Does this History Program exist?

[Pongo]

You would think I know by now:glare:

I used SL (loved it) then tried a year of MFW (I added too much to it, to simple), next was TOG for 3 years (loved it, but wayyyy more than I would use). This year I am back to SL, I am using two cores and my kids love the books, I am pretty much doing ALL of it, but I HATE having my kids in two different time periods.

I have a 2nd, 4th,and advanced 6th grader and my older two are doing American History and my younger is doing Ancient History. It stinks, I feel like we can't take a history field trip, and someone always feels like they are left out of a fun project.

So here I am, right before our Christmas Break, I will get my younger one up to where we are in History so we can start January with everyone in Core 3 and younger readers for my 7yod.

I don't want to do this next year, I want a book-list of grade levels, that's it. I am making History way simpler. I'm gonna go to the library get my pile of books, hand them out, ask questions and be done with it.

Is there such a thing?

Ohhh and don't tell me MCT LA can do this.........just kidding:D

[Chris in VA]

So something like All Through The Ages for you, then? If you can filter thru the young earth stuff (I may be recalling falsely that you are not into that--forgive me if I'm mistaken) it is a pretty good resource--not a lot of detail, but definitely a lot of rec's.

 

Using WTM can work, too.

[Pongo]

Thanks, Chris.

I looked through my WTM , I have the first edition. I am not really thrilled about the younger recs. Is the third edition of WTM better? I have never looked at All through the Ages, I'll have to check that out. I would love the younger readers of WP with the older literature selections of SL. Am I asking to much?

:D

[Karen in CO]

So, you are going to use SL 3 and fold in the 7yo with readers? You can use the lists from A Book in Time to find books for the right period. And I really like the Hewitt American Tales reader for a first read through American history.

[Pongo]

I didn't know A Book In Time was free! Wow, that's cool. I just popped American Tales into my wish-list. Thanks.

[rafiki]

.

[birchbark]

Truthquest?

[amyco]

I like All Through the Ages by Christine Miller. It's basically a huge list of books with synopses, by time period and grade/reading level. It's possible to compile a list like this on your own from various sources, but that takes way more time than I want to spend...I'm really glad I found it.

[Bird Girl]

I will say that most of the Sonlight Level 2 Intermediate readers concern American history; almost of all of the Bulla books are American, plus Long Way to a New Land, and others.

 

I'm planning to do Core 3 next year with my 8 year old and adjust down for my 5 year old by using the readers for Core 3 as his read alouds, and the 2 Intermediate books for his readers--if he's reading that well yet. Otherwise, I'll read them aloud to him. He'll re-do Core 3 when he's older, but I can't see trying to juggle, as you are, one kid in American history and one in Ancient.

[Another Lynn]

Or you could get the following catalogs: SL, VP, WP, BF, HOD, etc. and look at the following websites: Ambleside (AO), Tanglewood, SimplyCharlotteMason, Yesterday's Classics, your favorite blogs, etc., etc. and the TOG booklist if you can still get that online. By the time you've looked at all these, you'll know what books you want your children to read and what you want to read aloud for all ages and for any time period. And, don't forget to search the boards too! Then decide how fast you want to read - the faster SL/TOG way, or the slower AO way. I usually take an AO schedule and start substituting and changing the free reading list, etc.

 

Just another .02 :)

[Chris in VA]

You know, the AGs for the SOTW books really have great recommendations in them. Do you have those?

[LanainMA]

This year I am back to SL, I am using two cores and my kids love the books, I am pretty much doing ALL of it, but I HATE having my kids in two different time periods.

I have a 2nd, 4th,and advanced 6th grader and my older two are doing American History and my younger is doing Ancient History. It stinks, I feel like we can't take a history field trip, and someone always feels like they are left out of a fun project.

 

 

I know exactly how you feel. I split my kids up in SL last year, and while I could keep up fine with the reading, we really missed being together in our learning. We are using TOG 2 right now to do medieval times together (I thought Core 6 went too fast for that time period) and when we get to where Core 7 starts, we will probably jump back into SL. We miss it.

 

Anyway, when we did Cores 3 and 4, we took about 3 years to go through them, but I did it along side Truthquest. My older did it pretty much as written, but we often stopped to add in topics from TQ that SL just glossed over. I read aloud the SL history to both, and then I used TQ for age appropriate readers for my younger. It worked well.

 

If you want to stick with SL, there are lots of people who have found a way to add a younger student with Core 5 and have posted their book lists and resources. When you get to Core 6, you could continue doing the same thing or maybe have your younger to Core 1/2 while your olders do 6 and then Core 3/4 while your olders to 7.

 

Good luck finding what works for you!

[samba]

Have you seen Artner's Guide to American History? http://www.amazon.com/Artner-Readers-Guide-American-History/dp/193095316X/ref=pd_sim_b_42

It is very easy to use, add to or simplify, whatever you want. It has books for different reading levels, dates, people and places to know, documents to research, famous sayings, songs, poetry. It also gives ideas for optional activities, projects, things to memorize. Oh, and it's cheap :001_smile:.

 

Carolyn

[Pongo]

Reading Through the Ages by TRISMS.

 

http://stores.shoptrisms.com/Detail.bok?no=22

 

I never saw this before either....oh my, so many choices!!

[Pongo]

Truthquest?

 

Love the idea of TQ, but I would have to get two guides I think. I need to check online at the grade groupings.

[Pongo]

Then decide how fast you want to read - the faster SL/TOG way, or the slower AO way. I usually take an AO schedule and start substituting and changing the free reading list, etc.

 

Just another .02 :)

 

 

You know, I never look at AO because I always feel like it's so laid back:)I think I will check out the book list. Do I go by a certain year for the correct grade level?

Edited December 12, 2009 by Pongo

[lisak]

We've used Truthquest for a few years with our older daughter. Anyway, it lists book selections down to beginning readers. These are the ones listed for grades five and up (not the elementary ones).

[Pongo]

You know, the AGs for the SOTW books really have great recommendations in them. Do you have those?

 

 

I don't have them, are they different from the WTM book?

[Chris in VA]

The Activity Guides contain a lot of information. There is one for each SOTW book. As the SOTW books progress in level, the AG's do contain easier book recommendations in the early levels, so it might be a little tougher finding appropriate reading material for your olders.

Level 3, for example (coordinating with Early Moderns) has a variety of books for each chapter--ranging from books like Sign of The Beaver to Royal Diaries to non-fiction books. At the beginning of each chapter, readings are recommended from the various history encyclopedias recommended by SWB in WTM (editions 1 and 2).

There are also review cards, content questions, sample narrations for each chapter. Activities, map work, coloring pages, games, etc. form the rest of the guide. They are gold mines of info.

Even if you don't use SOTW, you can use the AG for activities and books. Just look on Paula's Archives to see what each chapter is about, and you will find info in the AG on those topics.

[dragons in the flower bed]

If you're in American history, Artner's Guide will meet that criteria.

[Another Lynn]

You know, I never look at AO because I always feel like it's so laid back:)I think I will check out the book list. Do I go by a certain year for the correct grade level?

 

Well, I have struggled with my own approach to skill development, but the books in AO always call me back. IMHO, the reading level is not laid back. The years do not necessarily correspond to grade levels. The expectation is that by "year 4" the student should be able to read most of the readings independently and a lot of dc aren't ready for that level of reading in "4th grade" - so they created year 3.5 for students who need one more year before progressing (year 3.5 is a different history so you aren't required to use 3.5 to keep the flow of the history cycle). Here is a list of the time periods covered with each AO year.

 

Year 1 -- early history (especially British), focusing on people rather than events

Year 2 -- 1000 AD - Middle Ages

Year 3 -- 1400 - 1600 (Renaissance to Reformation)

Year 4 -- 1700's up to the French Revolution and American Revolution

Year 5 -- 1800 to 1920 up to WWI

Year 6 -- end of WWI to present day, then a term in ancient history

Year 7 -- 800-1400's Middle Ages (Alfred, King Arthur, Joan of Arc)

Year 8 -- 1400-1600's (Reniassance to Reformation)

Year 9 -- 1688-1815 including French and American revolutions

Year 10 -- 1815-1901 including the American Civil War

Year 11 -- 20th Century

Year 12 -- ancient history

 

I guess I always go back to AO because that's where I started. It feels comfortable, probably like SL feels for you. Maybe you can let one SL Core "drive" for you, pencil in readers/assignments for your dc in lower or higher grade levels, pick a spine (from SL or elsewhere) that you can all read together?

[Pongo]

Thanks again, we decided to use a combo of HTTA and Artners, many of the SL titles were there so I can add those easy readers in easily:)

I also tweaked our schedule to have a larger block of history time and science time. It seems simpler and I think it's gonna work.

Thanks!

[MicheleinMN]

I haven't read all the replies, but I think these links might be helpful.

 

http://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/scmguide/history-modules-overview/'>http://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/scmguide/history-modules-overview/'>http://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/scmguide/history-modules-overview/history-module-5/'>http://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/scmguide/history-modules-overview/history-module-5/'>http://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/scmguide/history-modules-overview/'>http://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/scmguide/history-modules-overview/history-module-5/'>http://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/scmguide/history-modules-overview/history-module-5/

 

http://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/scmguide/history-modules-overview/

 

http://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/scmguide/

 

I also really like Ambleside Online, but you will either have to combine children into a single Year plan or have the same trouble with children in different time periods.

 

HTH