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We are starting SOTW volume 2 next week. My kids are in k,2,3,5, and 6. I was wondering if anyone else has used SOTW with their 6th grader? Is it enough? What I'm understanding is that I basically have her write a paragraph or more on the topic, do an outline and more reading on her level. Is that all? Will that be enough or am I missing something? Also, what does everyone reccomend for science? We are using Apologia right now, but id rather use WTM reccomendations. How would I fit all the grade levels together to study the same topic, while

Making sure my older daughter gets enough?

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My kids range from 7th grade down to toddler. 

 

We transitioned our oldest kid to other materials after 4th grade. Specifically, we had him read K12's History of US, and then K12's Human Odyssey series.  (We bought the books used from amazon.)

 

With my next kid in line, we are going to repeat the history cycle and add more: encyclopedia work, library books, outlining, and the occasionally (like quarterly) essay.  This kid has some learning disabilities and is also gifted---we are targeting his weak areas while also stretching his strengths.

 

Have you read the well-trained mind? I highly recommend the very specific recommendations Susan Wise Bauer gives. :)

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Keeping in mind that our 4 are 3 1/2 years apart (which makes it easier to combine)...

 

This year was the first year that all four sat in for history.  We used SOTW.  The oldest two read the chapter by themselves.  The middle boy read the chapter by himself, but we went over it.  The youngest (age 5) sat in for our discussion...where I would read the chapter out loud.  We all worked together on our ongoing timeline...I colored the pieces and cut them out, they showed me where to place them.  

 

All four kids did the map for each chapter.  The youngest needed help, of course.  

 

With science...all four are participating, but at whatever ability they have.  So they'll all have a lapbook, but the littlest guy's lapbook will have different requirements than the older ones (less writing).  

 

While doing research for our current guided-interest-led unit on oceanography, I came across a blogging homeschool mommy who has beautiful lapbooks.  Her kids are different ages and they all work on one lapbook, but certain pieces are completed by the older kids and certain pieces by the younger kids.  

 

Her name is Iman.  Definitely worth checking out.  

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Thank you so much for all the recommendations! I just looked Into some of these programs, and I love the History Odyssey!! I've never even heard of it before, so thank you for recommending it! I also love fact that my older 2 can work on it on their own- awesome! As far as science goes, I think I still need to look into something else. My kids have tried lapbooks before, and they're really not into them. Thanks for the suggestions!

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My two oldest boys will be in fifth and first next year, and they need very different things. (Which is different from what my eighth grader will need.). Both boys will be doing ancients next year. I will read SOTW 1 with the first grader (our the 4yo will likely listen in), and the fifth grader will use Kingfisher and k12's Human Odyssey on his own. They can all enjoy doing the chicken mummy. :)

 

For science, we will use Mr. Q next year. The fifth grader will read it on his own, and the eighth grader will read the same topics in Kingfisher. I'll get some picture books, maybe, on the same topics for the first grader and preschooler, and we will all do labs together. We've done that this year, and it's worked very well.

 

Beyond that, we combine for geography that is separate from history, family readalouds, art, picture study, and composer study. Everyone does what they can, according to their levels. But we really can't combine more than that.

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We are starting SOTW volume 2 next week. My kids are in k,2,3,5, and 6. I was wondering if anyone else has used SOTW with their 6th grader? Is it enough? What I'm understanding is that I basically have her write a paragraph or more on the topic, do an outline and more reading on her level. Is that all? Will that be enough or am I missing something? Also, what does everyone reccomend for science? We are using Apologia right now, but id rather use WTM reccomendations. How would I fit all the grade levels together to study the same topic, while

Making sure my older daughter gets enough?

 

Well, I only have 2 kiddos, but they will be in 3rd and 6th next year doing Middle Ages.  I like the look of History Odyssey and I'm leaning that way for the 6th grader.  I don't know if I'll have the little one do SOTW 2 or History Odyssey level 1...not sure.

 

For science, this should be our Earth Science year and I think I'm leaning toward Elemental Science this year.  I think I'm going to buy both Grammar and Logic stages in ebook form, so it's not too expensive. 

 

I hear what you're saying about making sure the older one gets enough! 

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Well, my dd#2 has not yet felt offended by the level of SOTW. This is her second time through SOTW3. She colors/draws right along with dd#3, ds#1 & ds#2 while I read each section aloud. She and dd#3 have to do the map work and written narrations for some, but not all, sections. She also has "extra history" where she writes summaries from the Kingfisher Encyclopedia (we have the White version).

 

DD#1 did History Odyssey (Pandia Press) Level 2 Ancients when she was in about 5th grade, but we decided not to continue with it. She would have gladly done SOTW1 a second time with the rest of us that year.  :coolgleamA: She's had her own history materials since that year.

 

Next year, dd#2 & dd#3 will do the notetaking/outlining pages from SOTW4 as I read aloud. DS#1 & #2 will tag along with coloring pages. The books get 'harder' with each volume.

 

I haven't found anything that works for science for even two of them together, so I'm no help there.

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As for science, have you considered Elemental Science?  It is aligned with WTM recommendations.  There is a Biology for grammar stage as well as logic stage.  Once your oldest reaches the logic stage, you could use the two simultaneously.  The author gives recommendations on how to move the units around so they're always learning the same topics.  The grammar stage has different book recommendations for the various ages.  They're also very affordable!  (less than $20 for the downloadable teacher's manual, student workbook and quizzes).

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