sotw 1, are the books listed in ag enough?

[sherry80]

I have spent some time with our online library putting books on hold. We are starting SOTW 1 next week with a 1st+2nd grader.

I think I may be going a little overboard on books but I'm not sure. I placed the AG books on hold then I was using paulas archives to find more books about what chapter we are studying. I am also using the Egermeiers study bible alongside SOTW to have a more biblical base.

Then I always think the SL book lists are good so I haven't even looked at those yet.

I have realized that we are never going to read that many books!

So I was thinking of using SOTW + egermeiers + AG books listed. I was thinking of dropping paulas archives of history books and only adding what SL read alouds that look awesome. Maybe this is still too much?

 

Oh, and there is our God's Design science that we could add books to as well.

 

Tell me what you think!

Sherry

[jenL]

I think the books in the AG are plenty. They always lead us off to other books too. Since we only do history 3x/wk, the extra books are perfect for us. With all else you have listed, you may not even need the ag books :)

[abbeyej]

It's still too much. :) But just because you request them from the library doesn't mean you have to read all of them. Take them home, put them in a big basket for the week, and read the ones the look most informative or appealing. And take the rest back without guilt and get books for the next week.

 

Your goal for first and second grades is to *expose* them to the history that's out there. Give them some really great stories that they'll remember years from now when some of the specifics have grown fuzzy. Let them know that the world is way bigger and way older (and way more interesting!) than they ever imagined. Expand their vocabularies through great read-alouds, and make sure they hear and read good English syntax (not like my writing-like-I-talk on a message board!)...

 

But don't fret if they miss out on some historical fiction that *might* have been really good along the way. Snuggle up on the couch together and read a great book about Alexander the Great. Sure, maybe there are some you won't get to. But it'll be okay. :)

 

All of those lists and resources you listed can be really helpful. Just don't get caught up in reading and doing *everything* to the point that you're overwhelmed and the kids are resentful. Use the lists if you like, but don't let them control you or cause guilt. If you're reading and discuss some good history and literature and science and Bible each week, and they're remembering bits and pieces here and there and becoming better listeners and readers and speakers and writers over time and enjoying their time spent with you and each other... Then you're doing well. Whether you read any or every or some books from this particular list or that along the way... Not so important. :)

[sherry80]

Thank you! I think I was really wanting to incorporate good literature and going a little overboard. I think I just need to give myself permission to let some of them go!

For now, I think we will go with what the AG listed and then add in some read alouds as wanted from SL (don't need to be related) and get a few books about science topics and I think we will be set!

Sherry

[StephanieZ]

Just choose a couple books each week/chapter and you are golden. Read for 30-60 min a day. . . so choose fewer that week if they are long ones, more if shorter picture books. . .

 

I liked to have one or two from each category (non-fiction vs fiction).

 

You definitely do not need to read all the books in any list!! Just choose a few!

 

Also, you can always start with just a couple the first few weeks. . . then more another week. . . fewer another week. Tweak it as you go. The flexibility of the AG is one of the beauties of SOTW!

 

FWIW, I love SL book choices!! I found that the SOTW AG lists are sooo long, there are plenty of gems, some duds, and lots of overlap. I found that the SL lists are more chiseled down to winners.