Sue G in PA Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 Wow, it's been so long since I've been on the boards! Hope everyone is having a great year! We have had a good year so far but I'm hitting those winter doldrums and we're stalilng...big time. :( I'm planning for next year (trying to find some motivation, any motivation to keep me going) and running into some challenges (mostly financial). So, my 2nd, 4th and 6th graders started out using AAH1 (their first real in depth study of any American History). I got through the Explorers and quit. Hated it. WANTED to love it...but didn't. We are doing a co-op this year and they are studying Geography. I gave up on History in lieu of the geography. My 2 year American History plan flew out the window. In looking at next year, the co-op "might" offer American History as one of the classes. Great. But if not? I have HOD Preparing and had planned to use it in 2014/15...after our 2 year study of American. B/c of finances, I'm looking now to use it next year. If we don't do AH in co-op...my kids will only have had bits and pieces of AH from literature read and unit studies. Tell me they will not be scarred/hindered/harmed for life? ;) I promise to follow the 4 year cycle after using Preparing! Honest! LOL. Seriously, I've been so "stuck" on having to follow that chronological cycle that it is causing me serious anxiety to stray from it! I know they will get all history again in high school. I know this. How should I proceed with the rest of this year? Could I just read through a book series like Light and the Glory with them and discuss? Any advice/encouragement and "it will be ok, Sue, chill out" would be much appreciated! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillybell Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 I am Using AH with my middle schooler right now and agree it is somewhat boring but with my younger daughter I am using the Story of the USA which consist of short workbooks but for the most part, We are using all of the Homeschool in the Woods Time Traveler's unit studies and they are great, even my middle schooler is using them now in conjunction with her AH. The text is short and it includes some hands on activities, timelines, and lapbook activities. I think your kids will be alright with what they have studied so far on American History but if it would make you feel more at ease, you might want to try a unit study. The lesson plans are pretty easy to follow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChicoryChick Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 I don't know, Sue, they might be scarred for life. ;) JK. I think they will be fine. I know I felt that my oldest dd did not spend enough time on AH and she actually said to me, "Mom. I know more than you think," and she was right. Between watching Liberty Kids, listening to Your Story Hour, reading Childhood of Famous American books and American Girl Series amongst other things she knew a lot of American History. I really wouldn't worry about it. Your kids will be fine (I hope ;) ) Welcome back, Sue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BugsMama Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 They'll be fine! We're only studying European history right now, since we live in Europe, and I want to SEE as much history as possible. My kids can learn about American history and the rest of the world later. Like when we are in America. You won't screw them up too bad.... not any worse then my poor American kids who don't know who George Washington is. ;) There is a time and season for everything, right?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaOz Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 I think that is where a timeline really shines - you can study things out of order yet still see them in context. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 You'll be fine. The WTM police won't come get you. ;) Some people just follow interests for history and do it completely out of order, and those kids do just fine in high school. It also sounds like you're not really going out of chronological order that much anyway. Preparing is a quick overview of world history, right? So it's not that you're out of order. You're just not focusing on American History yet. We're doing American History this year and next with Sonlight (we left the 4-year cycle for a bit), and you might want to take a look at their booklist. Your library may have many titles. Just reading those casually and maybe sticking them on a timeline could take care of your AH worries. ;) We have loved almost all of the books we've done this year in Core D. We also love the spine - Landmark History of the American Peoples (they also use the Story of the USA workbooks, but I much prefer Landmark). The books focused around the Revolutionary War timeframe have been especially good - Johnny Tremain, Carry On Mr, Bowditch, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Lynn Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 Yes, just let them read (or read to them) anything you have and call it done. If you don't have something on hand, The Complete Book of U.S. History is pretty cheap. Or there are free options at mainlesson online/Baldwin project - whatever it's called. Nice to see you :seeya: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 Did you see this recent thread about options other than a history focus? My boys turned out all right without a history focus. Thinking that a history focus was a classical education is what made me mistakenly abandon classical education in my early years. It didn't work for me to use a content subject as our core, when I was such a skills focused teacher. All content was studied as enrichment, except for the few short texts they completed through American School during high school. We had a few of the Dover history coloring books. We got a LOT of history DVDs from the library when they were older. Don't be afraid to use textbooks as read alouds, rather than completing them. Amazon sells used student textbooks for pennies. Science is also a content subject and neither of my boys ever completed a high school science text except for the American School general science text. Science texts were replaced with more time spent on math texts, as advised by Art Robinson. We also completed a paltry amount of literature. I consider literature an art, and not even a content subject, never mind a skill. They boys read a lot of biographies, the Bible and other nonfiction instead of fiction. We had several broken but over lapping sets of encyclopedias and they cuddled up with them like any other book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saddlemomma Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 I also think you will be fine. Children get a lot out of just reading or being read to. Audio books are fantastic too. I just posted today about an offer from Yesterday's Classics. They are offering their complete collection of 225 ebooks for just $49.95. Lots of History and Science in books that kids enjoy. There are 18 American History books alone that your kids may really enjoy within this collection. Some of these books include American History Stories Vol. I through IV, This Country of Ours, Streams of History: The United States, Four Great Americans. Heck, just reading one or a combination of these together would be fantastic. Relax and just enjoy some great, classic stories based upon real history! Here is the site with this offer: http://www.yesterdaysclassics.com/o/feb28.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 Well, for a long time, I have had that 4-year history cycle on a pedestal. But now that I am almost at the end of my first cycle, I am feeling like, "You mean I have to do this 3 more times? :svengo: I think it is good to go through it at least once. But I don't think it is quite so important as I used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briansmama Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 We actually use a Waldorf program for the earlier years (up to 3rd). This year my oldest is in 3rd and I've been feeling like we are behind in history, so at first I was thinking of catching up...but then I realized that we could have a fantastic year covering early US History and the Ancients, and cover Middle Ages over the summer with fun read-Alouds and audiobooks, and be ready to jump into the history cycle in 4th grade. Waldorf in 1st and 2nd covers history through cultural Fairytales, fables, and stories of sages/saints from around the world, so my dc do get a lot of exposure, just not in the chronological sense. Personally, I wouldn't want to cover Ancients in 1st grade. There are lots of ways to go about history and literature. I feel my dc are getting a very rich experience and not missing out at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 I've never taught history chronologically. My two oldest are in college with scholarships and have no problem understanding how and when events happened through time. ;) I don't know anyone who's that much of an idiot that they can't figure out that the pharaohs were before the Civil War. Seriously, study what you want, when you want. And have a timeline if your kids are really confused. But I've never met any who were. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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