I’m curious if there’s a textbook out there (or if it would even be possible to make one) that covers all elementary and high school subjects, aimed at adults. The idea would be to have one book that explains everything learned from grades 1 to 12, but in a way that’s clear and concise for adults, without overly simplifying or including examples that are more suited for kids.
Think of it like an encyclopedia that helps adults refresh what they learned in school, and also helps non-native English speakers learn the academic terms in English, along with how to pronounce historical and scientific names. For example, a well-educated Polish person might not know how to pronounce names like Archimedes or Latin terms like ‘habeas corpus’ in English.
This book would serve two purposes:
To help adults brush up on subjects they learned years ago.
To help non-native speakers re-learn these subjects in English, getting used to the terminology and pronunciation used in various fields.
What do you think? Is this doable, or does it already exist?
@lucas
I agree. Crash Course got me through AP Biology and Psychology, and I ended up with top scores in both. Khan Academy is really informative too, though it’s a bit more straightforward.
@KodhekMike1
That could work better. You might also find old textbooks at resale shops. They often have collections that span different grade levels and could give you a lot of what you’re looking for.
@KodhekMike1
General textbooks kind of do what you’re asking for. For example, if you wanted to cover all of history from 1st to 12th grade, you’d just need a few books like American History, World History, and your state’s history.
Although students use different textbooks each year, the material often repeats with more detail as they get older. So a good overview textbook can serve the same purpose.
For math and science, there are books that cover the basics. For example, ‘Everything You Need to Ace Science in One Big Fat Notebook’ covers a lot of material in one book.
KodhekMike1 said: @Meech
I meant one book per subject, covering all years from 1st through 12th. Maybe that wasn’t clear?
Got it! A book about American history, for example, would cover everything from 1st to 12th grade. But combining subjects into one book might be too much. You’d be better off getting a basic textbook for each subject.
A 5th-grade textbook might be what you’re looking for. They usually cover grades 1-5 in one book, allowing students to build on what they’ve already learned. For older grades, a high school textbook might be a better fit since they tend to cover more advanced topics without being too simple.
It would be impossible to fit all school subjects from 1st to 12th grade in one book—it’d be enormous! The Big Fat Notebook series is probably what you’re looking for, though. It breaks things down by topic, and they’ve started doing high school-level material too.
If you think 13 years of school can be condensed into one book that people can actually carry, you’re underestimating how much is covered in those years. Plus, school curriculums vary a lot by state and region.