using encyclopedia as a spine?

[faiths13]

i was thinking about using a history encyclopedia and science encyclopedia for spines, but im not sure exactly how to make that work. i was thinking of getting books from the library to supplement and using the encyclopedia to help guide us through the year. i just wouldnt know which books would be good to use though. any advice on using these as a spine?

[Farrar]

We have done that and I know many other families do too. For us, it's basically a way of making sure you cover everything you want to cover. So, for example, that we don't study the planets and accidentally leave out Saturn. Obviously a silly example, but there are topics I wouldn't think of and the encyclopedias outline them so you realize that if you want to be comprehensive, that you should cover them (alternately, that if you want to skip them, you've done it on purpose).

 

You can also use it as reading. We've done less of that. Often, there are better books. We refer to them as reference though.

 

From there, I just add the resources I want to add - books, projects, experiments, assignments, etc. It's whatever you want it to be at that point.

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

That sounds to me exactly what WTM suggests for the grammar stage. I have links to the encyclopedias recommended for first grade here on my blog. They history encylcodieas are recommended by WTM for all of the grammar stage.

 

For more info check out chapters 7 & 8 of WTM for grammar stage advice on how to implement them. Chapter 16 has the information on using a history spine for the Logic stage and how to use it using outlining.

[edeemarie]

We are going to be using the Usborne Internet Linked Ancient World encyclopedia as a part of our history spine for Ancients. They have a few others for different history cycles: Medieval World and The Last 500 Years. There is another book on prehistory, which we won't be doing, but all 4 of these come in the Usborne World History encyclopedia set. Kingfisher is another popular one, but again it has too much old earth history for our faimly. You can find relevant books in catalogs like Sonlight, MFW, TOG, HOD, Veritas Press, and websites like GuestHollow, http://www.abookintime.com, and http://bookgirl3.tripod.com/historicalfiction.html. I haven't gotten far enough into science to help you out with that one.

[faiths13]

thanks!!

[Hunter]

Back in the 90s I used the American Literature article in World Book Encyclopedia as my American literature spine.

[pitterpatter]

I think most people do this in some fashion. We are using History Odyssey: Ancients by Pandia Press for ancients this year. The Usborne Encyclopedia of the Ancient World is our spine. We will not be using SOTW or CHOW with it.