Where to start when switching to CM?

[knittingmama]

I'm still trying to decide what to do for school next year. If I decide to use something like AO or CM Help, where would I start? Our oldest is going to be in 4th grade. So would I start there? It feels like we would be starting in the middle, and I'd hate to miss something that came before, but does it really matter? We are finishing up HOD Preparing, so she has a pretty good handle on the flow of history. Possibly we're just going to do the BF Geography study, and then follow with something... STOW? Mystery of History? AO or CM Help? I'm just trying to wrap my brain around some of the options out there.

[Kfamily]

Hmmm, I don't think it matters where you start in the history cycle....do you or she have a preference in where you'd like to start? If she's a solid reader and ready....she could start AO Year 4 which has a focus on American History and also is the first year for such additionals as Plutarch and Shakespeare. If you feel she may need a year to get acquainted to the heavy style of reading with AO (and/or if you're new to CM), then you could also try Year 3.5. This year uses On the Shores of the Great Sea (ancient history) along with biographies/tales for modern/American history.

[knittingmama]

Okay, good to know it doesn't matter where we start in the history cycle. I will go back and look at everything from that perspective. She is a very strong reader, and she is used to narrations and dictations and that sort of thing. So I will just look at matching her academic level. I just didn't want to start her in the "middle" and something wouldn't make sense or she would miss something important.