Listed below are several books I'm considering. Does anyone has experience using them? If yes, please share. If no, but you found something else that works - PLEASE SHARE! Thanks. First 4 are all by Barbara Sher: Smart Play : 101 Fun, Easy Games That Enhance Intelligence… http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Play-Games-Enhance-Intelligence/dp/0471466735/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product Spirit Games: 300 Fun Activities That Bring Children Comfort and Joy… http://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Games-Activities-Children-Comfort/dp/0471406783/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product Self-Esteem Games: 300 Fun Activities That Make Children Feel Good about Themselves… http://www.amazon.com/Self-Esteem-Games-Activities-Children-Themselves/dp/0471180270/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product Attention Games: 101 Fun, Easy Games That Help Kids Learn To Focus… http://www.amazon.com/Attention-Games-Easy-Learn-Focus/dp/0471736546/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product These are by other authors, but I thought they looked good for specifically developing social skills and life skills: 101 Life Skills Games for Children: Learning, Growing, Getting Along (Ages 6-12)… http://www.amazon.com/101-Life-Skills-Games-Children/dp/0897934415/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product 104 Activities That Build: Self-Esteem, Teamwork, Communication, Anger Management, Self-Discovery, Coping Skills… http://www.amazon.com/Activities-That-Build-Communication-Self-Discovery/dp/0966234138/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b Easy Activities for Building Social Skills: Dozens of Effective Classroom Strategies & Activities to Teach Cooperation and Communication, Manners and Respect, Positive Behavior & More!... http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Activities-Building-Social-Skills/dp/0439163536/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t

Anyone use this for homeschooling? It looks like it was written for a classroom setting. I wonder if it is adaptable for ds6 and 3 younger siblings. Anyone have another recommendation for building social skills? Easy Activities for Building Social Skills: Dozens of Effective Classroom Strategies & Activities to Teach Cooperation and Communication, Manners and Respect, Positive Behavior & More!... http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Activities-Building-Social-Skills/dp/0439163536/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t

Did I hear someone mention that God's Design series by Answers In Genesis is being updated. Do you know when they are due out?

I'm not trying to be rude by saying this, but the above comment is exactly why I am struggling. This is NOT the thinking that I want my children to have. It seems that this poster is confused and has no real grasp of absolute truth. That is the danger of presenting the bible among other "stories" where there is not a clear line of truth vs fiction. A fairy tale, myth and the bible are not in the same category for a Christian who believes that the Word of God (bible) is without error.

THAT'S what I was trying to say but I didn't say it as clearly as you did! Thank you, Holly! Your insight was VERY helpful. This year we were planning to use MOH as the "spine" but add in sotw as it fits. Your thoughts on vol.2 were very helpful! I WANT to do sotw and was not sure how to reconcile. I think if I do both this year (take it year round if I have to in order to get through it) and then switch over to just sotw 2 next year, I should be fine. I think that the next cycle I might come BACK to MOH for the full cycle and listen to the sotw cds for review maybe? Thank you, thank you, thank you!

To answer the above question - yes, MOH starts with creation - includes flood, tower of babel, etc. To Michele - I get where you're coming from and appreciate that kind of study that you describe...but for a first grader? Do you have the same thoughts? Those seem like things to be brought up in 5th or 9th grade study (if you are following the traditional cycle of TWTM) rather than 1st grade (facts) cycle. Do you agree or disagree with that?

Anyone used both and have a preference? I started this year with sotw (ancients) and all the stories about the gods unsettled me some. I don't know what it was...I don't have a problem with saying that the people worshiped many gods - but sotw seems to almost go overboard in emphasizing it and relishing in the ancient beliefs. When I picked up MOH (Mystery of History) and read one chapter, it seemed vastly different. Both are written chronologically and "story like", but reading about the Sumerians in SOTW was a story about the ruler that was WAY too similar to stories in the bible (seemed to take parts of moses and joseph's bible story)...I thought this would be confusing to my first year old. I read him the story of Moses floating down the river - and then he also hear of this "story" of the ruler who did the same thing? I think these stories are not true and the bible is - I am a grown woman - my ds is 6 - I am wondering how much he is able to tell truth from fiction/myth? Maybe sotw would be fine for a 5th grader who is in the logic stage, but to me...it seemed like sotw is taking away from giving my kids a foundation of biblical truths. I am disappointed because I know the author is a Christian and want to know if the rest of the sotw is more of the same or if this is mostly in the beginning when all these stories of "the gods" are elevated? In MOH regarding the Sumerians, it talked about their intelligence - that they had 600 letters in their alphabet, schools - even flushing toilets...how they were confused even though they were very religious and that Abraham was probably a Sumerian because he was called from the land of Ur. I was expecting sotw to be AWESOME the way I've heard people talk about it. So now I'm wondering...have these people also used or considered MOH? If so, what were their reasons to stick with sotw? For now, I may use MOH, but have sotw as a supplement.

There is also "The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Reading" put out by Jessie Wise (it would replace phonics pathways).

Is anyone else confused by the layout of SOTW, vol.1/Ancients? Does it seem like it jumps around? Maybe because I am trying to follow alongside it with bible history...but even with the first civilizations...we start out with nomads and the first farmers - then jump to egypt, pharaoh, mummies and pyramids...THEN we go back to middle east and sumerians. Does that seem confusing to anyone else? Why not talk about the Sumerians as the first civilization, cuneiform...then go into the egypt stuff? I'm trying to learn this WITH my kids because I was never taught any of this in school...and we're getting a little confused...:001_huh:

That is exactly what I needed to know! He is not advanced (immature, in fact-other than in reading) and the Apologia Zoology looks PRETTY THOROUGH! It had not occurred to me to wait until next year. Thanks for the thought - that might be the best solution and just do experiments and fun stuff this year. I wondered about the astronomy one...he is "in" to space right now, so maybe that would be a good fit. I am trying to do the WTM approach right now with the encyclopedias and supplement library books, but I don't feel like we're getting much out of it and could use a little more direction. Anyone else have an opinion?

I want to know more about this, too. I actually just put a thread out there before I came to this one. I couldn't think of what AIG was either. I'm glad someone clarified. For those using this, did you consider Apologia Zoology - if so, why did you decide against it in favor of God's Design for Science? When I looked online at Apologia it looked PRETTY THOROUGH...I'm wondering if it's a little TOO much for my 1st grader. Looking online at the AIG stuff looks a little less intense. The pdf samples are in black and white, though...is the actual text in color or is it also black and white? I hope color!

Any preferences one over the other? Experiences where you love/hate one or the other? It's for a first grader...

I am planning to sign up. Right now, you can get the subscription for $35 plus $5 administrative cost. It is only for one child because it evaluates what they have missed and comes back to it. At the link, you can see a demo and test it yourself. Scroll down to the "sign in to our test account". Yesterday I was able to test it with my kids - today I can't...maybe it will only let you access it once to test it? Anyway, my kids thought it was great and were fighting over who got to take the next turn. I think it will be nice because my son has a fine motor delay, but that shouldn't hold up his learning. He would do this online for 30 minutes, but would only do worksheets for maybe 10 because it hurts and frustrates him. He gets enough writing to work on building that skill. Also, I have no idea where my kids should be placed in ETC! They are in book 1 and 2, but since they are doing OPG it goes MUCH quicker than ETC...this way, they will be able to keep them more in sync I think...

Yes, the EPS Spellwell (ETC author)...Those that use it - did you wait until 2nd grade to start it? Were you also using ETC or did you already finish with those books?

I don't see many posts about it, but when people DO talk about it, they seem to like it! The same author as Explode The Code puts out Spellwell. What's the scoop? Experiences? Opinions?

Thank you so much. I think there are some great thoughts in this thread. I plan to only do one chapter a week and visit history in smaller increments of time on more days of the week. I WAS planning to do 2 days a week, but I think we might try 4 days instead (we only do school Mon-Thurs) taking time to slow down, read the sections with pauses, do the activities and extra reading. Thank the Lord, he did finally understand enough to talk to his dad about what we were studying - a real breakthrough for us. The activities DID help and that timeline link upthread is WONDERFUL! She also has a template you can download (same site) so you can make your own memory cards - I hope to use them to incorporate my bible characters/lessons. I plan to laminate the timeline cards and stick them to the wall with sticky tack. When we're talking about a new topic, my ds will get to put it on the wall - just one more thing to solidify since he uses his hands and sees the picture. Then, when we go through the memory cards he can match up the front of the card with the picture on the wall to help him recall...he may not realize it is from 3500bc, but he can look at the wall and see "that was one of the ones in the beginning of our stories". I plan to start with putting our pictures at the end - including grandma and grandpa so he can see how that works while we are doing our "Family Tree" activity from the AG (Intro). Then, we'll put baby Jesus on there because he knows about that...THEN we'll go back to the beginning and re-visit what we've already studied (creation, nomads, flood -then on to the rest of the bible and sotw). Here are the links again for those that are interested. To the memory and timeline cards (in her file section) Hannah helps Also, a link that was shared for a schedule that links SOTW to Egermeier's Story Bible.

What accommodations do you make for lower elementary boys? Do you give regular breaks - of so, WHAT is regular? Do you make sure they have some kind of physical activity to get their "jitters" out? Do you hit 1 subject hard, then let them have time on their own before moving to the next subject? It IS typical for boys to make more than twice the time to do a worksheet than girls, right? And also typical for them to be much more SLOPPY with their work? Let's share ideas, PLEASE, of how you've been successful taming the "wild boy" for school to help him stay focused...while still embracing that side of him for his normal play and activities. I want my boy to be "ALL BOY" jumping and running and rough and tumble - just not during school time! :tongue_smilie:

They are perforated student pages in the back.

I just put this out as a new thread, but I thought I'd try here to see if any of you know the answer... What format are the biblioplan timeline e-books? Is it possible to copy and paste the figures if I get the e-book...or is it strictly print only? I think I like the BP timeline verses story through the ages timeline at a first grade level. They're in color and since BP uses SOTW , I am hoping that they will match up with our reading really well...with the biblical figures added in...

I found this timeline from Biblioplan, too. I'm thinking about getting this one instead of "history through the ages" since BP uses SOTW, I think the figures might match better...and include the biblical figures I want...timeline sample.

The text explains the process and stages for the first 4 years and gives SAMPLES for a couple of weeks. The workbook gives those same samples - and then the other 34 weeks of instruction with stories, copywork, etc. So...next year, you will only need the year 2 workbook. If I were going to CHOOSE - I'd get the workbook, but I got both and plan to read the text this weekend even though we already started the workbook this week.

Hello, Melissa - we're from STL, too! I've been looking at those timeline figures, too. Have you seen this record of time book that goes with it? I am thinking about using it the next cycle in 5th grade when we do a "real" timeline.

Thank you! I was just going to ask for a suggested timeline to use. I appreciate everyone's comments. I'm going to re-read them and collect my thoughts. I think making it more "fun" is a good plan, too. Someone recently pointed me to this link that has a schedule to coordinate SOTW and Egermeier's Story Bible. It's important to me to give the WHOLE history including the bible. I also thought about this timeline - History through the Ages that has figures from creation to Christ. Using them as a reference for ME and to make a more "fun" timeline to help organize our thoughts on how the story plays out. Any other suggestions?

Would you suggest that timeline for a 1st grader, though? We're not really supposed to be doing timelines in 1st grade, but I think it would be helpful. Would it be a good aid to use for this age?

The beginning of the student workbook is like the story of the world activity guide. It has the teacher/parent instruction pages, the stories to be read aloud, review questions, things to point out/instruct the child on. The back half of the book is the student pages section. I took all my student pages out and put them in a 3 ring binder so I can pull them out and copy for the upcoming week. Then, I went to OfficeMax and had them turn the book into spiralbound for $3.29. Now, I can keep it open to the right page and it is HALF the bulk to carry around - no reason to carry around all the student pages. I did that with AG for SOTW, too.