starryiz929 Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 I'm racking my brain trying to figure out school for next year. I'm between MFW (combining 7 and 9 year olds), HOD (not combining), Mystery of History and Apologia Science (combining kids). Biblioplan and Apologia Science (combining) or Beautiful Feet and Apologia Science (combining kids). Thankfully I do have language arts and math figured out! We're going with CLE for those for simplicity and price. I really dont' like history. I never have...I dont like reading it or teaching it. I'm a science and writing person. Of the curriculums above I'm looking at, which one do you think we'd enjoy more? My kids aren't huge on history either. They prefer science but I know history is important and I want us to all find a way to enjoy it. I also want to be sure my kids are well rounded and getting those extra academic skills that you use with history and science....I know HOD and MFW add in activities to do this but I don't know if MOH or Beautiful Feet does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 I agree with SparklyUnicorn -- I would get SOTW as well and do whatever of it felt right. I happen to love history, but I think that's because I had a couple of really amazing teachers in school who really made it come alive. I think SOTW can really do that for kids as well. Your kids are prime ages for the "You Wouldn't Want to Be" series (it's silly and sometimes points out the gross things); the "If You Lived" series is also very good and gives a picture of what life looked like, answering questions that kids tend to have. If you want easy projects, your kids might like the History Pockets. I've gotten a few of them for my 9yo son, for learning about colonial America; TeacherFileBox has them, so all you would have to do is print, and they can make little booklets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 I also agree with SOTW. My son and I love the audiobooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Agreeing for SOTW for those ages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy M Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 I think MOH might be a bit too much for those ages. I am using SOTW, and we love it. We're also using Apologia, and it's a bit hard for my young 2nd grader. After SOTW, I'd choose MFW. It sounds perfect for you. Would you use the Exploring Countries and Cultures year? The science in there might be good for you. If you used Adventures, you might think the science a bit too light for your tastes. They're just the right amount for mine. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starryiz929 Posted March 12, 2014 Author Share Posted March 12, 2014 Yes, we'd be in Exploring Countries & Cultures next year if we choose MFW. And that program does looke really good to me. I found some sample of MOH and SOTW and do agree SOTW would be better for us than MOH....I was bored reading the MOH samples! I think MFW uses SOTW some in future levels too. I like that I dont think I'd have to add anything to MFW and it includes activities since I'm bad about planning activities. And I'm actually ok even if MFW science is a little light....it would fit my younger child well, and my oldest reads science books from the library for fun so he's good anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenjenn Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Another SotW recommendation here. You may be surprised and find you like history more than you think you do, once you are approaching it on your own terms with the purpose of teaching your children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Looking at your choices, they seem to be Christian based. That said, if you are looking for Christian worldview integrated, I would suggest Biblioplan. It uses SOTW, but integrates Biblical and church history. My kids are 6 and 8, and I can't imagine doing content subjects separately. Combining works for us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Well, I'll go against the crowd and recommend Beautiful Feet. We tried two years to do parts of SOTW (through HO) and didn't enjoy it (but I don't school the way most people school here...so WTM suggestions aren't usually my first choice). We have been loving BF here and we are stickin' with it. It's a fabulous way to learn history...reading really good books together. Just my .02. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
froggiemomof3 Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 We have use MFW for K and 1st and have decided to use Beautiful Feet this year instead of Adventures. I always thought we would use MFW all the way through, but I am thinking it really isn't a good fit for our family. We LOVED K but 1st has sort of turned me off to continuing the program. I really like the use of living books in BF and the little bit of notebooking that BF does. We are using a different science than you are planning but also adding in Beautiful Feet's History of Science over the next 2 years. My son LOVES science so I thought it would be a great way for him to learn about famous scientists in history in addition to the regular science curriculum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starryiz929 Posted March 12, 2014 Author Share Posted March 12, 2014 Beautiful Feet does kind of make me drool a little :) It does look really neat. I like "real" books better than history books. I'm not sure how I'm going to decide. THere is some appeal to using something with either Beautiful Feet or SOTW and my science so we can alternate days of history and science. With MFW it's just scheduled in the day and some days are busier than others for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 I'm going to suggest HOD. You may be able to combine them with Bigger Hearts this year, but look over the placement chart first. I prefer having each of my kids placed in separate guides. In future guides if you stick with HOD most of the Science and History will become independent. :) It may not be your thing though but we love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetpea3829 Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 1) I loathe history...except local history, which I can see, and touch, and visit. I suppose I would enjoy other history aspects much more if I could, say, take a trip to Egypt and see the pyramids. 2) I tried ToG and LOATHED history even more, lol. 3) This year we are doing SoTW and I'm finding I loathe history just a teensy bit less. I enjoyed the curriculum well enough that we ended up buying Volume 2 for next year. I don't think I will stick with SoTW once we hit middle school but, for now, its a good introduction. 4) I'm not combining history and science at this point. In fact, I'm not even working on both subjects at the same time. We had a lot of success so far with doing science during warm weather months (spring and summer) and history during cold weather months. Last year, when I tried to do both, I found I couldn't give enough attention to either one. And as I was hating ToG anyways, we dropped history altogether and finished our science unit. So far, it has worked well this year. We'll be picking science back up just as soon as we finish SOTW Ancients, which should be sometime around mid to late April (later than I had wanted, but I hadn't planned SOTW weeks out well enough...next year I'll know better). ETA: Totally misunderstood the whole "combining" thing...lol. I combine my oldest two for content areas, and haven't decided how I will integrate my rising Ker and Preschooler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyNellen Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 I will also recommend SOTW. Get the Activity Guide which has all the coloring pages, maps, activities, and suggested reading...it's an all-in-one, engaging program! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3andme Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Have you considered Veritas Press' Self Paced online History program? It will take care of the teaching for you and keeps track of your student's progress. It's a tad pricey but sometimes they have group buys and I think there is a sibling discount. They also recommend some living books as supplements which you could do as read alouds. You can check out some samples here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korrale Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Complete History of the World and Complete American History are like workbooks. But they are illustrated and read well. I read the American History one aloud with my son and we are really enjoying it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 SOTW with audio, and just listen along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Another vote for SOTW. We use the Activity Books and Blackline Maps of World History (now sold as Maptrek) by Johnson and Usborne Book of World History along with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertBlossom Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Well, I'll go against the crowd and recommend Beautiful Feet. We tried two years to do parts of SOTW (through HO) and didn't enjoy it (but I don't school the way most people school here...so WTM suggestions aren't usually my first choice). We have been loving BF here and we are stickin' with it. It's a fabulous way to learn history...reading really good books together. Just my .02. This looks amazing! I really like the idea of history with really good books. Can I do "History of Science" and count it as history and science for my 2nd and 3rd graders next year? :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Lynn Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Have you considered Veritas Press' Self Paced online History program? It will take care of the teaching for you and keeps track of your student's progress. It's a tad pricey but sometimes they have group buys and I think there is a sibling discount. They also recommend some living books as supplements which you could do as read alouds. You can check out some samples here. :iagree: They will love doing it; they will learn a lot; it will free up your time to engage with them where you have enthusiasm. It's a win-win-win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherOfBoys Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 I like SoTW because of all the library books I can add to it. I just got the cds and highly recommend them, especially if you hate the subject. Along these lines, I found A Child's Geography volume one to cover geography, a bit of bible, and earth science. It is storyish and has real books to get from the library to blouse it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Story of the World made me like history for the first time ever. We have used Sonlight history and lit cores for six years now, and my kids enjoy history. SL incorporates SOTW in several cores. I've never used anything other than SL. TOG overwhelmed me. I think I could likely have been very happy with HOD, MFW or BF or some of the other similar programs. As an aside, for three years, I have purchased used SL IGs and filled in the books with used, saving hundreds of dollars and reaping all of the benefits of the brand new program. ETA: Dh is a history lover. It is his favorite school subject. During the past two years (due to my work schedule) he read aloud history, and he LOVED SOTW. So I think it is a program which works well for history lover and non lovers. (And makes some converts to the history lover camp.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 I love history, so bear that in mind-- I used SOTW 1-3 with dd. For us, the Activity Guide and reading extra books recommended in the Guide, really made history come alive. Much more than just lists of names and dates, it told us the STORY of the way people lived, and the activities helped us enjoy bits of their cultures, which made them much more real and relatable. I also loved the method of SOTW. Narrations to check understanding instead of tests (although tests are offered), options for lapbooking, fun activities (we loved to cook, to do the art projects, and to play the games) and the idea of using a spine all floated our boat. Going deeper with the suggested fiction and nonfiction readings added so much meat and depth, all in an enjoyable way. It was like Sonlight, but, IMO, deeper. I enjoyed it so much that I am now teaching another homeschooled kiddo, using SOTW 2. He just lights up when I pull it out, and knows we are in for a good time together! I don't care what he retains, as long as he comes to love the subject. SOTW fits the bill! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dahliarw Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 In your case I'd use SOTW. I'd buy the book and the audio book on cd (or download the MP3s). Have you kids "read along" in the book while listening to the audiobook. Then find extra books on that time period at their reading levels so they can read on their own or slightly more difficult books you can read aloud to them that complement. I used biblioplan for half of this year, I did not like it. I liked how they had books scheduled in, but it wasn't broken down into how much to read per week, etc, and a lot of them were from smaller Christian publishers that were hard to find at the library - and many were by the same author or same publishers series - so not that much variety. I ended up getting a free unit of TOG and LOVED it. It was all I had hoped Biblioplan would be. So I switched. It outlines the reading a whole lot better and has a better variety in literature. Just throwing that out there because biblioplan was mentioned in this thread (in case you were looking into it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Complete History of the World and Complete American History are like workbooks. But they are illustrated and read well. I read the American History one aloud with my son and we are really enjoying it. I second this. The books are simple and to the point. Do you like social studies (geography, economics, etc.)? I find it easy to neglect those things if I focus on history. Public school textbooks often include both history & social studies. BJU elementary books include both and are good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danielle1746 Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Complete History of the World and Complete American History are like workbooks. But they are illustrated and read well. I read the American History one aloud with my son and we are really enjoying it. Do you have a link for these? Or could you tell me who the author is? When I google those titles, I get a whole bunch of options, and I have no idea which one it is. TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 I'm another that disliked history. My kids LOVE history with SOTW. I agree with the previous poster who advocated the CDs if you don't like to read aloud. Then, get some of the "real books" like you'd be reading with BF (with many options listed in the SOTW Activity Guide) and read one or two a week to your kids. I was confused when you mentioned Apologia Science. Are you asking about science as well or is there "Apologia Science" that covers history? (You might want to check out J. Wile's Science In the Ancient World for science.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korrale Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Do you have a link for these? Or could you tell me who the author is? When I google those titles, I get a whole bunch of options, and I have no idea which one it is. TIA! I completely butchered the name of the books. Sorry. I will link one of the books because every time I leave this page it keeps deleting my response. The world history book is suggested. By the same company. http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-United-States-History/dp/1561896799/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395703970&sr=8-1&keywords=Complete+history+of+the+United+States Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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