SOTW users- did you do the projects and extra literature?

[Annie Laurie]

I'm trying to decide between SL Core 1 with Hands and Hearts kits and whatever I can come up with on my own to make it more hands-on, or SOTW 1. I already own Core 1 and also own SOTW and the activity guide, so can go either way.

 

I prefer SL and have loved every core I've ever done with my kids. However, I'm worried that my ds7, especially, won't really engage with the material in Core 1. I showed dh the SOTW AG and he thought the projects looked like a lot of fun and that ds7 would love it. Dh and ds7 are quite alike, so I think dh is a good judge of that. Also, the one thing I like about SOTW is how it pulls in all of the myths and fables- my kids would enjoy that. And with the extra lit suggestions, I could even include my precocious 4 year old even more than usual, since there are many picture book suggestions.

 

I'm a dismal failure at actually doing hands-on activities though. I really want to give it a good try for my ds7 and see if he retains more that way, but am afraid I'll get overwhelmed.

 

Have you all that have used this found the projects to be worthwhile and not too complicated? Have you found it easy to work in the projects and extra read alouds?

 

Would love to hear any experiences or advice with SOTW, good or bad. Thanks.

[Sunshine State Sue]

We read a ton of the extra literature - it's just one of the things that makes the program so rich. We did projects every week with another family (or 2 or 3) and that helped me because I am not motivated towards arts & crafts, but ds really enjoyed it.

 

Here's my review:

We used Story of the World volume 1 through 4 starting in 2nd grade. I thoroughly enjoyed this curriculum. Honestly, the best part of this curriculum is learning history myself for the first time. I used to say that history was my weakest subject. I learned more in my son’s first year than I learned in my entire school career. I feel so good knowing that my son is being presented with history in a logical, engaging, and painless way. This curriculum allowed a history-ignorant mom to give her child a great introduction to world history and a love and enthusiasm for history as well.

 

The readings are perfect for early elementary age – not too simple and not too difficult. The activity guide is a priceless resource, and we used every bit of it. That is what made the program so rich. Ds used the coloring pages while I read. We used the review questions usually verbally, but one year, I used the review questions to give my son practice in writing complete sentences. Doing narration and summary paragraphs helped with writing, although this was my son’s least favorite part. The map work was helpful. We borrowed many of the supplemental books from the library. We even read most of them. The activities and projects were fun and really helped to bring history alive and be remembered. We met with other families 2x a month to work on projects. Besides gathering the library books and project supplies, there really is no other preparation needed.

 

For some people, this curriculum is too secular. For some people, this curriculum is too Christian. I prefer secular resources, and I thought SWB did a great job of introducing the different world religions without bias.

 

I highly recommend this program. It spoiled me. My only complaint is that that there is no similar program for logic age.

[Emmy]

I am doing SOTW with the AG. I love the questions for each section and I love the books lists. We read a lot of extra literature from them. We do the coloring pages and paper activities a lot, we don't do the grander projects much because I just can't fit them in very well. I kind of run out of steam before we get to making a gingerbread Parthenon....LOL

[Chris in VA]

I went thru and picked the projects from the AG that I thought would be most engaging, and that I knew we could "get to." Then I made a schedule, so that each week we'd know what to buy at the store (dh goes grocery shopping, so he could pick up most of what we'd need there ahead of time if I gave him a list). Finally, I gave myself permission to skip even the ones I'd picked, if the week got hectic or we didn't feel well, or if something else really looked like more fun on a second look.

With that in mind, I really had a good time with SOTW.

Also, I added in just enough lit--I ended up going to the library about every other week, and just going thru the different sections. Sometimes I'd get the SOTW recommendation, and sometimes I'd just go to the same section (for nonfiction) and pull some pictorially rich books from there.

[bigdogs29906]

We love SOTW around here. * I have never used anything else, so do take that into consideration.

 

I also, prefer secular resources. I don't have any complaints in this dept.

 

We don't always get to the "big" projects/activities, but the kids enjoy everything that we do get to do. I am also a craft-failure. I have really good intentions, but I just run out of steam sometimes.

 

I can see where it might get overwhelming with all of the additional things especially if you try doing each and every suggested activity, but we just poke our way through it only doing a bit here and there so it really lightens the load.

[sagira]

We'll be using SOTW 1 next year but I already own the book and the activity book. I'm glad to hear about the projects not being absolute "musts" as I'm not much of a hands-on person either - I would think the projects would *not* get done than get done. I like the idea of going through it beforehand and picking out the projects in advance.

[WTMindy]

We read a ton of the extra literature - it's just one of the things that makes the program so rich. We did projects every week with another family (or 2 or 3) and that helped me because I am not motivated towards arts & crafts, but ds really enjoyed it.

 

Here's my review:

We used Story of the World volume 1 through 4 starting in 2nd grade. I thoroughly enjoyed this curriculum. Honestly, the best part of this curriculum is learning history myself for the first time. I used to say that history was my weakest subject. I learned more in my son’s first year than I learned in my entire school career. I feel so good knowing that my son is being presented with history in a logical, engaging, and painless way. This curriculum allowed a history-ignorant mom to give her child a great introduction to world history and a love and enthusiasm for history as well.

 

The readings are perfect for early elementary age – not too simple and not too difficult. The activity guide is a priceless resource, and we used every bit of it. That is what made the program so rich. Ds used the coloring pages while I read. We used the review questions usually verbally, but one year, I used the review questions to give my son practice in writing complete sentences. Doing narration and summary paragraphs helped with writing, although this was my son’s least favorite part. The map work was helpful. We borrowed many of the supplemental books from the library. We even read most of them. The activities and projects were fun and really helped to bring history alive and be remembered. We met with other families 2x a month to work on projects. Besides gathering the library books and project supplies, there really is no other preparation needed.

 

For some people, this curriculum is too secular. For some people, this curriculum is too Christian. I prefer secular resources, and I thought SWB did a great job of introducing the different world religions without bias.

 

I highly recommend this program. It spoiled me. My only complaint is that that there is no similar program for logic age.

 

I could have written this word for word!!! (Except, I am finding TOG to fit the bill for the logic stage. :-))

[Laurel]

We've just started SOTW recently, but we read the extra literature, and do the projects. We also use the coloring pages and do the mapwork. SOTW is a great jumping-off point, and then we like to read the extra books to get reinforcement and deeper information, and to look at the pictures. I don't think the prokects are necessary, but they certainly are fun. We are a messy project-loving house, so I would be in big trouble if I tried to do away with the projects.

[Pata]

I am doing both Sonlight Core 1 and SOTW with the AG. I replaced CHOW with SOTW and in the process butchered the history schedule, but it works for us! You can see my schedule here.

[laughing lioness]

We used SOTW but don't use the activity guide at all. We've read the books and made time-lines. My kids listen to the CD's constantly.

My 8 yo (the SOTW CD addict) can't stand coloring type activities so I finally sold the guide.

We don't use the reading list because we are memorizing history sentences and I generally read from what we are memorizing.

[Harriet Vane]

We do what we can. Some weeks we get to the library; other weeks we do not. We never get ALL the ancillary books, just what we can find at the library.

 

It's the same with the activities. We do what we can. We don't worry about what we can't. We usually do at least one activity per unit, often more. My kids are fairly independent workers, so if they are really motivated for a more elaborate craft then they have to help make it happen.

 

We absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this curriculum.

[Annie Laurie]

I am doing both Sonlight Core 1 and SOTW with the AG. I replaced CHOW with SOTW and in the process butchered the history schedule, but it works for us! You can see my schedule here.

 

Your schedule looks so nice and organized. Do you still read the read alouds and poetry that are scheduled in Core 1?

[RoughCollie]

We used SOTW and the activity guides and read lots of the extra literature selections. The kids loved it. DD is taking ancient history in 8th grade and she already knows all the material because of SOTW, and we only went through one cycle. I have been pretty amazed by how much information she has retained, and she is pretty amazed by how no one in her class had a clue who Justinian and Theodora were.

 

RC

[Pata]

Your schedule looks so nice and organized. Do you still read the read alouds and poetry that are scheduled in Core 1?

 

Thanks and yes, we still do read-alouds and Bible. I read Miss. Stories and From A to Z as part of Bible and I'm not sure yet how I'm going to handle George Mueller, but that's much later. So far the schedule has worked for us, we are on week 10. Hope it helps you!