Early elementary history question

[CTVKath]

I can't figure out history for next year. Everything else is figured out......but not history. I'm hoping someone might have a suggestion to help me figure it out for next year.

 

I've got a 7.5yo daughter who will be in 2nd grade and a 5yo son who will be in kindergarten. I'm torn between history as a family and individual history. I'd like American history for my 2nd grader and prefer literature over textbook although I need a spine to tie it together. I tried Beautiful Feet early American this year and also bought Truthquest's American History for Young Students but neither got done. I didn't like the providential aspect of BF and got lost in the Truthquest overabundance of options. However, history did happen despite that. My daughter took a coop class in the fall for American history. And she's read bunches of the early readers and Meet _____ type books. I hear her making the connections.

 

I've looked at the history selections in Sonlight, MFW and HOD. All I need is history, though, not a whole program. Of those 3, when looking at samples of books, I love the history books used by HOD for both Beyond (CLP's American Pioneers & Patriots and Stories of the Pilgrims plus others) and Bigger (2 Eggleston books plus a couple of others). I also like the Miers book called A Child's First Book of American History. My personality is "just read the next chapter" not detailed planning. Can I do that with the HOD history book selections? Some of the smaller books will get read throughout the year and be interspersed with the spine. Would I be better to buy one of the HOD guides and just follow the history to keep it chronological?

 

For next year, I'd like to work on my daughter narrating what she reads and what I read aloud. I'd like to do American history. I need a spine but like narrative over facts. And I will need to supply my daughter with lots to read. She inhales books. And last, I'm not sure if my 5yo DS will join us or not so I don't know if this will end up being family history or individual history.

 

So sorry this is so long. Am I crazy? Can I do this? Should I just buy one of the HOD guides and pull out just the history readings order?

 

If it helps to know our style, we are loving Phonics Pathways, CLE math, and Zaner BLoser handwriting. And next year we will add in Spellwell, Language Lessons for Today Grade 2 and BB's Science in the Beginning.

 

Thank you sooo much for any insight.

Katherine

[jrhodes]

Taking this with a grain of salt because we haven't gotten here yet (oldest is only 3), for K we were planning on doing Adventures in America from Elemental (https://elementalscience.com/collections/adventures-in-america)  .  Teacher guide (what I have) has a small story/narrative to read with review questions and copywork selections. It also lists books to go along with the chapter, some kind of activity/craft and a state study. Gentle enough for K and can add what you might need for 2nd. 

[sandra in va]

Sorry, mistake!  See my post below.  :)

 

Edited April 8, 2017 by sandra in va

[winterbaby]

Starting in June I'm doing early American history with a 4th grader. My plan is just to read Hakim's A History of US on my own to refresh my memory of what needs to be covered and hopefully add to my end of our discussions, and then choose living books closer to her reading level from the library, whatever titles they happen to have (we're blessed with an excellent regional system) for us to actually read together. I don't think you need a special program to tell you what to cover in history - if you're not confident in the subject area, you can and should easily address that directly through a bit of reading rather than feeling like you have to depend on what a homeschool-specific program says to do. I find that Amazon and many library systems are full of all sorts of good books that aren't generally found on homeschool curriculum lists and if you do a bit of adult pre-reading you can make an independent judgment about what's worthwhile. At this age there's no specific text that's essential, and if you think about it, you probably already have a good general sense of what you want to cover.

 

At 7.5 and 5 I would definitely do history together unless the older child is very accelerated or the younger very delayed. Or rather, a mix; some of it will be accessible to him, and some not, so you just balance family read-alouds, read-alouds focused more on the older child, and independent reading for the older child in whatever way seems right, making those judgments as you go.

[sandra in va]

 

 

I've looked at the history selections in Sonlight, MFW and HOD. All I need is history, though, not a whole program. Of those 3, when looking at samples of books, I love the history books used by HOD for both Beyond (CLP's American Pioneers & Patriots and Stories of the Pilgrims plus others) and Bigger (2 Eggleston books plus a couple of others). I also like the Miers book called A Child's First Book of American History. My personality is "just read the next chapter" not detailed planning. Can I do that with the HOD history book selections? Some of the smaller books will get read throughout the year and be interspersed with the spine. Would I be better to buy one of the HOD guides and just follow the history to keep it chronological?

 

For next year, I'd like to work on my daughter narrating what she reads and what I read aloud. I'd like to do American history. I need a spine but like narrative over facts. And I will need to supply my daughter with lots to read. She inhales books. And last, I'm not sure if my 5yo DS will join us or not so I don't know if this will end up being family history or individual history.

 

 

You could easily just get the books and go through them yourselves.  In Beyond, there is some shuffling between the books to keep it chronological - but I don't think it is that hard to figure out - it's mostly the Pioneers and Patriots book that is split up over the year.  Also, there are Bible passages sprinkled throughout the year, too.

 

Alternatively - we're just using parts of Bigger and Beyond this year (for two different kids), so I think you could easily use the HOD guides as for history alone.  Using HOD's guide would give you a schedule.  There would also be art, activities, and geography to go along with the lessons if you wanted to add something to your reading/narration (it's the box right below the history reading box - alternates history activity, art, science activity, and geography - all related to the reading, takes maybe 10-15 mins.) Since your daughter also likes to read, you could use the emerging reader list and other read aloud lists in the back of the book.   If you go with Beyond, I think a 5 year old would probably enjoy the books and could do whatever activities you choose with his sister.  

 

You could start without the guide and see how it goes - getting the guide mid-year if you want more structure.  Or you could start with the guide, letting it give you some structure/extra ideas, then ditch it as you feel more comfortable with the books.  I would choose whatever makes you feel more comfortable and what will make it easier for history to happen.   :)

 

With regard to your daughter's reading - you didn't mention what her reading level is, but as I mentioned above there is a emerging reader list in HOD and read aloud book choices she could read.  If you want books that go along with history, I would take a look at the Sonlight catalog - core D/E for a list of readers that would be more advanced and go along with that time period.

 

Hope that helps!

Edited April 8, 2017 by sandra in va

[CTVKath]

Thank you for the help and suggestions. I had not thought of looking through Sonlight's history readers for books to go along with what spine I will read aloud. My daughter has read almost all of the Sonlight Grade 2 readers and about 1/3 of the Grade 3 readers. And I'm planning to use the HOD reader list for her next year.

 

I'll look through the HOD sample again. I'd really like a schedule to follow.