How do you keep history cycles separate with multiple children?

[September]

I haven't begun the real work of my homeschooling journey yet, but am dedicated to preparing as much as I can ahead of time -- first, by reading The Well-Trained Mind and, currently, by reading Charlotte Mason's Original Homeschooling Series.

 

I haven't committed to much by way of curriculum yet, but I would like to use Story of the World, and to keep my history cycles really organized (ie. to use The Bible / Black Ships Before Troy / Aesop's Fables for grade 1 read-alouds etc.).

 

The one thing I can't really comprehend at this stage is how to do have my son (5), learn the history of the ancient world in grade 1, but not to have my daughter (3) learn it until she begins grade 1.

 

Two specific questions in regards to that: my children are 21 months apart, but would have only been 1 year apart in school. Should I start her a year or two years behind my son?

 

And, do you recommend getting Story of the World in print, or on CD, in order to facilitate keeping history lessons specific to each child's grade level?

 

Thank you for your advice!

[Amy in NH]

You can have your dd listen in for the read alouds, join in with the coloring pages, etc. She doesn't have to be excluded. She joins in at her own level all the way through, just as your older children might do different reading and writing assignments based on their skills/needs. She "starts" history wherever in the cycle you happen to be at the time you decide she's ready to "start".

[abbeyej]

You don't! :) Just teach them together according to the grade level of the oldest. At some point later (as you approach high school), you may find that they are ready to do different work, but for the elementary years, simply cover the same materials. You will likely ask more of the older one (in terms of additional reading or writing), depending on their individual skill levels, but have them cover the same basic content. :)

[momto2Cs]

I'd honestly have your kids work together, especially that close in age (as mine are.)

 

There is a section in the WTM about combining kids that I found very helpful: Starting in the Middle (or with more than one), page 277.

[bettyandbob]

I wouldn't separate the kids. I don't think SWB recommended having children on different cycles. I think the idea is to fold younger children in as they begin formal school. Before they begin formal school, younger children can certainly listen to readings and they can participate in projects/crafts as appropriate.

 

My older two definitely had different assignments, but always worked in the same time periods. The independent reading I assigned oldest was more in depth. All three of us could talk about the same stuff though. Your two dc are close enough in age that you may or may not find yourself differentiating assignments the way I did. Even when you are differentiating assignments it's much easier for all your dc to be in the same time periods because you can plan some activities and field trips that fit all the students at once.

[Pamela H in Texas]

Here is my history/science cycle for my children for the first two cycles. The oldest is 6, will be in 1st grade next year. The second is 5 this month. The third is 4 next month. Obviously, it is quite possible that the actual program choices may change. This is just my preliminary list :)

 

PK, K, 1st - Elemental History / Elemental's Intro to Science

K, 1, 2 - SOTW 1 / Elemental Biology (Grammar)

1, 2, 3 - SOTW 2 / Elemental Earth Science (Grammar)

2, 3, 4 - SOTW 3 / Elemental Chemistry (Grammar)

3, 4, 5 - SOTW 4 / Elemental Physics (Grammar)

4, 5, 6 - Ancients - Elemental Biology (Logic)

5, 6, 7 - Middle Ages - Elemental Earth Science (Logic)

6, 7, 8 - Early Modern - Elemental Chemistry (Logic)

7, 8, 9 - Modern History - Elemental Physics (Logic)

 

Now, how it looks? Well, it is very likely that we'll have to adjust a little, especially for the youngest in Kindy and 4th grades. But really, kids can fold in easily enough regardless of level. I've had to do a bit of adjusting through the years as my big kids were only 2½ years age difference but more like 7 years level difference. We still could do a lot of things together or at least on the same general topic.

Edited April 2, 2012 by 2J5M9K

[2_girls_mommy]

Yep, you keep them on the same cycle. Mine are 23 months apart. We started ancients when older dd was 1st grade. Younger listened to all of the stories that she wanted to and colored pictures and painted and did art projects and hands on stuff with us. She was 4. She went to museum exhibits with us and was just around for everything. But I didn't require her to do anything as far as history schoolwork: no narrations, no maps (unless she asked) etc.

 

Starting what was her 1st grade year we were in SOTW 3- Early Modern period. That is when she was required to give narrations, do maps, etc.

 

We will be starting over in SOTW1 next year. She will be in 3rd grade. So her grammar stage has lined up like:

 

1st- SOTW3 early moderns

2nd- SOTW4 Modern

3rd- SOTW1 Ancients

4th- SOTW2 Middle Ages

 

She still gets the full cycle for 3 full cycles, just in a different order. My older has just finished her 4 yrs of a WTM grammar stage. She will be starting the logic stage work in ancients for 5th grade next year.

[myfunnybunch]

My boys (11, 9, 7) are all on the same History cycle. It's WAY easier than trying to keep them separate. I did a year-long pioneers study with the eldest until his next-age brother was ready to start Ancients, and folded in the youngest as we went along.

 

They all read the same chapters from our core and do the same basic activities. I conduct this time as a group lesson. Each child does activities, memory work and additional readings or activities at his own level.

 

Cat

[September]

1st- SOTW3 early moderns

2nd- SOTW4 Modern

3rd- SOTW1 Ancients

4th- SOTW2 Middle Ages

 

Seeing this was really helpful. I think I'm convinced. But, I do have this "thing" about not having my daughter have to start into this stuff early -- especially with some of the content of ancient world history (violence in myths etc.).

 

Have any of you started your oldest later to try and balance that out? So, for example, would it work to do a year of non-history school work with my son for grade 1, and then start into the cycles in earnest when he is 7 and she is 5?

 

I still can't really picture a day in our lives once we start into this. My daughter is usually pretty happy to play independently, so I guess I kind of imagined her doing her own thing in another room while I "do" school with her brother.

[Starr]

Sure, get started with the older child and get a feel for schooling. Let the little one participate if she wants. Then the next year start SOTW. It worked fine for mine when they were 5 and 7. They always loved myths. Ancient History is fun!

[linders]

Joining the others - you don't.

 

My younger DS (now 8) heard the SOTW cycle from ages 4-7. Now he's back in SOTW 1 while DS 11 does Ancients via Human Odyssey. He remembers bits and pieces from before but is getting a lot more now. I also expect more than I would of a 6-year-old - longer/more detailed narrations, higher level historical fiction for independent reading, etc.

[Donna]

I always combined history cycles for my boys who were two years apart. They did the same history. When dd started listening in, she just joined in where they were. I expected different levels of output from each child according to their ability and grade level.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

My kids are 16 months apart and 1 year apart in school. We actually started doing SOTW at home while they were both in public school- ds1 was in first grade and ds2 was in K. So, now ds2 is in 2nd grade, but we do SOTW 3. I think it would be too difficult to do 2 separate history cycles concurrently.

 

We use the CD version and love it. I don't even have the books, just the Activity Guides, which I highly recommend.

[redsquirrel]

You won't necessarily have your younger one join in now. It's just that when she starts it is in the same part of the cycle as your elder child. Much easier!

 

For example, my boys are 5 years apart. The elder boy is doing logic stage history. He is a 6th grader so he is doing medieval history this year. My first grader is going SOTW, but started with the medieval history book. Not a big deal.

 

And it is so much easier to have them on the same cycle. My boys like to act out what they study in their play. Much easier to have them both being knights together.

[coffeegal]

Have any of you started your oldest later to try and balance that out? So, for example, would it work to do a year of non-history school work with my son for grade 1, and then start into the cycles in earnest when he is 7 and she is 5?

 

 

I'm planning on starting my youngest 2 on SOTW when she's in 2nd and he's in 1st. So they'll be just turned 7, and 5 turning 6 when they start the cycle. It's what I wish I'd done with my oldest 3 children. :001_smile:

[September]

It's what I wish I'd done with my oldest 3 children. :001_smile:

 

Hindsight advice! Thanks!

[Pamela H in Texas]

My youngest won't really be DOING the cycle fully, just tagging along. So when he's in first grade, we'll be in the 2nd year of the history cycle. In 2nd, we'll be in the 3rd year. In 3rd, we'll make it to moderns. SO he'll do ancients in 4th grade. Depending on where he is developmentally and academically, he'll do some mix of grammar and logic stage, I'd imagine.

 

Anyway, same with your daughter.

 

However, you most certainly *can* wait to do the history cycle, doing something else instead. In our case, I decided to base the history cycle on my middle child. So my 1st grader, this coming year, will do a zero year. We are using Elemental History's program, which is made for K/1st so should prove perfect for us next year :)

 

Anyway, hope that helps a little,

[Stayseeliz]

You don't! :) Just teach them together according to the grade level of the oldest. At some point later (as you approach high school), you may find that they are ready to do different work, but for the elementary years, simply cover the same materials. You will likely ask more of the older one (in terms of additional reading or writing), depending on their individual skill levels, but have them cover the same basic content. :)

 

:iagree:

 

This will save you so much time and sanity!! Teach them together!

[Donna]

You could do a year of US History with the oldest if you don't want to start the youngest in the middle of the cycles when your ready to do "real school." Then next year just start the cycles.