Question about SOTW

[Juliegmom]

Would a fourth grader be too young to start the SOTW cycle (starting with SOTW1)?

[Thia]

Fourth grade is bordering on too old, I think. SOTW is usually done first or second grade. I know there are people who use it with older students, but they also suppliment.

[Harriet Vane]

Your fourth grader would find the Ancients book a quick and simple read. However, SOTW 3 and 4 would be fine for that age. You could either start at the beginning, planning to whip through Ancients more quickly, or just jump into the middle. My own kids took six years each to complete the series, so my 11yo 6th-grader is now in SOTW4 and swimming along just fine with it.

 

Next year I'll start him on Hakim's History of US.

[Mommamia]

We tried SOTW in first and second and it did not go well. We are now starting the cycle in fourth. You can add in the Usborne encyclopedia a la WTM to beef it up. Honestly, just like I am not a fan of labeling a child by grade level, I don't think curriculum should have specific grade levels attached. It should be about concepts taught. I know many who are using SOTW for fourth grade and up. Read a sample and then determine if it is a good level for your child, if you need to add a little to it, or it won't be a good fit. Best of luck.

[zenjenn]

I think starting with SotW1 would be fine. People say it is intended for 1st grade, but I did it with a 1st and 3rd grader last year, and frankly, the 1st grader retained only the bare basics (and she was a bright and fluently literate 1st grader). My 3rd grader got a LOT more out of it. We absolutely used a lot of supplemental material.

 

I think it would frankly be fine to start with SotW1 in 4th grade - I really don't find it babyish at all. Often *I* learn new things reading it with them. It's fine. You could accelerate through 1&2 if you want, or you could do it 1 yr at a time if you want, but in 6th & 7th grade I'd plan on adding some more in-depth reading and writing to it as well, since there is a big intellectual maturity jump around that time. I do think the SotW are a good overview even if you are leaning on it less than you would with younger children. When we get 2nd time through the cycle I plan to have the kids re-read it independently at the beginning of each year as a refresher and to put further learning in context. They really are good books.

[LearningMomm]

We used STOW 1 in 3rd grade and LOVED it. She got so much more out if it then she would've in 1st. I think it sets you up for a better long term plan - Modern history is better suited towards older kids, IMO. You can also add Homeschool in the Woods Time Travelers and/or Middle Ages Passport. We've loved them and they add a lot! Then just in-depth books. It's perfect for us. :)

[NanceXToo]

We started using it sporadically at the end of third grade with my daughter and that was perfect. She's now 12 and we're still using SOTW (Middle Ages, now), and she still likes it. I think the book itself is still good for her age, and the supplemental books recommended in the activity guide seem to span a decent variety of ages- some are just simple picture books but others are more advanced. The map work is very simple, there's a coloring page, and then a handful of activities and projects to choose from, ranging from very simple, to somewhat more advanced, and you can usually choose other books or figure out other projects from there if you want to add on a bit more.

 

My 7 year old son on the other hand would have ZERO interest at this age and I just can't see him really getting anything out of it.

[Mommee & Baba]

We are using SOTW2 with my 2nd & 4th graders and it's going beautifully! Last year we did SOTW1 for my dc who were at the time in 1st & 3rd and it went wonderfully!

 

I too agree with a PP about putting grade levels on certain things. This to me isn't one of them. If you start at SOTW1 just go a chapter a day, whereas we broke each chapter up over the week last year and took it little bits. We enjoyed the activities, mapwork, and coloring pages that went along with each chapter. I think this is a nice way to introduce history.

 

I would rather have my children begin the first level on something new than put them into it at the level grade they were. I like my kids to see that starting something new doesn't have to be bogging and "too much". The great thing about starting a child that is older at SOTW1 is that they can take it quicker if needed and read more than a chapter a day. And then you can do the review questions just to be sure they are grasping it. My 2nd grader takes in more than my 4th grader!

[UrbanSue]

I think it really depends on your kid and your goals. Are you wanting to start with SOTW 1 because you really love the 4-year history cycle and want to jump into it? If that is the case, I think you could easily either have a history-loving strong-reading 4th grader read the entire four-volume series in one year as a survey just to get an overview of the broad sweep of history. Then begin with Ancients in 5th grade using a higher-level source.

 

OR

 

You could just start with Vol. 4 in 4h grade and then start over in 5th grade. Most schools don't teach history in order anyway. And if your 4th grader doesn't love history, the more modern topics might feel more interesting and tangible. It is also easy to tie in local/US History (if you are in the US) in the 3rd and 4th volumes. That kind of thing also holds more potential interest for a reluctant student of history because field trips are easier.

 

But if you really want to do SOTW one year at a time beginning in 4th grade, I think you could. The first volume would probably be an easy read for a 4th grader but I don't think it would be a boring read. I enjoyed it. I would definitely add in outside resources but there's no problem using it as a spine.

[boscopup]

It will absolutely depend on the child. Definitely not too young for it though! It was intended for first graders, but it's not uncommon for 1st graders to not be ready for it. So YMMV. :)

 

Go ahead and start it, and make sure you beef it up with extra reading. My oldest LOVED it in first grade and got a lot out of it, plus he read a lot of extra things. He reads the whole series periodically (now in 3rd) and knows more world history than I do at this point. :p When we start over Ancients in 5th grade possibly (still deciding what I'll do), I'll need something beefier than SOTW1, but he loves history and understands more mature books.

 

I enjoyed the books myself, and I'm definitely not a first grader. :D

[Walking-Iris]

Actually the SOTW 1 book does say "designed for grades 1-4" and then the SOTW2 book says "designed for grades 2-5" so I don't really get where people assume it's meant for 1st grade. Judging from that, i assume one can jump into that book where they are comfortable starting. It explains why there is a range of books listed in the AG for various ages. I started SOTW with my 3rd grader and it would have been way over his head in 1st. Some of the recommended titles in the activity book are 1st grade range, most of the coloring sheet activities are, and some of the projects can be done with a 1st grader, but really I wouldn't expect most 1st graders to care a hill of beans about the Assyrians. YMMV.

 

I think the WTM recommends the history chronology, but doesn't limit SOTW to only being used by 1st graders (or as the only way to do Ancients with a 1st grader). You can jump into that chronological history where you're comfortable jumping into it imo. I'm going to use History Pockets:Ancients with my 1st grader and read aloud from the age appropriate recommended books. I can tell right now that my Kinder will be bored to tears listening to me read SOTW out loud.

[Juliegmom]

The 4-year history cycle appeals to me. It seems that a good amount of people who are using SOTW1 have kids on the younger end of the spectrum so I wasn't sure. I also noticed the grade designation that Walking-Iris mentioned and had wondered. All your comments are very helpful. Thank you! :)