The genre of historical fiction seems to be gaining in popularity for adults and youth alike. Parents are beginning to realize the benefit that historical fiction books can have in education. These books can help children learn more about historical events that may be otherwise difficult to talk about or understand. Hearing these stories can also make us more empathetic towards others, which is something we all want to instill in our kids. Reading a story can feel more personal, and the information has a tendency to stick more as well, adding to the benefits of learning through reading historical fiction.
The benefits don't end at reading! Historical fiction is also a great way to teach creative writing and spur your child's imagination, along with their research abilities. Get some ideas for ways to do this in "Creative Writing: How to Write Historical Fiction." In "Hooking a Resistant Learner with Historical Fiction," you will get some ideas for favourite books for children on this subject. You will also receive tips on helping your struggling or beginner writer express their creativity. Canada has some wonderful authors who have written historical fiction, and some even have places you can go to learn more about them! Find out about some of these authors by reading "Canadian Historical Fiction Authors."
Be sure to scroll down to see all the helpful content on creative writing on history, and don't miss the More For You section that has additional resources to gain more insight on this theme.
Whether you’ve got a budding author in the home or a reluctant writer, there are ways to help boost them along by providing opportunities of writing in addition to your language arts curriculum. Teach your children how to write historical fiction to give them engaging experiences that take advantage of interest-led learning and their imagination to cover several subjects in one activity. By giving your children a general framework of a writing assignment (instead of a specific writing topic), you can guide them to flourish with their own creative flair.
Now as a relatively well-read adult, I still gravitate toward historical fiction books, as well as historical non-fiction. I would more often pick up fiction as it allows me to feel like I am getting a gentler feel for many of these difficult times in our world history.
Reading books by historical fiction authors can open doors to opportunities for learning. One might learn things such as: Key dates in history, locations of historical sites and events, important figures and events in history, and the writing style of historical fiction authors.
More for You
Do we always need a textbook to learn? Never underestimate the power of a story to help children identify with a school subject like science, music, geography, or history. Read the article “How to Use Historical Fiction in Every Subject”—then try it yourself!
SchoolhouseTeachers.com Member Pick
Each day of the year, seventh through tenth graders choose from four to five prompts. History then comes alive as they research the topic, answer questions, and form their own opinions about what they have learned.
Each day of the year, seventh through tenth graders choose from four to five prompts. History then comes alive as they research the topic, answer questions, and form their own opinions about what they have learned.
A living book can help your children put themselves into a time or place in history far better than a textbook can. There are many books out there on Canadian history, but here is the short list to give you a quick look at some of the options.
Headphone History is an audio history of Canada with stories and legends to make learning fun. It comes with a reproducible workbook for all ages. Flexible and easy to use, it covers elementary curriculum up to and including grade 8.
"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).