Revamped WP history plans

[Lovedtodeath]

Okay, I am changing it again... here it is I will explain why after

 

1 Geography (My own program I have worked up)

2 First two books in WP Hideaways in History, Aesop's Fables, 50 Famous

Stories Retold, other Ambleside selections

3 WP American Story 1, WP HIH chronologically integrated

4 Finish WP AS1 and WP HIH

5 Story Of The World 1 Ancients + My Young Folk's Josephus (WP hands

on Israelites)

6 WP Sea and Sky (geography with little brother as a refresher)

7 skip ahead to 8th grade

8 Christian History

9 WP Royals and Revolution

10 American History in depth (SL)

11 Government

12 Bible Prophecy

 

It was this before I changed it:

1 Geography (My own program I have worked up)

2 WP AS1

3 WP AS2

4 SL 1+2 with added hands-on

 

I have seen some complain that they did not enjoy AS2 as much as AS1. I

have also seen compelling reasons to teach history chronologically. I

also do not want to miss out on some of the great Ambleside Online

suggestions or picture books that I could be using with HIH. I will be

getting rid of two expensive programs (AS2 and SL 1+2)and I would

rather save the money. So there you have it. I will stretch out HIH so

it is basically covering 2 years (the hideaways seem more doable if

they are not every week), thus saving money, working in some Ambleside

and avoiding programs that I am afraid of. Feel free to try to talk me

out of it.;o)

 

Carmen

Insane sleepless mom of Emily (6) and Jake (15 months)

[Lovedtodeath]

BUMP :auto: :D :chillpill: :tongue_smilie:

[Chris in VA]

I like it! One thing--if you didn't want to repeat SOTW 1, you could use Christine Miller's rewrite of Grueber or MOH for logic stage. OTOH, HTH doesn't read all of SOTW, right? So there would be new material.

 

Sounds really good and interesting! Be aware also that Royals and Revolution seems a little light--but that's just my impression--I'm thinking specifically of the literature books.

[Eva]

Your plan looks great. I jumped over to this thread from Omma's question about choosing programs.

 

I want to mention something. A great source for help with choosing curriculum (IMO) are the magazines that have annual polls and list the top few choices in each subject area. Practical HSing has been doing this for many years, however, their last poll seemed odd to me. I found it very hard to believe that so many people actually chose some of those materials. I wondered if maybe there were not as many people taking the poll as usual, so the results were more weighted in one direction. I just don't know. Anyhow, Old Schoolhouse Magazine does this now and their poll is clearly accurate. I have noticed over the years that the top choices were things I had used or seen and I had to agree with the vote. So, in each subject area there would be 3-5 top choices with the ties that were usually involved.

 

Also, I often see a pattern in those area, where top programs are in the top 3-5 choices for many years, with just a little fluctuation at times. I don't really care if something wins first place or third place. If you think about the number of readers that might respond to the surveys and how those materials out-rated so many other programs, anything that rated well enough to be in the results has to be really good.

 

So, just like using a book like The 100 Top Picks...by Cathy Duffy, I think the results of the polls, particularly in Old Schoolhouse or older editions of Practical HSing, are wonderful tools to help someone in their curriculum choices. It is a wonderful starting point with plenty of great choices in each subject area. If someone just researched and chose what worked best for them from those programs listed, they would be off to a great start.

 

By the way, I recommend MFW, but I would also highly recommend WP. No one program is best for everyone. I like to recommend the top few programs to people when I am asked and let them pick from those. I suppose I got this from so many years of reading the polls in the magazines. lol

 

HTH

Eva

[Lovedtodeath]

Thanks Eva. :)I will keep those polls in mind for the future, as I am worried about math and LA.

 

About MFW... I should explain why I do not use them and know little about their programs: We used them for pre-K and I love the company. I use their catalog and buy things from them here and there. MFW has their beliefs too integrated for my taste. We have unique beliefs as Jehovah's Witnesses so I have to be careful that I can get the contrasting beliefs out and put ours in. SL and WP are pretty easy to work with in most of their programs but I chose not to do Middle Ages through WP for this reason.

[Eva]

I totally understand! It is often more difficult to use "Christian" materials if they are slanted in one direction than to just use something more neutral. I run into problems with some materials like this, but in a different way as I am not JW.

 

Eva

[Omma]

Very interesting, Carmen!

 

It looks great on paper... you'll have to keep us all posted as you get into it year by year. :D I have enjoyed not having 2 years of World History followed by 2 years of American History... at least in the younger years!

 

Brenda

[Lovedtodeath]

I like it! One thing--if you didn't want to repeat SOTW 1, you could use Christine Miller's rewrite of Grueber or MOH for logic stage. OTOH, HTH doesn't read all of SOTW, right? So there would be new material.

 

Sounds really good and interesting! Be aware also that Royals and Revolution seems a little light--but that's just my impression--I'm thinking specifically of the literature books.

 

Thanks for your tips Chris. I will keep them in mind. Just wanted to point out that Modern World History and Middle Ages will be studied as it applies to Christian History and fulfillment of Bible Prophecy. I won't be just skipping it.