Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.
I believe this is the fourth or fifth year in a row that we have been able to choose a product to review from Home School in the Woods. We have come to love their projects. For example, last year we got to use the Ancient Egypt study from their Project Passport World History Study series. It took us until a couple of months ago to complete the course, and we didn’t mind taking a break, but my school children were happy to hear that we would get the chance to choose something again this year. Instead of choosing a project like that, though, I decided to request the Printable “Essential Timeline Library”. The children were interested enough in doing the Wonders of the World LapPak, though, that I ended up buying that as well (watch this space for a post about it when we’re finished, in a few months!).
The Essential Timeline Library is amazing! I have actually been using their timeline figures ever since we started homeschooling, back in about 2003 or 2004, when Esther was about 5 years old. We had discovered Sonlight Curriculum, and one of the items included with each core is a set of timeline figures to stick onto a timeline or into a book. We’ve been using them ever since, on various styles of timelines. This year, we’re using the Mystery of History, and I was trying to figure out a way to create timeline figures to put into a timeline book to go along with our studies. Voila! It’s done for me! On the Home School in the Woods website, they actually have a page listing all the timeline figures needed to go along with the volume of MOH that we’re using, organized by lesson! What a find. That makes my life so much simpler! And, I noticed that Home School in the Woods actually sells sets of timeline figures specifically tailored to the 3rd and 4th volumes of MOH.
One of the folders included in the Essential Timeline Library is a printable timeline book. It comes in two different formats, horizontal and vertical. There are clear instructions/suggestions for printing and using it. I tend to end up doing things my own way, though, and, because I already had a timeline book printed and we have been using it, I made a wall timeline. I printed the pages for about 50 BC through AD 1000, and glued them together, then punched holes along the top and strung a string through to hang this timeline on the wall in the kitchen. Then, I printed timeline figures to match those years, and every so often, while I’m reading aloud, I have the children color and cut out several to glue onto the timeline.
I have a friend who also uses these figures. They have a long, narrow hallway in their house, so she painted a line down one wall and penciled in a few dates. They colored and cut out the figures, and fastened them to the wall at the appropriate places. I asked her if I could share a picture of it, because I love the idea so much.
The timeline figures themselves are very easy to use. Each set comes with several options for printing. You can choose larger pictures, to put on a wall, or smaller ones, to put into a book. Each of those options comes with two options, as well: with or without descriptive text! The descriptive text is usually two or three sentences. Each figure, of course, has a title and date, as well.
There are seven main folders within the Essential Timeline Library download. The first two are HTTA-CD1 and HTTA-CD2. In the first one, are folders for each collection of timeline figures. These are America, Bonus, Creation to Christ, Napoleon to Now, and Resurrection to Revolution. Another folder in this folder contains links to indexes of the figures—very helpful! I printed all those indexes for quick reference. The second main folder, HTTA-CD2, holds, I believe, all of the timeline figures included in the first folder, but each one is a full-page picture. If one of my children wants a coloring picture to go along with our history read-aloud, I’ll have it! These are organized in alphabetical order, while in the first folder, each sub-folder is organized chronologically.
Next, I found the Record of Time Timeline Notebook. This is the printable notebook I mentioned. Covers are also included. The fourth folder is a Suggested Placement Guide, with photographs of each page of the timeline notebook. The last three folders are Add-On Paks, with more figures from all of history. I was happy to find an index for each!
The Essential Timeline Library is a resource I’ll be using the rest of the time I homeschool! It is very helpful. I love the clear pictures and the ease of using this. All we need is a printer and paper, and we have the figures we need, without needing to draw anything or locate pictures online or in books.
If you want to know what we thought about some of the other products we have used from Home School in the Woods, check out my reviews of a couple of the items from their A La Carte collection, a timeline of the American Revolution, one of the Time Travellers U. S. History Studies, the Knights Lap-Pak, and, of course, the Ancient Egypt study I mentioned at the beginning of this review. Also, be sure to click on the image below and read other families’ reviews.
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