Mid-history cycle with SOTW but moving to logic stage work? WWYD?

[melissel]

DD9 will be ready for more logic stage work next year, but at that point (for various reasons), we'll just be starting SOTW Vol. 3. I'd love to move over to higher-level books for her starting with early modern, but will it be problematic to switch at that point? Would I be better off just getting through the first round of the cycle with SOTW and switching to something else then? At that point, she'd be in 7th grade when we start with Ancients again.

 

And to make things more interesting, I have DD6 in the mix as well. If I switch to higher-level materials next year, I don't think she'll be able to follow along the way she does now. If I switch DD9 in 7th grade, DD6 will be in 4th, so she might be able to make the switch with us.

 

If I stayed with SOTW through the end of the cycle, how can I ramp history up for DD9 through that period? Does anyone have any other suggestions?

 

TIA!

[Cynful]

I don't think its a problem to continue with SOTW. Sonlight uses it for 6th and 7th. I find I learn something new from it all the time. I think the way to beef it up for the older one is to add in higher level historical reading books. Perhaps even do some one-level outlines of it. Expect more writing. Your older dd may not even be quite ready for Logic level right when she's 10 either.

 

Good luck,

[beaners]

I agree that I would just add in other books and move into the outlining using SOTW if you're working on the framework in TWTM. In my opinion, the stages are more about how you interact with the material than what specific curriculum you are using.

[Carol in Cal.]

I'd stick with SOTW but use more difficult supplementary books and logic stage writing assignments and analysis of original documents. SOTW3 and 4 are great resources, and not to be missed. They are not 'written down' to the children like the beginning of SOTW1 is, so I see no problem at all with this age, as long as you don't limit yourself to the AG assignments and supplemental reading.

[redsquirrel]

SWB says that if a child is mid-cycle just have them begin logic stage work when they hit 5th grade. So, if she is in year three, just have her start making her outlines etc. Go up to the logic stage forum, and do a search on history to get an idea of the different resources used by older kids.

 

You can keep your younger child with grammar stage history until 5th grade but keep them in the same cycle. So, they can both be doing early modern, just approaching it in different ways. My boys are doing that and it has been pretty easy. The elder still joins in for SOTW AG activities and crafts. I will admit that the first year it felt a little odd to have them doing different types of work, but now that my elder is a 6th grader, it feels very natural. He changed and grew so much over that 5th grade year!

[Chris in VA]

Agreeing with other posters--You can just continue to use SOTW as your spine, but add in the encyclopedia readings (in the AG), and do more writing. The AG for Year 4 will help with the outlining process, but you can do a one-level outline every week of either the Kingfisher or SOTW itself, or do a list of facts. Then have your child pick a topic every week (I'd do every other week, but that is just me) to explore further, and write a short report on it. That means more research, but also more autonomy! Adding in slightly higher level fiction/nonfiction will up the ante, too. :001_smile:

[happyhomemaker]

:bigear: Your post really caught my attention. I have been trying to plan out the exact same thing. I have a 9 and 6 yr old and we are also doing SOTW 2 now. My tentative plan is to do SOTW3 with a short unit on state history thrown in somewhere. We will do SOTW together and then I will give dd9 extra reading and logic stage assignments. I have been looking at Biblioplan as a way to schedule dd and ds together. It has multiple spines you can use and readers for different stages as well as extra reading assigned for older kids. I am vacillating between using that and making my own schedule of readings. I will definitely be listening to the other suggestions you get!

[MamaBear]

:lurk5: