Sorting out a history schedule for multiple children

[KristenR]

I plan on using SOTW and AG as my spine and supplementing with KingFisher and numerous trips to the library. My oldest daughter just turned 5 and my middle daughter will be 3 in October. My youngest just turned 1 in May.

 

I know my oldest would LOVE to start SOTW this year and probably do very well with it but I was thinking that if I could put it off for another year then maybe my middle daughter would be of an age where she might get some out of it next year.

 

I guess what I am asking is how should I stagger my 4 year cycle to make the best fit with my three children? Do you just add in each child as they gain in age and add them to whatever cycle you are on? Or do you start each one on Ancients?

 

Also, my family is big on science and old earth here so I was thinking I could take this year to do a Prehistory lesson with my 5 year old. I've already been

scoping out what Angela did with Satori and think my 5 year old would love it and I could include my middle daughter in lots of the activities.....

[kpnick in nc]

:bigear: Similar boat here.

[oraetstudia]

I've just taken the next child into the mix. So my oldest and my second grader are both on the traditional WTM schedule, but my rising fourth grader is doing the Middle Ages and Renaissance along with them on the same schedule.

[missmoe]

I would wait a year to start the SOTW series.

 

Instead I would spend the K year reading lots of picture books about American History. There are so many excellent ones out there perfect for young kids.

 

Waiting a year will allow you to start off with both girls at the same time.

[sagira]

Definitely an enthusiastic yes on the prehistory lessons! We did that during the Summer from K to 1st grade, and ds and I had a blast. As far as History goes, here's what we are doing (ds is almost 8, dd1 is practically 4 - in 3 days, dd2):

 

Ds 1st: SOTW 1

2nd: SOTW 2

3rd: Own Am History

4th: HO 3 (dd K, no history)

5th: HO 4 (dd 1st, no history)

6th: ds Ancients, dd, 2nd, SOTW 1

7th: ds Medieval Times and Renaissance, dd, 3rd, SOTW 2

dd2 pre-K (home or VPK at Montessori)

8th: ds Modern Times, dd, 4th, HO 3 (and here is where ds and dd part ways)

dd2 K, no history

 

Ds High School: 4 year cycle

 

Dd1 5th HO 4; dd2 1st, no history

Dd1 6th Ancients, dd2 SOTW 1

Dd1 7th Medieval Times and Renaissance, dd2, 3rd, SOTW 2

 

and so forth until high school, where I expect a high level of independence.

[KristenR]

Thanks for the suggestions. I appreciate your schedule breakdown. I'm certain we will take this year to do pre-history (big bang) up to dinosaurs and evolution.

 

Thank you Sagira for your schedule breakdown. I like the idea of adding in an American History year.

[Marsha SC]

I guess I always have to be a bit different. My friends think I'm crazy, but I have my two girls in their own SOTW. When my oldest was five she started SOTW I. When my second dd was in K she started I as the oldest continued on with II.

 

We are not quite on schedule because we have taken our time with the extra reading. So our oldest is now in 5th grade and finishing III; our youngest just started II, because we take a semester to do some American history in second grade.

 

Marsha

[boscopup]

I'll just fold them in. Oldest started SOTW1 in first and will be doing SOTW2 in second (starting in October though, since we were late starting SOTW1). My 4.5 year old isn't ready for SOTW at all. His K year (next year), DS1 will be doing SOTW3. I *might* do some light American History with DS2, or just give him some picture books that go along with SOTW3. Really though I'm not worried about a K'er and history. It just isn't important at that age, IMO. Learning to read and write is what is important to me. In first grade, we'll either do another year of American History or just add picture books that go along with what we're doing in SOTW4. I won't expect him to follow SOTW4 readings that much. When he is in 2nd grade, my oldest will be in 5th, and we'll start all over with Ancients. My youngest will be K that year and will get folded in if he's ready. If he's not ready, he can jump into SOTW2 the next year.

 

I'm not doing 3 different time periods of history. That would drive me insane. :D I don't care if they're "off cycle", since some of the literature that ties to history in high school would actually be better done in a different grade. For example, if one child ends up with ancients his senior year, that's fine, because the literature that accompanies that time period is more difficult. I like to keep things chronological, but they don't have to necessarily end on the modern time. And that's IF we do the 4 year cycle in high school. I'll decide closer to high school age whether we'll do the 4 year cycle or do a more traditional schedule for high school (I'm leaning toward 4 year cycle, but my mind could change in the next 7 years ;)).

[A.Balaban]

Well, my children are much too young to start SOTW, but it was nice to see how other homeschooling parents have broken it down.

 

Would love to hear a couple more contributions!

 

:bigear:

 

My son will six in Jan 2015, so I guess technically that means he shouldn't "start" first grade until Sept 2016? (In a traditional school- with a cut off date of 9/30) Assuming that, my daughter will be turning 6 in Sept of 2016. So, we would then start them off together-- if it works out like that. I am not stressing it out yet- I have a long time to go. :)

[KristenR]

Could this work?

 

C1,5yo SOTW 1; C2,2yo --; C3,1yo--

C1,6yo SOTW 2; C2,3yo--; C3,2yo--

C1,7yo SOTW 3; C2,4yo --; C3,3yo--

C1,8yo ; C2 5yo; C3 4yo: all 3 an american history year

After that all 3 in same era Starting again with SOTW 1

They will be 12,9,8 doing SOTW IV

 

Hmmm... That could work. Thanks for the idea. You guys have all given me lots to think about. :)

[mamakim]

I don't remember what year we started following the WTM cycles . . . 1999 or 2000 . . . anyway, I had too many children to do them separately. So we just started with the ancients, everyone at their own ages. Young siblings just jump in when they reach first grade. Kindergarten we only do a pre "what is history" kind of general exposure.

 

So this does mean that some of them have started "in the middle" or start high school not-in-ancients, but that has proven to not be an issue, and at the high school level there are actually some benefits to not beginning in ancients.

 

I'll bet your little one will listen in if you begin cycle one next year, and she'll still get the same info when you cycle through again, so she can listen at a "fun" level as a preschooler, ie, lots of crafting :)

[FairProspects]

You could also start sooner and go more slowly. I split SOTW 1 & 2 up into 3 years so we could take our time and explore all the cultures and it is working well for us. This is what we've done so far:

 

Ds K: SOTW 1 up to Ch. 31 (Ds Pre-S tagging along for crafts)

(This year) Ds 1st: Finish SOTW 1 - Start SOTW 2 to Ch. 18 (Ds Pre-K tagging along for crafts)

(Future Plan) Ds 2nd: SOTW 2 Ch. 19-42 (Ds K narrating after turning 6 & crafts)

Ds 3rd & Ds 1st: SOTW 3

Ds 4th: SOTW 4 (Ds 2nd: Modern U.S. History)

Ds 5th: Ancients Usbourne (Ds 3rd: SOTW 1)

Ds 6th: Medieval Kingfisher (Ds 4th: SOTW 2)

 

That takes us through grammar stage for both, with both studying the same time period but at their own level and with different resources sometimes depending on age. I'm not crazy enough to try 2 time periods at once, and I'm a former history teacher!!

[reign]

My girls are currently 4,3,and 1. The oldest will be in k this year (turns 5 in October) . I plan on doing 2 years of geography and cultural studies including the little girls. Then moving to sotw when my oldest is in 2nd, middle k, and baby will be prek. We plan on school year round so I don't think it will take us 4 years though. I do plan on doing a more in-depth US history so maybe with that included it will bump it up...

[September]

I guess I always have to be a bit different. My friends think I'm crazy, but I have my two girls in their own SOTW. When my oldest was five she started SOTW I. When my second dd was in K she started I as the oldest continued on with II.

 

Marsha

 

This is what I am leaning towards doing. How have you made it work? Do you keep them in separate rooms (someone working on math while you read a chapter from the ancients, then the second child to switch to math while you read a chapter of medieval)? Do you use the CDs to save your sanity? (!)