SOTW2 or other spine for 2nd gr (plus CC)

[dsmama]

We are going to join CC as part of our second year of homeschooling. I would like to continue using SOTW for history, but the way Cycle 2 of CC is laid out from Charlemagne to Modern times, I'm wondering if I'd need SOTW 2-4? Or should I just stick to medieval history study during the non-CC days?

 

I'm also wondering if I could do something like Biblioplan, using the VP cards and SOTW. I could even make my own hybrid plan, perhaps?

 

Background: This would be for a 2nd grader who is a good reader and who also loves art (so coloring pages, etc., are good). I also have a 4-year-old girl and a busy 1-year-old boy (who has Down syndrome and we are blessed to have mother's helper for a few hours each week so school actually happens outside of nap time!). We are conservative Protestant, but I'm open to options that are not such.

 

Thank you!!

[dsmama]

:bigear:

[everlastingstarflower]

I completely understand your dilemna. I like things to match and compliment each other. That said, it doesn't matter all that much if CC doesn't line up with SOTW. We did CC Foundations Cycle 1 last year and SOTW I at the same time. Not all of the history sentences in Cycle 1 dealt with "ancients".

 

From all the reviews that I have read about SOTW IV, I don't think you'd want to skip to it because the activites change from doing narration summaries to outlining. SOTW IV is designed for much older students. Also, some who purchased it were indicating that the book lists in the activity guide were all much more difficult titles that didn't leave room for younger students. If you decide to stay with SOTW, I'd definitely do them in the order that they were created.

 

We like SOTW but, I'm going to be finishing it up and will have three years when I am not sure what I'm going to do for history for my dd. I wish I would have known about VP history before we started SOTW but, we've already done one year of SOTW and I've already purchased II & III and gotten the library book list lined up so...we're going to finish it. If I had it to do all over again, I'd have done VP for all of the years. I know that CC has changed the order that they use the cards so, even VP won't match up exactly with CC but, I think it would have been easier on me to do it that way. It also would have been easier because I could have combined history, Bible and literature using VP. And VP doesn't have the students read as many books as what is listed in the SOTW activity guide. So I think my dc would welcome the slower reading pace. As it is, I'm going to try and do all 5 VP years in 3. I am hoping that I can make it work.

[dsmama]

Thank you for giving me so much to think about! I appreciate your comments about SOTW4 and age appropriateness. I'm leaning toward a SOTW2 focus for the year but with other readings and geography added in.

 

Blessings!

Gwen