SOTW--Do you use book or cd's?

[Aspasia]

Or some combination of the two?

[ddcrook]

For our first two years we only used the books, but we have discovered that the cds are handy for doing our history lesson while in the car, folding the laundry, etc.

[Calm37]

We used the CDs with the coloring pages for the first few books. That was the only part of the workbook that I used. They colored with the Prismacolor pencils and it seemed to keep them engaged with the story. The fourth workbook has notes to take, so we transitioned to that.

 

Blessings!

[fourisenough]

Both!

[Carolinagirl1]

We listen to the CDs in the car when we drive to lessons in the afternoons. Then when we get home, we do the coloring pages and mapwork. We usually listen to the same chapter several times during the week.

[redsquirrel]

I read SOTW then we do a narration and we do mapwork etc. But I keep a CD in the car and we listen to it as we go on errands. I make a point of listening 'behind' to where we are in the book so it is review.

 

We don't drive enough to make it part of our educational time. I only use a car a couple times a week.

[Tranquility7]

My kids LOVE the audio recordings, and listen to them all the time.  I put the CDs on their iPods, and they can use their iPods in a docking station whenever they are playing in their rooms or the playroom, going to sleep at night, etc.  I put on the first three volumes of SOTW in three huge playlists, so they can listen to whatever they want whenever they want, and they don't have to mess with actual CDs that need to be changed, can get scratched, etc.

 

DS has listened to all three volumes numerous times.  We have actually only gotten about 2/3 through volume 2 so far together for school, but the fact that he listens on his own so much has done a LOT for both his interest and his retention.  He gets excited when we hit a new chapter he particularly likes, and he throws out little facts he has learned all the time. 

 

When we read the chapter for school, I always read it aloud to him from the book.  That is more for my benefit than his, because reading it myself helps me remember it better (I can tune out the CD pretty well if I am just listening... fortunately my kids are better listeners than I am!).

[Snow]

Ds7 likes listening to audio but he has almost no retention. So he listens for fun, but not for our official school stuff. For school I think he needs me to read it to him a little slower and with more chances for me to pause and summarize with him.

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

We did both (cds for car) but didn't like it when they switched narrators.

[Roadrunner]

One of the few opportunities I have to plunge in the chair and keep quiet even if it's 5 minutes. So we use CDs. :)

I do own books though and we use it to write summaries. My kids do a hilarious imitation of Jim Weiss.

[lmrich]

Both for level 3 and 4. Love the CDs but I make the student read the text first then listen with me and I stop it and discuss it.

[fdrinca]

My kids protest if I read the book, and they only "let" me do so if I try my best Jim Weiss voice. After all of our read-alouds during the day, I'm glad to let someone else read a chapter or two.

[Momto6inIN]

We don't use SOTW as our full curriculum.  We just listen to the CDs for fun in the car.  But the kids love them and I don't think they even realize that some people might use them for "school" ... they just like the stories!  :)  It's amazing how much they remember later on just from hearing it once.

[Ewe Mama]

We don't use SOTW as our main history program, but as a supplement. We have the complete program of all levels, but mainly use the CDs, maps, and coloring pages. The children have the CDs on their MP3 players, so they listen as the desire strikes them, usually as they fall asleep at night.

[RootAnn]

We only use the books because there are parts that I edit 'on the fly' or whole chapters I skip with the younger kids. We're Catholic & a few of the chapters in books 2 & 3 are twisted in an offensive way from our religion's perspective. I'd have to be there the whole time to forward past those.

 

Otherwise, I'd be using the CDs in the car as a review, too. My kids like audiobooks. They love SWB's history.

[Aspasia]

I once borrowed the CDs from my library (we had the book). I didn't care for it. Not that they aren't well done, but I prefer to read it. I don't like being read to. Yes, it's all about me. LOL

I hate being read to, too! Whenever my school teachers read aloud to us, I dazed off. I don't remember a single thing from a single book that a teacher ever read aloud. I retain much, much better reading myself.

 

BUT my dd is crazy about audio books and her retention with them is so much better than when I'm reading. I think she just associates my voice with "naggy naggy preachy mommy telling me what to do", so she tunes me out, even when I'm reading something fun. When she listens to a story on cd, I can ask her almost any question and she knows the answer. So I'm considering switching to the audio CD's for SOTW. I just think she would gain much more. Plus, I'm not going to read the book aloud to her over and over, whereas, she'll definitely listen to it over and over, so the repetition thing is appealing to me.

[Tracy]

I have both, but we have ended up using only the CD's since we are also using TOG.  We listen to the CD's so much that when my children were disagreeing about a particular historical event, my 5yo stated emphatically, "But Jim Weiss said . . .!"

[JumpyTheFrog]

I started out with reading the first book but soon switched to the audio version. My second grader has volumes one and two on his iPod and he and my four year old listen to them several hours per week, often while playing with Legos or with Playmobil. 

[AmyontheFarm]

One child is auditory, he uses the CD's.

The other is visual, she uses the book.

 

Both are happy so Mamma's happy.

[OneStepAtATime]

Kids prefer me reading it and pausing for clarification and discussion.  My mom is listening to the CD's as she exercises so the cost wasn't a complete waste. :)

[MeganW]

I thought I would just read aloud, but a lot of the names of people & places are HARD to pronounce!  :)  We use primarily the CDs with the book for backup as needed.

[Embassy]

We use the CD for carschooling, but it is a supplement to our regular studies.  I plan to likely use CDs and the activity manual for my daughter next year.

[LAR]

We use the book every morning, along with narration and an activity sheet.  One project a week is all we can schedule.   Then we listen to cds anytime we're in the car.  This routine works well for our family.

[ScoutTN]

We use the books. Audiobooks in the car as a supplement and review.

[Maela]

I was disappointed that dd didn't like the audio.  I think it's because we usually sit on the couch and cuddle while I read the book to her.  And audiobooks in the car have always been good fiction, which is more interesting to her.

[CrunchyGirl]

I really wanted to use the CD's but I need to do some on the fly editing (primarily implied emphasis on bible stories being true but stories from other cultures being myths and legends). But it's not a waste to have them. DH and I have been listening to them to keep ahead of the kids and familiarize ourselves with world history since neither of us received a decent education in that area as a child. I really appreciate the narrative nature of SOTW.

[Walking-Iris]

Books. Tried listening to some of the CDs and we just didn't care for them. My kids aren't too big on audio books.