting for the kids and myself in a way that nothing else has done."
Favorite Resources for Catholic Homeschoolers

"Because the program is designed for homeschooling families, it acknowledges that most teachers will have students at several different grade levels studying all at once. Instead of creating more work for the teacher, the program’s advantage is that it provides a way for the family to study history TOGETHER, each going at their own pace. Readings and suggested activities are given for every range of ages. Based on the Classical approach and further on the Charlotte Mason method of bringing subjects to life using living books, the program goes beyond reading ABOUT history to literally surrounding the student with living history so that he can see/hear/feel/taste/imagine/touch the time periods he is studying."
Traces of Heaven blog

"I spent vastly more time developing a much weaker version of this course of study for our American history for third grade and am immensely grateful to the author and all those who helped her in developing this solid program for Catholics. Teaching history without it would be much more difficult and, I have no doubt, less rewarding. Seeing the resources recommended for older grade levels makes me even more excited..... I cannot recommend Connecting with History highly enough."
Our Home on the Range

"I wish I’d Connecting with History earlier and started it when Sunshine was in Grade 1. It is our favourite subject by far—easy to use for me, interesting and fun for the girls. I love how we are covering so many learning outcomes just by reading good books.

So much of our world today is built upon the past, and an understanding of that past is important. Architecture, literature, faith, law, politics, and more go back to the days of early civilizations, and the girls are learning about that through Connecting with History. I even find that I’m learning a lot from the program, and I did a history minor in university! "
The Koala Mom

More Customer Reviews:

I also have to say, what a wonderful program you have developed! We just finished Unit 3, just finished reading aloud The Golden Goblet (by far the BEST way to bring everything we have learned together). Thank you for all of your dedication in putting this together!

"We are already beginning to make our plans for an integrated History/Literature/Faith Formation course of study this year -- thank you! I am taking this approach: we have read the introductory pages together, and now both of my daughters (age 13 & 15) are taking turns with the syllabus and book lists, and coming up with a "plan" that would especially be of interest to them, given the suggestions provided. So far, I can already see that they are each creating a plan exceeding what I would have hoped, had I "intervened" -- thank you for providing a framework that allows this kind of independence at this stage!"

"I am so glad I found out about CWH two years ago and have been able to use every volume so far. I used to use Sonlight but I'd tweak it so much trying to add Catholic content, and there was so much that I didn't use. CWH makes it so easy and convenient. I can relax now, no pressure to stay on a schedule or to read every book. I love the flexibility of the different levels of CWH (my Grammar and Logic kids still like the picture books too) and the book lists are wonderful and so are all the extras (map, timeline, etc). Thank you so much!"

"Connecting with History arrived today!! I'm just getting a chance to read the introductory pages tonight. Wow!! I'm impressed. your curriculum contains the best features of the myriad of history programs I have used in our 21 years of homeschooling---and it's CATHOLIC! Thank you very, very much!"

"I'm very impressed with the organization, suggested materials and approach that includes the overall Catholic Christian perspective and the many cultures at a given time. Thank you very much for the obvious great effort that has been put forward for the advantage of homeschooling Catholic families!"

"I'm greatly impressed with the use of the cross to explain history and the timeline. In other programs they mention the fact history revolves around the Incarnation but you don't 'get' it until you see the way you have drawn it. The addressing of personal salvation history is unique and a real plus to focus on."

"I like CWH because it is so flexible and can be adapted to my plan and will grow with us!"

"Having the syllabus has been very helpful to me because I haven't had to hunt for resources or good reading material. You two have done a tremendous job of coming up with wonderful resources and I am most grateful."

"I spent months trying to come up with a history program from a Catholic perspective, but had no clue where to start. Thank you, Sonya and Andrea, for doing all the work for me. We are learning more than I could have hoped for. I feel so lucky to have found such a wonderful history guide. Out of all the curriculum choices I've made, CWH is without a doubt the most rewarding and satisfying."

"I have found the program acts as an excellent guide to studying history from a Catholic perspective. It highlights critical dates and events and focuses on the study of key figures in the building of Christendom. The recommended novels and accompanying study guides are truly excellent and I have found they provide invaluable assistance to my students in understanding a particular people/culture. Both of these particular aspects of the program have helped to make History class enjoyable for the students as they eagerly look forward to the unfolding of events. Thank you for your work in developing this wonderful program."
[written by a classroom teacher using the Connecting with History program in an independent Catholic school]

Unlike other family-based programs on the market, “Connecting with History” provides a detailed and thorough history education at all academic stages (even high school) that is specifically laid out, offering both options and structure at the same time. Because of it’s totally unique format, it is effective for virtually all teaching and learning styles, including those who prefer a Classical education (it is based on the trivium‘s stages of learning), theme units (it involves the whole family and many academic subjects), textbook approach (it utilizes core textbooks and fact-based books as its foundation, broken down into specific daily readings), Charlotte Mason (it is literature-based and offers narration, dictation, and notebook suggestions), or interest-driven (the students are encouraged to choose from various resources and activities). Visually appealing, its use of large subject headings and charts makes it easy on mom. Just a glance is needed to understand how to implement the program. Coordinated products such as timeline cards, notebook timeline pages, student report pages, and complete literature units further simplify its use and effectiveness.

On a personal note, “Connecting with History” has far and away done more for my family than any other purchase I have made in eight years of home schooling. Not only have we been brought closer together through this truly family-based approach to history, but never before has the truth of God’s Word and His Church, within the larger context of world history, been made so brilliantly clear to my children. The discussion prompts and supplemental books and activities bring out the deeper concepts in a way that engages their intellects and helps them to connect the facts of their studies with their day-to-day lives and spiritual growth. It has made home schooling enjoyable and interesting for the kids and myself in a way that nothing else has done (and I’ve tried the gamut of all the different educational approaches mentioned above, and countless products). Additionally, my four children range widely in ages and learning styles: two have ADD and additional unique learning needs, one is a more typical learner, and one is a kindergartner who wants to be included in school with the rest of the family. “Connecting with History” works for all of them equally well without overwhelming their pregnant mother who is plagued with health problems! And though we operate on a very tight budget, the multiple subjects and grade levels covered with this product help to put our money to very good use without waste. I cannot begin to recommend “Connecting with History” highly enough!

As we studied Volume One (ancient history and Old Testament), my children really understood Salvation History and the personal love of God as He continually reaches out in greater mercy and tenderness. They felt the newness of revelation when God called Abraham. They felt horrified at the slavery in Egypt. They felt the importance of obedience to God's Law when God gave the Ten Commandments and Moses proclaimed "I place before you today a choice: life or death. Choose life!" They felt frustrated as Israel fell over and over again. They suffered during the Exile. They rejoiced during the Return. They felt the anticipation as Israel waited for the coming Messiah. They understood the historical context of what was happening in the world at those times. They understood the political upheavals, the greatness of Greece and Rome, and how God was preparing the world for His Son. When we got to the New Testament, the study of the life of Jesus and the institution of the Church finally made sense in a way it never did before (even for me!). Nothing has affected us quite the way this product has!"

Review by A.C.