How long does each SOTW book take?

[Guest jymarino]

I have the first SOTW and it says that it is for grades 1-4 with 36 chapters in the book. Since this is my first year hs I am wondering how this would be stretched into more than one year. I have the activity book and have requested books from the library to read in addition to the SOTW book. I had planned to pick one or two activities from the book and read the supplemental material hoping to stretch one chapter into more than a week. Any advice will be appreciated!

 

Jennie

[nmoira]

I have the first SOTW and it says that it is for grades 1-4 with 36 chapters in the book. Since this is my first year hs I am wondering how this would be stretched into more than one year.

It depends on the topic, but there is ample opportunity for supplementation. For example, we parked for a couple months on both Greek and Hindu & Buddist mythologies and for two or three weeks on Bible stories (we're secular homeschoolers, so the material was new to DD). I heavily supplemented with folktales as well. We're using History Odyssey instead of the SOTW AG, but managed to stretch Ancients to 1.5 years. I'm planning on taking at least that long for Medieval as well.

[Ferdie]

Each book takes a year. Since they have 36 chapters, we did a chapter a week. The book is recommended for children in grades 1-4, though my dh and I read them all. LOL!

[BusyBee]

SOTW 1 is written to be used for anyone in grades 1,2,3, or 4. Each book should take one year. Of course you have the right to make it last longer if you wish.

[Alana in Canada]

I didn't even try--and SoTW1 took two years!

 

In the beginning, reading a section of a chapter and taking a narration and colouring and doing the map can easily take an hour. Add in supplementary books (with a narration here and there) and you can well stretch this out. It is quite easy (and fun) to park at the chapters on the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans.

 

Good sources to supplement with are

Child's History of the World.

The Bible (we used Vos and were able to keep on track more or less chronologically) these correlations are available at paula's archives.

Famous Men of Greece and Rome (available from mainlesson.com)

We also supplemented with Fifty Famous Stories and Fifty Famous Stories re-told by Baldwin. (also at mainlesson.com)

 

You'll find tons of books at Mainlesson--I like M. B. Synge, too.

 

SoTW2 has 42 chapters--which makes for a very long year! I haven't seen SoTW 3 and 4.

[Chris in VA]

We stretched Ancients from Jan in K to the end of 1st--actually, I think we did a bit during the summer, too.

 

You can easily do as nmoira did, and park somewhere for about as long as you like. Veritas Press parks on Egypt for a year, I think! (a longer time, anyway)

We chose to do more activities, and some weeks we didn't get to history. Egypt was fascinating to dd, so we did lots there.

You can go at your own pace.

[Pata]

I have planned SOTW1 to take 36 weeks even though it's 42 chapters. I have put my lesson plans up on the web. You can go to my blog(link in my siggy) and click on free downloads, then click on SOTW1 & SL Core 1. I am also using Sonlight's Core 1, so the plans have blended both along with the AG. It may not be exactly what you want, but it will give you an idea of how it can be done in 36 weeks. HTH!

[WTMindy]

SOTW when my dd was in K, and I was glad because I spread it and SOTW 2 over 3 years. We did volume 3 & 4 in one year each. You have to really keep going to get through all 42 chapters in one year!

[Rhesa]

It's going to take us a year and a half. People more disciplined than I am can do it in a year, but we keep getting off track!

 

We are currently parked in the Greeks (again), and I think we'll be here quite awhile...

[Beth in Central TX]

I camped out in areas of interest for each Volume of SOTW, but I would also drop chapters that weren't as interesting. One year in each historical period was enough for me; especially knowing that we would be back around two more times. In the grammar years, we're just building a foundation for history, and there's never going to be enough time to teach everything we want to teach our kids. I'm hoping to build in my boys a love of learning that never ends.

[Laura Corin]

We don't use many hands-on activities, but we do add in Our Island Story (British history) and This Country of Ours (American history). If we did activities too, it would easily stretch to two years per book.

 

Laura

[A.J. at J.A.]

We are just now getting near the end of SOTW II and we're on our third year...so I'm guessing probably 1.5 yrs each. Glad to hear that III and IV can go more quickly...I was feeling behind but didn't want to rush through. History is my son's favorite subject! We go through many of the additional books and activities in the Activity book and I recently started a History Club for our homeschool group to ensure we get to the extra "stuff" the boys like so much.

 

Angela

[Lenora in MD]

I got books 1 & 2 done in one year each, but we had to do some over the summer. There are 42 chapters, and that can seem tight to squeeze into a 36 week year. I would suggest taking about one and a half years and doing a more thorough and interesting job that plowing through just to get it done. That is what I plan to do for my second go around with it.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

It's easy to stretch it out with lots of library books and projects. You can easily get "stuck" in Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

 

We're in our sixth year, and we're just starting Vol. 4. I guess you can say we're on the seven year plan. :o)

 

Don't sweat it. It will take as long as you want it to take.

[Osaubi]

We are following a 3 day schedule for SOTW V1, and so far we have been able to do a chapter a week. I read a post where they keep to the schedule, but she lets them check out library books 2 chapters back and 2 chapters forward. I started doing that, and it has worked well for us. If they go back they are adding on to what they have learned, and if they go forward then they will have some basic layers when they get to that point. This also helps when we get to chapters that don't really have many go alongs.