Starting in the middle the Well Trained Mind way?

[ummof3]

Hi all

 

I've been reading the new WTM and have a few questions. I quite like the suggestions put forward for each subject. My dd will be entering third grade so i'm starting in the middle. I don't want to start with chemistry for science - I think she would benefit from the earlier suggestions. Regarding Language arts, I'm going to get her to whizz through FLL and WWE over the summer so we can start more on level in the autumn. I think it's Science and History that are the main problem areas - I don't think it's a great deal but I feel a little disorganised at this point.

 

thanks in advance

 

x

[tjarnold]

I think you'll be fine to start in the middle -- I assume you mean the middle of history, right? Was that your question?

 

Tiffany

[2_girls_mommy]

I think she discusses starting in the middle in WTM. I believe you can start history from the beginning with the Ancients if you want, or start year 3. Then when you get to the next stage (logic) you just begin where you are, but do the logic level work instead of the grammar stage work. So if you want to, go ahead and start the Ancients and Life Science or Middle Ages and Earth/Space Science. If you read the book, it is not set in stone as for the timeline.

[ummof3]

sorry, i'm not with it (10 days till due date :001_huh:)

 

I meant the middle of grammar stage as dd is 8-9, 3rd grade. I'd like to start at the beginning of science and history. If we do this, how will we catch up or I guess it doesn't matter.

[2_girls_mommy]

Exactly, that is what I was trying to say too:001_smile: I don't think it matters where you start w/those. So if you start her in Ancients now in 3rd grade, she would do middle ages in 4th. So then when she starts 5th grade (logic stage) she would just continue w/the history rotation where she is, but do the logic stage work which is the outlining, etc. instead of just SOTW 3. She will still hit the History & Science topics 2 times, and some of them 3 times. It doesn't really matter where you start with them, just what level of work you are doing with them.

[ummof3]

oh ok, that makes sense :) thanks!

[Colleen in SEVA]

I have another suggestion (since you are due any day!!) -- DON'T start a full history course this year. In my house, with a newborn, history was the easiest thing to drop so we usually did. As one possible alternative, do one year of world geography (ie Children Around the World from WP or Trail Guide to World Geo), or even US studies (states, symbols, etc). Then next year, start with Ancients with your oldest using the logic stage recommendations and your second using the grammar stage recommendations (such as SOTW for both, with higher levels of additional reading for your oldest).