History for K5?

[ddwilson]

I've just started homeschooling my little boy (5 y/o, kinder). I ordered the Story of the World with Activity book, but in reading it with him, I think it's a bit too old. He needs something with more illustrations and (...pirates...dinosaurs...guns and cannons oh my :). Is there a curriculum or any resources that offers a light introduction into history for this age/level? If not, what would be a good starting point? Maybe just picking up some archeology books, digging in the dirt? ;)

[acurtis75]

You might try sticking with the sotw but go slower and utilize a lot of the library selections. If you use the suggestions in the book and search at the library for more easy readers (fiction & non-fiction) on each topic you can find a lot of options. I know several people who use the curriculum with kids 5 & younger but they really use a lot of the library resources. If you just started you'll find that after the first few chapters you get in to topics that have more suggested resources.

[kristinannie]

We are taking a trip around the world spending 1-2 months per continent learning about kids, animals, culture, geography, doing crafts, reading stories from the regions, eating food from the regions, listening to music, etc. We are taking a month off to learn about space and then we are moving onto South America. It has been a lot of fun for us!

[blondeviolin]

You might just want to pick up What Your Kindergartener Needs to Know to run through those selections. We read through those (there are activities you could do as well) and also do what is in FIAR. Mostly, I think having maps up and being aware and learning about geography will really prepare us for SOTW next year.

[KristenR]

My dd is obsessed with dinosaurs and I knew I wanted to wait until 1st or 2nd grade for SOTW. So I am taking her K year to do a prehistory unit. We'll really be delving into the different eras and periods. I've started some fun activities already and plan on continuing to blog about them. Feel free to check them out if you think they might be of use to you.

 

There are so many resources available for prehistory. You really don't need to buy anything just hit the library for tons of dinosaur books. I find it a perfectly fun and engaging way to jump into history.

 

We are secular and old earth here so I will go right up to evolution and make it segue into the ancients for when we start SOTW.

[boscopup]

Library! There are a lot of good history readers at the library. :)

 

The main focus in K is getting a kid started in reading and writing. SOTW is really meant for first graders and up, so I'm not surprised that your son isn't getting it yet. You might find that it works for him in another year or two. :)

 

Picture books are the way to go for that age. You might also get some old fairy tales and such to work on longer read-alouds, easing into fun fiction chapter books (like the Ralph S. Mouse series, etc.). My oldest would not have done well with me reading SOTW to him at 5, but at 6.5 when we started it, he liked it, and now he LOVES SOTW and history in general. We had to work up to reading non-picture books out loud though.

 

I have a K4'er (turning 5 soon), and I'll fold him into the history cycle when he's 2nd grade, most likely (as my oldest will be in 5th then, circling around back to Ancients). He'll get some geography before that, but otherwise, I'm not concerned about him learning history (and really, I'm not "concerned" about him learning history until 5th grade and up). We'll check out random library books until he's ready to fold into our history cycle. Right now, he's NOT ready.

[NicA]

I was planning on starting the 4 year history cycle with my dd5 this year, but it just seemed like too much for her. I wanted something lighter to start out with, and I found Adventures in America by Elemental History. It is US history, so if you were wanting world history then this wouldn't work for you. We are loving it so far! It is a great intro to studying history, and it is so easy to get done.

[jplain]

My older daughter was already a dinosaur fan, so for K through the first half of first grade, we worked through the pre-history section of the Usborne Internet Linked Encyclopedia of World History at a leisurely pace. She loved it all, from origins to early life to dinos to mammals to human evolution. We supplemented with lots of great books, videos, a few crafts, and museum trips.

 

I'll probably do the same with my current K'er, but it probably won't take us as long, as she's not obsessed with dinosaurs. :)

[Stellalarella]

The main focus in K is getting a kid started in reading and writing. SOTW is really meant for first graders and up, so I'm not surprised that your son isn't getting it yet. You might find that it works for him in another year or two. :)

 

Picture books are the way to go for that age.

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

FIAR (Five In a Row) is a great way to enjoy history in a developmentally appropriate context.

 

The main thing is to help little ones love to read, love books, love to learn. Then, when they are older they can learn anything.

 

So far, we've found that FIAR has been the best curriculum for younger ones to encourage a love of books and enjoyment of a wide variety of interests--history, science, art, etc.