My kiddos actually love TGATB handwriting. They ask for it every day 😂 I think because it has something fun to draw and/or color, but also I like the size progression from larger to smaller and my DS8 is making strides in penmanship because of it... Obviously, YMMV - the dotted lines really helped my kids feel confident before writing 'on their own', but I'm sure some kids wouldn't like that. (Just like some kids don't want colorful, art stuff and would rather just get straight to point of writing letters.) Hope you find what works best! ❤️

We are in the middle of a big move (actual move date is only 2 weeks away!) and I hope we find some other families that homeschool and want to hang out occasionally for fun activities (and extra points if they are more crafty than me! lol) Thank you for replying! I have a relative that worked at Goodwill Books and after reading through the posts, I snagged HO Vol 1 along with the Teachers and Student guide for under $25 including shipping! I know I don't technically need them until fall (and I may not even end up using the guides), but maybe we'll finish American History earlier than I think and I'll be ready to go. I really love your suggestion of including everyone during SOTW read aloud and allowing my oldest to independently read and complete a more detailed timeline. My 10yo (second child) also loves creating fact lists, although hers are extra pretty since she's my artist and the doodles often compete for space with the facts 😂. I actually feel much better now about history, and following your link, I found that SOTW and HO chapter/topic side by side pdf! Thanks again 🙂

Thank you so much! I've been reading through that thread and wracking my brain about how to make it all work. My oldest is actually 11 right now, but will be 12 this summer. I decided in Jan to skip world history and switch to American History through the summer and then start back up in Ancients in Sept. I SO appreciate the coloring book suggestions! I've been searching TPT to see if they have any decent American History coloring books that follow the general layout of the Complete History of the United States. (Mostly, I'm looking for something low-key, like a coloring page or fun wordcross etc, to keep the younger kids engaged while I read a chapter or two... they all LOVE Liberty Kids and my 11 yo is supplementing with Uncle Sam and I from Notgrass, as well as a million related books.) I'm still torn on whether to move forward with SOTW in the fall, as my older two (11 and 10 currently) were super over ancients by the halfway point when we through it the first time (they were 7 and 8yo... which is how old my younger two will be in the fall). 😱🤔😬 History is actually one of my most favorite subjects, and for some dumb reason seems to be the one that I struggle with the most. It may be because I REALLY want it to be a family subject, but the kids are at such varying abilities, attention spans and learning styles, that it's just not meant to be 😭

Hi! I'm trying to prep for later this year and have a question about the newer editions of SOTW. I have the older books for all 4 volumes, and I have the vol 1 activity pack (in pdf format, so I can print however many copies I need for my 4 kids). Are the newer edition student pages that much different? I can't tell anything from the samples since they just show the exact same few pages that I already have. Also, are the additional coloring pages worth it? Since I'll have kiddos 7-12yo in Sept, I'd like to make sure there are some fun coloring pages for the littles, so I'm happy to spend the $8 if there are a decent amount of new images. Also, has anyone ever used the Review Question Worksheets (separate $8 pdf download) for older kids that are going through SOTW a second time? My oldest enjoys writing, but I don't want to bore her. (She's read through all SOTW volumes for fun a few times now, so I'm debating letting her do more independent history while I teach the 6, 8 and 10 yo together). Thanks!!

YOU. ARE. THE. BEST!!!! Thanks for this PSA ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

Hi, thanks for replying! So if my boys already know (and have mastered) the first 26 phonograms, does it still make sense to start with AAR1 or was your 7yo good with AAR2? I've done the first 5 lessons of AAS1 with my DD10 and they are totally just review (but fun for her and a good way to get used to the tiles), but I could easily see both my boys being able to do these first AAS1 lessons with zero problems.

Thanks for replying! Are you saying that you taught him through AAS or that he was already reading (albeit slowly) before starting AAS 1?

Okay, so I think that makes sense (and explains why my DD10 is reading Harry Potter but her spelling is... interesting. 😂) My confusion was more in regards to the fact that DS8 and DS6 have mastered all sounds of the first 26 phonograms which is where AAS 1 starts (from what I’ve read in the Teacher’s Guide, lesson 1 is just reviewing the first 26 phonograms until you confirm student has mastered them.) I used RLTL - Reading Lessons thru Literature, and after the first 26 phonograms are mastered, you start a spelling list and do a few words a day while learning new multi-letter phonograms. Then you review and read the lists that you wrote. It helped DD10 learn to read eventually, but clearly not spell (she knows phonograms well but didn’t learn the spelling rules in any meaningful way.) I’ve bookmarked Elizabeth’s Syllables page to start incorporating as well! FWIW, DD10 and DS8 both have glasses to help their sweet little eyes since they each have one eye that is mildly nearsighted and one that is majorly farsighted, along with astigmatisms and mild tracking issues. (I still feel really bad that I didn’t figure it all out sooner. I knew something was off but it took 3 separate optometrists for me to find one who could actually help.) I just want to help DS8 (he only turned 8 in Dec) learn to read as he’s realizing that he doesn’t want to be left out from certain books that his sisters talk about, and he wants to contribute to reading instructions during school (I’m sure this is mostly because he enjoys being ‘in charge’ every once in a while 😂). Thank you all for taking the time to reply! I really appreciate it ❤️

I just bought AAS for my DD10 that reads but struggles with spelling (I started with level 1 even though she knows the 75 phonograms because I want to really cement spelling help for her and also because it will boost her confidence to start from a place she 'knows'). I taught her to read using RLTL which is OG style and has been great for DS8 and DS6 for now. I ALSO purchased Phonics Pathways for DS8 who is not reading yet (this is due to some eye issues similar to DD10, which has now been corrected.. and also some 'attention' issues). DS8 and DS6 know the first 26 phonograms (again, OG style.... they know ALL the sounds each one makes) and we are just starting on the multi-letter phonograms. Here's where I'm confused and maybe you can tell me I'm not crazy. I spent a good amount of time reading through Phonics Pathway and AAS. I completely, 100% understand AAS and how to teach it and can see how it 'works'. Is this NOT the same as teaching reading?! I understand AAR says that children are learning to decode while AAS is teaching them to encode, but is this not kind of simultaneously learned? I tried to do a brief lesson with DS8 with Phonics Pathway and he seemed so thrown off. "Why are we only saying the short a sound?! /a/ says a, a, ah" (sorry can't figure out the correct diacritical marks on a keyboard right now). The whole lesson was a bust. He eventually was able to read each cvc word but was annoyed at the process of a s-a sa sa-t sat. He MUCH preferred just pointing to each letter s-a-t while saying their sound and then blending/reading them. Okay, so I've accepted that maybe Phonics Pathway isn't the best choice for us and that's fine. Do I really need to buy AAR 1 since it covers the 26 phonograms DS8 and DS6 have mastered? Can I NOT use AAS to finish teaching them phonograms (and reading) at the same time? I have no experience with AAR (obviously) and if you all say it's different or super helpful, I will trust that. I may be mistaken and wrong for the past few years, but doesn't most OG teach reading THROUGH spelling? (ex. If I were to dictate /c/ /a/ /t/ both of my boys would easily be able to write the word cat... and then they would tell me 20 words that rhyme with cat including some completely made up words that make them laugh.) Help. Am I losing my mind here?

Thank you - your PSA was very helpful! I actually have SOTW 1-3 but not volume 4 (it was out of stock at my local bookstore). I probably should have specified that the history is for this year. I started my school year earlier this month and will be going through summer with the hopes of "restarting" back on track in the fall. My biggest problem is that I've been trying to find a way to do both general world history alongside American history because my kids are really into learning about America right now, but they are also into Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, the whole Viking era, and medieval knights. I'll probably go with American since my eldest hasn't had a solid foundation of that from me (other than the crazy amount of fictional novels she has read 😂). I appreciate your input!

Thanks for replying again! I definitely think my kids' interests lie more in Pilgrims, Colonies, Revolutionary War to Civil War, Explorers, Pioneers, and turn of the 20th century (Industrial Revolution/scientific advancement/early inventions to say... WW1). I'm not planning on going in depth from 1920s through 2020 with them. I'll just do a 30,000 ft overview for now and go more in depth as they get older.

Thank you!! Super helpful from someone who has used both - I have some kiddos who do well learning with just oral narration, but most of my kids are visual. 2 like workbook type activities and 1 is a little artist who like visually drawing what she learned as a way to remember. Did you use the Revolutionary / Civil war Masterbooks as well?

Thank you! Did you add in the Revolutionary War and Civil War add ons? Also, for related activity/coloring page are you just using something you find online from a random site?

Thank you! The cover wouldn't naturally entice me 😂 But I like hearing this. It would save me money to get this and use it alongside SOTW.

Thanks for the suggestion! I had briefly looked at Masterbooks a while back. It says the Teacher's guide is 3 hole punched - does this mean you can remove individual worksheet pages to make copies? (I have some kids that really enjoy worksheets... 🤷‍♀️ 😂)