Straight SOTW or CHOW or even TOG for 1st grade

[Kidlit]

Okay, the more I read the more confused I become. :confused::) I have purchased SOTW 1, the activity guide (?--whatever it's called), and the audiobook version of the book for dd1's history next year. However, now I'm wondering if I need to go in another direction.

 

The TOG threads I've read have intrigued me, and although it has been a while since I've seen the curriculum IRL, it intrigues me, too. I like how it's all laid out. However, I wonder if it's overkill for a 1st grader.

 

I've also considered CHOW instead of SOTW because I've read a thread here before that indicated that it's a gentler approach. DD tends to take things to heart.

 

I also have a four year old who will be tagging along with whatever we do and a new baby to throw into the mix.

 

Help!:tongue_smilie:

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

If you are considering TOG you might want to go to their website and check out the free sample of Year 1. That might help you decide if you'd find it overwhelming or a relief to have everything planned. Your purchase of SOTW wouldn't be wasted though since you will use it as a supplementary reading. I'd feel free to add or substitute into TOG any of the activities in SOTW AG that you find intriguing.

 

http://www.tapestryofgrace.com/year1/#1

 

be sure to click on the Samples tab and see what you think

 

If you would like a more straight forward sample of DE I'd go here and download the first three weeks

 

http://www.tapestryofgrace.com/de/#3

[Moniksca]

I love CHOW, I'm using it now with my ds who is 8 but I think it would be great for a first grader. If I could do it again I would use CHOW in the first grade then add in SOTW in subsequent years which is my plan (at least for now for my ds) since I didn't run into WTM until last year. It's gentle and I like the narrative style plus it gives a great intro to world history in just one book.

[mamato3 all-boy boys]

From a BTDT mom......SOTW + activity guide, library books, and you are totally set for 1st grade. It was our best year ever.

 

We started 1st with my oldest with TOG, but it was too much for me, him, and our life at the time. The mapwork in SOTW is perfect for grade one, the readings are engaging, the crafts are fun. Seriously, it was a great year.

[Chris in VA]

From a BTDT mom......SOTW + activity guide, library books, and you are totally set for 1st grade. It was our best year ever.

 

We started 1st with my oldest with TOG, but it was too much for me, him, and our life at the time. The mapwork in SOTW is perfect for grade one, the readings are engaging, the crafts are fun. Seriously, it was a great year.

 

:iagree: A wonderful year for us, too. Easy, interesting, well-done. TOG is great, but overkill for that age, and requires more planning than you need to do. Just mo.

[Melissa in CA]

From a BTDT mom......SOTW + activity guide, library books, and you are totally set for 1st grade. It was our best year ever.

 

We started 1st with my oldest with TOG, but it was too much for me, him, and our life at the time. The mapwork in SOTW is perfect for grade one, the readings are engaging, the crafts are fun. Seriously, it was a great year.

 

:iagree:

 

Unless you know without a doubt that you are going to use TOG later down the line, then I wouldn't purchase it for 1st grade. SOTW+ Act. Guide and extra books (be sure to include one of the picture history encyclopedia's recommended in the Act. Guide) is absolutely perfect for 1st/2nd grade. My ds loved the mapping, and coloring pages in the Act. Guide, and I loved the narrations questions, etc. We did very few of the actual crafts. We actually used a combo of SL's Core 1 with SOTW 1. But SOTW was the highlight of our history. We used SL mainly for read-alouds and readers.

 

We personally preferred SOTW over CHOW, which came with our SL Core 1.

[plain jane]

I vote SOTW and agree with the previous posters. It's perfect for grade one and there are a ton of fun, engaging activities to make it interesting for a young child's introduction to history.

 

I've done CHOW as well and I really don't like it. I thought I would love it after having read some of the chapters at a friend's house but once I was using it 3x per week it became very tedious. :tongue_smilie: We slugged through but I found it very painful as the writing just drove me crazy. That's just my experience with it. Many other parents seem to like it much more than I did. My child was indifferent to it and there was nowhere near the excitement that I saw when we used SOTW1. Or the level of retention although I really did try to enhance the readings with activities and coloring pages painfully sought out from internet pages.

 

I love the looks of TOG too, but from what I've read about it, it's overkill for grade 1. Perfect if you have older children and are folding a grade 1 child into your history cycle, but not if your oldest is grade 1.

 

I'd recommend SOTW for the first history cycle then go on to TOG if it still appeals to you.

[FlockOfSillies]

Keep it simple! (TOG dropout here.)

[jewel7123]

If you can get your hands on a used copy of CHOW or find someone local to you who owns it, I'd look it over before deciding to go with SOTW. I personally do not care for SOTW for the younger grades, and as for TOG, I will most likely use it in the future, just not sure how soon that will be. As a lot are saying, it might just be overkill, unless you plan on taking advantage of educating yourself during the LG stage, as I know many TOG Moms do.

[Melissa in CA]

I personally do not care for SOTW for the younger grades,

 

I think your kids are all definitely too young for SOTW, I would only use it with 6 yo and above. Perhaps when your oldest is 6 or 7 you may feel differently? :001_smile: There are some who just do not care for it though, regardless of age.

[jewel7123]

I think your kids are all definitely too young for SOTW, I would only use it with 6 yo and above. Perhaps when your oldest is 6 or 7 you may feel differently? :001_smile: There are some who just do not care for it though, regardless of age.

 

Yes, they are all too young now, but I've looked at SOTW 1 for use when my oldest will be 6, and I don't like the content and the lack of Biblical perspective. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to change my mind about that. :001_smile:

[Quiver0f10]

I recommend using SOTW for grades 1-4 and starting TOG in grade 5, folding the younger one(s) in at that time.

[siloam]

Amy,

 

Unless you are disciplined enough to actually read the R level books, as TOG suggests, then I wouldn't. It is a nice idea, but it is overkill for just a 1st grader, not that TOG schedules too much to be read, but that you will have so much sitting there that you can't use, won't use for so long. TOG is so expensive and you already have all you need without spending more, so why complicate it.

 

There is also the concern that you will try to do more than you should because you paid so much.

 

Heather