Does anyone use SOTW independently?

[TheAttachedMama]

Has anyone found a way to use SOTW semi-independently?   I have two kids (9 year old boy and 7 year old girl).   Both are pretty good at working independently if I give them a list and some training.   However, they aren't the best readers (mildly dyslexic).   They are reading at grade level, but sometimes have difficult times with those longer unfamilar words in history.  (Names, place, etc.)  

 

Currently we are going through history at a snails pace because the children are dependent on me to do all of the teaching and guiding.   My time is already stretched because language and math skills are my priority at this age, and I typically try to prioritize my time teaching those topics.   And because of their dyslexia, we have to use very teach intensive curricula.   (Not to mention I have a two year old, etc.)  

 

SINCE SOTW has such high quality audiobooks, I was thinking of assigning listening and maybe the tests as independent work durring the day.   I even could purchase the typed out narration questions that way they know what to listen for??   Or maybe even give them the printed mapping directions??   

 

I don't know.   Does anyone do anything like this?    If so, what exactly do you do for this type of age range?    

[Starr]

Make history fun! Get the Activity Guide. The kids can then read along with the audio books or color the picture in the AG. Do the map work and you can spend a little time with the questions written out for you in the AG. And do some of the activities that suit your family. I like the book lists. I would get several books from the library for the kids to read or look at the pictures during the week.

[wendyroo]

How would they do working together without you?

 

Right now my kids are too young for this, but I'm hoping that in the future I will be able to have pairs of kids work on things.  I can envision my kids listening to the SOTW audiobook (or buddy reading it) and then working on the narration questions together:

 

Peter reads the first narration question, Elliot answers, Peter doesn't agree so they go back to the text to find the answer.

Elliot reads the next narration question, Peter answers, they agree so they move on.

Etc.

 

They could then alternate who gets to "play teacher" and read the mapping instructions while they both complete their maps.

 

Just an idea.

Wendy

 

 

[JudoMom]

I would just let them listen to the CDs.  I often had mine just listen and color the coloring page (mostly to keep their hands busy).  I thought I was dropping the ball, but they remembered a lot from those days.  Some days we were able to fit the mapwork in, but it was skipped more often than not.  My boys all still enjoy history, even though I didn't do anything fun :). 

Your plate is full, your kids are young and you are right in focusing on their core skills.  

[SparklyUnicorn]

I don't think it lends itself particularly well to that, but then again, I haven't really tried it.

 

Do they have the questions typed out separate from the answers somewhere?  In the AG they are together.  I think Wendy's suggestion would work for the review questions, but not the narrations.  I think that would be too difficult for younger kids.

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

I would just let them listen to the CDs.  I often had mine just listen and color the coloring page (mostly to keep their hands busy).  I thought I was dropping the ball, but they remembered a lot from those days.  Some days we were able to fit the mapwork in, but it was skipped more often than not.  My boys all still enjoy history, even though I didn't do anything fun :). 

 

Your plate is full, your kids are young and you are right in focusing on their core skills.  

 

I agree.  I think this would be fine.

[Hilltopmom]

My oldest just listened to them while playing with lego or playmobil. Over and over, for years.

No narration, no mapping, no tests or questions.

 

He knew them pretty much by heart:)

 

My next oldest listened to them, could've cared less, & could not answer the test questions just from listening- I'd have the book for them too if you want them to do that.

 

But really, "just" listening is ok too. They rock!

[Peaceful Isle]

My nine year old reads it independently, and then I do the map work/ask questions with him,. I wouldn't really trust him to do it all by himself at this age. Maybe his sister could do it with him, but she is too busy with her work , really.

[HS Mom in NC]

I have a friend who has her kids listen to SOTW independently.  She has 5 kids who each do SOTW 1 at age 6, SOTW 2 at age 7, SOTW 3 at age 8 and SOTW 4  at age 9. She uses the recordings as needed until they can read independently.

Can they read the test questions themselves?  Can they read the narration question themselves?  Can they read the mapwork instructions themselves?
 

[Jess4879]

You won't know unless you try. :)  If they enjoy read alouds and work well independently, I think it's definitely worth a shot.  You could even skip the questions and just have them come and teach you about what they learnt.  If you want to add a fun factor, have them put on a little skit of that days lesson. 

[Chris in VA]

Another thought would be to go a little lighter on language arts skills (handwriting, grammar, spelling) on the days you do history, and use history to apply the skills you are learning in LA. So, copywork could come directly from SOTW or from narrations (they narrate orally, you clean it up and then they copy it), as could handwriting. They could listen to the audio and read along, and do the coloring page separately while you had them narrate to you (one narrates, one colors) or use mapwork that way (one narrates to you while the other reads mapwork instructions and does it--you check, then switch).

Every once in a while, do a project instead of something else.

 

I loved history with SOTW and taught it to dd, then after she went to regular school, taught it to a friend's child. Wonderful, rich curriculum.

[RootAnn]

I can't remember exactly, but many years ago there was a site that had samples of workbook-type narration pages for SOTW. The author spelled out how her kids used it independently. I'll see if I have a link somewhere when I have a chance.

 

Edited to add:

Here is an example of a workbook (free pdf on lulu) where her kids kept a record of their narrations & projects. The page in the front helps the mom keep on track as far as library books & project ideas.

 

I found ones for SOTW2 & 3 that are a little different.

Another Mom offers notebooking pages that your kids could fill out (drawing a picture in the bottom corner) after listening to the chapter on CD. Link for the pages is at the bottom of the blog page.

 

Here's (downloads to your computer!) what looks like a workbook like the first one linked. Paula's Archives has a little list of how someone puts together a workbook for their kid using these pages and the pages from the SOTW activity guide.

 

I can't find the blog page I remember . . . but I did find where the Mom who put together CHOLL (one of my favorite free homeschooling materials for SOTW) isn't homeschooling anymore & let the website go due to fees/upkeep. She does still have the files/plans on her blog page, though.  

I'll keep looking & post again if I find it.

Edited February 15, 2016 by RootAnn

[lindsey]

How would they do working together without you?

 

Right now my kids are too young for this, but I'm hoping that in the future I will be able to have pairs of kids work on things.  I can envision my kids listening to the SOTW audiobook (or buddy reading it) and then working on the narration questions together:

 

Peter reads the first narration question, Elliot answers, Peter doesn't agree so they go back to the text to find the answer.

Elliot reads the next narration question, Peter answers, they agree so they move on.

Etc.

 

They could then alternate who gets to "play teacher" and read the mapping instructions while they both complete their maps.

 

Just an idea.

Wendy

 

This sounds amazing. I think mine would enjoy doing this, too! I only have the books now, but plan on getting the audio books if only to listen in the car as reinforcement, or for when we don't have time to read later. 

[happypamama]

We use History Odyssey Level 1 for third grade/SOTW 3 and fourth grade/SOTW 4, and it's pretty much independent.  I started doing that because my son was not picking it up when I read it aloud; he's just not at all an auditory learner.  However, at the time, he was a solid reader, and as soon as he started reading it himself, he started quoting it back to me.  I go through the HO booklet and mark off whatever I feel is a reasonable day's worth of work, and he pretty much does it all himself.  He does the maps and writes answers to the questions and everything, and I check it and discuss it with him.

 

I don't know that he could have done that at seven, though; he wasn't a strong enough reader at that point.  But by eight and a half to nine, sure.  He didn't seem to mind that I wasn't reading it to him, and truly, he loves history!