At what age did you start SOTW?

[sylvi76]

First grade isn't too early is it? I don't really know how much of it she gets and how much of it just goes over her head. We do play the audio or read it, and sometimes color a sheet from the AG. I have a feeling I should be doing more....

[Spryte]

We're doing it for first as well. I don't think that's too young.

 

We listen to the audio while DS colors the coloring page and/or illustrates what he hears (he loves to draw). We do the review questions, and if he doesn't know the answers we don't sweat it - I supply them for him. Sometimes we listen to the audio again. Then we do the map work, with me guiding him.

 

For the narration - he dictates, and I write it down. If he has trouble formulating his answers in complete sentences, I help him. Then I read it back to him, and usually he draws a picture at the top of the page.

 

The best part, of course, is doing all the projects. We take pics of the completed projects, and put them into his history notebook along with everything else.

 

He loves showing off his history notebook to the grandparents, by the way... He is a little history buff. :)

[Carol in Cal.]

Age 7 here. 6 would have been fine. 5 would have been too early if it meant reading SOTW2 at 6.

[KrissiK]

First grade. It's worked well for my boys.

[OregonNative]

We are using it this year and my children are in 1st and 3rd. They both LOVE it!

We try to cover one chapter a week. We read MWF if I can split the chapter up that way. We read some of the Corresponding Lit. suggestions in the AG, do the map, coloring page etc. from the AG and I have also added in History Pockets-we do these things on T & TH. We have yet to do any of the hands on activities in the AG.

[Mallory]

I did it the first time around mine were K and 1st. Then we did all of the rest of SOTW (although I don't know if you could count the few chapters we slogged through last year doing SOTW 4). We are doing SOTW 1 again this year for 4th and 5th. I love it!

 

In retrospect I wish we had done SOTW 1-4 when my oldest was 3rd -6th grade. I think they would be perfect for those ages, and even my younger tagging along in 2nd-5th grade would have gotten lots out of it. Fortunately my next will be just right for this if he stays on the same schedule as the oldest.

 

I also think this makes a nice 4 year rotation from 3rd- 6th, then another from 7th -10th, then you get two years at the end of high school for something else (and 2 years at the beginning for american or geography). Either a more traditional civics/govt/econ route or a chance to do your high school level ancients and middle ages in 11th and 12th and really explore some of those hard texts. You also could have a couple years in the middle to do World Geo or extra American and do the last cycle from 9th- 12th.

 

I really wish I had been comfortable with waiting on SOTW for a year or two. There will plenty of time to get in at least 2 4 year history cycles. You don't have to give up on the idea of a 4 year history cycle just because you start history later. You might also find that a 2 year or 3 year or even 6 year cycle works better. I think the important thing to remember is that you are going to go through it cronologically when you do study it.

 

(This is a copy of my post from this thread http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219426&highlight=sotw )

[sagira]

We did it last year in First, when ds was 6. He had a blast, especially as we did many of the projects in the AG. He wasn't too keen on coloring pages. He did, but this year he colors well within the lines, takes his time, and enjoys it much more. Last year he enjoyed the cutting and pasting the most - cutting timeline figures and gluing them into the Book of Centuries. This year, we're not doing that, but ds is writing much more, and making a Medieval History book, focusing on maps and writing (notebooking pages). I feel guilty that we haven't gotten around to most of the AG projects this year, but the few we have done have been great. The day before yesterday ds and dd were Maori warriors, paint and all.

 

He remembers quite a bit from last year, even if he doesn't remember the names. But he has a good frame of reference, and he knows about civilizations, how they were born, general ideas about history. This I think is the most important, coupled with the fact that History is his favorite subject. Last year he barely narrated, this year he narrates enthusiastically. He even asks for it, and narrated a whole two pages! We do narration CM style.