SOTW, countries & cultures, american history?

[nertsmommy]

I had finally decided the course of education for my kids. I got to thinking about the box curriculum sets I'd looked at. They all seem to begin with a study of countries and cultures and then move to American history and then move on to world history.

 

I was going to use SOTW and begin in 1st and move through them. Should I actually do countries and cultures and american history before doing SOTW? Or can I just go ahead and do what I had planned?

[MrsBanjoClown]

I was having the same thought about my kids (going into 2nd and K). What I decided to do is look at our state standards for social studies and see what they would cover in ps. The biggest thing I saw that I didn't think we would cover somewhere else (Cub scouts/daily life) was a list of people from American history they need to know. I made out a list and I plan to have them read 1 or 2 biographies a month and do a narration over what they learned about that person. This will be in addition to SOTW 1.

[give_me_a_latte]

We're doing an Around the World study for PreK (just very gentle exposure kind of stuff), and then plan to use Adventures in America for K. That should give a nice framework to start SOTW in 1st, at least I hope! Plenty of people just go straight to SOTW so I'm sure you'd be fine if you went that route, too. You could always add an extra Geography study to SOTW if you wanted...

[Chris in VA]

Ancient history is a blast, as I said on another thread. It gives your kids a framework for American history, too.

 

Some people use the argument that American history is more familiar, so kids can relate to it better, but to me, that's not true. It's just as unfamiliar to them as ancients, it's just more familiar to most PARENTS b/c they most likely went thru the public school model of learning mostly US history in elementary. Kids are really just as far removed from the Colonial Am way of life than they are from the Roman way of life. The trick in any study is to find the connections between the kid and the "foreign" time period/culture. So, you look at things like foods, shelters, clothes, ways of learning/schooling, government, laws, communication, etc. and that keeps it interesting to the kiddos.

 

SOTW is a wonderful intro. I recommend the AG--it'll keep you on track, has tons of great info, and is really fun to use.

[warneral]

I would suggest reading the well trained mind. It really makes sense to do a 4 year chronological survey of history.

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

You can do it anyway you want. There is no right or wrong thing to study first. For dd I started with SOTW for 1st but moved to American History because I felt dd needed a basic knowledge of American people. We will do another year of studying countries and cultures because I feel she should have an idea of where and who before venturing back into WOrld History. I also want to study a few other things and dd has a few ideas as well. Along the way we are keeping a timeline so she can get a big picture of things. Just remember, these younger years are the only time you can venture out and study all sorts of things, by High School it will be World and American History, government and economics with some geography thrown in.

[nertsmommy]

I would suggest reading the well trained mind. It really makes sense to do a 4 year chronological survey of history.

 

I did and it made a lot of sense to me as well. I think I would have done better in history if I had been taught chronologically. That was why I had decided to start with SOTW in 1st and do the 4 year cycle. But then I started second guessing myself.

 

DS technically would only be in K this fall if he went to ps. I think I'll do a little with American history and some basic geography during the summer and in the fall and start 1st with the 4 year cycle.

 

Thank you for helping me sort this out.

[warneral]

I understand that feeling! I have come to realize that my kids are getting a quality education and that specifically what we study doesn't matter nearly as much as how we study

[Pen]

You can do what you planned. But I think some familiarity with the history of ones own country is probably helpful prior to high school. Maybe you will want to add in some of the other parts you mention during summers. I know I feel a need to add in some of this somehow rather than just cycles through world history. I haven't totally figured out how as of yet. Like some people I am thinking of a year on American history for the election year. We have also gotten Faces magazine which gives some people and cultures material, but not as much as I'd like.

[NotSoObvious]

I really think you should start SOTW as planned for a variety of reasons. They will learn a TON about other countries and cultures through SOTW if you are doing the supplemental reading. We also use videos and YouTube to see what the country is like now. SOTW is chalk full of religious and cultural history. My girls know more about Islam than they would if we had spent a week or even a month studying it because it's woven throughout the first two books (where we are now).

 

There is no reason you can't study a culture or country in addition to SOTW. Our homeschool group does a geography fair a few times a year and the kids can pick whatever country they want. There is a culture club that another mom leads and it has nothing to do with what we are studying. We live on the east coast and are surrounded by American History. I was nervous that we weren't going to get to AH fast enough (we are in the Middle Ages) but because of our traveling and my girls' interests, they already know a lot and will just be that much more prepared when we actually do get there.

 

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that it doesn't have to be an either/or decision. I think you'll be surprised at how much "other" history your kids will learn naturally and how it will help them with what they are studying in SOTW.

 

I hope that helps. (And...my spell check is off and I don't know how to turn it back on, so I apologize for any errors.)

[nertsmommy]

I'm looking at MFW Adventures. I know they say it's for a 2nd grader, but I wonder if I can make it work for a K. We'll be doing our own math, writing, and reading. I'd just use it for the history and do the reading to them. That way they would get some American history and I could stay on track with SOTW for 1st. We school year round so I could add in something about countries and cultures next summer before starting SOTW.

 

And now I need to stop reviewing my plans and just do it. :tongue_smilie:

I know they both already know a bunch more than the K kids here.