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Talk to me about using Story of the World. I see there are different editions - does it really matter which edition I get? Do I need the activity books / tests? Is the audio just a nice extra or really needed?

 

 

We will be using it as a part of Sonlight's Core G & H. Researching now as I know we will be buying used or getting it through paperbackswap, and the waiting list on PBS is HUGE!

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I have no idea about Sonlight. We are using just the text + tests. I can't imagine what good an audio version will do in addition to the text version. I say get one or the other. We have the book because I didn't know an audio version existed at the time. As it happens we like to read it ourselves and the boys read a whole lot faster than most audiobooks anyway so unless it were a book that is overwhelming to read (Dickens or Tolkien) we tend to get the hardcopy book for most things.

 

I like audiobooks though so many times the boys hear adult stories because I'm listening on the CD player.

 

 

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It depends on whether or not you want to add literature, a few maps and hands on projects that someone else suggests to your day and week.  If you do, get the Activity Books.  The tests are simple multiple guess and fill in the blank which can be used for review.  I don't know about different editions-I use what we have whatever editions they are.  I read aloud and we do narrations so the CDs are essential to our schooling.

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I find SL and the SOTW activity guide would take too much time if you did both. I do one or the other. We are on our second cycle of the SOTW books, and using the activity guide, which I love, but we're taking a break from SL to do it. Last time we did SL along with SOTW, but left out the activity guide. I'm fitting in a few SL RAs here and there, but not following the IG.

 

We have the books and the audio only because I found the audios on sale a few years ago. I like having both because repetition is good for remembering, but we don't use them at the same time. We will probably listen to the audio version while driving this summer. It should be like an old friend to my kids by then. You don't need both. I'd buy one or the other, whichever you would most prefer and then see how much your family likes it. If they love it you may want to buy the other another time.

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We started SOTW in 4th grade when I first pulled my son to homeschool and he LOVED having a real history book.  I really like the activity book with all it's extras--includes additional reading lists and activities in addition to maps and coloring pages. My boys love audio books too and although my son would read it on his own, and read it to his little brother, he still listed to the audio ALL THE TIME! He'd put it on shuffle to listen to while he ran!

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Our library has the audio books. Sometimes I check out previous year's audio books and just listen in the car. Totally not needed if you are interested in reading it out loud.

 

I use the activity books for the oral review questions, narration prompts, map activities, and related literature lists (I live our library). We don't use the tests.

 

Sorry I don't know about Sonlight.

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For Sonlight:

It doesn't matter which edition you get. You don't need the activity book or tests. The audio is a 'nice to have' but definitely not necessary.

 

You go through SOTW really quickly with Sonlight, so you really don't have time for the activity book.

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We have the book and audio. One DC has dyslexia and prefers to listen. The other sometimes listens, sometimes reads. The activity guide has been helpful for us, but we are not using it with Sonlight. I bought the PDF version and cut and paste the review questions for them to dash down answers as they listen. It helps them actually pay attention instead of zone out and say uh yeah I "listened." I did not buy the tests.

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