amyc78 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Our spine for history this year was SOTW Vol 2. Bc of a new baby, we just listened to the audiobooks and added in some extra literature. The kids did zero narrations or review questions. Most of our listening was on road trips. We finished the book several weeks ago. I decided to spend the next couple of months going back through the chapters by putting the corresponding figures in our timeline and asking them what they remembered about that person/event/etc. Well, I'm disappointed to find the answer to that is not much. There are a few major pieces they remember- the Vikings, Charlemagne, feudalism, Shakespeare and a few others. But there's a lot they don't recall at all. So... I've got the activity book and even have the maps and coloring pages copied and bound for each student (I did that before the year started and I learned what a timesuck this baby would be). We could go back through and listen to the chapters again, ask for narrations, do the mapwork, read the corresponding UBWH, etc with the aim of retaining more... but that's doing 5 chapters a week for the next 8 weeks... and it's spring... and I have a crawling baby... and a dyslexic student who needs a lot of my help.... Or should I just chalk this up to exposure and know that we'll retain more next time we cycle through? Kids are 7.5 and 10.5 btw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaceseeker Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 (edited) I would chalk it up to exposure at those ages. There is a lot to history and it is hard for children to absorb all that information on the first pass. Even if you had done coloring pages and narration they may have still forgotten some of the bits and pieces. It sounds like your kids learned some history this year. They are in elementary school and you have a new baby and a dyslexic student. I would check it off my list and enjoy finishing out your school year without feeling like you need to redo everything. Edited March 20, 2017 by CaliforniaDreaming 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 If time permits, maybe read the Usborne pages because those hit the highlights. Other than that, don't stress out. Exposure is great at that age! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenecho Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 (edited) I'd chalk it to exposure. They remembered some of it, they got a general idea of the era, and really thats whats important. If you wanted you could watch some videos to sum up...either now or maybe at the start of next year, for review...Crash Course history is pretty good for that (though preview first...very rarely he makes a mildly inappropriate joke, but like I said, RARELY...most I've seen by him are perfectly fine). Extra Credits History and TEDed also have some great history videos for this era my kids like (Extra Credits they watch...for fun, and not even my homeschooled kids, but my two who go to public school and hate doing anything schoolish in their free time). I wouldn't bother making them do the workbooks, but since you already have them printed out, you could ask them if there's anything they'd like to do in them (they might want to color the pages, or do some of the games). And you could leave the CDs in the car for an option for long trips. But I wouldn't worry much about retention at this age. Edited March 20, 2017 by goldenecho 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAttachedMama Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 (edited) I agree. Chalk it up to exposure and move on. There is a good chance that if you WOULD have done all of the narrations, copywork, etc....they still might not retain that much information. And there is also a good chance that you might repeat the whole program again this summer....and 6 months from now they still don't retain much information. But don't despair! It isn't time wasted. With history, I think repeated exposure is really important. They do retain some...and more each time they study the period. I like the idea of reading a short blurb out of the encyclopedia as you put on the timeline figure as a quick review. OR, just put on the SOTW audiobook again while they play legos in the afternoon this summer on hot days. (But don't stress about it. Just allow them to listen.) Or do a different history book this summer as an audiobook while they play. (Child's History of the World is also on audiobook and goes a bit quicker through history. Or you could try "A Little History of the World" also on audiobook.) Repeated exposure is great. So is hearing things from different points of views. I also like memorizing the timeline from Classical Conversations. That helps us review. And we even memorize some of the CC history sentences. This helps a lot with remembering names, dates, and developing chronology. I've noticed my kids perk up a lot more when they hear names and dates. (We are not part of a CC community. We just use some parts at home as memory tools.) Edited March 20, 2017 by TheAttachedMama 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyc78 Posted March 21, 2017 Author Share Posted March 21, 2017 Thank you all for taking some stress off my shoulders! I am so type A and tend to have very high ideals for our school... it's hard for me to finish something if I don't feel it's been done perfectly. I did wonder about purchasing the VP Middle Ages self paced that is on sale for them to do together over the next few months. This would be a review and appeal to both kids learning styles... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyc78 Posted March 21, 2017 Author Share Posted March 21, 2017 Ha, never mind, the sale ended yesterday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 I think they retained a good bit. I wouldn't worry about it. And I'm glad you didn't buy the VP stuff! Overkill, for sure! :-) If you wanted, you could get some fun books on the topics you'd like to reinforce. It's been a few years but I remember we had lots of great picture books on that time period (purchased and from the library). It was my favorite. I think Crash Course is more for middle school and up? I don't think it's rated PG exactly, but I think there are some references that would go over their heads? I am picturing my kids at those ages and can't imagine them enjoying or getting much out of those at all. Not sure, obviously you can check them out and decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbes Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 We are finishing SOTW 2 at the moment (we took two years to do it). I'd agree about leaving it as exposure. However, if you think you want to do something to gently review without pressure, I would also recommend checking out some of the picture books listed in the AG and reading them together. There are so many good ones. A favourite activity for my 7 & 9yos has been to glue figures to our timeline. We have a simple timeline in a binder, but you could use a poster board or some other thing like that. I cut small squares of paper and write the names and date on the square - often they like to do a tiny illustration underneath - and they glue it on. If you chose a few picture books and added those people to the timeline, it might be a very easy way to "do history" without a lot of stress. If they seem to love a particular topic, hand them the coloring sheet. 😊 There was a period when my kids fell in love with Queen Elizabeth I and I printed oodles of colouring sheets for them and checked out library books. We talked about her a lot and they still remember quite a bit about her. It was so relaxed. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Call it exposure. And introduce them to Horrible Histories. Done. 😂 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Call it exposure. And introduce them to Horrible Histories. Done. 😂 Yes! You'd be amazed what they memorize from the songs. My 4&5 year old sing about Dick Turpin, William Wallace and have about 1/3 of the Monarch Song memorized already just from watching the song discs over and over again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyc78 Posted March 23, 2017 Author Share Posted March 23, 2017 Is Horrible Histories appropriate for 7 and 10? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyc78 Posted March 23, 2017 Author Share Posted March 23, 2017 Call it exposure. And introduce them to Horrible Histories. Done. 😂 Horrible Histories by Scholastic or the BBC program? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 If you are worried you could print out the review cards from the activity book and use the in your morning time. I would treat it as exposure and move on though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 I think that is what most kids tend to retain from elementary school history. If they are enthusiastic, that will really set them up for something more substantial in middle school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenecho Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 (edited) I think so (the books...I'm not as familiar with the shows). I mean it has some gross and even some morbid stuff, BUT since it's couched in humor, it's not really worse than what they are exposed to in SOTW IMHO. You could pick one up at the library and preview it...cause you know your own kids and whether it would be appropriate for them. Is Horrible Histories appropriate for 7 and 10? Edited March 24, 2017 by goldenecho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8Arrows4theLord Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 Congrats a little late on a new baby! They do throw a wrench into your plans for school, but they are so cute! :laugh: As for history, move on and don't worry about it. They will cover all that material again when they get to High School age. SOTW is meant to expose the child to history, not mastery of the subject. If you really feel bad, you could get some good historical fiction, biographies, kids history books about different important times/ people from the library and have your kids read them for free reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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