So it pays to try things out first before investing in expensive texts. And remember that the goal of homeschooling is a happy child who enjoys learning and who is being guided into a direction of self-reliance and lifetime independent learning. They use one the computer programs listed below for about 10 minutes per day until they think they are ready to be tested. Then I print out one of the Virtual Tourist's blank maps, give them a list of the states or countries with abbreviations and they fill in the names on the map as a test. Then we go to the library and each child chooses a country that they want to study and we check out the Enchantment of the World book on that particular country.
Older kids can write a report on some aspect of their chosen country.
This link is broken - looking for another. I have the kids read a few pages from Hirsch's book and answer the questions. Older kids can do reports on selected topics of interest to them. There are a number of approaches to teaching history. You can check books out of the library for your child to read and put together your own history courses for free.