Need help picking a history curriculum please!

[Chloe]

This is what I'd like:

[*]Biblically Based

[*]Little to no planning involved (I love to plan, but find I end up spending more time planning than implementing)

[*]All my dc studying the same historical time period

[*]mostly independent reading for my older children (my oldest ds needs to read things for himself to retain the information)

[*]History doesn't take all day

[*]High quality books (good biographies, not just a ton of historical fiction)

[*]Easy to use/add books I already have

[*]Not too expensive (I prefer to spend most of my money on good books, not curriculum)

 

Is there something out there for me?

 

I had planned to use AO, and even have all the books for the years my dc would be doing, but I don't like the idea of having them doing different time periods. I can't see how I can easily combine them using AO, and I'd really like to have more of a Biblical focus.

 

I love the Beautiful Feet guides and books they use, but also feel like it would be difficult to combine long term.

 

MFW I have been eyeing for a very long time, but hate spending all that money just for the TG. It also seems like you skip around in books a lot. I don't like that.

 

I used Truthquest in the past and liked it, but it was hard to stay on track without a plan. For some reason, I find TQ difficult to plan when I want my oldest dc to do most of their own reading.

 

I can't find that perfect fit. What do you think comes the closest?

 

TIA!

[Chris in VA]

SOTW with the AG for everyone, and Kingfisher for your oldest (perhaps oldest 2, if your ds10 is entering logic stage). Read SOTW out loud for the 6yo, invite the others choose to either listen in or read it themselves. Older one uses Kingfisher for supplemental outlining. Not sure what year you would be on, but everything except Modern (Year 4) would be appropriate for all your kids. Choose read alouds and independent reads based on age and ability.

Very easy, cheap, makes use of the library, and everyone can be on the same year.

SOTW can be used effectively until about 8th grade, as long as it's supplemented with the outlining of the encyclopedia and appropriate fiction.

As far as planning goes, it's just one chapter a week (some can be combined to make 36 weeks out of 42 chapters)--just do the next thing. It takes about two hours to go thru the AG to pick projects and fiction/literature/nonfiction supplements for the year. You can get harder fiction choices from the Sonlight lists for Sonlight 3 and 4 (for Early Modern and Modern time periods).

[Another Lynn]

Which AO years were you planning to use? Could you combine your 10yo and your 11yo in one year? And, could you do it in a way where you would eventually end up with the older two in year 7 and the younger one in year 2 (aren't those both middle ages if I remember right?). Then everyone is together until your youngest hits school age?

 

Or pick a year for the older two and then hodge-podge a year for the younger one?

 

Or if you could find a MFW guide used, maybe you could put AO books in your "book basket."

 

I totally understand your frustration! I looked hard at MFW, and HOD. I've used AO and loved it when I was only schooling one. Now, I want my kids together. This is our year to go back to ancients and I didn't want to use Streams of Civilization, so I eventually eliminated MFW (although I think in theory it sounds great). So, I'm planning to use TOG very loosely this year. I'll have to see how this year goes before I decide about next. Next year (Middle Ages) I would consider a return to AO year 2 with additional readings for my oldest.

 

I'll be interested to see what you decide and how it goes for you!

[Chloe]

Thanks, Chris. I used SOTW 1 and 2 the past two years, and the dc liked it. However, I'd like more of a Biblical focus. Also, I'd like to concentrate more on early US history this year. I suppose I could use a Truthquest guide to supplement for the more US history and Biblical focus. Getting SOTW on audio and listening in the car together would help. Then most of the additional reading could come from the Truthquest guide. I think TQ schedules SOTW in their guides.

 

Thanks for the suggestion of SOTW. I'll give it some thought.

[3byzaz]

I just answered you on the other site, but I was thinking of Biblioplan. I am starting that with MOH and lots of lit. I really like it so far.

[Chloe]

My older two dc would be in AO years 4 and 3. We did Medieval history last year with SOTW. My dc have enjoyed SOTW, but it kind of bugs me the way it jumps around. I love AO books and have always wanted to try it as planned. AO year 4 is just right for my oldest and continues the history cycle perfectly, but I know my ds could not handle it. I think year 3 is right for him even though we've covered the time period already. He loves that time period anyway, so I don't have a problem with that. My ds6 would start AO year 1 next year as a 2nd grader because he needs to learn to read this year, and he's struggling. The only way to have the time periods match up would be to put my two oldest in year 5 this year. There aren't ready for that.

 

Finding a used MFW IG and then adding in the AO books during book basket is what I had in mind if we go that direction. I'm just not having any luck finding one. They sell so quickly. And I admit, I feel guilty spending the money when I'm all set with something else. My dh is planning to start his own business by the end of the year, and funds are/will be tight.

 

Thanks so much for your input.

 

Lots of praying and thinking to do.

[aprilinparis]

Mystery of History has been wonderful with my family. It's an extra for us, but you can easily make it your spine. It's chronological history, Biblical and secular, with timelines. It won't take all day, and books are suggested to go along with it. Younger, middle, and older student activities are given, and you choose what you want to do. Here's the link to their website: http://www.themysteryofhistory.com/

Hope this helps,

[tvaleri]

Hey there-

 

My suggestion would be Mystery of History because it's biblically based, minimal planning, just open and go. Even so, there is a list of additional resources which you could use for older ones. When we used it, I would read a lesson on Mon-Wed which only took 15-20 minutes. Each student was given an assignment at his level. Thursday was map/timeline/notecards and catch up on anything not completed. Friday test day and read.

It is cost effective. You could easily add biographies, movies, etc., although it's not necessary.

 

Oh yes, there are also yahoo support groups for each volume.

HTH,

Teresa in NC

[freeindeed]

Take a look at Winter Promise: http://www.winterpromise.com/

[Stacia]

You might want to take a look at Trail Guide to Learning. It's a new curriculum. I looked at it during a curriculum fair a few months ago & thought it looked great.

[TC5]

I know a few others have mentioned Mystery of History, but I wanted to recommend it, too. We used Vol. 1 last year and loved it.

 

The only drawback I saw was that weren't as many suggestions for literature extras as SOTW AG has. But I just got whatever books my library had about the topics we were studying, and it was plenty for our first year of homescholing. I also liked the variety of activities designed for varying age groups. Maps, timelines, built in review if you want to use it... It is complete.

 

We are switching to SOTW this year, but I was hesitant because my oldest son and I loved MOH so much. These were my main reasons for switching, and they may not matter to you:

--I wanted to keep a 4-year history cycle, and MOH is 5 (I'm behind on the news, but when I last checked, only Vols. 1-3 had been written; I also read a rumor that Vols. 4 and 5 would be combined into just one volume, making a 4-year cycle after all)

--The lessons is Vol. 2 were significantly longer than in Vol. 1, and they would have been too long for my second son, who will be joining us for history this year.

--I like the Biblical focus of MOH, especially as we studied Biblical times, but didn't want a lot of focus on Christian missionaries that I suspected would be a big part of the later books. I coud be wrong on this.

 

Good luck with your decision!

[Chloe]

I owned volume one at one point, and though I loved the Biblical pov, I hated the tone. I'm also concerned with the length of sections in the third volume, which is the one we would be using.

 

I'd like something we could stick with possibly through high school. That's part of what appeals to me with AO, MFW, BF and TQ.

 

Thanks again!

[Chloe]

Oh my...... I didn't mean Biblioplan. I meant Mystery of History. I didn't care for how it was written.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

You could use TruthQuest, and select a spine to help you keep the pace moving along. The 10 and 11 could use either the Guerber books, The Story of the Thirteen Colonies and The Great Republic, or Marshall's This Country of Ours. Take the spine determine how far you want to get next year and determine how many chapters you want to schedule in a week. Then just figure out which TruthQuest sections go with the reading each week and make a book basket of choices for them to pick from. If you want a spine for the youngers, you can use the books by Betsy Maestro (The Discovery of the Americas, Exploration and Conquest, The New Americans, Struggle for a Continent, and Liberty or Death). That will take you through the Revolutionary War after which there are plenty of picture book biographies to pick from (a la The Picture Book of ... by Adler). HTH