SOTW question - anyone else not finish a book in a year?

[mirabillis]

I had great intentions of following SOTW in its 4-year cycle. We got to SOTW2 this year, and only managed to cover about half as I admit that I got a bit lazy & sloughed off much of history as mid-year came around....

 

Tell me, has this happened to anyone else? And did you find it was fluid to just pick up the next year where you left off mid-way through in SOTW?

 

Thanks!!!

[Mommamia]

Yep, this happened to me with SOTW1(last year). I just tried picking it up again to just read over the summer. Not sure what to do at this point. Hopefully, someone with more insight will share some thoughts.

 

Just wanted you to know that I'm with ya.

[catz]

I had great intentions of following SOTW in its 4-year cycle. We got to SOTW2 this year, and only managed to cover about half as I admit that I got a bit lazy & sloughed off much of history as mid-year came around....

 

Tell me, has this happened to anyone else? And did you find it was fluid to just pick up the next year where you left off mid-way through in SOTW?

 

Thanks!!!

 

We are going into our 3rd year of HS, and have only gotten through SOTW 1 and the first 1/3rd of SOTW 2 in 2 years. I'm very laid back compared to many people on this forum, but I figure, as long as we do history at least once a week, we're doing fine. We jump to American History on occassion and pull a few books on that if we have local field trips I'd like to do. We read many other books. We do lots of history and cultural related outings, especially when we travel. And my kids are generally well ahead of grade level. If you're comfortable with your pace you're moving, carry on! :) I'm going to pick up where we left off in the fall.

[Guest janainaz]

Ds10 is beginning his 5th grade year in August and we will be half-way through SOTW4, but it's not because we just don't do history because we get lazy. We stop and take our time on certain topics. I'm not concerned about it taking a bit more time.

[cschnee]

It's taken us two years to finish each of the sotw volumes because there is so much interesting stuff to do! We read lots of extra books and do a lot of the projects plus other projects as well. We will start sotw 4 next year and I have it planned to take 3 years as we are combining it with a Canadian History study (started when we finished sotw 3). This will take us to grade 8 and then in grades 9-12, after an quick overview, dd can figure out what part(s) of history she is most interested in and we'll study that in more detail.

[Stellalarella]

We were playing catch up with STOW from the beginning because we started classical education mid year. (I started STOW 1 with my 1st grader in January. At that time I was only hs her--but this year I will be homeschooling the whole crew.) We ended up with the Greeks by end of May. We are not doing formal schooling this summer, but I have been reading chapters of STOW1 to her and her 4th grader sister at night for bedtime stories. We talk about what we read and I ask each of them to tell me some interesting facts. We'll wrap up STOW1 in time to start our schooling in mid-July. I asked my ds (rising to 6th grade) to just read the whole book, which he did. So, that completes STOW1.

I know that they will have the opportunity to study this period in history one or two more times. And, if I understand it correctly, by using the classical method, I am training them to learn how to educate themselves about a given subject. Hopefully, when they reach their 20s and realize that their grammar stage education on the early Romans was woefully inadequate, they will feel empowered to check out a book from the library and read about it.

[mirabillis]

thanks for all the insight, and comraderie. SO glad to hear i'm not the only one. i did SOTW last year and finished the whole thing. i assumed i'd do the same this year. course i'm pregnant and slacked off toward the end of the year... but i was beating myself up over not completing it. i've come to terms with it, obviously, but wondered about how to pursue from here on out. i too thought of doing just the reading over the summer to catch up... but i'm nearly due with #5, so that's out. LOL!

 

but i too am VERY casual, so i'm happy to know it works to just continue and pick up where we left off! that way, i'll be refreshed & enthusiastic again. :D

[Kate in Arabia]

We're starting SOTW 4 in the fall. We started SOTW 1 when my oldest ds was in 1st grade, and he is now going into 7th; so it's taken us an average of 2 years per volume -- hasn't worked out that neatly, I think volume 1 took us over 2 years (my kids *really* liked the ancients, lol). History is my kids' favorite subject.

[KrissiK]

We started SOTW1 at Christmas last school year, so we got throught the Greeks and then quit for summer. I decided that it was more important for the kids to learn and enjoy history than to "get through the book" at a certain pace. So, I think the Greeks were a good stopping point and we'll pick up again at the beginning of August with... whatever comes next - I think it's the Americas for a couple chapters. I love SOTW1 and just don't want to rush through it and the kids are learning so much, too.

[Ohio12]

I think SOTW II is also so much harder than SOTW I. whew. I don't think that it is important to get it done in a year. We took 15 months for each so far. But I do always regret when we step away from it for a time. I think you lose momentum and continuity. I got lazy halfway through SOTW I and slacked way off. I determined not to do that with SOTW II, but it is still taking us a long time because it is SO much material. I didn't do half the read aloud supplementary stuff this time either! Can't wait to see what SOTW III has to offer.

[catholicmommy]

We took a long time to get through Sotw1 as well.... Though not so much because we were enjoying all the activities....mostly because I wasn't as organized as I wanted and we dropped it because I didn't want to do history if I didn't have the extra books out of the library, or the supplies for the projects, we wouldn't do it.

I was stuck in the mindset that if I couldn't do it perfectly, or even mostly perfectly, in would wait until I could.

 

While this seemed like a sensible idea at the time, now that my eldest dd is going into grade five, i wish we had been more disciplined and kept on moving through history. What I have finally come to understand, is that for my homeschool, (with my perfectionist all-or-nothing personality), I need to keep on moving, week after week.

 

If you've been following the discussions of filing methods for organizing, I talked a bunch about what we do over there. Basically, we try to stay on track as much as possible. If we have a week full of dr appts, or sick kids, and all we have time for is the readings and a few oral narrations, it's OK to keep on moving to the next chapter the following week. (now this is only needed if you even CARE if you finish the book on a year.... Some people don't care at all, and that's perfectly fine! Never let yourself become a slave to your curriculum. You are the primary educator of your child)

 

I figure that for every amazing project and extra library books we pass up, there are five more to take it's place, and the lessons the kids learn in perseverance and sticking to the routine is almost just as important.... Especially when they get to the upper grades.

[Mommyfaithe]

I had great intentions of following SOTW in its 4-year cycle. We got to SOTW2 this year, and only managed to cover about half as I admit that I got a bit lazy & sloughed off much of history as mid-year came around....

 

Tell me, has this happened to anyone else? And did you find it was fluid to just pick up the next year where you left off mid-way through in SOTW?

 

Thanks!!!

 

We started SOTW 1 when dd was in 2nd grade. She is now going into 7th...and we have not finished SOTW 3...almost, but not yet...

We are taking the slow scenic route....and it has been really fun~Plus, i don't have to worry about next year...LOL.

 

Faithe.

[Mommyfaithe]

It's taken us two years to finish each of the sotw volumes because there is so much interesting stuff to do! We read lots of extra books and do a lot of the projects plus other projects as well. We will start sotw 4 next year and I have it planned to take 3 years as we are combining it with a Canadian History study (started when we finished sotw 3). This will take us to grade 8 and then in grades 9-12, after an quick overview, dd can figure out what part(s) of history she is most interested in and we'll study that in more detail.

 

This is what we are doing as well.

[kalanamak]

When we tired of doing history the way it is outlined in WTM, we just read the extra books, and I let my son listen to the SOTW on CD. He quotes part of it, and has listened many times, so I call it good. I won't feel that way when he is 12, but at 7, I call it good.

[RootAnn]

A few weeks (ok - maybe five or six) after #5 is born (and you aren't completely bleary-eyed anymore, but the kids are starting to show signs of chaos from being off-schedule for too long), I'd suggest pulling out SOTW2 and doing some couch-time reading. The olders can color if you have the activity book.

 

History was the first thing we restarted because 1) there was a lot of material to cover & my school year was "shortened" because of my #5 being due in late Sept, 2) the kids LOVE doing SOTW so "school" would be fun when we restarted if we did that, and 3) it was easy to sit & read while feeding the baby.

 

Just a suggestion & based on what I did when I had just had #5. :tongue_smilie:

[Macrina]

We manage to keep it inside a (long) year, but we do it with a class, so there is schedule accountability! Keep in mind it is a 42 chapter book. Even IF you did a chapter a week it would take you from the beginning of September through the end of July and that's if you take ONE week off for Christmas and no more! When we were doing it on our own there is no way would would have gotten through one volume in a school year.

[Sweetpeach]

We *always* finish *every* book, activities, map work, special projects and supplementary reading.

 

:lol:

:lol:

:lol:

 

I'm aghast at the question even being asked.

 

:D:D

 

Sorry, slinking back to my regular morning tea.

Tricia