Seriously considering HS. Request advice pt 1 (History)

[cavscout96]

Greetings all,

 

My wife and I are moving to Europe this summer with a job transfer. For multiple reasons, including timing, curriculum, etc., we are seriously considering homeschooling our two daughters ages 6 and 7. We are currently reading Ms. Bauer's book and researching HS resources. There are a ton of questions, so I though thought I break the post up to make it simpler.

 

History:

 

- Since he children are only one year apart should we start them at the same point in history lessons? WTM advises yes.

 

- Start with Ancients or Middle Ages? (one great aspect of moving to Europe is that we can actually go SEE places relevant to both.)

 

- What to do when older daughter reaches 5th grade.

1. Skip modern history and restart at ancients for both

2. Continue with modern for both

3. Restart for older at ancients and continue grammar-level modern for younger (tons of modern

history in Europe as well especially as it relates to Industrial Revolution, WWI, WWII, cold war,

post-cold war)

 

Thanks in advance for your thoughts

 

 

CS96

[Lori D.]

Welcome to you and your family to the WTM Board, and to the possible adventure of homeschooling! :) And congrats on the exciting overseas job move!

 

Our sons are 20 months apart, and similar to your situation, we started homeschooling them in grades 1 for 2 when they were ages 6 and 8. I found the WTM to be a wonderful starting point for our educational goals and for being a great touchstone to make sure we did not have huge "gaps in the educational journey. BUT... because "life happens", it is also good to hold *lightly* any long-term schedule or plan (such as "we will cover _____ History period in ____ grade").

 

At this stage, I would gently suggest that for this year it might be a good idea to focus on the following as priorities:

1. planning for and covering the "3Rs" (reading, writing, and math)

2. prepare for/allow time for the transition to living overseas (which may mean focusing on learning a foreign language)

3. prepare for/allow time for the transition into figuring out how homeschooling realistically works in YOUR home.

 

Any History, Science, Music, Art, Logic, etc. that you manage to include would be "gravy". And enjoy those subjects as much as possible informally through the opportunities of concerts, museums, events, historical sites, etc. that will be available to you in your new location! :)

 

 

In response to your specific History questions:

 

- Keep them together?

Yes! Make it easy on you and your wife for teaching. :) And while you're at it, since they are so close in age, do as much together as their academic abilities and personalities will allow for -- it makes schooling SO much easier -- Literature Read Alouds, Science, History, Music, Art, Logic, Foreign Language -- maybe even Writing, Grammar, and even Math Facts can be done together.

 

 

- Start with Middle Ages?

A number of paths you can take on this. Just my opinion, but since your DDs are quite young (which gives you flexibility about covering things like science and history). and because you will be new to homeschooling, I would lean toward option 3 or 4:

 

1. Formal History = start at the beginning with Ancients, BUT, spend a lot of time out and about soaking in the culture and history of where you will be living.

2. Formal History = start with Middle Ages, and get out and see the cathedrals, Stone Henge, museums, or wherever you will be of those

3. Informal History = read cultural/geography books, history books and historical fiction set in the country you will be living in and spend a lot of time out and about making what you're reading about real through museums, historical sites, places of renown and special interest, etc.

4. Skip History = make this first year of homeschooling about transitioning, and more about cultural studies and geography, and foreign language acquisition (if you will be in a country in which English is not the primary language)

 

 

- What to do when older daughter reaches 5th grade

Not trying to dissuade you from making long-range, overall plans, BUT... my experience is that a LOT can happen between now and then.

 

- you may discover that homeschooling is not working out for some reason at this time

- or that there is a wonderful school where you will be living that you want to take advantage of

- or that you have a student who has special needs (gifted, or learning disability)

- or one/both of your children develop a special interest that, in order to support that, means changing what you're doing, and shifting how you cover History

- or, you may find, as we did, we were enjoying so many "bunny trails" and taking our time in History cultures of interest that our first complete trip through History (Ancients through Modern) took us 6 years

 

Also, how long will the job transfer in Europe last? Will you be returning to the U.S. after a few years abroad? (I'm just guessing you might be U.S. military from your Board name... ;) ) At that time, you might want to take a year to focus on U.S. History/culture/geography to help your daughters transition back into life in the States, which would shift away from plans of doing three 4-year History cycles -- but might be much more in line with what your family priorities, needs, and goals would be.

 

Another thought: For various reasons, we found that after spending so much time on history (6 years to get through a complete "cycle"), we benefitted GREATLY by setting formal History aside and doing a year of World Culture/Geography and Comparative Religions. That focus really prepared our sons for a much clearer understanding of History and Worldview subjects at the Rhetoric level in high school.

 

 

Just a few thoughts as you plan for your move -- your move to a new country, and your move into possibly homeschooling. BEST of luck as you chart your course! Warmly, Lori D.

[freesia]

Lori has great advice. Having moved internationally a few times I do agree that you need to build in lots of time for transition.

 

That said, I would completely keep them together. Whether I started with the Middle Ages would depend on how long I planned to be there. Why? Because, even with a very bright child, they often don't remember the history they are taught early on no matter how interesting you make it. (Ask me how I know LOL) Doing Ancients first allows both your children to grow up a bit before you hit the time of history when you can take lots of field trips that tie into what you are learning. During that year, I would of course explore as much as your family can. Then when you hit the relevant times in history you can say, "Remember when we visited...?"

 

I would also keep them together when the first hits the Logic Stage. There is nothing special about doing Ancients in first, fifth and ninth grade. My oldest did Ancients in first, sixth (and, if we follow our plan, 10th.) Only my younger 2 should hit Ancients in 1st, 5th and 9th. The stages are about how you relate to the material, not the specific material learned. Most fifth graders are not in the Logic stage, anyway.

[Lanny]

Welcome to WTM.

Question: Do the laws/regulations of the country you will be living in permit home schooling? For example, I believe Germany does not. However, I know a family with 2 kids in TTUISD who are temporarily living in the UK, and it is apparently OK there, as it is here in Colombia. Check out the rules, to be sure you will be legal.

 

OT: If you are a U.S. Citizen, or, a Permanent Resident of the U.S., there are things you should know, regarding the taxation that we are subject to. It is not Residence based. It is based on our citizenship.

You can learn more about the issues involved, on the American Citizens Abroad web site:

http://americansabroad.org/

 

Check with your bank, your stock broker, credit card issuer, etc., and ask them if they will permit you to continue your accounts with them, with an Overseas Mailing Address.

 

GL!

[Miss Tick]

Welcome!

 

Lori D. is very wise, I wanted to add that if you weren't going to be in Europe for a full cycle you are certainly allowed to focus on European history. With a book like SOTW (Story of the World) you could select the chapters you want to study. I imagine other curricula would work the same way.

 

If you are overseas with the military you can homeschool, even in Germany.

[Giraffe]

Lori has great advice. Having moved internationally a few times I do agree that you need to build in lots of time for transition.

 

 

I am international too and after a year here we are still struggling with the effects of culture shock.

 

Just to say that your first year should be about transition as much as about education.

[happymomofboys]

Teach them the same history while using books at their own level where appropriate, begin with the Ancients, and decide what to do about 5th grade when you get there. :001_smile:

[Melissa in Australia]

I have taught multiple age children.

My advice is keep them together for history for the WHOLE time.It was very beneficial for my children to be paired up for one subject. they could work on craft projects and activities together, they had someone to discuss things they learned and they acted out and played many games etc. that tied into the history period under study in their free play time.

My recommendation is to start History from the beginning and when they get to grade 5 just continue on with modern and start logic ancients the following year. It is no big deal

[cavscout96]

Thank you all for your responses they are extremely insightful and appreciated.

 

We will be in Europe for at least two, maybe three, years. We are very excited about all of the culture and history avialible for first-hand exposure so we want to make the most of the opportunity. It helps that I am a massive history geek as well.

I especially appreciate all of the discussion on transition. I considered it previously, but with multiplemoves under their belts had been relatively dismissive of the potential impacts. I will definitely re-visit the effects and try to ease into the new program.

 

Special thanks to Lanny as I had not considered banking or brokerage impacts of the move.

 

Any additional input is still greatly appreciated.

 

 

-CS96

[cavscout96]

Any thoughts on foreign language for small ones? Right now we are defaulting to Rosetta Stone as I'm familiar with the software. Most seem to be a focused more on very young children or adults.

 

 

Thoughts?

[Giraffe]

Thank you all for your responses they are extremely insightful and appreciated.

 

We will be in Europe for at least two, maybe three, years. We are very excited about all of the culture and history avialible for first-hand exposure so we want to make the most of the opportunity. It helps that I am a massive history geek as well.

I especially appreciate all of the discussion on transition. I considered it previously, but with multiplemoves under their belts had been relatively dismissive of the potential impacts. I will definitely re-visit the effects and try to ease into the new program.

 

Special thanks to Lanny as I had not considered banking or brokerage impacts of the move.

 

Any additional input is still greatly appreciated.

 

 

-CS96

 

 

DD is a champion mover so I was dismissive too. She's even visited here before! But this move, since it was a move and not an extended visit, was different and the cumulative effects of all our previous moves seems to have caught up with us. Not to dissuade you at all, just wanted to give you a heads up.

 

Consider. Mail service like Earth Class Mail. Pricey, but worth it.

 

There's a book called the Family Sabbatical that was helpful to us when we first starting going to and for.

[mumto2]

Welcome! We also made the move to the UK when they were 7 and 9. We have always home educated and that was actually the part of our routine I was able to hold somewhat constant. Up until that point we had been a Sonlight family, slightly different path which put us at American history for 2 years after our move. I self designed using Our Island Story and lots of library books. Libraries are going to be a problem unless you are heading to the UK. We followed up with European history.

 

Personally I would self design in a unit study manor around places you plan to visit. If you know you will be visiting Rome plan a two month unit study for Rome etc. Study what they will see. Having a history buff foe a parent means you can fill in parts that you missed as you go along. DH is an expert on war history. Not my favorite but as we drive accross rivers etc on the continent he can always fill in the background!

 

The culture change can be massive and I moved to an English speaking country! The first year was filled with having to learn how things are done. Even simple things like laundry was hard. No dryer where we first lived, tiny washing machine with no obvious soap dispenser and front loading. Odd problems appeared daily. They learned tons about problem solving and really got to be part of the adventure thats to home ed.

 

I hope this helps some. Please excuse my typos. I am on my fire and typing is hard and editing pretty impossible after the first few sentences. For foreign language BBC has a good website with several for children. I would post a bit more specifically french, german, etc. For better answers on the language.

 

[Pamela H in Texas]

My boys are about to turn 5 and 6. My daughter is 7. We will have our cycles based on our youngest (originally, it was going to be the middle one; but we had a change of plans). What is required of each of them will be individualized within the curriculum.

[Lanny]

<snip>

Special thanks to Lanny as I had not considered banking or brokerage impacts of the move.

 

 

You are welcome. Spend some time on the web site of American Citizens Abroad. It is extremely possible (or probable) that your U.S. Bank account, Credit Card, Retirement account and Brokerage account, will be cancelled, when you change your Mailing Address and Phone number to another country. Check with the one's you use, to see if you can avoid that. You can use the TaxACT Software (free or paid), to eFile your U.S. Tax returns, with an overseas mailing address. GL!

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Expat here! What a great opportunity for your family! I would start with ancients and move through in order, since you'll be in Europe several years. There is nothing wrong with visiting sites out of order, especially if you keep a wall timeline to help keep things in order for your kids!