What Your _ Grader Needs to Know (Core Knowledge): Original vs. Revised

[Annabel Lee]

I'm hoping Hunter or others familiar with the Core Knowledge What Your __ Grader Needs to Know series by Ed Hirsch can share the differences between the original edition and the revised edition put out by Delta Education. I'm looking for details - what has been added, removed, simplified, expanded, abridged, etc.? Which do you like better, and why?

 

TIA!

[LBoogie]

Well, Hunter would be the go-to on this one, but...

 

I have gotten both from the library and I think the original is immensely better. It feels like you could build a curriculum from it. The new one just seems more random in the scope. Kinda haphazard. Not sure why they changed it. I wondered if he received public school input when he revised it, for whatever reason.

 

Again, I would ask Hunter. :)

[Crimson Wife]

FYI, Core Knowledge is currently revising them and will be releasing them soon, starting with the K book this summer.

[Walking-Iris]

I have them from Preschool to 5th grade, revised. My 3rd grade one is original. I may be missing something but I don't see much of a difference between that 3rd grade book and my revised books other than aesthetics and format.

 

I've been reading though the history sections with my oldest ds. He's liking history for the first time. I got fed up with SOTW and he hated it so I just ditched it mid year. On a whim I picked up the Preschool book and just read from it's history section. And then we picked up the history section in the 1st grade book. We're now reading from the history section in the 4th grade book. He really likes them. Asks for me to read history first each day, and is really retaining some info and key ideas.

 

I sort of just ignored these books on my shelf because I thought they could be a book the kids would pick up on their own. I prefer to read stories from the actual book rather than an excerpt in a text so I've ignored the lang arts sections, and I've ignored the math sections because we use our regular math curriculum and supplements.

 

But after the success with the history lessons, I'm giving them a closer look.

 

I wonder if they revise them to keep them somewhat current? I'm happy with the books we have and doubt I'll change them. Even with my one rogue original it really didn't seem out of place and the history from the revised 2nd flowed nicely into the original 3rd.

 

I haven't found the revised to be disjointed at all. Reading that one subject straight through I've noticed that it is a spiral format. Honestly I feel that if I had read the history section in one year (which would take all of 1 -2 days to do) and waited to read the next in the next year, then it would have been forgotten. I imagine one would have to find ways to keep that learning on that topic going all year. Having all of them on the shelf and just ignoring the grade levels and reading it straight through in a manner of weeks has been great.

 

I really think i can get him into a regular history curriculum now and his interest will stay high.

 

I'm really looking at how to use them regardless of the grade levels. As review possibly. As a way to get a kid's base knowledge up to prepare for a deeper study in a topic. As a way to keep learning happening while in between curriculum decisions or during a stressful time. I think I may continue to use them as prep, remedial, or review.

[Hunter]

I don't have time to respond right now, so I'm bumping this, so it doesn't get too far down the list. :D

[Hunter]

Thread and another and another and a post.

[Annabel Lee]

Thank you, Hunter! I just read through the first linked thread and it was helpful.

 

Reading some of the rabbit trail topics on that thread was very nice, too. The way you're helping people is heart-warming.

[Hunter]

Thank you, Hunter! I just read through the first linked thread and it was helpful.

 

Reading some of the rabbit trail topics on that thread was very nice, too. The way you're helping people is heart-warming.

 

 

You are welcome Annabel Lee. :blush5: I think I get more out of being useful and accepted here, than others get from me. Seriously. My disabilities make me awkward and inconsistent in real life. Being able to express myself through writing instead of struggling to talk, and being able to wait to respond if I need to, are of huge assistance to me, at this point in my trauma recovery. And there is the opportunity to mostly stick to threads where a TOPIC is the focus, rather than talking TO someone as the FOCUS. I get to function a little higher in this environment, and that builds my confidence about myself in general, which in turn helps me function better in real life. It's appearing to be a win win situation for us all. :D

 

I forget when I started using the NtK books, but it's just been the best curriculum I've ever used. I tend to be a hopper and never satisfied, but I think I really have found MY niche. I'm a unique individual :biggrinjester: so what works for me isn't necessarily going to work as well for most others, but I love these books. :001_wub: They have become my baby blankie. I don't stroke them, and suck my thumb at the same time, but it's pretty close. :lol: I keep them in a pile next to my bed.