In case this helps someone else who homeschools, especially with reading/learning disability…
I wanted Katie’s History to be a thinking course, not just one where she regurgitated a list of dates and names. So I opted for a philosophy/critical thinking-geared curriculum. But. With her learning differences, the writing style of the text was way over her head and had so many bells and whistles going on (lots of illustrations, text boxes, timelines, varying fonts) that it was literally sensory overload for her. I loved it, and it ticked all the boxes for my learning style…but for her, not a fit. Thankfully the purchase did not come with a super hefty price tag, so the buyer’s remorse is only minor.
The good news…I found “American History from Columbus to 1914 with Socratic Discussion” (which is included in my SchoolhouseTeachers.com membership) that will accomplish the same thing but with a much more relatable textbook and a video component as well. The book is also from a conservative world view which I appreciate. This course also has some solid writing assignments as well, and that will be a great accompaniment to our using the Writing on This Day in History Course (also through ST.com).
I also discovered that Drive Thru History has a video American History class (also included with my ST.com membership). This will be a great supplement! She has always loved those, and we do a screen share from laptop to our smart TV so she can enjoy those on the “big screen”.
So, I found the textbook for this new course used in excellent condition on Amazon for $7 and free shipping. That’s my only cost for needing to switch gears. Very grateful for the Lord’s provision! And this is one of the beauties of homeschooling…I could see very clearly that Katie wasn’t “catchin’ what they were throwin'” and was feeling lost and discouraged. I showed her the new materials and had her weigh in, having her read a page of the text to give it a test drive, and showing her the discussion/debate video as well. I think she’s really going to enjoy this.