History Odyssey...Argh..I'm so confused...

[LunaLee]

History Odyssey users..WWYD?

 

Next year I am starting the cycle for the first time with my ds who will be in

4th grade, and I can't decide if I should start with Ancients Level 1 or 2.

 

I understand that HO is progressive so if done from the beginning by the time a child is done with Modern Level 1 they are ready for Ancients Level 2. But he will be in that stage where Level 1 is almost too babyish, but Level 2 might be too much. He could handle the reading with Level 2, however some of the other assignments, like the outlining and such might be alot for him-I have Middle Ages Level 2 and I know some of those lessons would definately be a stretch for him. But, I'd hate to start with 1 level and have to switch to 2 the following year.

 

I guess, I could do Level 2 and cut out some of the lessons depending on what they are and maybe supplement with SOTW which I would like him to read anyway-although my first year homeschooling I specifically recall trying coordinate HO Middle Ages level 2 with SOTW and wound up driving myself insane over it and scrapping HO altogether...sheesh now I'm rambling...

 

Anyhoo... Maybe someone whose BTDT can offer some insight, please, please oh pretty please.

[Peela]

Why don't you just use SOTW and beef it up with reading? I haven't seen HO, though I have considered it, and i understand your dilemma about him being in between levels. We started SOTW around that age and finished 4 years later, last year, with SOTW4. It has been absolutely wonderful, and really not a lot of work on my part.

[LunaLee]

Well, originally I was just going use SOTW with the AG and activities, but then I started thinking long term and began looking to HO again for a couple of reasons. We are starting homeschooling in the middle or at least not from the beginning, so we are only going to be able to cycle through history twice and he really is thinking like logic stage student already so I wanted a little more for him, KWIM. Also, I like how HO pretty much has all the lessons spelled out and are written to the students in Level 2. That fits perfectly for him because already he is very much, a "give me my assignment and let me do it" kind of kid :toetap05:, he's very independent.

[Peela]

:001_smile:Sounds like you have answered your own question then....level 2.

[rwalizer]

and just tailor it to match his ability. I occasionally cut a little out of HO here and there if we start to get behind anyway. I think it's easier to make something difficult a little easier then to make something easy a little harder.

[mom2att]

Level 2 Ancients is actually a lot more hands-on than Middle Ages 2, in that it uses a couple of History Pockets books. If your child likes this kind of thing, it will be a great fit. The outlining and some of the other assignments might need a little more hand-holding, but to me that's one of the great things about HO--you can just give more help when it is needed. If I were in your situation, I would tend to stretch the Ancients 2 book out, so as to not hit the MA book until 6th, as the MA writing assignments are quite a bit harder. But since you already have MA, you probably already know that--hope this helps a little!