Famous Men student guide questions

[swimmermom3]

For those of you who have used the student guides that go with the Famous Men books, do you find that they add significantly to your child's understanding of history? The book and the guide seem to be a standard part of diy medieval studies, yet I am hesitating. This year, one of my goals is to do a solid, interesting job with history but not engage in overkill. I need the work to be meaningful but not redundant and I want to focus on larger ideas versus minutia. Will using the activity guide move me closer to those goals? We'll already be doing map work so I won't add that in. Do you treat them as work sheets or do you just ask the questions orally?

[swimmermom3]

:lurk5:Anyone? And do your children enjoy the student guides?

[Tress]

I want to focus on larger ideas versus minutia.

 

I wasn't going to respond, because I haven't actually used the guides YET.

 

I do have the Memoria Press guides, but I have not seen the Greenleaf guides. From what you wrote above, I do not think you are going to like the Memoria Press guides. You can see a sample at their site. Every chapter and every guide is same, and yes..they focus on the minutia.

 

I think MP's idea is to let the students practically memorize these stories, so that when they encounter a reference to it in other literature they will remember it immediately....in stead of going something like this 'oh, yeah...ehh..those Greek gods those were cool.....but who was...??' or 'Horatius....yeah, wasn't that the guy at the bridge..but who was he fighting against??' :D

 

Anyway, it is a valid approach, but I'm guessing not what you want to do, from your posts I get the feeling you are more the creative type ;).

 

HTH,

[Ohdanigirl]

I have the MP guides, and yes the goal s to get them to really remember the stories. That said, my dc love them. They love to read the stories and finish the work rather quickly. They are very exited when they see what they have learned referenced somewhere else. I use FMOR as part of our Latin, and not History though. I should also add that my boys love History, our oldest says it is the best part of school, so a little extra "History" thrown in doesn't bother them. You could easily read the stories, or listen on Librivox, and discuss them together. I think you would get just as much benefit.

 

Danielle