Newbie in need of a little guidance...please :-)

[*AM*]

Hello I am new here.

I wanted to tell you that I *love* the amount of information that is here.

 

We just finished our third year of home schooling. I have three boys, one a rising third grader, one a rising first grader and a three year old.

 

I have always considered myself to be a classical home schooler, but, until now have not read WTM. I broke it out and read 70 pages this morning at 5am :-)

 

I do have some questions about what I read. So far we have emphasized reading (aloud and independently), writing, phonics, grammar and math. This past year we did very little in the way of science and history. I have been doing my homework for the past month to make my purchases for the upcoming year and have made a good deal of them already. I do own SOTW 1and 2, but, have not begun them yet. I was planning on beginning SOTW 1 this summer as a casual read aloud with all of them as well as beginning a nature study. Do you need to have the activity book, or is this something that can be done without it? I have had The Handbook of Nature sitting on my shelf for the past year and I need to begin it!

 

I had planned on working of the age of exploration this coming year, but, wondered if I would be too far behind as the book mentions to begin late renaissance in grade three. I know it also mentions that you will repeat history (no pun intended ;) ) three times over in the four year plan they suggest.

 

For science this past year we worked more on seasonal activities and focused on science around the year. I try to combine activities as much as possible for them. We have not done much in the way of astronomy and had planned on doing that this year.

 

I hate thinking I am behind and I have not even started the year yet.

I would love to hear any thoughts or suggestions you all might have :)

[Starr]

You are not behind. :) You just need to make a plan. I would start with Ancient History because the kids love it and well it's the beginning. I like SOTW and the activity book. You can use as much as you like from the activity book and it would work for all of your children. The book stands alone but we found it fun to read other books along side (book lists in the activity book) and live a little in ancient Egypt, Greece, fun with the myths... I would read and the kids would color or draw and then we would talk about the reading following the guide. Depending on writing skills they would write or dictate a narration. When young it might be a sentence about a picture. I could go on and on. Those were great days.

[Hedgehogs4]

i don't use the AG very often, but when i need it, i'm glad i have it. we love listening to SOTW on cd. this is our primary means of moving through the text. we listen whenver we get in the car. when we get through book four, we'll go back to the beginning and start over.

[Tam101]

Yes, you could do without the activity guide for SOTW, but I wouldn't want to. We don't do every activity. I try to pick at least one craft a chapter and we love the maps. My son doesn't like to color, so I end up coloring while he does his math! :lol: I find the reading selections helpful and the review cards in the back we use on our timeline.

[golfcartmama]

FWIW, I wasn't going to get the AG. I checked the book out at the library and LOVED it, so I found someone selling the book and AG used for a fabulous price, so I purchased it. It is GREAT! It has the maps in it and some really cool activites, like mummification. I will always buy the guide now, but the question is could you do without it? Yes, but it would mean then the you would need to do more work researching crafts/activities/maps. JMHO, some others may not like it!

[*AM*]

Thank you so much for your thoughts!

Do you think SOTW 1 if something that can be tackled during the summer and then progress on to what I had planned?