Confusion for some about History Odyssey

[mymonkeybug]

I have been reading older posts about History Odyssey and it appears as though many people using it don't like that you jump from book to book, referring to the Spine choices, when I was always under the impression you pick one of the Spine suggestions and use that one solely, not jump from one to the other. So if you decide to use SOTW as your spine, you use it not use it and the Usborne book or if you use the Usborne book you don't also use SOTW.

 

Am I understanding this properly? You do use just one Spine choice correct?

[RootAnn]

In Level 2, I'm pretty sure you need both spines listed (Kingfisher & Story of Mankind) as both are listed as "required resources."

 

Then again, I'm thinking about doing Level 2 HO Ancients a year from this fall & I don't plan on getting TSOM by VanLoon. We'll make do with something else we have on hand (recommended by another poster here who has done HO Levl 2 Ancients) instead. I don't plan on getting the History Pockets either.

 

Then again, I might just do this instead of HO.

[HiddenJewel]

In Level 2 Ancients TSOM was used very little and your main spine was Kingfisher. You are flipping between books very little. Perhaps that is different for other eras.

[chicagoshannon]

I was looking at it yesterday. From what I gathered your spine is the encyclopedia (in grammar stage) and SOTW was one of the supplemental readings. So you would use both.

[Just Robyn]

I was looking at it yesterday. From what I gathered your spine is the encyclopedia (in grammar stage) and SOTW was one of the supplemental readings. So you would use both.

 

:iagree: , but SOTW is optional. The Usborne book is used in every lesson, but there are some lessons without a relevant chapter in SOTW. While it might be nice to have the crafts in the syllabus instead of in separate books, I personally like using both Usborne and SOTW (and picture books and such chosen from their lists of suggestions) because they are so different in style. I guess it just seems more rounded to me than choosing to use just one or the other. Also, we don't read from both on the same day. One day he'll read to me from Usborne, the next day I'll read to him from SOTW, so it's not like I'm going to and from the bookshelf all day long just for history.

[mymonkeybug]

OK, I'm getting a more clear picture now. I am getting HO for dd8 in the fall but it will be a Level 1. It just seemed like many posts were people not liking that you HAD to read from two or more spines and jumping back and forth. You don't HAVE to do any of that and could use another spine altogether.

 

Thanks for feedback so far. Just trying to get my bearing in order and work on items needed.

[In2why]

I am using the level 1's next year and I do not plan on getting all of the suggested supplementals. She clearly states that not everything must be done, or read, and if I were to buy everything it would price it out of my range.

 

I also use RSO and do the same thing, use the books and materials I have or can find at the library without worrying about having every single book.

 

It is a complete program even without doing it all, in fact I think if you were to try it could lead to burn out.

[Mom in High Heels]

We use level 1 and I don't think it odd at all that there are multiple books. We love UILE and SOTW. They are so different. The UILE is more of a "just the facts" sort of book, while SOTW goes more in depth and sometimes gives stories or myths from the areas you're learning about. HO has been great for us this year. I think it would be weird to use ONLY one book.