A multilevel history that uses living books without a lot of planning...does this exist?

[heidip2p]

I feel like we have tried so many history programs. I really want something multilevel that I can use with all of my kids that they each can learn from. I don't want it over someone's head or too below someone else.  I love using living books as well.  We have been trying to make HOD work but I really love having everyone together for certain subjects. Any ideas?

 

My kids are 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 13 and 15. However, the 15yr old is on her own for history. Grade level wise we are 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th. Obviously the little kids don't matter for history at this point but do factor into my day. :)

 

We have tried My Father's World, Heart of Dakota, Sonlight,  just looked at but not tried TOG, Biblioplan and SCM. 

 

I like the idea of using SOTW and MOH together. I am not sure how to add in living books for these. Honestly, I want to be able to use my own resources but then I get overwhelmed when I am trying to pull it all together. Not sure if that even makes sense or not. 

 

In the end I am sure I am making this much harder than it is. 

 

I will say we are using Apologia for science and LOVE that. Wish I could find a similar format for history to that. 

[ebrindam]

Tapestry of Grace?

[HS Mom in NC]

You should list what you've already tried so people don't suggest it and so we have a clearer idea of what kinds of things don't work for you. You should also let us know how old your kids are or what age rages you want them grouped in if you have a wide enough range to make two groups a possibility.

 

A timeline and a library card are enough for you to design your own, but do you want to do it that way or do you want a spine that covers the highlights so you can just fill in with living books?

[G5052]

Yes, it depends on your "spread" too.

 

I used Sonlight with my two, but when the younger one was very small, I only expected them to focus on the first one.  When they were little I also allowed them to play quietly with Legos or dolls while I read, and then I asked them questions.

 

[heidip2p]

Ok, I added more info :)

[coffeegal]

Tapestry of Grace?

 

Tapestry of Grace has been a life saver for me, but I wouldn't call it no planning. I'm able to complete most of my planning and prepping during the summer months though.

 

Here's my to-do list for TOG.

 

Run through reading list, my book shelves, and library catalogue. Determine what I need to purchase and what I will check out from the library. Order books I need. (I do this during the summer.)

 

Print and file all student activity pages I need for the school year. I file by week, then by child. This is done in the summer. You can purchase the student pages from TOG if needed, saving this step.

 

I also print the reading assignment pages and file in a teacher's folder. Each week I post the reading assignment pages for the children to refer to. When I had a copy for each child, someone always lost their copy. If it's taped to the kitchen wall, there's no excuse for not knowing the reading assignment.

 

Each quarter I put all books I need from the library on hold, then suspend them until the date I need the books. It takes about an hour at the beginning of every quarter, but the books magically appear when I need them. ;)

 

This means during the hectic school year, I'm ready for the next week no matter how crazy life becomes. :001_smile:

[KeriJ]

Hi Heidi.  I know we pm'd about SCM recently, but I found an old post I had made about how we used it.  The only reason I'm not really continuing is purely mental issues on my part. If I still wanted to combine my kids, this is how we would do it. (and honestly, we still do some of this and probably will more during the summer)

 

"We are primarily using it just for history, geography and Bible. I started by reading through this series of posts.

 

We are using Module 4 this year.  I actually purchased the family guide that they sell.  But now that I see how it is laid out, I truly use it as just a guide for my own schedule.  

 

I have a K, 3rd and 5th grader.  The family spines for history were a little over their heads, so I have been substituting CHOW for those.  But basically, I read a book with the whole family, my youngers narrate orally, and my 5th grader does a written narration.  Later in the day, I read aloud a chapter from a book from the 1st-3rd list, and my 5th grader reads from her list.  (I've substituted many HOD books for her as well as CLP's Middle Ages book)

 

Once a week is geography. We read from the geography read-aloud, and then do a map drill.  SCM has a very simple system for map drills.  This paragraph is taken from a page on their old curriculum guide.  It's hard to find, so I copied it here:

     "A once-a-week map drill can also supplement your geography readings. Give each child a blank map of the region you are studying and provide a detailed and labeled map of the same region. Instruct the child to label a few areas of the region, being careful to copy the names correctly from the detailed map. The next week, give the child another blank map of the same region and instruct her to label as many areas as she can remember. Once she has labeled all that she knows, display the detailed map and check for accuracy, then have her label a few more areas carefully. Continue this routine each week, and over the course of the year she will become quite familiar with the regions studied using this gentle method."

And we are listening to Geography Songs in the car.  I can't believe how many of these they have learned just from riding in the car.

 

I purchased a membership to notebookingpages.com when it was on sale this summer.  We use it for written narrations.  They have different versions of each page for each age, as well as some coloring pages.  I print out a page for each child.  My 3 year old and K'er color while listening.  My 3rd grader draws and writes a few sentences.  My 5th grader does a full page narration.

 

We are also using Draw and Write through History whenever there is something that matches what we are reading. (drawing and copywork)   And we are using the Middle Ages portion of the CC timeline song as well as any of the CC history sentence songs that match what we are reading. (I have my own version of the timeline cards which we are hanging in the hallway as we get to each one)

 

Daddy does the Bible reading with them in the evenings."

 

 

[KeriJ]

All in all though, it sounds like MOH could work for you since you like Apologia.   I can't remember if she includes a list of living books, but you could easily use MOH as your spine, do the suggested assignments and then pull from a book list of living books for that time period.

[SilverMoon]

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Edited July 10, 2022 by SilverMoon

[ByGrace3]

Biblioplan. It schedules SOTW for the younger, MOH for older, readers for each grade level and a read aloud for the family. All planned out. Worksheets and maps for each age group, and crafts for the youngers.

[Quiver0f10]

We are using BP this year and the companion could be used alone as a spine without adding MOH or SOTW if needed.

Biblioplan. It schedules SOTW for the younger, MOH for older, readers for each grade level and a read aloud for the family. All planned out. Worksheets and maps for each age group, and crafts for the youngers.

 

 

[robsiew]

We like Truth Quest.  Basically a book list with some commentary in younger ages.  There is meatier commentary in the older age books.

[LindaOz]

I am doing Early Modern this year with 8th, 6th and 4th using SOTW with SL books as own reading. So, I read Sotw with them, do whatever journalling, activities etc that we are doing and then the rest of their history reading they do from SL in the same time period as relevant to age and ability. So this way we get some together and some own work at the same time.

[OneStepAtATime]

Look at Trail Guides to Learning...

 

http://www.home-school-curriculum.com/learning_series/

 

It actually incorporates pretty much every discipline except math and can be used at multiple levels, with everything laid out at multiple levels.  You just print the ages you need for the sheets you need and the TM actually guides you and the kids through everything.  You can drop whatever parts you don't need.  They have a way to adapt it down for early elementary and up for Middle School and even High School if necessary.  There is a fairly active Yahoo group that comes up with great ideas and additional resources should you wish to tweak it.

[HS Mom in NC]

Story Of The World (SOTW) can be listened to on CD, it can be a read aloud or a child could read it on his/her own.  There are activity guides that go with each SOTW book if you need suggestions for each chapter for what to ask when a child is stuck on a narration, a list of living books that work with each SOTW chapter and hands on activities for each chapter.