Self-Educators: History studies

[LoveBaby]

So...I want to start doing some logic/rhetoric level work myself, so I'm a step ahead of my children when they get to that level. Particularly in History/Science and maybe even brush up on upper level maths.

 

What books would you suggest for History/Science? I am planning on doing the 4 yr. history rotation.

 

What about Math? Have you just gone through whatever books you think your child will be going through and do them yourself?

 

Thanks for your help!

[Beth in SW WA]

I'm currently listening to the series Foundations Of Western Civilization by the The Teaching Company. Good stuff. I'm learning tons.

 

I'm reading SWB's books History Of The Ancient World, The Well Educated Mind, as well as Tindall's America, A Narrative History.

 

I'll start Omnibus 1 and the primary readings in the Winter to get ready for next year.

[Ellyndria]

Just wanted to give you a bump and another answer... although I am not really qualified to answer, as I haven't really started my own study of history yet.. but I have plans to!

 

So, even though I was always in advanced classes, my history teachers were...lackluster, and what I learned of history was very fragmented. So what I'm doing, to just get a brief overview, is checking the SOTW books out of the library and just reading through them. Sadly, I am learning things from them. I've read the first two books so far. I was originally going to read all four, before I went back and started to study history more indepth, but book three is kinda tied up right now and has been on hold for a while.

 

Anyway, so I have SWB's The History of the Ancient World, which I plan on starting (someday), which I will probably take some notes from. I also have TWEM and TWTM and I'm thinking of using the lists from there to supplement my history reading, as I get to that time. I'm torn though, I don't know whether to read things chronologically, or the way they are laid out in TWEM. I just started Don Quixote this week though, so I guess I am not really going to read chronologically. :tongue_smilie: Although, maybe I will for the rest of it. There is no way *I* could stick to a four year rotation though, my goal is just to get through things at least once by the time DS is, oh, a teenager or so.. he's only 3 right now so I have some time. :tongue_smilie: The history section at the bookstore looks interesting too, for picking supplemental reading...

 

As far as math, again, since he's only 3, I have no idea what books we'll be using in the future, so I am just going to review math with whatever I feel like using. I was always good at math, but I do need a quick review, because it's been a while. I decided to start with algebra, and just picked up a random book from B&N that had problems I could work through. There is not a ton of explanation, but I don't really need it, so this is what is working for me. Or was working.. I haven't really touched the book since September or so, oops...but that's because that's when I started studying Latin.

 

Trying to be realistic though, I have no idea when I'm going to fit the math in. I've decided that Latin is going to be my focus for now, so I can keep up with the Latinstudy group I'm in. When I'm caught up on Latin for that particular week, I'm going to try to be reading a selection from TWEM, or, if tired of that selection, then maybe I will get a chance to start on the ancient history book. Math, for me, can wait, as I can easily review that shortly before DS would need my help for it.

 

Anyway, just wanted to let you know you're not alone, and that there is someone else just starting on this journey!

 

edit: Oh, about science, I forgot to answer.. I have no clue if or when I will brush up on that. I actually have a BA in Biology, so I'm not *too* concerned.. I like science. I figure at some point I might make my way through the latest edition of the Campbell's college level text for biology that everyone talks about, just for fun. I figure my review of Chem and Physics will happen whenever DS is working on those. I also think I will look over Joy Hakim's The Story of Science at some point before I plan to use those with DS. Maybe someday I will find an excuse to pick up other random science books that catch my eye and read through those.

Edited November 22, 2008 by Ellyndria

[Beth in Central TX]

For history, I would recommend the series, A History of the English Speaking Peoples, by Winston Churchill. It's a 4-volume set that I found at Barnes & Nobles. It's very well written, and even though I'm not a history buff, I'm really enjoying this series.

 

A great book to get an overview for science is Science Matters: Achieving Scientific Literacy by Hazen & Trefil. I've also been reading through the Apologia Elementary series as my boys do these books.

 

For math, I'm reading and working through the upper level math series that I plan to use with my boys. I'm using the 1960's series by Dolciani which includes Modern Algebra Bk 1, Modern Geometry, Modern Algebra & Trig Bk 2, and Modern Introductory Analysis.

 

HTH!

[Mommy22alyns]

Another huge thumbs up for SWB's History of the Ancient World from me too! I am loving it and I'm really interested in history for the first time in my life.

[Beth in SW WA]

I put in another post that I wish SWB would get her act together and make a study guide and tests -- so I don't have to THINK so much :)

 

I would pay $$ for it!

 

It has a different flavor than Spielvogel. I think a combo of Spielvogel for the pictures/primary sources/images combined w/ the narrative style of HOAW will be a great combination for ancient history studies. I'm curious where she dug up some of those stories.

 

I'm looking forward to her newest text on the middle ages.

[elegantlion]

I am just starting on my own history self-ed. I am using World History: A Human Odyssey by Spielvogel. I am trying to pick up subject specific books to round out my study. Currently I am reading 1066 by David Howarth.

 

For math I plan to use old Dolciani texts for my son. I am currently working through a 1972 pre-algebra course. I have Dolciani books for Algebra and Algebra II and a Jurgensen text for Geometry lined up for the future, with some fear and trembling on my part.

 

I'll be reading through Conceptual Physics next year to help prepare my science knowledge.

[Anna]

Deleted.

Edited November 23, 2008 by Anna

[Anna]

So...I want to start doing some logic/rhetoric level work myself, so I'm a step ahead of my children when they get to that level.

 

I think that The Well-Educated Mind (TWEM) is an excellent place for an adult to start. In it, SWB teaches you how to read fiction, auto biography, history, drama and poetry and she takes you step by step through the process using very good study questions that are in the book.

 

If you can go through TWEM before your kids are in the logic or rhetoric stage, you will have a good head-start in learning how to read the different literary genres. Then you can use those skills, either alone or with your kids, as you go through the rhetoric studies in TWTM.

 

Of course with TWEM, you will have to do any desired math/science apart from it.

[Pam L in Mid Tenn]

I agree. SWB's History of the Ancient World and Well Educated Mind are the best place to begin.

 

I just started Latinnae Artes Level 1 on CD for myself, yesterday. :)

[LoveBaby]

Thanks so much everyone!

 

I picked up HOAW by SWB at the Library and TWEM. I've also checked out the SOTW volumes and am reading those in bits and pieces.

 

As a side note, my DH and I just watched The Other Boleyn Girl the other night, which sent me on a google quest to learn all I could of Mary and Anned Boleyn. Then I figured out that Cahterine of Aragon was the daughter of Isabella and Ferdinand, King and Queen of Spain who gave Columbus the money for the 3 ships. Who knew?! It is so fascinating to see what was going on in different times/places and see how everything is connnected. It also makes me incredibly glad I'm homeschooling my children, so I can help them see history in this wonderful context instead of the dry/boring studies I did as a child in public school, that I remember virtually nothing about!

 

Can someone tell me more about Spielvogel and Dociani as well? Plus, where I could look for these resources? We won't start the history rotation for another year and we're still in elementary level maths, so I've got some time, but would like to plan out *my* next couple of years studies!

[Nicole M]

If you're interested in reading a less text-based, political history of the ancient world alongside SWB's history, you might want to check out William McNeill's The Rise Of The West. It is a controversial and even outdated (1963) work, but in my opinion it holds up very well. I've just started it, and it's enjoyable.

[outtamyshell]

I'm not as diligent as others. I couldn't bring myself to finish even one of Churchill's books. I need something that's a little more light reading. Maybe I'm ADD, but I need to jump around a bit. Or maybe working all day and being a mother is mentally draining and I get my energy from flipping through the 25-50 library books I always seem to have at home. I do recommend anything Susan Wise Bauer has written (TWEM, SOTW).

 

For History...

My vote is for the Teaching Company. Our library has tons of great audio CDs from them. I take them on road trips and listen to them while I clean house. I sometimes need a change of pace from books. If a book is too meaty I can't get through the entire thing. But I can finish the 8 CDs of lectures because they're so entertaining. And many books are mentioned in passing on these that I now know what they are and that I want to read them someday.

 

I'm always checking out random books from the library too. I check these boards at least weekly to pick up any additional resources that might come up. I also read several blogs that include random book recommendations. I just log into the library website and request the book immediately. That way I don't need to keep a list of books I want to find someday. You might also want to check the curriculum recommendations for highschool at amblesideonline.org. They have great ideas and book suggestions.

 

For Science...

We are currently reading Bill Bryson's book A Short History of Nearly Everything.

 

Literature...

I know you didn't ask for this one, but I loved How to Read Literature Like a Professor. One of the gems I found included on these boards. It was entertaining and I learned something.