I'm planning to use TWTM, and TOG year 3 this year (with MOH supplementing where possible). Our focus will be the 1800s, Using with grades: 8th, 6th, 4th, 1st Is anyone aware of a spreadsheet that lines up the literature/history reads for these programs? Thanks! :001_smile:

I'm preparing for my oldest boy's entrance into the logic stage and wondering what to use for logic. I read TWTM to brush up on SWB's recommendations, and she recommends using some Critical Thinking Press workbooks for grades 5-6 as sort of pre-logic exercises. Did anyone use those, and how did you like them? Are they worth the money? I've also been looking at Reading and Reasoning, which I saw at CAP's site. Is this just busy work, or would it be like the Critical Thinking materials? Would it be too much work on language if I used Reading and Reasoning at the same time as a writing curriculum, grammar, spelling, lit guides, etc? I was going to go through the Bluedorn's books for logic in 5-6 grades, but do I also need the Critical Thinking workbooks? Thanks for any advice!

I'm working my way through TWTM to make a plan for my oldest next year. I've only made it through about 15% of the book, and I've run into a conundrum. I'm overwhelmed with the Ancients and how to divide that time period into manageable units/chunks to ensure that we get through all the material, but not at a pace that's so grueling that we burn out after the first few weeks. My mind starts swimming when I see all the suggested resources for the Ancients. How do y'all divide up the reading/history material for your 1st year classically educating? Will it get easier over time? I do really well with an outline/time frame, but creating one from the start (even given the resources) is difficult for me. Any advice?

Just wondering :)

My copy of the Well Trained Mind is falling apart. The spine is taped together with duct tape. A few pages have gone missing from the introduction. The dust cover is long gone and there are stains on the cover. There are scribbles and notes all over the pages, and little tabs sticking out to mark important spots. Soooo...is there any chance a new edition will be coming out soon? I know this one is only a few years old, but surely you have some new resources and wisdom to share. And, you know, I would really love to have an excuse to put a pretty new copy of TWTM on my shelf :)

I'm heavily considering TOG to use with my upcoming 5th, 3rd, and 1st graders, having just finished our first four-year cycle with TWTM / SOTW but I am not sure I can justify the cost and labor for just humanities (history, geography, literature, writing) when we also want to cover the other classical subjects: math, science, grammar, handwriting/typing, spelling, Latin, Spanish, Intro to Logic (last two are for my oldest). With such a focus on one area, I'm concerned about it swallowing up the time energy that needs to be distributed among the others. And it sounds like a scheduling nightmare. In the past, we haven't formally studied writing because it happened organically with the narrations - same with geography, so I'm not sure whether we need to specialize like that. So I either need people who have successfully made the above scenario work to encourage me or I would like to find a program (or even just a scheduling tool) that is more aligned with TWTM. I considered Classical House of Literature but again, it's a lot of emphasis on one area. Maybe that's okay but I'm worried about overkill... (I also posted another thread with specific questions just about TOG http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=390173 )

Hi! I'm visiting from the K-8 board ... I know there's lots of time before we hit high school, but I'm working out what I want my trajectory to be like, and am having a hard time deciding where I'd like us to be in high school. The two main ends that make sense to me are to follow TWTM recommendations, or to base us out of TOG (and also follow TWTM recs ;)). We are secular but morality/ethics/character is central to my homeschooling efforts, and I am working toward a very firm grounding in Biblical studies. I'm not concerned about keeping us rigorous/accomplished in math & science b/c those are strengths in our household; also, Button is accelerated in math (and in language), which I mention in case that would change your suggestions. I'm just thinking that the structure of TOG might serve us well and result in a deeper, better-rounded education. But it may be that following TWTM recs, which I hope I am disciplined enough to do :001_smile:, would be even deeper and more rounded. Any thoughts y'all have would be very much appreciated!

So, this will be our first year trying to follow TWTM. I have read the book and taken notes of possible curriculum for each subject but would love to hear what others have planned. Thanks for your input!

I've been using TWTM since we abruptly began homeschooling two years ago in the middle of my oldest's first grade year. I checked it out of the library and kept it the whole semester until the newest edition of TWTM came to my mailbox. It was a Godsend and I have been pleased with using it (and tweaking it according to what fits us), but my youngest child - my only boy and the one who has the strongest personality (highly structured and outgoing) is entering K this fall, and so I'm wondering it if I should try MFW. I'm leaning toward it because I like the idea of combining both WTM style classical with CM classical (esp. since my middle child is very hands-on), and because it uses the 4th book of the SOTW, which is where we'll be in the fall, and I really want to finish that series, since it has worked well for us...also, it has supplements for my middle child (since that period in history has more mature elements), which my K'er might even participate in (he's super eager to join us). My question is...how closely does MFW correlate with WTM? Would it work to combine them? I like looking up books from the library that are in the SOTW AG, so is there any overlap between MFW books and WTM book recommendations or would I just be creating more work for myself (which would defeat my purpose in making this change)? Another reason for the change is that we've been using Apologia science instead of doing it the WTM way, but it turns out that the Young Explorers Chemistry/Physics book isn't coming out until next year (which I had been planning to use this fall for our last year of the science cycle)...and MFW makes includes a chem/phy combo for the year we're using (it's their 5th year but since we're on the WTM cycle, I'm calling it our 4th year). I'm also wanting to be savvy about spending (which means I'll probably spend eons of time I don't have looking for used options of buying everything in MFW instead of just buying their packages), so any thoughts or tips on that are also appreciated. Thanks for any input on this from WTM loyalists who have tried or currently use MFW!

After going round and round about what to do when my third wheel (aka my wonderful son) rolls into our homeschool this fall, discovering that no packaged programs pleased me in their entirety or fit my budget, I am revisiting my original position, which was to follow The Well Trained Mind, but perhaps even more closely than we have been. I'll have a K'er, 2nd grader, 4th grader. I'm considering using all Peace Hill Press curriculum - SOTW 4, FLL 2 & 4, WWE 2 & 4, along with CLE Math and chem/physics curriculum TBA (we have to combine that year to stay on cycle). Maybe the new Olive Branch Bible curriculum from Peace Hill, too. ...So if you use TWTM approach (including most of their materials and recommendations) with multiple children in the grammar stage, what is your schedule like? I'm planning to combine your suggestions with the SOTW/literature schedule that's free on House of Classical Learning (thanks to a previous brainstorming thread I started where someone suggested that!).

Hi all, First a little background: I have been homeschooling for 7 years now. My oldest is graduating this spring and I will have my dd and ds left in the nest. Lately I have been drawn back to the WTM. I am planning on the WTM approach to science with my ds (7th grade) next school year. My dd (10th grade) has expressed an interest in mythology and Greek history. The issue is that she needs to take US History for her homeschool diploma in PA. So I figured we would just do Greek history and mythology as electives. The more I reread the WTM I want to try history and the Great Books by this method. So I have a couple of questions. First would it be too much to try the Great Books approach with the Greek history while doing American history with Notgrass Exploring America? Second question: Is it too late? She has decided she wants to major in English at college. I would like her to have the opportunity to get her feet wet with a Great Books study before she gets to college. Third: Could we wait on American history till her senior year and pull in government with it? Fourth: What does the WTM history/literature look like in your homeschool for HS? I am really nervous about doing a great books study but feel that nudge to do it. I am sorry if I am rambling..... I am just unsure about this and I guess I really won't know till we try. :001_unsure: Thanks so much!

I love Sonlight and The Well Trained Mind. After flip flopping back and forth between these two great curriculum. I finally had an inspirational idea. I took what I liked about both(books and schedule from Sonlight and the physical written work and thought of TWTM) and made them work together. I have worked out a very simple plan that will have these two working side by side. I plan on using a Sonlight Core (Bible, History, Geography and Literature) and completing the following steps weekly. This can vary A bit with every core. 1. List 6-8 facts in complete sentences from core history text (core 6-SOTW 1&2 and core alt7-SOTW 1-4 or Childrs History of the World). Take the chapers assigned to compile sentences from. 2. Mark Dates on Timeline. Use the suggested timeline figures and book of Time on the schedule. 3. Do Mapwork. Use scheduled mapping. 4. Extra history reading. Read the read alouds and readers. 5. Write a 3-8 sentence summary on one of the extra reading texts. 6. Choose one page of text to read that week and outline per grade level. 7. Try to read one primary source document from the time period and complete a simple summery of it. 8. Organize all work in the History Notebook. Now for the organizing of all this material. The History Notebook- create the 10 section notebook listed in TWTM. Fill with all work throughout the year. This is going to give you a great portfolio to record what was learned in each core.

So... I think there are a lot of people who want this, but I was curious as to why it is needed specifically. Does History Oddysey work for the History or no... why? Obviously SOTW needs more secular activity suggestions. We would need readers that correspond with History included... right? Same question with REAL Science Oddysey. Would it be good to include a year of World Geography that is secular? American History? Of course, the option to follow the 4 year rotation will remain. Do we want to follow TWTM recommendations to the letter and just schedule them all out? I think many would want an LA with a Scope & Sequence like Rod and Staff that is secular. Am I right? Are we wanting every subject in a schedule like Sonlight? Or what? Hit me with your ideas. I don't know if I will pursue it, b/c it would take a lot of initial investment, but I am intrigued.

Really hitting a wall with my seven year-old and narrations. We're using TWTM and it seems like I'm spending way too much time walking her through the comprehension questions (which I make up), then the aloud narration, and finally the dreaded putting it on paper. We're doing this for history, science, and literature (correlating with history), so it's a good chunk of time as it is, and she's really resisting the whole format, despite how bright she is--I think it's a combination of her perfectionism (worried about not getting it right) and her age/temperament which tends toward the literal, details, facts (the sensing vs. intuiting preference on the Myers-Briggs). So we either end up writing way too much (because her memory is like that) which wears us both out or I get frustrated spoon feeding her the main ideas. So I'm wondering if there's a better way to go about this for her temperament and my sanity, as well as time--my poor early kindergartener is basically on her own doing art all morning, which she's happy about, but I want to be with her more, and she's not interested in what we're doing. Not to mention juggling housework with prep and planning for school times (her math workbook has gone uncorrected for the last few weeks and I haven't even had time to teach her the new concepts she's learning purely by example). Our mornings are packed and then at lunch my almost three year-old comes home from preschool and it's all over (having him there three mornings is akin to giving myself training wheels for homeschooling!). So I'm curious what alternatives to the TWTM might be a better fit for us, preferably other forms of classical but I'm trying to be open to anything that has more of a literature feel than a textbook one (and yet my daughter can't get enough of The Magic Schoolbus). What made me think we should stick with classical was how much she loved SOTW I and the mythology, but that was last semester when I had just pulled her out of public school (at her urging) and I skipped the whole narrating/writing part, so we basically just read and did the questions from SOTW AB. All of my children are advanced (taught themselves to read very young) and enthusiastic learners (on their own terms of course!). My oldest (the 2nd grader) loves science and animals, is highly articulate and creative (in speech and writing), a very fast reader, but even when she finishes a book on her own, she wants me to read it to her. She's very relational and visual--loves colorful pictures and prefers illustrated chapter books. Thanks so much for your input! I'll be gone all morning but am looking forward to reading your responses in the afternoon. Meanwhile, I've taken Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Curriculum Picks down from the shelf (for the umpteenth time) as I go back to the drawing board for what I'm sure will not be the last time...:tongue_smilie:

My oldest is entering 2nd grade and I'm contemplating teaching her another language this year or next, so I consulted the newest version of TWTM, and she says that it's better to start with Latin when they are young (since it's the basis of the other languages) and do a foreign language when they are older...unless, she says, there is a fluent speaker of the foreign language at home so they get regular practice--in that case they are supposed to learn the foreign language first and then learn Latin in middle school. Where it gets confusing is that in the example schedule section, her youngest child (kindergarten) has Spanish on his schedule. :confused: ...Do you think this means that she or her husband are fluent in Spanish so they went ahead and decided to teach that first? Judging by their last names, I doubt they are native Spanish speakers, but it is possible I suppose that one or both of them are conversant in Spanish. I just was under the impression from what she wrote that the foreign language would need to be spoken regularly in the home, which seemed to imply it being one parent's native tongue. I'm actually fluent (though rusty) in French but I'd rather my children learn a more practical language, so that's why I thought we'd do Latin and then Spanish. I'm just concerned, though, because I've always heard that the younger they are, the easier it is for them to learn a foreign language. Perhaps this is only true where the language is being spoken regularly? :001_unsure: I'd appreciate any input on this based on your experience. :bigear: