Susie in MS Posted June 12, 2010 Share Posted June 12, 2010 How old was your child when you started? Did s/he do well with it? Did you find you needed to make any changes? TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaNYC Posted June 12, 2010 Share Posted June 12, 2010 We did AO Year 1 when ds was 7. We both loved it and followed it pretty much as written. The only thing we did differently was take out all the blatantly religious books (I don't incorporate religion into academics). What made it work for me was to keep as close to the CM methods/philosophy as we could and joining the AO yahoo group for ideas and support. It's such an excellent curriculum and I was amazed at how much he learned after that first year of AO. We're in Year 2 now and it's still great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted June 12, 2010 Share Posted June 12, 2010 I use AO 1 when my kiddoes are 7. I do not use their History suggestions, but use SOTW and the AG. Otherwise, AO 1 is my favorite year. We have loved all the books and use them repeatedly....and I find my olders sitting in to hear them read...once again:D ~~Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted June 12, 2010 Share Posted June 12, 2010 I used AO with my oldest when she was 6. With my younger two, I waited until they were 7. We use everything except history plus we use our own schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted June 12, 2010 Author Share Posted June 12, 2010 Thanks ladies! Julia, did you find that it was better suited for your 7 yos than your 6 yo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted June 12, 2010 Share Posted June 12, 2010 We used most of it. I cut some things, mainly Trial and Triumph. I started it when my ds was 6.5yo. It was a good fit for him at that age. He understood and remembers most everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AudreyTN Posted June 12, 2010 Share Posted June 12, 2010 :bigear: I am planning to begin Year 1 with my 7.5 year old. Thanks for starting this thread!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momtotkbb Posted June 12, 2010 Share Posted June 12, 2010 I started AO year 1 w/ my youngest this past April - he turned 7 mid-May. He is really enjoying it (my just turned 12 yo ds has actually taken his books and is reading them asking why I didn't have them for him when was younger). We are not using the Trial and Triumph book at this age though and I'm adding in SOTW w/ the Activity book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted June 13, 2010 Share Posted June 13, 2010 Julia, did you find that it was better suited for your 7 yos than your 6 yo? The thing that I kept in mind when I was choosing when to start Yr. 1 was the booklist of Yr. 4. There is a big jump from Yr. 3 to Yr. 4. Yr. 4 has them reading Robinson Crusoe and Kidnapped plus other heavy duty books like Plutarch and Bullfinch. With what i knew of each child, I tried to figure out if they would be able to handle Yr. 4 in Gr. 4 or later. My oldest was reading quite well at 6 and had amazing reading comprehension. With that information, I thought that she would be able to handle Yr. 4 when she was 9. I was right. I think Yr. 4 was our best year. She totally understood Robinson Crusoe. We had some wonderful discussions based on that book. My middle child was not reading until he was 8. His reading comprehension is poor so I didn't think he would be able to handle RC when he was 9. We will be doing Yr. 4 next year for his gr. 5 year and I am still not sure if he will be able to handle it. My youngest is 7 1/2 and she is nowhere near being able to read. Her reading comphrension is good, though, but I thought I would be wise to leave Yr. 1 until she is in Gr. 2. We haven't started yet but I think I have made a good decision It all depends on the individual child. Look ahead at the Yr. 4 booklist. See if your child will be able to handle those books when she/he is 9. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted June 13, 2010 Author Share Posted June 13, 2010 Thanks Julia, that really helps. If I do go with AO I have plans to stop using it after 3rd grade due to having other things planned. So what you just said really does help. Thanks everyone! You all have been very helpful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybear Posted June 13, 2010 Share Posted June 13, 2010 I just did year 1 with my 9 yo. It was a good fit. He was not reading at all till mid year. For my 7 yo some of the books were fine and some not. He is still not reading. So for him I am planning to start year 1 next fall. He will be turning 8. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moniksca Posted June 13, 2010 Share Posted June 13, 2010 I discovered AO when my ds was in third (8) and decided to start him in year 1 since I didn't want to miss any really good books. I have since combined year 1 and 2 and will do 3 next year (except for history). He was not fond of parables of nature and the Burgess books so I did have to shift things around according to what he liked. His reading is good but his comprehension was not the same which is why I decided to start in year 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medieval Mom Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 (edited) We did all of the AO1 books this year on our own schedule. Ds was six, and will just be turning seven when we begin AO2 (using their schedule, for the most part). We skipped Trial and Triumph. Ds LOVED the Burgess Bird Book so much that he was soon reading it and anything else we could find by Burgess on his own. We're just now beginning Parables from Nature, so the jury is still out on that one. He loved the first chapter, though! It was his enthusiasm for the books in AO that helped me decide to try AO2 next year or 2nd grade. HTH;) Edited June 17, 2010 by Medieval Mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted June 17, 2010 Author Share Posted June 17, 2010 Yes, that does help. Thank you ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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