Does anyone just *read* SOTW

[shinyhappypeople]

... no activities, no coloring pages, no mapwork. Just read-aloud. Anyone? Is it still extremely useful? How much did they retain?

[lionfamily1999]

We stopped using all that about halfway through 3rd grade. He's retained enough to annoy :lol:

 

Dd is reading through them all right now (halfway through book three) since she missed the first two cycles and wants to be prepared for high school.

 

It's doable, and remember you get three spins through the history cycle. If it's missed now, it'll get picked up later.

[tammyw]

actually, we don't even read the books - we just listen to the audios in the car (and have listened to the first three at least four times each). My daughter especially likes listening to them in the car, so they're on all the time. And then we supplement with lots and lots of living books.

[Snowfall]

We've done many chapters like that. After failing to complete many of the projects, I started getting really annoyed with them. They're great and all, but my kid isn't into anything that takes too long to finish, so sometimes we just read. She still loves history and says it's her favorite subject. :)

[Quad Shot Academy]

:seeya:

 

My oldest read them quickly as an end of the year follow up to his studies. My next listens to them on CD and follows along in her book. Both retained well and enjoyed them.

[hsmom]

We've done many chapters like that. After failing to complete many of the projects, I started getting really annoyed with them. They're great and all, but my kid isn't into anything that takes too long to finish, so sometimes we just read. She still loves history and says it's her favorite subject. :)

 

 

This was perfect to read for me today! My son is this way. I want to do projects like the chicken mummy, but I know he will get frustrated with the fact it takes so long and it won't get done properly.

[mamakimberly]

I'm more of a science experiment person, so history gets shortchanged in our world. And I'm ok with that. For chapter 1, I went out to the library and hunted down all the extra books and resources. It was just too much for us. Too much.

 

This is how it works now:

 

I read the story aloud. They eagerly jump up and down asking if there is a coloring page. If there is a map, they fall to the floor in sheer agony "Oh no! Not again! Just a map! Read another one until you get to one with a coloring page please mommy!"

 

I'm pretty sure they love SOTW purely for the coloring pages. Ha. Actually, they love the stories too. And we do look at the maps, but I don't have them fill them in. They have decent world geography skills, so they "get" where parts of the world are and say "Oh, this is near Ethiopia! I know where that is!" So I don't feel like it is necessary to do the mapwork for us.

 

When they're a bit older (they are 6 & 8) we may do it more intensively. For now, "Read & Color, Repeat" seems to be the method that works best.

 

I'm glad all the options are included, but I don't think there is any "problem" with doing the bare minimum either. Options are good.

 

Kimberly

Edited April 7, 2011 by mamakimberly

[Haiku]

... no activities, no coloring pages, no mapwork. Just read-aloud. Anyone? Is it still extremely useful? How much did they retain?

 

We use the coloring pages and the maps because my kids would revolt if we didn't. They LOVE those. But honestly, I don't think they learn anything from them. :001_smile: We have never done a single activity from the activity book.

 

What they learn and remember, they learn and remember from us reading the book and discussing it.

 

Tara

[HLDoll]

We don't own the books or AGs, only the CDs. My kids LOVE to listen to them. Over and over. And over. They retain more than enough to pepper me with facts and recognize links to what they've heard when we're out and about. We use it as a supplement to VP history spine and I'm very pleased with what they get out of it.

[Mom22ns]

Ds read them in 5th grade when we started homeschooling. He still quotes them all time. He would never color even when he was little and isn't an activity guy. He remembers what he reads. I think it depends in the student whether it is useful or not, but it was for us.

[snickelfritz]

actually, we don't even read the books - we just listen to the audios in the car (and have listened to the first three at least four times each). My daughter especially likes listening to them in the car, so they're on all the time. And then we supplement with lots and lots of living books.

 

We listen to them in the car, and so, we do multiple chapters at a time. Then, it may be a couple weeks and then we listen to 10 more chapters over a couple of days.

 

I check out books over the general topics of the chapters we are listening to. But, they are obviously varied and not as specific as doing 1 or 2 chapters a week. The library books give some fun, in-color, reinforcement. They look through them on their own, or we might read through one at bedtime. But, it's not coordinated. I've quit even requesting books to get that "perfect" mix. We look through the section to see what's interesting.

 

Older dd, especially, remembers quite a bit. Not really specific dates. And she obviously won't be as familiar with the mapwork. But, she remembers the stories and the culture. She was fascinated with Bull Leaping (from the Minoans?) and anytime she looked through a library book and found that "same" picture of the bull-leaping, she'd point it out and talk about it.

 

Another example is this (I think Chinese....she actually remembers better than I do) sculpture of two men squatting and getting ready to wrestle. It was in several books and she recognized it.

 

While these things may not give the "date" pegs that are intended with the WTM method, I do think it gives her culture pegs. And since we are going chronilogically, I think the general flow of dates will be there.

Edited April 7, 2011 by snickelfritz

[kitten18]

Yes, this year (Ancients) we have just been reading and listening to the audio. We also go to the library and get a bunch of books for the general time period. So, I will just go to the ancient Rome section and pick a dozen or so books that look good.

 

I'm hoping to do some projects this summer. Maybe we will make that super cool lapbook as a review.

[Karen in CO]

My dd reads them, and she's retained enough to annoy.

Also, when we had the flu, I put the audio book on the ipod on repeat. and we listened to it as we went in and out of sleep for a week. We both retained a lot from that.

 

For my youngest who has heard it for years, we will be doing as many activities as apoosible because she doesn't like history, and I'm hoping to sway her with fun things.

[SheilaZ]

I read the books with my younger boys and everyone listens to the CD's in the car. My 4th grader does the map work for each lesson because he loves maps. Both my younger boys will do the coloring pages but not as school work. I put them in the art box and they color them as they wish.

This is my second time through SOTW and we've never really done the projects or supplementary reading.

[rootsnwings]

My DS(10) is about to finish up SOTW2. Before starting SOTW3 we're going to go back and listen to the audios for 1 & 2, and do our timeline work that we've not done up until this point. Then when we start SOTW3 we'll incorporate timeline into our weekly schedule. I'm excited about "just" reading/listening. :)

[SonshineLearner]

I'm super excited that my son wants to listen to SOTW in the car. BUT, for this next year we are actually doing co-op where we'll listen to a chapter... do a project of some sort... each week for 30 weeks. There is SOOO much information in SOTW :) I learn something each time I listen, too. We have used her materials since I found it, and I'm really happy that with cd, book, and all the pages available... it's really quite complete. We will also use a book basket for more reading, since SOTW sparks interest for even more detailed study :)

[Momling]

We're basically doing that. My older daughter also reads some related historical fiction for fun, but otherwise, we read together SOTW at bedtime. We'll be switching it up next year.

[enviromommy]

actually, we don't even read the books - we just listen to the audios in the car (and have listened to the first three at least four times each). My daughter especially likes listening to them in the car, so they're on all the time.

 

That describes us, too. My older kids are doing logic stage ancients, but my K'er basically became a first grader about half way through the year. He and my three year old love listening to SOTW in the car, and I'm planning to just cycle through it as many times as I can stand listening to it, LOL, until September, when we'll move on to Middle Ages. I feel that he has enough written work for his age, and he'll get more cracks at history later.

[In the Rain]

We listened to them on CD. My dds both enjoyed them. They don't remember some of the things that stick out in my mind, but overall they remember more than I do.

[GTJo1996]

I just now ordered the AG for Vol I b/c I was afraid dd7 was missing out on something by NOT using the AG. She has enjoyed seeing the pictures of the things not shown in the book like the cyclops and the bull jumpers. We've not done any lengthy activities yet b/c I literally just got the book last week. She too thinks the best things are the coloring pages, but I make her color while I read b/c she often needs a mindless distraction so she can actually concentrate on the story.

[RahRah]

We go through phases - we'll just listen to the CD's for a few weeks, then get back to doing some activities, map work or coloring pages too, then just listening.....whatever strikes our fancy that day/week!

[nono]

Yes, we're just reading here. I realized fairly quickly that I was the one doing, and enjoying, the activities. So I shelved them. I am planning on using the Activities Guide the second time we go through history, though I think we'll be using more of a Kingfisher spine approach, v. SOTW.

 

Since we've cut out all the extras with history, we've accelerated, and are now on SOTW 2 (Ch. 4). I've read that this may become a problem with SOTW 4 and the age of my children. I'll deal with that hurdle when we get there. :)

[Homeschooling6]

My children listen to the audio books only and have retained much. Though they have only listened to them a gazillion times. Morning, noon and night;)

[Hedgehogs4]

... no activities, no coloring pages, no mapwork. Just read-aloud. Anyone? Is it still extremely useful? How much did they retain?

 

We listen to the audio CONSTANTLY in the car. We are on our second go-around of the series. My motivation is to drill the stories into their brains so they just know them. I haven't had the time to do all the activities, so instead of feeling guilty about that I just use the repetition of the stories as the strategy for retention. :D So far it's working, the kids are not sick of it, and they still beg for it when we get into the car, not to mention yell "Wait Mom--Don't turn off the car we want to hear the rest of this!" when we drive into the driveway.

[LivingHope]

I read the story aloud. They eagerly jump up and down asking if there is a coloring page. If there is a map, they fall to the floor in sheer agony "Oh no! Not again! Just a map! Read another one until you get to one with a coloring page please mommy!" Kimberly

 

I thought this was cute. Thanks, Kimberly, for sharing this.

 

Janell

[Tammyla]

We actually just listened to them on the audio Cd's.

[againes]

We have always just read. Occasionally if we need to look at a map we will. We are on again off again timeliners. As the kids have aged (17,15,12) they love going back and looking at the timeline figures they did draw. Perhaps more time could have been spent there.

 

Over all we just did what fit in our schedule.

[ocelotmom]

We don't have the activity guide at all. We very rarely do some form of mapwork (did some recently because it was a part of a Cub Scout belt loop activity) beyond looking at the map in the book while reading. We do supplemental reading (related picture books, novels, or non-fiction) frequently, and occasionally go and look up pictures on the internet if something sounds interesting. Very occasionally we'll do some activity we come up with that goes along with the reading.

 

I feel his retention is acceptable, especially for a first time through. He brings stuff up things we've previously read on his own.

 

When we start the cycle over again, I intend to start a timeline.

[EKS]

We just used the mapwork. We also read supplemental books. He seems to have retained some, but even if he didn't, I always thought that the point of the first rotation was to simply to tell a ripping good story.

[lulubelle]

The first year we did chapters, questions, read alouds, coloring and mapping, with no activities. Year two, done with coloring pages! We do mapping a bit, but also do geography separately. Just on to year 3, added a little bit of coloring back. And, also trying to focus on narration. It will take us about a month to get through our current read aloud - The Silver Skates. I just love the read alouds! I also plan to do the activities the second go around when my kids can actually do most of the work.

[DarlaS]

Ds read them in 5th grade when we started homeschooling. He still quotes them all time. He would never color even when he was little and isn't an activity guy. He remembers what he reads. I think it depends in the student whether it is useful or not, but it was for us.

 

I've got a couple like this. Also, I've got reason #2 of Sonlight's 27 reasons not to buy burned into my brain because when I read that (long long ago) it just really resonated with me. It comes back to me often when I'm feeling down about ds not wanting to make the Ming bowl or Egyptian war chariot etc.

 

I do tend to add a bit of my own commentary and ask questions as we go along to keep him engaged.

[foxbridgeacademy]

DD 7 reads SOTW, I try to come up with activities (she loves crafty things) and when we go to a new geographic location we pull out the globe, but that's about it.