Allison TX Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I have been studying the AO site for the past year and it looks so fascinating! I would love to try it but I can't seem to decide which year to place my dc in. They will be in 3rd and 4th grade. I am leaning towards year 2 but I don't want to place them too low. How did you decide which year to start with? I would love any feedback as to how you and your dc like AO as well. Also, is anyone using SOTW with AO? Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Testimony Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I do use AO slowly and little by little I incorporate more. This year is the first year I went more with this curriculum. I also use SOTW with AO. My older son loves SOTW so we just incorpprate the program into our school. I do follow their literature, art, poetry, nature study, and hymns. I also follow their Shakespeare and Plutarch program. I started my 8 year old in year 1. I realized that the years do not correspond with the grade level. I put my fourth grader in level three, but he advanced and went into level four very quickly. He is a lot more advanced anyway. I try to take two years for each level. You can do SOTW in a six year program. Here's how: You can break up the books into two years. Also, SOTW Vol.4 is a difficult because it is a lot more factual than the lower levels. That book or vol. 3could be done in two years. Then you would have a six year cycle like AO does it. Blessing in your homeschool journey! Sincerely, Karen http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allison TX Posted June 10, 2008 Author Share Posted June 10, 2008 Thank you Karen. The info on combining SOTW with AO over 6 years is very helpful! :) Allison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakblossoms Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I'm guessing we "know" each other;) I don't think year 2 would be too low. The book selections are so rich! We did year 1 a while back and the boys were so engaged. I was actually amazed. We just did the whole schedule straight through and it was nice. I decided to go back to it this year. I'm doing books from AO2 to go along with listening to SOTW 2 on CD. Because of my oldest special needs it's just easier to keep them together at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyWImom Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Do most of you with AO use the library? I'm afraid I'll buy everything, which I tend to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Lynn Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Do most of you with AO use the library? I'm afraid I'll buy everything, which I tend to do. One of the nice things about AO is that many of their selections are available online for free. You might not like reading from the computer, but it would at least be a way to try it for free. Also several of the books (Island Story, This Country of Ours, Trial and Triumph, CHOW) are used for several years, making it cost less than would first appear. I think each year has a suggested "purchase" list if funds are tight. Definitely look at the library for your free reads - and anything else that is only used in one year. Also, of course, it totally depends on your library. I can usually find the Diane Stanley books at the library and of course classics like Heidi, Little House on the Prairie, etc.... HTH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Testimony Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Do most of you with AO use the library? I'm afraid I'll buy everything, which I tend to do. Yes, I try to but oh is it hard. A lot of those books are no longer in circulation however, I will find some remote library that will still carry it. I am trying to get a book from inter-library loan called "How to read a book." Here is the book: http://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Book-Mortimer-Adler/dp/1567310109 The women at the Ambleside boards have been talking about it. It looks so good. I found that the community college has the book. Hopefully they will let me have it because they are apart of the inter-library loan community. I ended up buying the following Young Folks Plutarch (my library had the Dryden version. it was soo tedious that I could not stand it.), Trial and Triumph, and 50 Famous Stories. I had in my basement Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare (I had this book as a little girl). My library had old audiocassettes of Robinson Crusoe, Swiss Family Robinson, Alice in Wonderland, and Wind in the Willow. They are all unabridged and we listen on a cassette player. Blessings, Karen http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakblossoms Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 It can be frustrating to only do the library. But, if your flexible it's not so bad. Our funds are really tight this year. So, I'm using only what I can get online through the library. I'm not sticking to their schedule though. I just like their booklist! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat in MI Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 are needed for a 12 week term or more. We can't check books out for more than 6 weeks from the library and then only if someone else hasn't put a hold on them. Makes it hard to follow the schedule if you can't have the book long enough. I plan to get the free reading books through the library since they can be read at whatever pace you would like. In deciding placement for my ds, I printed out or got from the library the books needed for 1 week of my target year. I read them according to the schedule for that week to see if I felt ds would be able to handle the reading or not. Another deciding factor was where we were in our history rotation. No, I don't feel Year 2 would be too low for your kids. Remember, by Year 4 they are supposed to be taking on the reading themselves. Some of that reading will be very challenging. You can always move them up later if you feel you need to or try a combo year later, but I think it would be easier beginnging with a lower year and getting a feel for the program. We did year 3 when ds was in 5th grade and loved it. HTH Blessings, Pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I don't think Year 2 would be too low . . .we really started too soon and I'm having to *slow* down Year 3 and add a slow Year 3.5 because of it. If you start with Year 2 and do end up deciding it is too low, you could just go through it a little faster instead of just skipping over it altogether. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Do most of you with AO use the library? I'm afraid I'll buy everything, which I tend to do. We don't use the library - I'm not even sure how many of the AO books my library carries. . .but it's just not convenient for us to do that. And since I'm not fond of reading online, I do buy most of the books. There are also Yahoo groups that have formatted AO books for printing, which is helpful if you'd rather print them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna T. Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I placed my son in Yr 2 towards the end of his 3rd grade year. It has been an adjustment for me because it seems like a light schedule compared to what we had been doing. As for the quality of the books, they are superior to any material that we have used in the past. But, there is not as much quantity of material. I'm not complaining though because we love it. I have been fighting the urge to push him ahead a bit by doubling up on some of the reading. I know that wouldn't be the right thing to do because he needs to work at this level in order to be prepared for the next and I can't stand to think of him not getting the most out of the material. And, I don't want him to miss out on the books in Yr 2. The books in Yr 2 are wonderful! I purchased the actual books. It's easy to stagger your purchases by getting the books that are needed for the full year plus that particular term's titles. And, on the notebooking yahoo groups, you can print them out for free. I think that's really good for anyone who wants to try it without an investment. You can just print one week's worth of material out at a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allison TX Posted June 10, 2008 Author Share Posted June 10, 2008 Thank you everyone! I appreciate all your help. Year 2 sounds like the right place to start with my dc. Neither one of my boys are strong readers (or writers) so I am too hesitant to try a higher level. I am really looking forward to this!:) Thanks again. Allison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
at the beach Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I have been studying the AO site for the past year and it looks so fascinating! I would love to try it but I can't seem to decide which year to place my dc in. They will be in 3rd and 4th grade. I am leaning towards year 2 but I don't want to place them too low. How did you decide which year to start with? I would love any feedback as to how you and your dc like AO as well. Also, is anyone using SOTW with AO? Thank you! I have not read others replies yet. We are doing AO Years 1 and 3 this year. We'll finish by the end of summer. For the ages of your children, I would consider combining them, and Year 2 is a fantastic place to start. It's the actual start of the AO history cycle. Year 2 has lots of challenging material. Remember, each child will be in their own math, foreign language, phonics or grammar program. Year 2 is not by any stretch easy material. It is challenging. I do not think AO Year 2 is a low placement, especially since they will be in their own math, phonics, etc. It would also make your life easier to have them in the same year. Also, consider that if it is light for you, there are wonderful free reading selections to choose from. Finally, my dd who is completing Year 3 this year is plenty challenged and she is going into 6th grade this fall. We're waffling on what year to do next year. She just will not be able to complete all the lower years before entering Year 7. I do not combine any other history programs. I find that the beauty of AO is that it's all laid out for me. I am definitely organizationally challenged. :tongue_smilie::tongue_smilie: I don't think you'll regret giving AO a try. :) Anita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
at the beach Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 It can be frustrating to only do the library. But, if your flexible it's not so bad. Our funds are really tight this year. So, I'm using only what I can get online through the library. I'm not sticking to their schedule though. I just like their booklist! I agree it can be hard to use the library. Mine is really pretty good with letting me renew a few times. That allows us to keep the books close to 12 weeks if need be and as long as no one is waiting for them. Also, I printed up lots of the kids materials, then I took them to Office Max and had them comb bound. I didn't comb bind each book separately, either. I put together about three comb bindings of Year 3 materials that I'd printed. It's working much better than binders. I've been able to find books very cheap via bookfinder, too. There's also Librivox, which has a lot of the AO books on audio. Anita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna T. Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 The notebook group is a big help. It includes all the public domain books for that year divided into weekly units that you can print as you go. And, there is the grid-like schedule for each term if you don't like the way it's listed out on the AO site. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AO_Year02_Notebook/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 As for if our kids like AO? We have only just started using it after 5 years of various forms of Classical. My son said to me this morning, Mum, this is the best schoolwork we have ever done, I am really enjoying it. This is a kid who normally complains a LOT :001_smile: The lack of text/workbooks really suits him. The hardest thing is not to add to Ambleside, having come from a classical perspective,but after reading not to many times on the various message boards, I am trying not to. That means the academic part days is shorter than we are used to, and we all LOVE that! And yet I feel we are doing a lot, too. If I was to use AO from the beginning, I would add in SOTW, even if it meant leaving out another book. I love SOTW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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