DoubleAMom Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I'd like a recommendation for a history book to use with my 5 1/2 yr old. I'm considering Story of the World and Usbornes Encyclopedia of the World, and wondered what opinions anyone had of these books. Any other suggestions? I want something with great pictures that gives equivalent attention to Asian/African history as Western history. I would also like for it to be somewhat age appropriate for my son, but to grow with him for several years. I'd appreciate any opinions!! Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Some may have other experiences, but I wouldn't use SOTW with that young a kid personally. I read it to my 9 year old and it's wordy--no color pictures. My 5 year old will occasionally listen, but a page into the chapter and he's bored. He does like the coloring pages and some of the activities in the Activity guide, though. And a few of the suggested books in the guide have interested him. Usborne books usually hold a child's interest. :bigear: Other than the readings in What Your K Needs to Know, I don't know of history for that age. would be interested in what others recommend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 Check out my blog to see what we are using. My DD is a month shy of 5.5 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Liked the activities. My 5 year old is not keen so I am thinking I will just do Egypt for a few months then Greece, Rome, maybe ancient china then a section on archaeology/prehistory. Any appropriate living book ideas gratefully received. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sctigermom Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 We tried sotw when my my son was 5.3 he hated it so we ditched it. We the started history odyssey at age 6.3 and it uses sotw as a main book. We read 1-2 chapters a week and incorporate books from the book list (and books I find) and he does fine with in now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 We used SOTW when my kids were that age. We ended up turning away from it for various reasons by the end of volume two, but my kids enjoyed it. I would read a chapter while they colored a picture. Then we would read picture books about the time period and the myths and do little projects. It was a great year. There are almost no illustrations in SOTW, but the Usborne book is nearly ALL illustrations, so you could get both and let one be the pictures and the other be the text if images are important to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susankenny Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 We used SOTW when my kids were about 5 or 6. It was a flop unfortunately. We waited a few years, and imho it was worth the wait! My kids got so much more out of the reading, mapwork, activities, and tests when they were older. If your child has a good attention span and good level of comprehension, it could certainly work. It is written to a younger student according to SWB, but it just was a flop for my kids. Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Is the second SOTW written at the same level? If so I will try it in a year or so. My son is young but because I am afterschooling I decided to start at the same time as he started school so he got in the habit from the start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Is the second SOTW written at the same level? If so I will try it in a year or so. My son is young but because I am afterschooling I decided to start at the same time as he started school so he got in the habit from the start. The short answer is yes. The volumes do increase in difficulty (emotionally too, as you get to the modern world) slightly, but the jump between any two years isn't big. I also think that Vol. 1, with all its mythology has a really different feel from Vol. 2, in the middle ages. But that's not an issue of level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justLisa Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 We are just reading through Vol 2 right now because I don't have anything else I want to use. It gets done but it's nothing fantastic here if you ask anyone. At that age they didn't even pay attention to it enough to absorb anything. Get a nice laminated time line, and pick parts of history you find important and interesting. Talk about when they happened. I wouldn't do much more at 5 or 6. My kids are still sensitive to the violence in discussing history. I have to sometimes reword. Even talking about the gladiators in the Coliseum was a bit much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 I was thinking about a timeline. I can use My copy of SOTW to keep me on track and we can just do unit studies. They get practically no history or geography at school for about the first 10 years and we can do a more in depth cycle later. In four years the younger one will be ready to join in. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justLisa Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 I was thinking about a timeline. I can use My copy of SOTW to keep me on track and we can just do unit studies. They get practically no history or geography at school for about the first 10 years and we can do a more in depth cycle later. In four years the younger one will be ready to join in. Thanks. Sadly true. I don't remember a THING before highschool. Except the few years I was HS'd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EppieJ Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 FWIW: What we did when ds was 5/6 was use History Pockets Ancient Civilizations. It proved to be a great, gentle segue into SOTW and gave him another year to grow before starting a bigger study. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.