SOTW/SL History Question...is this "doable?"

[tmstranger]

I have a 6th grader this year.  This is our 2nd year of homeschooling.  As he gets older, I've been trying to "plan" a course of study for future years. (I'm really just obsessed with making sure he's ready for high school!). 

 

History is really where I have trouble.  Last year, we used SOTW: Ancients, and this year, we're using MOH2.  I'm looking ahead and starting to worry about when he'll really dive into US History.  I've thought about pausing the world history track and doing a year of US History, but next year doesn't seem to be the right time since we'll just be finishing up the middle ages. 

 

Volume 3 of MOH or SOTW just seem to touch on the early explorers, but the major timespan of US growth seems to happen in Volume 4, which is 2 school years off from now.  THEN, I have to figure out how to supplement the "world history" with "US history."  (and then I panic than I won't really do a good job of that and we'll have too much going on, etc., etc.)

 

I noticed that SL has a core that covers volumes 3 &4 of SOTW in one year.  This would speed up our world history allowing me to finally get to US history on it's own the following year. 

 

Has anyone done this?  I don't know that I'd buy the SL core, but I'd probably try to speed it up on my own (just don't really know how yet).  If you've done Core H, does SL skip chapters?  How do they get it all in??

 

FWIW, he's a strong reader and retains things really well (WAY better than I do!!).  I do worry that a super-fast history pace would affect that, but I don't know. 

 

What else have you ladies done to incorporate US history into the history rotation?  I feel like this is such an important area that I don't want to skim it...I want him to take his time with that year of study. 

 

I appreciate the advice you all have given me in the past and I know you'll calm me down again!  Thank you!

[kolamum]

BkSk has a similar Core as well.. 

 

Could you do it on your own, absolutely! You can even see the book lists & so forth on both companies websites to decide if you wanted to add in any. BUT, here's the thing, I think you'd need to decide if you wanted to use MOH or SOTW. They don't mesh as easily together as you'd expect. The overlap is huge, & it can be annoying {at least to me..} I also found that MOH 1 was very simplistic but by MOH 3 it's rather deeply in depth.. 

 

We're using the very SL Core you're speaking of, except we're using the BkSk version. We enjoy it, but we used the previous one in which SOTW Vol. 1-2 were used in one year as well. We'll have time for a US history & Aussie History which we may combine together, or not.. I will say, though, that there are a LOT more resources for US history & the second half of world history then the first half. The other thing I'd suggest considering is if it's worth rushing through anything or if you're enjoying the pace you're all ready at. You could add more literature when you get to the US history segments of SOTW 3 if you wanted.. I dunno, just a thought.

 

I've had this argument with myself a few times over because we need to fit in Aussie history as it's not generally covered in depth in any curriculum available.. so I get it. I think I'm more voicing the argument I have with myself to keep from freaking out unnecessarily. 

[The Princess and the Jedi]

We started homeschooling my son in 4th grade, so I'm trying to accelerate the history cycle, too. Last year we did SOTW 1 during the first two thirds of the year and California History during the remainder of the year, because 4th grade is the year California students study their state history.

 

This year, we are on the SOTW fast track. My son is reading SOTW 2-4 on his own until he finishes the series. It wasn't my original plan and I know it's a fast pace, but he loves SOTW and would rather read ahead than stop and dwell on the activities. We don't do too many of the activities, maybe two per month. I also pick one extra literature selection per week to read aloud and my son keeps a timeline. From what I understand, the first time through world history on the classical cycle, kids are supposed to take away an overview of world history. Because they have an overview in place, the second time through, they fill in the details, and the third time through they can go in depth in select areas while reviewing the details. So I'm not too worried about rushing through the first cycle. 

 

For MOH, I plan on zipping through the first two books, since I understand they are written to a younger audience, then slowing down for the last two. I hope to start and finish MOH during grades 6-8. I will probably tie in Hakim's Story of US during 7th and 8th grade for US history.

 

On the subject of American history. I bought A Child's First Book of American History (Earl Schenck Miers) and I love it! I plan on alternating reading chapters aloud and having my son read some on his own between . Each chapter is about a specific event or person in history and the prose is beautiful, the vocabulary is sophisticated, and each story is exciting. Some of the chapters, like the ones on the Declaration of Independence and Paul Revere's Ride, I plan on reading aloud because they are not as easily accessible to kids as most of the other chapters. I'm also looking at tying in Genevieve Foster's books about Washington, Lincoln, Penn, and John Smith at some point. I just don't know when or how yet.

[Kristie in Florida]

We are doing American history through MP right now and it uses The Story of the 13 Colonies and the Great Republic and later on SOTW volume 4. She has volume 3 on the side for another perspective and to satisfy her curiosity about what else was happening at that time. She just reads it on her own.

 

The way I see it, she will have World History in a few years through MFW in high school so I'm fine with focusing on America this year and supplementing in an interest led way with the rest if the world.

 

This just seems easier. We started homeschooling late too.

[tmstranger]

Thank you!

 

Kolamum, I have realized that we need to stick with either MOH or SOTW.  There is a lot of overlap.  We are on week 7 and just getting to the fall of Rome, which of course, we did last year!  The good thing is that MOH covers different events in this time period, so we are getting a different perspective on that.  That's what I keep telling myself anyway!!

 

I looked at Beautiful Feet Early Am and World History last night.  I may do that for my older kid, but I would really love to see more samples than the few pages they show! 

 

One of my concerns with Sonlight is the lack of "documentation" for history work.  From the samples, it seems like just reading and my state will require more.  I don't want to have to add to the core b/c then that defeats the purpose of me buying the core in the first place and having it all done for me. 

 

Thank you again for the feedback.  It helps!!

[tmstranger]

We have also integrated high school level US History into this year using a variety of books like Hakim, Zinn at certain places, and the Great Courses and so far she's tolerating it all quite well as far as the reading load. I will say that what drives me the craziest about SL is their poor synopsis for parents in the IG. If you haven't read the story, good luck discussing it past the exact answers they provide in the IG. She reads most of the read-alouds herself so it's a real pain in the butt to carry on conversations- they don't provide many summaries. I do better by looking them up on Amazon beforehand. For this reason I chose to read all 4 SOTW myself over the summer and several of the readers to be able to better discuss with her. We will be switching to TOG next year I think because of the better background they provide parents. I can't read everything in advance to keep discussing with three kids!

 

You might consider simply using the SL booklists for history and lit if you don't need the IG schedule. You can download a free week or two of the IG and it will give you a sense of the pacing. I see several of the books for sale used all the time. Despite my gripes with Sonlight, I will say we love 90% of their books and she has developed a true love of history and retains far more than she ever did from textbooks.

 

 

Thank you for your response!  And thank you for this portion specifically!  One of the reasons I considered buying the guide was because they had the comprehension questions for the books and of course, the reading plan for matching it up with Kingfisher.  If the guide isn't that helpful, then it is not worth it!

 

This year, I read almost everything this summer and it was a LOT of work!