KrissiK Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 the first go-around, would you push a little faster, maybe skip a chapter or two so that you can get to where you should be, or would you just continue at a leisurely pace and not really care about being "where you should be". I started SOTW1 mid-year with my boys last year. Now, we're about at chapter 11 in SOTW2. I would really like to be closer to starting SOTW3 next year than I will be if I stay at this pace. I'm in a quandry.... a) maybe I shouldn't care about being at a certain place, but rather just take our time and get to the end whenever we do; or b) the kids are young, this go around is just about exposure, maybe I should step it up a little, get through this first cycle and then really take our time with bios and all that during the second history cycle because right now they don't really understand and/or care about Charlemagne anyhow! Part of this is about academics, but I realize that part of this is my "structured, controlled, type A personality" vs. my "I really wish I were a little more laid back, take it as it comes, because does it really matter anyway?" desire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patchfire Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 We were in a similar situation. Dd hit about February in 2nd grade and we had just finally finished SOTW 1. Can we say oops? (In my defense, I had a very active toddler, but still...) I sat down, figured out how to get through SOTW 2 by mid-July, and start SOTW 3 'on time' with the new school year. We still did some extra reading, the coloring pages, and the mapwork. We're not big project people anyway, so that didn't change. I have never regretted doing in that way (she's finishing 5th grade up now). We had such great, wonderful years with SOTW 3 & 4. I would do it again that way 100 times. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I don't think there's any such thing as being "behind in history"? If you get a year off the 4 year cycle, it's ok. Only one of my kids will be doing the 4 year cycle at the recommended ages. And even with that child, we might stretch a year out to get more US history somewhere in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I think in those early grades you should study what you want. If there are chapters that don't interest you, then skip them to get to topics that do. I understand how you feel because I am a planner, list checker, etc. Perhaps you could go through the book and pick the chapters you "plan" to do, purposely skipping some. If it's part of YOUR plan, then maybe you won't feel you are shortchanging them academically. Does that make sense? I didn't really even know about a classical eduction until my dd was nearing the end of 5th grade. I had wanted her to cover all of history in middle school, so I had her do Ancients in 6th, the rest of the major world events in 7th, and she's doing American in 8th. I wanted ds do the same topics. He covered Ancients in K, major world events in 1st, and is doing American in 2nd. They will both be back to Ancients next year. I have not used SOTW with either of them, but will get it next year for ds. I'm going to follow Biblioplan which schedules it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I'm planning to start a full cycle at age 7 or so. I'd expected to do Core 1&2 along with SOTW and extra books, and spread it out over 2 years. Instead, DD has whipped through it quickly, focusing on topics she enjoyed and reading in between, and now wants to do American history the same way (mostly due to her American Girl dolls). So we're going to do a year of American history, and then start over at age 7 and hopefully slow down a little this time! I figure letting DD take control and enjoy what she's learning, while learning how to do narrations and developing her writing skills is more important at age 5-6 than getting a really rigorous, in-depth view of history. We're still far beyond what would have happened in K-3 in PS here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 If you are dealing with history in grades 1-4 I wouldn't worry. Take your time and enjoy the work. If needed you are even allowed to finish up some history over the summer. If you take 4 years to do SOTW 1-3 and want to begin the cycle again to keep the older kids on pace I wouldn't worry. I have heard some say they wouldn't use SOTW 4 with a 4th grader due to the subject matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted February 10, 2011 Author Share Posted February 10, 2011 If you take 4 years to do SOTW 1-3 and want to begin the cycle again to keep the older kids on pace I wouldn't worry. I have heard some say they wouldn't use SOTW 4 with a 4th grader due to the subject matter. Well now..... that is an option I hadn't even considered! Are we allowed to do this? Won't we get in trouble? ;) I would kind of prefer to hang out in SOTW2 a little longer because the medieval stuff is interesting and fun and I got some great books on it. Hmm! I might just do that. I really like that idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twogirlsmommy Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I think that part of the fun of history is working at your own pace. I started DD9 (4th grade) in 1st grade with SOTW 1. So we should be 1/2 way through SOTW 4 by now. We are not even 1/2 way done with SOTW 3 yet! We had a bad year last year and it took a lot to get it all together this year. We do history, have fun, read stories, etc. We do every chapter, but sometimes we do 2 chapters a week if there are not additional activities we want to do. I just feel that history is one of those things to dwell in rather than push through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 We took six years to do SOTW, and I have never regretted it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 :DIsn't that why Netflix was invented? Or the Library? We got a bit behind because the flu ravaged our life for about 3 weeks. So instead of doing long read alouds and activities, I found a movie for the period and that became the lesson. I wouldn't do that for everything, but it allowed us to catch up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeandrea Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I'm in the "take as long as it takes" camp. I have found it works a lot better for us to pick a "quit date" and get as much as we can get done, done. Then we just pick up where we left off. Yes, it means we don't start new books in Aug./Sept., but it also means all the children are done at the same time and know when they will be done. I also know when we'll be done, and we don't end up rushing through stuff just to get done. At first, we just used this approach in history, but it has overflowed to all our subject. It has turned out to be easier on the budget too since I don't have to buy everyone's books for the year all at once. I just need to order them as each child finishes up with the old one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dee67p Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Yeah for Strider and taking as long as it took to do the 4 year cycle according to WTM. You didn't mention how old your kids are, or maybe I missed it. We are just now in week 29 of SOTW4 and may be done before my oldest is done with 4th grade. But somewhere in the middle of the ancients, we stalled. It took some effort to tread thru the remaining chapters creatively AND not skip anything AND not give these kids a hatred for all things history. But, we've even had a go at some US history in there too and it all will come down to the fact that, they like history. They are picking up the skills they need to study further in the 2nd round of the wtm history cycle. The content wasn't the main reason we did this. It was the love of learning, the skills they'd need in the logic years and the time together learning how we all do things. I've learned a great deal over the past almost 4 years of homeschooling and some of it had to do with content. Most of it had to do with learning who my kids are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I would read it without skipping, reading in the summer to catch up. It would be easy and fun.:001_smile: I dont' think it is possible to be "behind" in history, but if you have a goal set for next year of starting SOTW 3, then that is what I would do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M&M Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Well now..... that is an option I hadn't even considered! Are we allowed to do this? Won't we get in trouble? ;) I would kind of prefer to hang out in SOTW2 a little longer because the medieval stuff is interesting and fun and I got some great books on it. Hmm! I might just do that. I really like that idea. :lol: This sounds like me many moons ago! I would never have dreamed of not doing SOTW each year all neat and tidy. Real life took over my perfect plans and we took FOREVER to do SOTW3 and then we skipped SOTW 4 because I had a very sensitive Ker who listened in even when I thought she wasn't paying any attention to what the older children were doing. We have skipped, jumped around....there is no behind in history!! Enjoy the process of learning, enjoy interacting with your children. Let SOTW be a tool to teach skills and introduce your children to the wonderful world of history. Don't stress over the schedule, live and breathe middle ages until you want to move on and if you hate what comes next, skip it. If you love it, then spend time there as well. I give you permission and blessings to have lots and lots of FUN!:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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