Oh, how I wish we had started HS before last year! Since we lived in the DC area and were able to take tons of field trips up and down the eastern seaboard, we studied US History last year for 1st/3rd. This year we are using SOTW, Vol 1. It hit me that I may need to find a different curriculum for next year for the 5th grader (something a bit more challenging); yet the idea of 2 different curricula (one for DD, one for DS), about gives me the hives :lol: (I directly teach all but Spanish, and that is half listening, half teaching - I have two high-maintenance kiddos!). Another sweet HS mama suggested History Odyssey to me, and it looks very good; I was wondering what you would do (or what have you done) in this situation? Thanks!
Depends on perspective that you use (i.e. Christian Curricula vs. Secular). We use the series by Diana Waring. I use with a 8th Grader, 6th Grader and 2nd Grader. My two oldest follow the main text, and I tweak it for ME because, well, I'm a tweaker! LOL!!! My youngest uses the Elementary Workbook, but listens in to the cd's when we listen to them, and also I go a little bit more in depth than I normally would because she's curious. But, when she gets that "deer in the headlights" blank stare, I just let it go and let her color or something! I love this curricula. And I don't use it the way that she outlines in the book, but the way i use it works for us, and that's what's important. I CANNOT teach different curricula to three kids. Would not fit in my life!
As usual, your kind response is appreciated, Krista! And d'oh! I did forget to mention the type of curriculum - although we are Christian, we prefer a more secular take on history, though a Christian bent is okay, too I have not heard of Diana Waring, but will check it out - thank you for sharing your experience! I had not anticipated homeschooling through middle school, but we are quickly approaching it, so I figure I need to start familiarizing myself with middle school curricula and not being so intimidated
Diana Waring curricula is overtly Christian. HOWEVER, if you pulled the CD portion, and the bible portion, and reviewed the recommended reading and pick what more aligns with how you want to teach, it could certainly be done. The main "meat" of the program is neutral. The CD's and Bible sections just align themselves with the History. I love their research project and art suggestions A LOT! If you decide to investigate and want to see how I set it up (like I said, we don't do it how she lines it up in the book). I've heard good things about History Oddessey, (sorry about the spelling), that's the one by Pandia Press, right? But that is NOT Christian at all. I think you could do some of the supplemental activities with SOTW and make it meaty enough for an upper elementary, middle school child....I know companies like Sonlight use SOTW in those grades.
Hmm...maybe that would work, to beef up SOTW. My weakness is getting so overwhelmed with my kids' needs, therapies, various curricula, etc. that I am not so good with planning the extras. Perhaps that could be a Christmas vacation project for me for next year though!
That's one of the things i love about the Diana Waring one....it has an extensive list of research projects for the kids to do ON THEIR OWN! I expect more from the oldest, growing more on the middle....and the youngest I usually just have her skip.
I wouldn't think you'd need a complete separate curriculum for each child. Is your older child a strong reader? Doing SOTW with you and your younger, along with some extra reading would be enough for 5th grade (in my house, at least!) To read alongside SOTW 2, you could check out: The Middle Ages, by Dorothy Mills Renaissance and Reformation Times, by Dorothy Mills Famous Men of the Middle Ages Famous Men of the Renaissance and Reformation Our Island Story, by HE Marshall The "Medieval and Early Modern World" series from Oxford University Press
Thank you so much for the ideas and recommendations NewfMom! I appreciate it! I am going to check out the books and see if they would be a good fit for our guy
We are using Sonlight with my 6th and 4th grader and it's working very well. This year we are doing Core D which is Year One of Two American History. Check out their website for other cores and the grade span they cover. I have no experience with it, but My Father's World has a history curriculum that is for the entire family. You might want to look into that. Good luck!
We did History Odyssey Ancients last year in 2nd, and added in History Portfolio Jr Ancients with it. This year we are doing HO Middle Ages 1 for 3rd grade and we added in the History Portfolio Jr Medieval Ages. I'm hoping to stick with it...I tweak it a bit (except this is the last of the HP Jr's...which I really like :cry: ).
Oooo.... Another thing you could do is check out Sonlight.com for their reading lists for those periods of history. I pilfer from their lists all the time! I love the selections for historical reading they have. I might have some from the Rome to Reformation that I could share based on what we do. We've read a couple of good ones so far.
You all are fabulous, thank you! So I think I might continue with SOTW 2, then beef it up with reading (thanks for the Sonlight suggestions!), notebooking, and some projects (hopefully I come up with something decent, lol). Ah, I feel so much better about this now. Yay! Thank you all!!!
