Does anyone want to help me figure out what to do with the rest of SOTW, vol. 1?

[gandpsmommy]

I'll try to make a long story short. Because of medical issues which necessitated doctor's appts./physical therapy three times a week for a few months, our school schedule was very much altered in the fall. We stayed on track with the basics (reading, spelling, grammar, math, handwriting). We also did a great job of fitting in science.

 

But we have never gotten into a groove with history, even after our schedule became normal again. We have finished 14 chapters in SOTW, but we decided to take a break about a month or so ago because, well, we just really haven't hit a groove. I either didn't require dd to do a narration at all, or I made it overcomplicated and felt as if we were doing high school level work in first grade. She never like doing history, unless it was a day when she got to do one of the "tests" as a review sheet. She likes worksheets, I guess.

 

So I bought the Evan Moor History Pockets Ancient Civilizations to sort of do a little review and make history fun. The problem is, it isn't really fun. Dd usually loves crafty things, but she doesn't want to do all the cutting and gluing this requires. I'm not sure why.:confused: So, history has gotten dropped again. I really want to stay on track with the four year history cycle, so I'm trying to decide what to do.

 

No matter how hard we work now, there is no way we could finish SOTW before our summer break. So, I've considered continuing it all summer, but even then we wouldn't finish until about October.

 

I've thought about having a history "camp": a few week period in which we do just history (and math) to try to catch up.

 

Also, I'm wondering if it would be okay to not require a narration for every section. Since this is mainly about exposure, I guess just reading it and perhaps supplementing with other books and activities would be the most important thing, but I also think narration is such a necessary and important skill to learn, and this is the only subject in which I require narration.

 

I recently checked out some dvd's from the library about ancient civilizations which the kids have really enjoyed, but somehow SOTW (which I personally really like) has never clicked with dd.

 

I'm not sure what to do.

[Mrs Mungo]

If it were *me* what I would do would be to take an hour every day-Mon-Thurs read a section (most chapters are divided into 2 or 3 sections), do the mapwork and coloring. On Friday pick one passage from the week that you all particularly liked, make a couple of worksheets to go with it (word finds, whatever), pick an additional book to read on it, see if there's a fun activity in the activity guide and then just move on. I agree narration is an important skill but you don't need to write it out every time. A while ago someone posted an idea for a narration jar (probably on the old board) where you do slips of paper that read "draw a picture" or "make a figure out of clay" or "make a diorama" or "act out your favorite part" and such. A "narration" doesn't *need* to be a paragraph written on a piece of paper.

[profmom]

Terri, here's what I did when my dc were the ages of yours -- I didn't use SOTW for 1st grade because we were using FIAR + a survey of the Old Testament instead. So, my dd's Ancient history for 1st grade consisted of Bible stories in chronological order + Ancient history pockets for exposure to Greece and Rome (especially). We listened to SOTW on CD in the car that summer while driving back and forth to swimming lessons (!), and started SOTW2 that fall when dd was in 2nd grade.

 

We're currently covering & enjoying Ancients again for dd's 5th grade year, and she'll study the period once again in 9th. I think it's perfectly fine for you not to require narrations after every reading, especially for very young dc like yours. You could also move narrating to a different book altogether, such as your family read aloud.

 

HTH!

[Soph the vet]

I would do whatever you can to turn around her perspective of history at this point if she had not liked it in the past. If she likes to listen to stories then read to her over breakfast and lunch (captive audience) and other times let her color the activity pages while you are reading. I would not require the narration if that is what is bringing her down. She will get all of this information more in depth the next time around. You want her to be excited about the people and places she is hearing about so she'll be telling everyone how much she loves history! If she needs to be busy and likes clay have her make a model of some part of the story you are reading, etc.

[gandpsmommy]

We have been reading through the Old Testament stories in order, too. I guess I never thought of that as part of our history studies. We definitely will be able to finish the history pockets. I'm thinking the important thing right now is just exposing her to the ancient history stories so that she'll have those "pegs" on which to hang greater information when she is older. So, I think I'll relax on the narrations and try to finish SOTW as more of a read-aloud with occasional mapwork/activity as appropriate. I'm such an all-or-nothing person; it's often hard for me to realize that dd would benefit from hearing the rest of the book, even if we *never* did another narration. I don't feel as if I have to do every project or read every suggested book, but I never really gave myself permission to skip narration or mapwork.

[Chris in VA]

ITA the other posters. Just pick one section to narrate--don't require a written (copied) narration every section. If you are making a notebook, instead of a narration every time, do an activity and take a picture to put on a notebook page.

 

Don't "work hard" to finish. There is a slight amount of overlap in the two books, so you can condense a little. If she likes activities, great--pick one for each month you have left. Supplement with one book for each chapter, or even skip a few chapters (we, too, needed to finish, and we skipped a little of the Asian stuff, since it comes back around in SOTW 2). Make it easy, fun, and try to get her enthusiasm back. She can also narrate to her sibs or your spouse, orally. She can just give you a brief recap of a supplemental story. She can tell you two important things about..., or you can use the questions in the Activity Guide for narration (just pick 3 and have her tell her answer in a complete sentence).

 

I'm rambling, sorry--main point--do what she really likes, do it consistently, and then move on.

[gandpsmommy]

Thanks. This is a helpful perspective. She did enjoy watching a dvd on Ancient China that we got from the library this week. And she has really enjoyed any picture books that we have read to go along with what we were studying in history. I think it really is the narration that is holding us back. So, I'm going to think of other areas in which we could do narration more agreeably. I think she might enjoy narrating books that she has read in a "Reading Rainbow" sort of way. I could have her draw illustrations to go with her narrations and put them together in a reading log for her to share with her aunt and grandparents. Sometimes, just thinking about these things out loud really helps. I appreciate your input.

[gandpsmommy]

ITA the other posters. Just pick one section to narrate--don't require a written (copied) narration every section. If you are making a notebook, instead of a narration every time, do an activity and take a picture to put on a notebook page.

 

Don't "work hard" to finish. There is a slight amount of overlap in the two books, so you can condense a little. If she likes activities, great--pick one for each month you have left. Supplement with one book for each chapter, or even skip a few chapters (we, too, needed to finish, and we skipped a little of the Asian stuff, since it comes back around in SOTW 2). Make it easy, fun, and try to get her enthusiasm back. She can also narrate to her sibs or your spouse, orally. She can just give you a brief recap of a supplemental story. She can tell you two important things about..., or you can use the questions in the Activity Guide for narration (just pick 3 and have her tell her answer in a complete sentence).

 

I'm rambling, sorry--main point--do what she really likes, do it consistently, and then move on.

 

I think you hit the nail on the head in the last sentence. Consistency has been lacking greatly. Thanks for the input!

[gandpsmommy]

If it were *me* what I would do would be to take an hour every day-Mon-Thurs read a section (most chapters are divided into 2 or 3 sections), do the mapwork and coloring. On Friday pick one passage from the week that you all particularly liked, make a couple of worksheets to go with it (word finds, whatever), pick an additional book to read on it, see if there's a fun activity in the activity guide and then just move on. I agree narration is an important skill but you don't need to write it out every time. A while ago someone posted an idea for a narration jar (probably on the old board) where you do slips of paper that read "draw a picture" or "make a figure out of clay" or "make a diorama" or "act out your favorite part" and such. A "narration" doesn't *need* to be a paragraph written on a piece of paper.

 

I like the narration jar idea. I bet dd would, too. :)

[vmsurbat]

I'm thinking the important thing right now is just exposing her to the ancient history stories so that she'll have those "pegs" on which to hang greater information when she is older.

 

Having homeschooled 5 children, the youngest now in 7th grade, I've learned that *very few* first graders learn "history" pegs. First grade history is really just about learning there are people/events that happened in different times and different places. Its about cuddling on the couch. It is about having fun (which *doesn't* necessarily mean lots of crafts).

 

You could seriously do nothing about "history" except make sure to read lots of good books--a mix of enthralling picture books, easy chapter books, age-appropriate myths (my favorite: Classic Myths to read-aloud which groups readings by age-appropriateness). You don't really have to worry about chronology or that sort of thing. After reading, occasionally look at a map or globe and find the place (if it exists). This alone will build a broad foundation for later learning-- 3rd and 4th grade is the time *I've* found that things start to click in a "peg" sort of way with the children).

 

With my youngest, since she was following along with her older siblings, I found Edupress's Anc. Egypt, Greece, Rome coloring books an excellent "spine". 32 pages of reasonably detailed pictures (for a first/second grader) and a paragraph of info all about the particular culture for each page. That plus listening to all the read-alouds and reading a few easy readers on her own (I Can Read books) made a very good "history" course for her.

 

Until recent times, history as a subject didn't start until 4th grade. The earlier grades concentrated on the 3R's--history and science were woven into reading and nature study; again, to provide a base for study later.

 

Some food for thought,

[Plaid Dad]

We read through CHOW this year and I required very few narrations. First grade is, well, first grade. I'm not worried about a child that age getting more than a very general overview of history, maybe recognizing a few names and references. This is just the beginning of exposure to history; there's plenty of time for the rest. I would continue reading but not stress about activities or even expect much retention at this stage. All this information will come around again!

[gandpsmommy]

We read through CHOW this year and I required very few narrations. First grade is, well, first grade. I'm not worried about a child that age getting more than a very general overview of history, maybe recognizing a few names and references. This is just the beginning of exposure to history; there's plenty of time for the rest. I would continue reading but not stress about activities or even expect much retention at this stage. All this information will come around again!

 

Thanks. This is very much my dh's attitude toward history at this age. I guess I just need to relax and read the book with her.

[Kay in Cal]

I'd just do it as a read aloud!

 

I've used the AG much less than expected this year (not feeling crafty, I guess), and I'm always amazed at how much my ds remembers. Even if we just read the material and discuss. We often, but not always, do narrations.

 

But it's all sinking in, somehow. How about listening to the CDs in the car while you are driving? Better than no history at all, and they might really enjoy it.