Esse Quam Videri Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 We are doing Ancients this year with a K4, 1st, and 3rd grader. We are considering breaking our cycle and doing a world geography/missions focus next year, picking up with Year 2 the following year. Would you do it? Here are the pros I see so far: -It seems like something that would better fit my then Ker. She is just kind of tagging along this year, and though I'm sure she would enjoy some aspects of Medieval, I could probably better tailor world geography to her liking. It would be great to have something just as involved for her as my others got in Kindy. -There are several medieval resourses I want to use that would likely fit my oldest better as a 5th grader (like IEW Medieval writing). She could do these next year, but I would rather her get the most out of them. -DS is begging to do an in depth animal study for science next year. He is basically obsessed right now. This could correlate really well with world geography (I'm imagining a huge world wall map with photos of animals all over it). -I know I want to do world geography at some point but if I wait until the end of our cycle, my oldest will be a 7th grader, and a very advanced one at that. The fun projects that go with a world geography study would likely feel dumbed down to her then. -We will *potenially* be living in Hawaii and involved with YWAM (missions organization). This is only *potential* so I'm not putting too much weight on it, but it must be considered. How fun to learn about missionaries at the same time! The cons: -Could potentially lose the benefit of doing a four year cycle... this is a big one. -Possibly more expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down_the_Rabbit_Hole Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 I started the 4 yr cycle with great intentions of doing 3 full rotations. After half a yr in ancients I started thinking to go another route. Felt she needed an intro US History and Cultural Geography first. We will start the history cycle again in 5th and cycle twice but add in a World Geography, state, and civics courses somewhere along those 8 yrs so the cycle will be interrupted along the way unless I can come up with a great plan to incorporate it all in as we go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 Well, with the pros that you list, I can see that taking a year off of your cycle sounds like a win-win. One of the best parts of homeschooling is adapting to fit your students. It really isn't a big deal to have a break in your cycle, IMO. Do you already have resources in mind for next year or are you writing your own plans? :drool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 I'm not sure what a missions focus would look like, but we are now into our third year of the rotation, and we do all the SOTW map work. I'm not concerned about geography in the least. My kids know more than most adults. So, I wouldn't take a year off just to go geography, no. But, you know your kids best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esse Quam Videri Posted December 29, 2012 Author Share Posted December 29, 2012 Well, with the pros that you list, I can see that taking a year off of your cycle sounds like a win-win. One of the best parts of homeschooling is adapting to fit your students. Exactly! It really isn't a big deal to have a break in your cycle, IMO. Do you already have resources in mind for next year or are you writing your own plans? :drool: Still deciding... I do want to use some of the resources from MFW ECC, but replacing some things and adding lots of library books. I'm not sure what a missions focus would look like, but we are now into our third year of the rotation, and we do all the SOTW map work. I'm not concerned about geography in the least. My kids know more than most adults. So, I wouldn't take a year off just to go geography, no. But, you know your kids best. My kids do the maps with SOTW as well, and they also love to study the intelliglobe. But I don't think they could rightly name even a majority of European/Asian/African/South American countries :-). Nor do they really understand the cultures. It would be a culture study as much as a geography study. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 Absolutely I would do this. However, I am not married to a four year history cycle. I think that more is gained from following the interests/opportunities as they arise than is lost from not keeping to a strict history cycle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 I loved (and still do!) the idea of the four year cycle. It just isn't happening here, though. You will be fine to take a break. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFamily Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 When my youngest begins school, I plan on covering US history and geography in grades 1-4 and starting the 4-year cycle in 5th grade. In 1st-4th, I plan to cover US history during the first 6 months of the school year and doing geography for the last 3 months of the year. I will probably have him read through or listen to the audiobooks of SOTW 1-2 during the summer after 3rd grade and do the same with SOTW 3-4 during the summer after 4th. This way he'll have a solid foundation in US history and a very brief, general overview of world history and geography before beginning the logic stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 Sounds like a good plan to me! We took off from the 4-year cycle to do 2 in-depth years of US history. It was a great decision for my family. We'll start up Ancients again when my kids are 5th/2nd/K. My oldest did read SOTW3 and 4 on his own, so he didn't really skip them completely - just didn't get all the extra library books to go with those years yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 I think you should do what you want to do. We are detouring next year to do wanting to do US history. I do plan to do a geography/missions year at some point as well. The cycle is to help us, not box us in. Enjoy your little people and have fun studying what you want! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esse Quam Videri Posted December 29, 2012 Author Share Posted December 29, 2012 Thanks all! I was expecting more advice against this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1A3Cs Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 We're departing from the cycle this semester. My daughter is 3rd grade and we're going to begin U.S. History. If all goes to plan, we'll do this every year (at least one trimester) - I'd really like to have her have a deep understanding of the constitution and geography. Good luck - maybe we'll see you in Hawaii! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 I read TWTM when my oldest was 5 and I was totally sold on the 4 year cycle. Then life happened and we ended up wandering a bit. He did a full rotation, then ancients and medieval again, then a year of SOS then into public school. My 14yo did a full rotation, then Sonlight Eastern Hemispheres, then a year of American history, then ancients and medieval, and now he's doing high school through a correspondence course and doing their history sequence. I wanted to hold dd off on ancients until my youngest was in 1st, so she did a year of world geography, then a year of American history, then she and my now 8yo did ancients. When I was planning out our medieval studies, I decided that I wanted to slow things down a bit and stretch out the rotation. We're now in the middle of a five year rotation. We may do a year of American history after that. I don't know. The benefit of homeschooling is that you get to decide what is best for your family. Don't let yourself be constrained by a formula. The 4 year history cycle is great, but it doesn't always fit with every family or every student. Do what is best for your family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TriciaS Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 You've started me thinking about doing something similar now! I'm doing ancients with my 2nd grader, but next year I add a Ker and she will not be able to comprehend SOTW 2. I was thinking about doing geography/American history so she could get into the geography and then do something like elemental history's k program with her and do American history stuff with my 3rd grader. I think you have a great idea! Your little one will love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esse Quam Videri Posted December 31, 2012 Author Share Posted December 31, 2012 Good luck - maybe we'll see you in Hawaii! We're hoping!! You've started me thinking about doing something similar now! I'm doing ancients with my 2nd grader, but next year I add a Ker and she will not be able to comprehend SOTW 2. I was thinking about doing geography/American history so she could get into the geography and then do something like elemental history's k program with her and do American history stuff with my 3rd grader. Sounds like fun as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KellyMama Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 I think you should do what you want to do. We are detouring next year to do wanting to do US history. I do plan to do a geography/missions year at some point as well. The cycle is to help us, not box us in. Enjoy your little people and have fun studying what you want! :iagree: Us too! I just posted about this also. I'm not sure what we're going to do, but I want to do some US history before I have a high-schooler. I know I'll have to do it again later for their HS transcripts, but I want a lower-level year also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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