help with selecting a history "curriculum"

[mamaMAMAma]

DD#1 is newly 9 and we're finishing up 3rd grade this year and moving on to 4th in Jan. We haven't done much in terms of history but I think she'll enjoy it. She loves to read, and stories really appeal to her. History Odyssey
looks fairly promising to me. My thought is to get the SOTW books for her to read (aloud with us, or alone) and then when she's "caught up" with her age level to use the HO activity suggestions. What do you think? I'm also curious about the various activies from either HO or SOTW, whether they feel more like busy work or do they really grasp your child's interest?

[theretohere]

Are you thinking of just using the books for SOTW? A big part of it really is the activity guide for adding depth and comprehension.

[CariOfOz]

We do History odyssey, I personally don't think just SOTW would give 'enough' of a view of history. I'd say if you like HO, just get the level where she would be and start there. I honestly think my boys get more out of reading the Usbone IL encyclopedia of history than they do out of SOTW (which is alittle dry at times) and then when we add the odd supplemental book, activities from HO (the cooking ones are a huge hit, as are the ones that involve making items like simple costumes etc) as well as the web links from Usborne make it more fun and help them retain a lot.

I also don't think 'catching up' is totally necessary... it'd be too hard to actually retain much from a few months of intensive reading. I'd be inclined to just wait till Jan and hop into the modern level1. Then in 5th grade you'll hit ancients lvl 2 and she'll pick up all the things she missed the first run through and then some I'd guess!

Either way, I can't recommend HO enough! My boys (even the 5yo who technically isn't doing it as part of his learning plan) loves it

[mangopassion]

We love History Odyssey here, too!

[MamaMonica]

We're trying K-12 History this year, and so far the kids love it.

[ikesmom]

I can't even tell you all the history curriculum I had on my wish lists this year. I love history , but ds not so much. So...I ended up getting a library card at a huge nice library that is quite a distance from home. We have to drive that direction twice a week now so it is close to our route. I have to pay $10 for 3 months since we don't live in that district. It is totally worth it to me and ds won't get bored with one book. We just take turns reading from selected books. I found a geography atlas, a King Fisher atlas, and a globe at GoodWill all for 9 bucks. We also enjoy the Eyewitness books as reference.

[LilyGrace]

Originally Posted by theretohere

Are you thinking of just using the books for SOTW? A big part of it really is the activity guide for adding depth and comprehension.

I have to agree here. When we started SOTW, we didn't buy the reading text, only the activity book. The activities + the reading suggestions were wonderful and we had the library to support it.

Now, small library, so we buy the text. I still like it and it's a good enough program, and I do think the activities really help The Kid understand, but next year I'm thinking of switching to something like Sonlight's core and adding in the activity books. The Kid is more into reading now than he was when we started and is really excited about all the different stories they offer. We'll have more local history to explore for that time period, more access to different things, so doing history through literature sounds like it will fit us better.

I wouldn't worry about your daughter being "behind". For many kids history isn't taught until this grade anyway. It's not like math or reading where you have to have the skills to build on - it's just one long story.

[sierramv]

We are using Winter Promise - American Story 1 and my son loves it. He is not really into the crafts, but they also have an elective with Native American focus which we are doing and there book selection is great. I am using it with Joy Hakims - US History series - which you could probably use as a stand alone. They have a DVD series out with the series and I think there is a free online curriculum to use with the Joy Hakim series. Good Luck! My DS(7) is a HUGE history fan and this keeps him engaged and interested.

[mamaMAMAma]

Thanks everyone. We have fairly good libraries close by and I have SOTW vol 1 on hold for me right now. I would like to local geography(N California) in January. I'm wondering if I would be able to pick and choose locations with any of the history curriculum.

[GinaRae]

Originally Posted by MamaMonica

We're trying K-12 History this year, and so far the kids love it.

We're also using K12 (3rd grade) and as a non-Christian who DOES want my kids to learn about all religions, etc.. what I love is that they teach about each religion the same as other things. What I mean is, they feel that religion MUST be studied because it is what the workd we know today was founded on. All of the empire's and countries and land and political systems were founded with religion (basically).

So this month we're playing catch up and have learned about Christianity, Islam, Feudalism and the middle ages and are moving on to the Renaissance now... all of it is impartial and balanced and seemingly thorough. None of it is preachy or pushy or skewed.

Going online for 25-50% of the lesson to read or listen to audio is fun for them.

Having said that, the "History Record Book", optional and extra activities are worthless busy work IMHO. Like a piece of paper printed with stuff from Greece that you color, cut and fashion into head gear. Even my art loving kid was like.. um.. no. But the K12 curriculum allows you flexibility - you just go to the library or Google whatever you like and build in your own extras if and when you need them.

[MamaMonica]

Originally Posted by GinaRae

Having said that, the "History Record Book", optional and extra activities are worthless busy work IMHO. Like a piece of paper printed with stuff from Greece that you color, cut and fashion into head gear. Even my art loving kid was like.. um.. no. But the K12 curriculum allows you flexibility - you just go to the library or Google whatever you like and build in your own extras if and when you need them.

We skip all that, too! And add our own extras, too from the library.

[GinaRae]

Originally Posted by MamaMonica

We skip all that, too! And add our own extras, too from the library.

Though we DID do this one on Feudalism because he couldn't seem to keep his head wrapped around it. So that's just what he needed -- as we colored and cut and made a silly little mobile out of paper, we talked about Feudalism and who/how/what it was over and over during the busy work and by the end of the project he grasped it. I don't expect to do those projects often though!

[elizawill]

K12 follows the core knowledge sequence, so you could always go that route as well. www.coreknowledge.org has free lesson plans... i specifically love the baltimore curriculum press lessons (at the CK website under lessons as well). hth.

[sarah0404]

My daughter is 9 and we have really enjoyed this history curriculum http://bringinguplearners.com/mosaic...s-and-marvels/ It is free to download. There are quite a lot of fun activities and it also uses websites too - which is something I haven't really done before. I know there are a lot of good online learning resources out there, but I never know where to look for them. I feel like I have a really good understanding of history now too!

[naturemama1]

Yes, I think that plan will work well. My oldest daughter is 7 and she has read SOTW and Hillyer's A Child's History of the World on her own. I intend to spiral back through a good history curriculum with more in-depth activities and explorations, but at this age, my goal is to spark her curiosity. As free-choice reading, those two together have definitely given her a solid understanding of the scope of history and how it all fits together. She read each one in about a week, but I think she's slightly faster than the average reader her age (she's blasting through Baum's Oz series now, for example, reading about a book a day).

Both of those books are engaging and interesting, written in a narrative rather than textbooky style. So I think that as a "catch up" strategy, either of those books would work beautifully for your purposes.

[mamaMAMAma]

Originally Posted by naturemama1

Yes, I think that plan will work well. My oldest daughter is 7 and she has read SOTW and Hillyer's A Child's History of the World on her own. I intend to spiral back through a good history curriculum with more in-depth activities and explorations, but at this age, my goal is to spark her curiosity. As free-choice reading, those two together have definitely given her a solid understanding of the scope of history and how it all fits together. She read each one in about a week, but I think she's slightly faster than the average reader her age (she's blasting through Baum's Oz series now, for example, reading about a book a day).

Both of those books are engaging and interesting, written in a narrative rather than textbooky style. So I think that as a "catch up" strategy, either of those books would work beautifully for your purposes.

Terrific! Your dd sounds a lot like mine when she was 7!
I'll look into A Child's History of the World as well. I'd like to start
it as "free-choice" reading and see how it goes. Funny, all her reading
so far really has been free-choice. But I've been reluctant about assigning her reading for fear that might affect her love of reading. i'll take it slowly.