WHAT IS “STEP 3”?
STEP 3 is two years of secular, religion-friendly curriculum, designed for use by students ages 9-10, who read reasonably well.   The focus of Step 3 studies is to develop literacy while teaching the various subjects offered.

DOES MY STUDENT NEED TO DO STEP 1 OR 2 TO GET A STEPS EDUCATION?
No.  Each Step covers the entirety of each subject offered, but as the student goes up through the Steps, the materials become more detailed, and challenging.  Students start at the Step right for their age and literacy.  They do not need to go back to an earlier level unless they find themselves truly struggling, and for a significant amount of time.

IS STEP 3 FOR HOMESCHOOLING?  OR THE CLASSROOM?
Step 3 is independent study for homeschoolers, but it has been used with success in the classroom.

ARE STEPS 3 COURSES BOOKS?  HOW DO I GET THEM?
STEPS courses come as PDFs, online downloads.  When you purchase courses on our site, they are immediately sent to the email address you give us.

HOW DOES STEP 3 HISTORY WORK?
Like all STEPS studies, Step 3 courses are broken into daily lesson plans.  Each lesson plan is made up of small things to be done, in sequence.  The student does each step in the lesson plan, in order.  Sometimes, the course shows students art work, video, or photography – all found in sequence, in the lesson plan.  And in every lesson plan, the student uses what has been taught and does things, there are always activities. 

Over a period of two years, the duration of Step 3 studies, students develop improved reading and literacy skills.  Each student moves at their own pace in developing literacy, as in all their studies.  By the end of Step 3, a student should be ready for almost entirely self-directed independent study, and they should have developed a solid grasp of the essentials of the subjects studied in Step 3.

Step 3 History is taught on the “time line”, in the order history occurred.  It is global history, rather than history focused on one nation.  Step 3 History uses The Story Of Mankind, the first Newberry Prize winning book, as a source.  (The book is included in the courses.)  This time-honored book provides a baseline for some of Step 3 History, but the courses take learning much farther than the book alone could ever accomplish.  There are sixteen Step 3 History Courses, intended to be completed in roughly two years of study.

Step 3 History studies start with “Pre-History”, which covers religious and scientific concepts (without bias) of how the universe, the world, and mankind came to be.  The following History course begins a study of ancient civilizations, including Mesopotamia, Egypt, Phoenicia, The Greeks and Romans, India, China, etc., up to today’s powerhouses.

Step 3 History courses explore the history of civilizations, alongside their accomplishments and cultures, all in context to the time line.  So politics, economics, religion, philosophy, geography, language, science and the arts all play a part in every course.  By the time the student completes Step 3 History, they should have a good idea of where in history we got most of the ideas we live with today, why and how those ideas came to be, and their consequences.

And most importantly, the history student is constantly required to evaluate for himself every event in history, to determine its value to the student.  This demands of the student that he develops real Critical Thinking Skills, as well as making history studies relevant and timely. 

So, a fairly comprehensive look at history in content (at least High School level), with all related subjects a part of the work; improved vocabulary every lesson; improved geography skills almost every lesson; improved literacy; improved Critical Thinking Skills; an improved idea of the student’s own ability to evaluate information; and hands-on challenges and fun in the process – that’s Step 3 History.

AND we provide many Step 3 History Electives:

CURRENT EVENTS:
Step 3-4 offers 10 Current Events courses, which use a unique approach we call “guided research”.   In each course, a modern global issue (such as current wars, global poverty and hunger, energy or environmental concerns…) is fully defined.  Then, guided through the research, the student discovers what is happening with that issue today.  This keeps each Current Events course current.  Finally, the student decides on an appropriate course of action to remedy the problem, based on his own understanding.

CIVICS:
Step 3-4 All-Purpose Civics uses guided research again, allowing the student to do a full Civics study for any selected country, state or province, or city.  We also offer step 3-4 courses focused on the American Constitution, and another on the American Bill Of Rights.

CREATIVE WRITING/HISTORY HOLIDAY ELECTIVES:
We selected many of your favorite holidays and built a course around each one!  New Year’s Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Independence Day, St. Patricks’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, even Your Birthday!  Each of these courses starts with a full explanation of the history of that holiday or observance.  The history section is fun, and often surprising.  Then, the student is guided step-by-step through the authoring of two short stories for the holiday, acquiring more Creative Writing skills and understandings!  For our Valentine’s Day course, we even added some guided assistance to write some poetry!

Our reading list even provides a brief but fine list of books about History that we recommend.

CAN I PURCHASE INDIVIDUAL COURSES TO FILL NEEDS IN MY CHILD’S EDUCATION?
Yes.  Each STEPS course is a free-standing, independent study. 

CAN I PURCHASE A FULL SEMESTER OF STUDIES IN STEPS ALL AT ONCE, OR A YEAR'S WORTH OF A CERTAIN SUBJECT?
Yes, as “bundles” on our site.  Bundles are the least expensive way to purchase STEPS courses.  

HOW QUICKLY COULD I START USING STEPS 3?
Start now.  You can start STEPS at any time of the year, 24/7/365.   Everything you need is pretty much included in the courses you will download, for STEP 3.  (Some courses require films or outside books, which are carefully explained, with links provided detailing where to find them.)

HOW MUCH DO I, THE TEACHER OR PARENT, NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HISTORY IN ORDER TO USE STEPS?  HOW MUCH DO I NEED TO DO?
You (teacher/tutor/parent) do not need any expertise in subjects your student is studying, using STEPS.   Not as a teacher, or in the subjects being taught.  You do not need a degree, or experience as a teacher.  Each course does the “teaching”.   Just follow the lesson plans, and keep your eyes open for fun opportunities related to whatever the student is studying.   The course does the teaching.

HOW QUICKLY CAN I MOVE MY STUDENT UP STEPS?
A student can move up at any time he has the literacy skills and maturity for the next level.  The student does not need to “complete” a lower level of curriculum to move up.  The student just needs to be able to successfully do the next higher level of curriculum as far as difficulty and literacy.  With STEPS, a student is never “behind” or “ahead” – each student moves at the pace they’re comfortable with, every step in every lesson plan, every course, every level. 

SUCCESS STORIES ABOUT STEP 3 HISTORY STUDIES!
My daughter had such fun with this course. She is constantly telling us about the Egyptian beliefs or what they did and relating them to things she sees in everyday life or in movies or books she reads, etc... She made connections between their "stories" and what she has learned in Sunday School. I feel like she has learned so very much and we can't wait to start the next one!  Thanks!  S. W., Homeschool Parent
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(About our History/Creative Writing Father’s Day Course) Wow, this is certainly not a wimpy Father's Day product intended for little kids! My two girls' father has been in jail most of their lives (I'm the grandmother, not his wife) and this product will help them to understand what a real father is and does. The questions will help them to identify the "real" fathers in their lives (my husband and their uncle). Now for those of you who have more normal situations, this course will be a celebration of what fathers do for us and help your children become aware of all we need to grateful for. All that, plus writing and a little history thrown in. A great product.  L B., Homeschool Mom
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(About our Current Events course, Current Wars) Another critical thinking program from STEPS! This curriculum addresses a subject many people, young and old, don't understand. It discusses the history and technology of weapons used in war, includes research, geography, vocabulary (STEPS excels in including all of these areas in their curriculum in a way that is not intimidating, yet is challenging enough for students in a range of ages and abilities),questions that get you thinking outside the box, and a test at the end for those who want to see how well they retained the knowledge. This is not a memorization program and you will need daily access to the Internet. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to understand our present day world situations.  K B., Homeschool Mom
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(Current Events: Religious Intolerance) Just wanted to put in a hurray for CTT's Religious Tolerance Upper School course. My son is really enjoying the material and the process of thinking about and discussing tolerance and religious differences. He's a reluctant writer, and some of the assignments have really challenged him (thanks!). He's produced some decent work that really illustrates deepening of thought. It's been a great complement to his religious ed program at our Unitarian Universalist Church this year but could be used without any previous background in world religions, since some exploration in this area is included in the study.

The last section on the United Nations' declaration regarding religious and tolerance has stretched his thoughts, critical thinking, and vocabulary. It's been by far the most difficult writing of this course, and I'm delighted to see him thinking and working so hard. I'm looking forward to exploring more in the STEPS Current Events series.  S.M., Homeschool Mom