Moms of many, and also people who aren't inherently organized- history curriculum?

[Annie Laurie]

What do you use for history and why?

[cin]

SOTW. I got the electronic version and print off the chapter adn chapter test each week. That way, if we lose it, we haven't lost the WHOLE BOOK. Which has happened before. :glare:

[Homeschooling6]

When the children were younger, it was easier for me to gather them together; we used SL, WP and MFW (not all in one year ;) )

Now that we have more subjects and such, I have switched the older two to textbooks and the younger four listen to audio books (SOTW, MOH and so forth).

 

My two oldest really prefer their texbooks because history gets done. We also have tons of books that they read on their own + our read aloud time.

[Marie in Oh]

When the children were younger, it was easier for me to gather them together; we used SL, WP and MFW (not all in one year ;) )

Now that we have more subjects and such, I have switched the older two to textbooks and the younger four listen to audio books (SOTW, MOH and so forth).

My two oldest really prefer their texbooks because history gets done. We also have tons of books that they read on their own + our read aloud time.

 

We are transitioning to text books with extra reading where they read and do on their own. It is so much easier than rounding them all up to read history together. I know some think the multi-level, do hsitory as a family is the way to go, but not here. We did SOTW almost 2 times through, with 1 year of MOH mixed in, so we really did give it a good try.

[mommaduck]

MFW...because I am a mom of many and don't have time to plan every single thing LOL! Nicely scheduled, easiest to add things to or drop things from, uses SOTW, is a multi level unit study, etc.

[SilverMoon]

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Edited July 12, 2022 by SilverMoon

[Annie Laurie]

Veritas Press. :) Solid, chronological, easy-peasy to tailor for different skill levels, my kids love it (and retain it), we can do as much of their literature as we want, and adding WTM narrations, outlines and such is a cinch. VP makes it easy to keep all my kids together.

 

Do you use the homeschool kit with the cards and CD and add from there, or the Scholars or self-paced online history program?

[sagira]

SOTW. I have the book and the audio CDs. Ds listens to a chapter, then reads the chapter. Aids in retention. I also have the guide and the Usborne history encyclopedia. I love how everything is there. Ds enjoys the Internet links too.

 

Oops - I just realized I'm not a mom of many, but I will be a mom of three soon :P I'm also disorganized by nature, struggling towards more organization.

[CarynB]

We're trying Ambleside Online. We just started with Year 2 a couple of weeks ago and so far it's going really well. Previously we'd tried: TOG, MFW, SL, VP, and TQ. I like all the other programs but I'm really enjoying the AO schedule much more. I had a hard time switching between all the books scheduled for the other programs, inevitably missing one or two chapters here and there and then completely getting off track....with AO there aren't a lot of books to read each week but the coverage is still great. I hope it continues to go well! Good luck with your search!

[SilverMoon]

attachedto4 said:

 

 

 

Edited September 5, 2023 by SilverMoon

[Ann.without.an.e]

Mystery of History. I am too ADD and have too much going on to pull together one million different resources, or even to keep up with that many. I like that if we are crunched, we can simply read and discuss the lesson and then move on. If we have more time, I assign more reading from other books, etc. We use VP Cards, rather than the kids making their own cards for each lesson (it was grueling). Each child has a timeline book that we paste timeline figures in (we use the printable CD from homeschool in the woods). About every three weeks, we take a history day and work on timeline instead. My youngest DD, who loves history and can't get enough, has plenty of access to other books on the subjects, including SOTW - which she reads on her own and loves.

 

In the earlier years we tried SL, MFW, and VP and I just couldn't make them work for me. I can't take something complex and reduce it - I feel horrible and guilty, etc. I find it easier to take something that is one volume, like MOH, and add to it. SOTW could have this simplicity too, but DH will not allow it to be our spine. He is the history lover, so I rely on his input and say for this subject:001_smile:

[Annie Laurie]

Mystery of History. I am too ADD and have too much going on to pull together one million different resources, or even to keep up with that many. I like that if we are crunched, we can simply read and discuss the lesson and then move on. If we have more time, I assign more reading from other books, etc. We use VP Cards, rather than the kids making their own cards for each lesson (it was grueling). Each child has a timeline book that we paste timeline figures in (we use the printable CD from homeschool in the woods). About every three weeks, we take a history day and work on timeline instead. My youngest DD, who loves history and can't get enough, has plenty of access to other books on the subjects, including SOTW - which she reads on her own and loves.

 

In the earlier years we tried SL, MFW, and VP and I just couldn't make them work for me. I can't take something complex and reduce it - I feel horrible and guilty, etc. I find it easier to take something that is one volume, like MOH, and add to it. SOTW could have this simplicity too, but DH will not allow it to be our spine. He is the history lover, so I rely on his input and say for this subject:001_smile:

 

We sound so similar. I swear I have ADD as well, things are just so hard for me that don't seem to be for other people. I get bogged down and overwhelmed by too many choices. I also can't seem to reduce things. I am actually looking at using SOTW, but I'm afraid I will feel overwhelmed by all of the history and lit choices in the activity guide. Lots of reading is important to me, so I can't only use SOTW, we need some read alouds and additional independent reading as well.

 

I own most of the SL cores, and I think the way it's planned out for me is best, but I've skipped around too much and have messed up our sequence, and don't know how I would combine my 4th, 3rd, and 1st graders.

[Momma H]

MFW keeps me sane here. We get it done and I didn't have to plan it.

[TheAutumnOak]

I am going to use Mystery of History...I am still waiting for it in the mail though, so I am not sure how it is yet...

 

I didn't want to get something that required a lot of other resources...Not at this point anyway...

[BlsdMama]

Tapestry of Grace

 

It was time that they all be on the same page. I used Sonlight for part of one year and for several reasons we left it - because it didn't fit our family. But most of all because I couldn't use it without serious tweaking for all of my ages. Oh, I know do Year 2 with Year U and add Year 4 to Year X, just change Y, Z, A, and B... I'm not that person. ;) It's taken me a while to admit it.

 

But it was REALLY important to me that we ALL be studying the same time period. Often what is relevant to one is relevant to another and it is nice to have them talking about/discussing the same things. Recently while Ana read one of Shakespeare's plays, CJ read a simplified version and I read a child's picture book to the littlest - from ages 2 to 8. It was FUN that they could know the characters of the play in our entire family, kwim?

 

*Caveat: Because I'm NOT inherently organized, I've found that I am going to be forced to purchase the books vs. using the library because I just can't seem to coordinate all of my big plans. :) That's okay with me, but I'd not suggest Tapestry if someone is BOTH not organized and NOT buying the books. One or the other is fine, but the combination is pending doom.

Edited December 20, 2010 by BlsdMama

[melmichigan]

I tried SL, and while I love the literature and the read aloud I had to make a change. Now I use TOG because I can combine all the different levels and still use the SL that I want, which is good because I own Cores K-100. :)

[tricia]

Ambleside for everything. I too am inherently disorganized but that's not why I chose Ambleside. I just love it.

[Quiver0f10]

For a large family of mixed ages I really like TOG. TOG lays everything out and allows you to keep everyone on the same topic.

[LindaOz]

We have two different 'strands' of history happening in our house. The kids all have their own level of history with Sonlight, and we also have a 'family history reading' which is currently Mystery of History. We do the lapbooking with Mystery of History (well, all except ds6) and the quizzes etc, as well as sometimes some extra individual reading.

 

This is the way I juggle having something that we are all doing together while the kids are still having their own level history as well.

[prairiewindmomma]

SOTW, adding in TOG once the kids have gone through the history cycle once. I try to do as much prep work as I can before the new school year starts.

 

Sonlight did not work well for us.

[TengoFive]

Story of the World. I love that we can just listen to it in the car and history gets done even if we're not at home. We don't always get around to the extras, but we always can listen to the chapter and discuss it. I think we discuss it more this way actually, as they're a captive audience.

I also like that I can download the pdf and print the activity pages out. I've lost books more times than I can count. I haven't lost my computer yet, so I get as much printable school work as I can.

[johnandtinagilbert]

TOG. I'm not born organized, so I let TOG do it all for me. I just have to pick books from their list and follow what is laid before me. It took SO much time for me to get it all together that even though using TOG in D and Rh stages takes some teacher prep time, it still is WAAY less than if I did it all on my own.

 

I like that it keeps us all in the same time period.

 

It uses excellent materials.

 

There is a large community of support.

[Guest]

Not homeschooling many and I am an organization freak so I probably shouldn't be posting ;) but I just had to say we are loving TOG :D. Like Tina said, you don't have to be an organization freak like me. You just have to make it work for your family. If you haven't already download one of the 3-week samples try to download them now and check it out. One thing I like that works well for my LG boy is that it includes many picture books and most he can read himself or with me. The way it is set up, I feel, it works well for a family with many children since you can keep everyone on the same topic but with books at their own level :).

 

ETA: We are also using SOTW Vol 1 with the AG and loving it also.

[Mommyfaithe]

What do you use for history and why?

 

I use a 5 year history cycle. Somehow, I can never fit it into 4.

 

This time around I am using SOTW (we are on book 4) with the AG's. Along the path I added in Kingfisher for my logic stage kids, Omnibus for my older logics early High School and Spielvogel's relevant chapters for my older High School.

 

The cycle before I used Beautiful Feet, and a bunch of other books from all sources.

 

Faithe

[texasmama]

Sonlight. It is organized for me, and we mostly love the program.:001_smile: It is a big time-saver to have the Instructor's Guide with the schedule laid out.

[Desert Strawberry]

SOTW. Mine are young. I like that I can gather everyone and read them a quick story, then we can talk about it. I give them maps and coloring sheets and other things that are age appropriate. if we are running low on time or energy, I can just read the story, and that's enough. I'm amazed at how well my children remember the stories I have read to them.

[siloam]

I am using TOG/MOH, but what I use is a side issue. What I do is have a group reading (or listening to audio's while the kids work on their paper Pokemon is more accurate), then I assign additional biographies, more in-depth reading and literature. My oldest is the only one doing more depth. My middle one does both the biographies and lit. My 3rd dd is only doing lit. I no longer do an RA time becuase we have a family RA time several times a week, but it isn't history related.

 

This year I will start having the oldest two make summary cards, and review them to work more towards mastery of the material. The younger two I really won't worry about yet.

 

Heather

[justamouse]

AO

 

It's spelled out week by week and I print it (the schedule) out and check it off.