Portraits of American Girlhood

[Susie in MS]

I have done a search for those who have done this study. I have seen several post by one poster that feels it is not enough history and too much writing. I have seen that others said that POAG was on their HITS list. I would love to hear from you! I have this book and I LOVE IT! I am not worried that my dd will not have every nook and cranny covered in history while in elementary. And it always comes back around again anyway. So if you were one of those that used this and were happy with it can you tell me

~~how old was your child when you used it?

~~Did you find the writing a challenge (good or bad)?

~~Was there anything in particular that really stood out to you, good or bad, that you would like to share?

 

TIA

[thowell]

bump

[sagira]

Bumping up for you. My 5-year-old is just getting into American Girl.

[Susie in MS]

Thanks for the bump ladies! I hope we get some good responses. :001_smile:

[Susie in MS]

:lurk5:

[Ruthie in MS]

Can you post a link for this? I'm not sure I've ever heard of this. Thanks

[Susie in MS]

http://www.christianbook.com/portraits-american-girlhood-popular-historical-fiction/cindy-sotelo/9780972697705/pd/697705?item_code=WW&netp_id=458413&event=ESRCG&view=details

 

:)

 

 

ETA:

I want to respectfully disagree with this comment from a reviewer at the above link:

"To complete your unit study you will need to have the following items on hand: American Girl book series of each American girl, cookbook/craft book for each American girl, "Welcome to ____'s World" for each American girl."

 

While I feel these books do contribute to the study I also feel they can easily be replaced or omitted. Any history book can replace the Welome to __________'s World books.

Cooking and crafting are optional, and much can be found with an easy google search.

 

 

 

Better description:

 

http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/sku/030406/98d82b5fc0d28c348a821fca

Edited August 5, 2012 by Susie in MS

[4Hisglory]

I have done a search for those who have done this study. I have seen several post by one poster that feels it is not enough history and too much writing. I have seen that others said that POAG was on their HITS list. I would love to hear from you! I have this book and I LOVE IT! I am not worried that my dd will not have every nook and cranny covered in history while in elementary. And it always comes back around again anyway. So if you were one of those that used this and were happy with it can you tell me

~~how old was your child when you used it? My Dd was 8, my Ds was 10

~~Did you find the writing a challenge (good or bad)? We had a different writing curriculum

~~Was there anything in particular that really stood out to you, good or bad, that you would like to share? We enjoyed the craft ideas, the famous person note-taker pages, her biography recommendations along with her schedule and website recommendations.

 

TIA

 

 

Both of my children enjoyed this study and they both retained facts from American history by doing it in a more personal way because of the way it was introduced, in relationship to the American Girls. My son never complained about learning American History through the books. We found them engaging. Her section for Josefina is my absolute favorite and very rich with information. We used the library to get some of the out of print resources, but as you said this study is able to be done without them. We also had the American Girl Guide books and near the end I was using them more than POAG. I don't think it was better though. We already had our own grammar, writing and science so we didn't rely heavily on POAG for those. We really used it for the history. I hope someone else weighs in that used the guide thoroughly.

[Mom2OandE]

Is it worth $50? We are doing RoadTrip and using the If You Lived In books to supplement the geography with history. I was going to have dd read the AG books as a supplement or I was going to read them out loud as a fun history supplement.

[momsuz123]

Thanks for posting this - it looks really interesting!!

[Susie in MS]

4HisGlory,

thank you very much for taking the time to share your experience! It truly does help!

 

Mom2OandE,

WHen I compare the cost of POAG to other unit studies I do think it is worth the price. I will give you an idea of some of the projects that are scheduled so it can help you to decide if you think it is worth the cost in your particular case.

 

~~Numerous and various writing assignments with a cd (or copy from the manual) print out of all reproducibles:

*****story pyramid

*****paragraph planner

*****letters

*****funnies

*****research

*****concept web

*****etc

~~sign design

~~game design

~~various mapping assignments

~~crossword design from vocab

~~nature journaling

~~many more projects

 

Although I think anyone could schedule the AG books with the Welcome to _________'s World books, I am not the type to be able to come up with all of this other stuff on my own. She schedules in science and bios as well. Some units look light and others very meaty. Especially if you do the writing and research.

 

HTH

Edited August 6, 2012 by Susie in MS

[Crimson Wife]

Is it worth $50?

 

I didn't personally think it was worth $50. It was a nice little supplement but very light IMHO.

[thowell]

Susie, what ages are you thinking of using this with? Dd9 and Dd12 are using ECC together this year but next year I will be separated them. Dd12 will be using Diana Waring's AC&TB and DD9 will be doing American History. She loves these books. Keep me posted how it goes!

[Sahamamama]

We are studying American History, Part I (to 1860) this year (K-twins/2nd), and American History, Part 2 (from 1860) next year (1st-twins/3rd). We do have all the AG book sets (from Kaya to Kirsten), but not the "World" or craft/cooking books. Someone on the boards suggested using these as a spine for history for young girls, and it seemed like a good idea. The books are well-written, good quality, and convey enough history for the early grades.

 

I had never heard of POAG until your post. If you plan to use it for writing assignments, then it's probably comparable in cost to another writing course. For us, it would be too much, though. I bought the AG books and a ton of other history books, lined them up roughly in chronological order, and that's our history course for the year -- just read through the books! I'm looking forward to it! :patriot: Enjoy your year!

 

Will you have to come up with your own assignments for the Kaya series? POAG doesn't include Kaya or Julie (we will not be doing the Julie series when we get to that era). I did come across these free templates for making lap books of the series.

 

And this: http://heartofthematteronline.com/unit-study-american-girl/

 

And this, which is a unit study for the Kirsten series, to give you some idea of how to it together: http://www.homeschoolhelperonline.com/units/american_girl_kirsten.shtm

 

HTH.

[Susie in MS]

Susie, what ages are you thinking of using this with? Dd9 and Dd12 are using ECC together this year but next year I will be separated them. Dd12 will be using Diana Waring's AC&TB and DD9 will be doing American History. She loves these books. Keep me posted how it goes!

 

Right now my dd is only 7 yo and in 2nd grade. So the low end of the age recommendation . We are using FIAR right now, but I am looking at the skill level needed for the writing in POAG. My guess is that by the time she is 8 yo she will be able to handle most of it, and then need some adjustments or allow more time for other writing (like the research). I am working on stretching her writing now. I have had this in my possession since my dd was a baby and have gone through it several times, but it helps to hear from others who have actually used it. If they found anything a struggle and how they were able to handle it, etc.

 

I have an online friend that used POAG as her core one year and she and her dd learned tons! They loved it. They beefed up the science in the Samantha unit by adding an electric kit. They learned about combustible engines while covering inventors that is scheduled. I need to see if I can get ahold of her and ask what age her dd was when she did POAG.

 

We are about to row Paul Revere's Ride with FIAR and it has really got me to thinking about possibly doing the Felicity unit ahead of my schedule. So my reason for asking questions now. :)

 

I will be sure to let you know how it goes when we start (but it may be a few weeks or several months). and if I hear from my friend I'll let you know what she says about her dd's age at the time of them using POAG.

[Susie in MS]

We are studying American History, Part I (to 1860) this year (K-twins/2nd), and American History, Part 2 (from 1860) next year (1st-twins/3rd). We do have all the AG book sets (from Kaya to Kirsten), but not the "World" or craft/cooking books. Someone on the boards suggested using these as a spine for history for young girls, and it seemed like a good idea. The books are well-written, good quality, and convey enough history for the early grades.

 

I had never heard of POAG until your post. If you plan to use it for writing assignments, then it's probably comparable in cost to another writing course. For us, it would be too much, though. I bought the AG books and a ton of other history books, lined them up roughly in chronological order, and that's our history course for the year -- just read through the books! I'm looking forward to it! :patriot: Enjoy your year!

 

Will you have to come up with your own assignments for the Kaya series? POAG doesn't include Kaya or Julie (we will not be doing the Julie series when we get to that era). I did come across these free templates for making lap books of the series.

 

And this: http://heartofthematteronline.com/unit-study-american-girl/

 

And this, which is a unit study for the Kirsten series, to give you some idea of how to it together: http://www.homeschoolhelperonline.com/units/american_girl_kirsten.shtm

 

HTH.

 

It is more than the writing in there that I am interested in, really. I am asking about it as that is my main concern with my dd's age. I know she not only could handle the rest, but truly enjoy it as well.

 

Thanks muchly for the links! I am about to run some errands so I can't look at them now, but I will later. :D

 

I don't know that I plan a unit with Kaya. I haven't really thought about it. It would be fun. I don't have much of an interest in Julie though.

[bluemongoose]

how old was your child when you used it? She was 5.5-6yo. She was an advanced reader that wanted to read those books, so we made POAG work for us.

 

~~Did you find the writing a challenge (good or bad)? A challenge because her writing ability was not equal to her reading or interest level. We used some of the ideas, shortened almost everything we used, and made it work for her ability.

 

~~Was there anything in particular that really stood out to you, good or bad, that you would like to share?

We liked the history part of the books at the end of the story, the ____ World books, and the cooking and craft books. Honestly, I probably could have done without the POAG manual, but we did enjoy the Kit newspaper and a few of the other activities.

 

There wasnt anything really "bad" I just think the study is doable without the manual. Simply checking out the books and all the side books for each girl gives you so much already.

[lea_lpz]

I am also interested in possibly doing Portrait of American Girllhood or Prarie Primer for my dd's 3rd grade year (she's only 5). We plan to use MFW1st and Adventures, then during my "gap year" do POAG or PP before starting MFW 5 year cycle with a 4th & 2nd grader. Because she would get US history in 7/8 grades, I am not to concerned with scope of US history in 2/3 grades. I want something fun, hands on, and appealing. Plus, I loved the books growing up :001_wub:so it'll be such a special bond to share that with her! I just have trouble deciding which I would pick :tongue_smilie:, but I have plenty of time. Any MFW users reading this, someone suggested actually spreading MFW Adventures over 2 years and then adding the PP or POAG when the books are scheduled in Adventures as mini unit studies since many are :). Thought that sounded neat, too.

[Susie in MS]

how old was your child when you used it? She was 5.5-6yo. She was an advanced reader that wanted to read those books, so we made POAG work for us.

 

~~Did you find the writing a challenge (good or bad)? A challenge because her writing ability was not equal to her reading or interest level. We used some of the ideas, shortened almost everything we used, and made it work for her ability.

 

~~Was there anything in particular that really stood out to you, good or bad, that you would like to share?

We liked the history part of the books at the end of the story, the ____ World books, and the cooking and craft books. Honestly, I probably could have done without the POAG manual, but we did enjoy the Kit newspaper and a few of the other activities.

 

There wasnt anything really "bad" I just think the study is doable without the manual. Simply checking out the books and all the side books for each girl gives you so much already.

 

Thanks muchly for sharing your experience!

 

I am thinking that if my child was that young I probably wouldn't use much of the manual either. I am glad that I have it though as I like the way Cindy provides lots of activities and writing lessons that I would have never come up with on my own. Plus the way she suggest the science and bios. that mesh with the units. These I think are better suited for children more in the suggested age range. I only have a few of the craft books, but I am not really interested in those or the cookbooks. If I were using POAG mainly for the history, crafts and cooking then I would skip the manual too. I am looking forward to my dd creating a wonderful portfolio among other things.

 

I can understand what you dealt with when you say your child writing ability and reading level weren't equal. It can make it hard to find unit studies that fit your child. I have had the same problem with HOD.

 

Thanks again! I appreciate the input!

[Susie in MS]

I am also interested in possibly doing Portrait of American Girllhood or Prarie Primer for my dd's 3rd grade year (she's only 5). We plan to use MFW1st and Adventures, then during my "gap year" do POAG or PP before starting MFW 5 year cycle with a 4th & 2nd grader. Because she would get US history in 7/8 grades, I am not to concerned with scope of US history in 2/3 grades. I want something fun, hands on, and appealing. Plus, I loved the books growing up :001_wub:so it'll be such a special bond to share that with her! I just have trouble deciding which I would pick :tongue_smilie:, but I have plenty of time. Any MFW users reading this, someone suggested actually spreading MFW Adventures over 2 years and then adding the PP or POAG when the books are scheduled in Adventures as mini unit studies since many are :). Thought that sounded neat, too.

 

I don't know if this will help in your decision. I have both PP and POAG. We did a unit out of PP before I had to go to work. It was very good, but it was also very full. I don't know if you are planning on pulling ideas, or using the study as is. I had to put PP back on the shelf for now as I cannot handle the load. But it IS very good. I am not knocking it in any way. POAG, on the other hand, though I feel adequate, is lighter. One main difference is that with PP you will be hunting books (research resources) where with POAG you know exactly what you need. POAG focuses more on writing than PP does so that may have an effect one way or the other for you as well.

[Susie in MS]

My friend posted and she said her dd was in 4th grade. If anyone is interested in her wonderful testimony it can be found here.

[plansrme]

If anyone is looking for these books, when I collected some a couple of years ago, I couldn't find them for the longest time and was afraid that they were out of print--until I figured out that to search for them, you need to leave out the apostrophe. Search for "Welcome to Kits World," for example. It killed me to do it, but I was able to find them on half.com and similar sites for not much money this way. Amazon seemed to be the same way, as I recall.

 

Terri

[lea_lpz]

I don't know if this will help in your decision. I have both PP and POAG. We did a unit out of PP before I had to go to work. It was very good, but it was also very full. I don't know if you are planning on pulling ideas, or using the study as is. I had to put PP back on the shelf for now as I cannot handle the load. But it IS very good. I am not knocking it in any way. POAG, on the other hand, though I feel adequate, is lighter. One main difference is that with PP you will be hunting books (research resources) where with POAG you know exactly what you need. POAG focuses more on writing than PP does so that may have an effect one way or the other for you as well.

 

So which of the programs would you say you'd get the most out of for a 3rd grader? If, for example, POAG is lighter, is it more geared towards this grade, or is it harder than PP because of a lot of writing. Of course, you probably modify the assignments and depth of the writing for a 3rd grader. If I were to do both programs (not simotanously) which would you think'd be the best for 2nd and which for 3rd? Planing to do MFW Adventures for 2nd, but could skip Adventures to be able to do POAG and PP.

[Susie in MS]

So which of the programs would you say you'd get the most out of for a 3rd grader? If, for example, POAG is lighter, is it more geared towards this grade, or is it harder than PP because of a lot of writing. Of course, you probably modify the assignments and depth of the writing for a 3rd grader. If I were to do both programs (not simotanously) which would you think'd be the best for 2nd and which for 3rd? Planing to do MFW Adventures for 2nd, but could skip Adventures to be able to do POAG and PP.

 

Well, I guess it depends on what area your child is strongest in. PP has more reading and POAG has more writing. Maybe how much of *your* time is important to factor in. I find that PP takes more of my time than POAG appears to.

HTH

[Susie in MS]

Well, here we are 2 years later! My dd is 9 yo and we have completed 4 of the 7 units. We did the first unit when dd was 7 yo I believe. It was hard enough for her then. Each unit is progressively getting harder, and I knew she could not handle any more then. So we shelved it for a while. This year we have completed the next 3 units and it has been lovely. We are currently alternating the POAG units with BeyondFIAR units so it is taking us longer, but we enjoy the different approaches. 

 

I have to say that IF a person follows all of the suggestions for history, science, writing, etc you WILL have a full plate. This is not as light as it seems on the surface. I think too many people forget about the long term projects mentioned at the beginning of each unit. There isn't a note every day telling you to not forget to do xyz. 

 

We have about 2 more weeks of our current Beyond unit and we will be back at POAG Samantha unit. I find that my dd is at a perfect age for this now. She is able to do the writing assigned and that is important to me. And being connected with the AG makes it more enjoyable and the lessons better learned.