December CM/Classical Thread

[MyLittleWonders]

Due to popular demand, here's our December thread.  We are slowly getting the boys used to doing school again - it's amazing how just taking one week off can make it so much more difficult to get them started. I honestly think if I didn't need a week off every now and then to regroup, we'd school 52 weeks a year just to keep our routine going. As it is, I need to figure out how to keep our same basic routines during our off weeks without our regular school stuff so it's easier starting up again. I couldn't imagine giving them more than one week off ... I think it might be disastrous for them. 

I told ds#1 last night that the plan is 4 days of school a week between now and New Year's and then spend Fridays baking with my mom. I want to make some sugar cookies, they want to make ginger bread men, and I've also been promising ds#2 a pie of some sort for a while (it switches from apple to blueberry to pumpkin, so I'm not sure what we'll end up with, but probably fruit as dh isn't a pumpkin fan). My mom loves anything sweet (her number one rule when she comes over, jokingly, is to make sure we have cookies!), and Fridays are when she normally comes and spends the afternoon with us, so I think my plan might work. 

Oh, and the Sentence Composing and Story Grammar books from Don Killgallon came in yesterday. I have only browsed the SC one so far, but I like what I see. Later today or tomorrow I'll try and give a more thorough review/summary of them for those who are interested. Normally I try to do the "writing station" activity from All About Spelling twice a week (I think it starts half way through level 3 - it gives three spelling words, usually review but that are connected somehow theme-wise, and then the students use them to create an original sentence); I think instead we will work through the Sentence Composing book twice a week. 

ETA: Here's the November thread for reference.

Edited by MyLittleWonders - 12/3/10 at 4:57pm

[425lisamarie]

We are being very unformal until after the holidays.  I have 2 quilts to finish, baking to do for gifts, finish decorating yikes!  I think they get enough reading/math practice reading recipes measuring and we are doing our fair share of arts and crafts right now!

[*Jessica*]

     Quote:

Originally Posted by MyLittleWonders 

Due to popular demand, here's our December thread.  We are slowly getting the boys used to doing school again - it's amazing how just taking one week off can make it so much more difficult to get them started. I honestly think if I didn't need a week off every now and then to regroup, we'd school 52 weeks a year just to keep our routine going. As it is, I need to figure out how to keep our same basic routines during our off weeks without our regular school stuff so it's easier starting up again. I couldn't imagine giving them more than one week off ... I think it might be disastrous for them. 

I told ds#1 last night that the plan is 4 days of school a week between now and New Year's and then spend Fridays baking with my mom. I want to make some sugar cookies, they want to make ginger bread men, and I've also been promising ds#2 a pie of some sort for a while (it switches from apple to blueberry to pumpkin, so I'm not sure what we'll end up with, but probably fruit as dh isn't a pumpkin fan). My mom loves anything sweet (her number one rule when she comes over, jokingly, is to make sure we have cookies!), and Fridays are when she normally comes and spends the afternoon with us, so I think my plan might work. 

Oh, and the Sentence Composing and Story Grammar books from Don Killgallon came in yesterday. I have only browsed the SC one so far, but I like what I see. Later today or tomorrow I'll try and give a more thorough review/summary of them for those who are interested. Normally I try to do the "writing station" activity from All About Spelling twice a week (I think it starts half way through level 3 - it gives three spelling words, usually review but that are connected somehow theme-wise, and then the students use them to create an original sentence); I think instead we will work through the Sentence Composing book twice a week. 

I don't have toruble with starting back to school after a long break, but I think it has to do with our laid-back approach.  We do try to start doing some learning activities by 10am, but we don't call it "school", so it just feels like part of our life.  Last year we "did school", and we did struggle on Mondays and after vacations.  I like this way MUCH better!  lol  I hope your routine is back on track soon. 

Baking on Fridays sounds like fun!  We're planning on making some banana bread this afternoon.  Nik had Cub Scouts last night, and they decorated gingerbread men (the mom who hosted last night's meeting is a cake decorator).  He brought home one for every member of the family to eat.  Now he's requesting that we make our own gingerbread men, so we'll probably be doing that this weekend.  Marc is really the cookie baker in our house.  I prefer cooking and bread baking to dessert making.  Any time spent baking with Grandma is fun, though!  (Especially when you can rope her into doing it with the kids so you get to sit on the couch and enjoy a book!   )

We're working on a lot of handwork for Christmas gifts.  Tomorrow we'll be making cards with the homeschool group to take on a caroling trip to the nursing home.  Math is money skills.  Nik is still enjoying The Burgess Bird Book and doing copywork from that.  He's narrating from Aesop's Fables.  We're getting ready to start reading The Velveteen Rabbit.  Our current audio book is The Counterpane Fairy.  For science and history we've started reading from The Usborne Book of Scientists: From Archimedes to Einstein.  We're still working Waldorf elements into our days.  I cut our watercolor paper into postcard-size rectangles so our watercolors can be given away as postcard sets to the grandmothers for Christmas gifts.  I cut some smaller pieces that we painted and I will laminate to turn into bookmarks for the readers of the family.

I'm considering starting cursive with Nik after the new year begins.  His handwriting is legible, but not beautiful.  I know it is awful to compare, but his cousin in public school has gorgeous handwriting.  J is the same age/grade as Nik, so I feel like maybe I should step up the writing a bit.  Of course, Nik is far, far ahead of J in a lot of other skills, but I have that mommy guilt and worry that I'm doing him a disservice.  *sigh*

[crunchy_mama]

MLW- that sounds like a great plan, the kids can enjoy Grandma and you can hopefully get a bit of a baby break!!!  You guys are just zooming along, your babymoon must be going well as you seem to be back in the groove already.

LM- The kids always love the crafts and cooking, I don't think my 2 would ever tire of that!  I will sit in envy of your craft projects!

Jessica- we are doing the same thing with our hs group tomorrow!  We have been practicing our carols for at least a month.  I am sure we still don't know them all but we are going to do our best.  After caroling we will be playing games and having crafts.  It is hard not to compare you child to others.  I have to really work on that myself.  My kid is generally behind in schooly type things but I try to focus on his progress. 

Did I post we had the stomach flu?  Finally over that but are still getting in the swing of things.  Between the stomach flu and taking a break last week we are moving a bit slower than usual.  Oh, and the kids are acting CRAZY.  Not sure what is going on there, they really enjoy and need the structure though.  Dh was home for 5 days and then me being sick we watched a whole lot of tv, which we generally try to limit. 

Yesterday we took a field trip down to the Hemingway/Pfieffer house in Arkansas, it was really interesting.  The ladies did an awesome job of talking to them on their level and making it interesting.  They read them a story as well, they got to see some cool mounted animals and 100s of different minerals as well.  I think we have mostly done everything I had planned for this week with a few odds and ends to finish since we were gone yesterday.  We finally started our quilt blocks today, we made apple star prints on our first ones. 

[MissRubyandKen]

MLW- Thanks for starting the new thread. :) I agree baking Fridays sound awesome! My kids would love that, especially my eldest dd, who has a sweet tooth. I actually already purchased the Sentence Composing, hehe. It came today and I like the looks of it, so thanks for the rec. I'll be looking forward to your reviewing of both books. I'm coveting the All Things Fun & Fascinating as well. I went and looked at samples and I think my dd would enjoy the exercises. Do you think this is something I might be able to find used, or is more something that people treat as a workbook, then toss out? Also do you think the IEW book would be good to use after completing SC and do you think we might benefit from the All Things books even if I can't afford the teacher materials right now? I just placed several orders for next the rest of this year and for next, and I really shouldn't be spending any more money right now!

Lisa- I love crafty stuff! I usually have projects in the works, but for some reason I haven't been devoting much time to it here lately. Makes me sort of sad, but I just feel like I have a lot on my plate right now. Have fun!

Jessica- Yum banana bread! I like the look of the Usborne Science book, I'm going to check my library. Thanks for the rec. :) I plan to start my ds on cursive after the New Year as well, but he's a bit older at 9. I put cursive off with both kids until 3rd. I'm hoping he will like it and that it may improve his handwriting. His handwriting is usually quite atrocious, lol, although I know he is capable of decently neat writing when it is important to him, like with thank you letters and such

CM- I'm so glad your family is feeling better, stomach flu is awful! Your filed trip sounds like so much fun. We're always such home bodies once the weather turns chill.

[MissRubyandKen]

So, I'm looking for feedback or advice on this issue I've been kicking about. Part of myself wants to have a set plan mapped out for the coming years, especially as far as our History cycle. Prior to our school year starting in July we were relaxed, ecclectic homeschoolers. My interest in classical ed peaked as more and more of my choices were aligned with classical homeschoolers' choices. I skimmed through the original WTM book years ago, reading relevant parts to my children's ages. I'm now reading the new edition of WTM. I've pretty much read all of it aside from the Rhetoric Stage, which I skimmed through. I plan to go back and read that section thoroughly now. My children are ds, who just turned 9 and is in 3rd grade, and dd, who is about to turn 11 and is in 5th grade, and a dd who is about to turn 3.

I decided to start dd, 10, in the grammar stage alongside ds, 9, so as to use the same materials for both of them and to assess where she is, as well as to not entirely skip anything important from the grammar stage she may not have picked up from our previous schooling choices. She is doing very well and I believe it is time to start transitioning her into the Logic stage so that she will be fully into it at the start of next school year. I'd started narration WWE style in our prior year of schooling mid0year, so she did have some experience from that.

She is very good at narrating, summarizing, and grammar. I plan to start her on beginning outlining after the New Year. We are doing Ancients this year. I plan to start a timeline with her as well, but I am thinking of waiting until next school year with Middle Ages. This will mean our timeline will skip Ancients for now. I'm not sure if I want her to start outlining now in the middle of Ancients. Its seems it may be better to have her practice her outlining skills on other materials, then begin outlining History with Middle Ages next year along with the timeline. I was thinking then when we come back round to the Ancients she can either stay in Logic stage and outline and timeline Ancients, or move into rhetoric and skip Logic stage for Ancients altogether. I guess it would be preferable to start the rhetoric stage then, so she will then have a full round of History in the Rhetoric stage. I could possibly incorporate finishing the timeline and outlining into that year? I haven't read the Rhetoric Stage fully yet, so it might not be feasible.

Then the question as to when to start ds outlining in our History cycle? As well as should I go ahead and have him participate in the timeline now? Have her work on the timeline and let him peruse it at will? I know he isn't ready for outlining quite yet. He needs to polish his narrating and summarizing skills.

I'm also very torn between The Story of the World Activity book and the History Odyssey guides. I think I will be using both next year. Where I'm mostly torn is which order should I follow? To follow SOTW order and incorporate HO into that, or follow HO order and incorporate SOTW into that? It seems it may be easier to use the HO order and incorporate SOTW because HO level 2 has quite a lot to do (outlining, timeline, summaries,etc), whereas using the the SOTW activity book is simply questions, narration (which I would have ds do, but not dd if she's outlining), and mapwork. I bought the SOTW 1 activity book to use for the rest of the year and decided to try using its order and I have to admit I like the ease and simplicity of being able to read straight through the chapters. The flow seems much better this way. Anyone have experience using both? MLW- didn't you mention using both? How do you use them together?

Ancients- dd 5th(grammar/transitioning to logic), ds 3rd(grammar)

Middle Ages- dd 6th(logic), ds 4th(grammar)

Early Modern- dd 7th(logic, ds 5th(logic)

Where to go from here? My little one will be 5 at the beginning of the school year after that and six mid year. I'm thinking of skipping Modern! ACK! So confusing! Or I may do Modern with the olders and either push History to 1st for the little one and/or spend K doing Geography. Thing is I bet she will want to participate with what they are doing, so I may just skip Modern. I know I will be open to changing at any time, but I've been pestering myself to have a tentative plan so that I can prepare.

Any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions?

[bass chick]

I'm joining in this month!

We started officially hs'ing this fall with ds1 who is 6. I have been floundering about not certain what to do. I find that I am constantly drawn towards the classical model and training your mind. It just makes sense to me. So now I am giving us the "classical homeschooling" label.   I feel like I have more direction now!

With ds1 we are doing:

Math-U-See Alpha

The Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading together with Dolce Sight words I printed on cards (he is almost finished the grade 2 sight words)

Writing With Ease level 1 (just started today!)

All About Spelling -just finished level 1 and will start level 2 in a month or so

First Language Lessons (again, just started today!).

We finished "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" a few months ago and I found that ds1 is still struggling with reading. I think he is doing very well for 6 years old but he has worked VERY hard and it has definately not just come naturally to him. I think that starting part way through The Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading will give him that extra practice and a little different method for learning.

I'm not doing anything really for science or history, and no crafts really, although I have SOTW sitting on the shelf waiting for us (I'm SO excited to start this because I don't know a thing about history! haha!) and I have the "try before you buy" download from R.E.A.L Science also waiting. We struggle with finding the time because I run a dayhome and have up to 9 kids here from 7:30am-5:30pm Monday to Friday. So...it's busy here!! 

I am very drawn to science and wish we could do a science curriculum or at least science experiments a few times a week, but there is just no time. In a couple years I hope to get all science-y! My youngest (ds2 is 4) conducts his own science experiments in the bathroom using random bits of things, water, soap and lotion in the bathroom sink.

I'm looking forward to getting to know some of you better and look forward to seeing what the rest of you are up to! 

[425lisamarie]

Oh wow crunchy I'm glad you guys are on the mend.  I am so thankful the junk passed us this year, last year DS ended up wiht pneumonia which was spooky but he recovered well. 

Jessica - I am going to follow you around so I can have a knock over my head every time I question myself and our laxed ways.  We did the same thing, started out "schooly" and it was misery for all.  I think we do the same math, math mammoth though I just got math u see and using both worksheets and making it all more hands on with the math u see manipulatives is really easy!  I try to not be SO structured.  I have a certain amount in a week I want to do, but some days he takes the tiles and builds huge numbers, then tries to add them in his head.  If I tried to make him stop and write it down he would be annoyed and have no interest, so I try to tell mysefl to back off.  ALso, the same thing happened to us with learning money/clocks.  All of the sudden he really started to "get" the change.  What is really takes to make a dollar.  I have a really nice set of Melissa and Dough money, actually two of them I need to get the other from grandma's house.  We play games with it, and he totally loves being the Monopoly banker!  We played Monopoly one day for about an hour, and I have to think that is very beneficial.....adding hundreds and counting by twenties.  Sometimes when you add the pencil and paper it just gets in the way (with my DS at least). I know in years to come things will have to change up, but right now I really think they are doing well with learning the life skills behind "school."  It's not just words in a book and spelling drills, it helps you read your lego directions, help in the kitchen, etc, and numbers aren't about endless worksheets, math is everywhere.  DD 4.5 just loves anything and everything LOL.  On the writting, my DD writes "prettier" than DS.  I didn't realize when he first began writting alot, that he starts a lot of letters from the bottom up.  He has agreed to practice more.  He wants to write better and I've been gentle about it, but suggested maybe i could give him a few pages like the handwritting wtihout tears ( we have been bad about doing this, i think the actually books would help rather than me making them up?) each week and then he can take one a day and just practice making the letters.  Really I think it just takes practice,and some write better than others.  Mostly for him I think it's his habbit to not start from the top.  Unfortunately my mom used to do alot of schooly things with him without me completely knowing, and never corrected bad habbits.  With DD *I* was the only one teaching and introducing new things so I notice everything right away.  I was thinking the same thing with cursive though.  He writes ok, definately always legible so I think it's possible.

Does everyone have the hand writing without tears?  I think the actually books would help.

[425lisamarie]

Hi bass chick!  My DS is 6 too, actually 6.5 this month!  We are doing math u see beta, and he does really well with it.  My DD is 4 like your youngest and she is doing math u see alpha.  We have th explode the code books and they are great for writing, spelling, learning to read also because they focus on one sound, and a group of letters at a time.  DD is doing book 1, DS is doing book 5. He reads extremely well, but the books are still great for him for grammar side of things.  He has the beyond the code as well but is not as crazy about that one.

[MissRubyandKen]

Welcome bass chick! :)

I love homeschooling (most of the time, lol)! The big kids are memorizing the days of the week poem and each wanted to know the days they were born. I looked it up online and discovered both my eldest dd and my youngest dd were born on days with total lunar eclipses. I knew my youngest was, because I saw it and who could forget seeing that while in labor, but I didn't see the one with my older dd. This led to researching more about eclipses. I love the ability to be able to go off on tangents and allow them the freedom to discover seemingly random things! The next total lunar eclipse viewable from N. America is Dec. 20-21, 2010 (Dec. 20th is dh's birthday). I believe we'd have to be up at 3:00 AM to view it from our specific location however. The kids are begging, but I'm not sure I'm up to it, lol. We'll see!

We're taking a short day today. We've done Math and the copywork/memorization work on the poem. After lunch I going to finish cutting cardboard for the Mario board game the kids are making. While they work on the game quietly I'm going to begin reading The Christmas Carol aloud. I hope it goes well. I haven't read it myself and I'm excited! I downloaded Kindle for my PC and got the book for free from amazon! Oh yeah, I almost forgot we're on the chapter with classroom commands in Songschool Latin, so I'm going to give them commands in Latin to follow for a short bit too.

Lisa- I honestly never used Handwriting without Tears. I had the books when dd was in K and 1st but never used them. Honestly I just couldn't get past the difference of the printing and cursive from how I was taught.

[AngelBee]

Found you guys!

We should link our old threads in the first post so that people can look back if they need to.

[MyLittleWonders]

Originally Posted by AngelBee 

Found you guys!

We should link our old threads in the first post so that people can look back if they need to.

That's a good idea - I didn't think to put the old thread link in the new thread. I can go back and edit it though now. 

[MyLittleWonders]

Originally Posted by 425lisamarie 

Does everyone have the hand writing without tears?  I think the actually books would help.

Personally I love Handwriting Without Tears. Ds#1 had done the K, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade levels. Ds#2 is currently working through the 3rd grade book but his printing has regressed so I might put him back in the 2nd grade book for review. Ds#3 is working through the PreK book. I only buy the workbooks; for us that has been sufficient. I am really pleased with the program, and even though the cursive looks a bit different (kind of sterile, imo), ds#1 has made it his own and has beautiful writing. 

[MissRubyandKen]

MLW- It is interesting to me that you say your ds made it his own. I never really thought about it, but it makes sense. We all have unique handwriting, after all. Now I'm wondering if ds might have benefited from clearer, well laid out handwriting instruction. I did buy a well laid out book to use for cursive, thinking it may be of benefit. I actually do the same thing ds does with handwriting. I can have very nice handwriting when I try, but generally it is atrocious, lol! I hurry through most printing, lists for myself and such, so that I think it is barely legible to anyone but myself. I remember being praised for having wonderful handwriting in school. I really should slow down and enjoy nice penmanship more often. Handwriting can be quite beautiful actually.

[MyLittleWonders]

MR&K - My writing has become the same way. I took 3 years of drafting in high school and had really nice printing. My cursive had always been pretty good too. When I taught I learned how to write nicely on a vertical surface. Now, oh man ... I have this hybrid printing/cursive thing going on, which I can make look nice and neat when I slow down. Usually, though, it's not the most legible in the world. I've had to retrain myself to write on a chalk board so my boys can read it (it still slants one way or the other, which cracks me up). Sometimes I think my signature needs an "MD" after it just to justify the fact that you can't decipher the last half of it!  I hope ds#1 keeps his really nice writing (cursive or printing). We often use dh's grandmother as an example for him ... she has cursive writing that looks like a computer did it, and she's 91! There's not a shake in the letters and you'd think she drew invisible lines so it's always straight. I have no idea how she does it, but we tell ds that if she can write like that at 91 then he can continue to write as neatly as he does. 

I do think the no-frills cursive of HWOT helped ds#1 a lot. He can get visually overwhelmed and I think traditional cursive would have been harder for him to do. As it was, there were a few days of tears when he started the 3rd grade cursive book. Dh even joked that we should get our money back because in our house it definitely was not handwriting *without* tears.  But he eventually got past that and it really did work (the handwriting). But there are days when I can tell his attention is no where near his work, or where he wants to just get through it, and it starts to fall apart. I don't typically make him do it over (not a battle I want to fight with him), but I do make mention of it not being an example of what he is capable of doing. Usually that's enough for him to do better the next day. 

[MyLittleWonders]

Originally Posted by MissRubyandKen 

MLW- Thanks for starting the new thread. :) I agree baking Fridays sound awesome! My kids would love that, especially my eldest dd, who has a sweet tooth. I actually already purchased the Sentence Composing, hehe. It came today and I like the looks of it, so thanks for the rec. I'll be looking forward to your reviewing of both books. I'm coveting the All Things Fun & Fascinating as well. I went and looked at samples and I think my dd would enjoy the exercises. Do you think this is something I might be able to find used, or is more something that people treat as a workbook, then toss out? Also do you think the IEW book would be good to use after completing SC and do you think we might benefit from the All Things books even if I can't afford the teacher materials right now? I just placed several orders for next the rest of this year and for next, and I really shouldn't be spending any more money right now!

You might be able to find the All Things Fun & Fascinating book used - it is set up to be written in (from what I can tell), but personally I photocopy the pages that we actually need for the assignments instead of anyone writing in it (I didn't want to have to buy multiple copies). In terms of using it in relation to when to use SC, I'm not sure. I need to sit down and really go through the SC materials (and the SG book). But, then again, I'm using the ATF&F book while also doing WWE and MCT Island materials, so I might not be the best judge of which to do first as I plan on just integrating the SC materials into our days, probably 2x a week. I do love teaching grammar and writing and can't seem to have enough ways in which to do it!  I am using the ATF&F book without having used or purchased any of the other IEW materials yet - I know it is recommended to not teach the IEW materials until one has watched the Teaching Writing DVDs (or attending the conferences) but personally I didn't want to spend that much money up front until I knew the boys would respond positively to it. I do think it is beneficial though ... I'm not crazy about some of the terms ("dress-ups" just doesn't work for me), but so far both my older two have enjoyed the assignments and have done more writing without complaint than they have done before, so that's a good thing. 
 

Originally Posted by MissRubyandKen 

So, I'm looking for feedback or advice on this issue I've been kicking about. Part of myself wants to have a set plan mapped out for the coming years, especially as far as our History cycle. Prior to our school year starting in July we were relaxed, ecclectic homeschoolers. My interest in classical ed peaked as more and more of my choices were aligned with classical homeschoolers' choices. I skimmed through the original WTM book years ago, reading relevant parts to my children's ages. I'm now reading the new edition of WTM. I've pretty much read all of it aside from the Rhetoric Stage, which I skimmed through. I plan to go back and read that section thoroughly now. My children are ds, who just turned 9 and is in 3rd grade, and dd, who is about to turn 11 and is in 5th grade, and a dd who is about to turn 3.

I decided to start dd, 10, in the grammar stage alongside ds, 9, so as to use the same materials for both of them and to assess where she is, as well as to not entirely skip anything important from the grammar stage she may not have picked up from our previous schooling choices. She is doing very well and I believe it is time to start transitioning her into the Logic stage so that she will be fully into it at the start of next school year. I'd started narration WWE style in our prior year of schooling mid0year, so she did have some experience from that.

She is very good at narrating, summarizing, and grammar. I plan to start her on beginning outlining after the New Year. We are doing Ancients this year. I plan to start a timeline with her as well, but I am thinking of waiting until next school year with Middle Ages. This will mean our timeline will skip Ancients for now. I'm not sure if I want her to start outlining now in the middle of Ancients. Its seems it may be better to have her practice her outlining skills on other materials, then begin outlining History with Middle Ages next year along with the timeline. I was thinking then when we come back round to the Ancients she can either stay in Logic stage and outline and timeline Ancients, or move into rhetoric and skip Logic stage for Ancients altogether. I guess it would be preferable to start the rhetoric stage then, so she will then have a full round of History in the Rhetoric stage. I could possibly incorporate finishing the timeline and outlining into that year? I haven't read the Rhetoric Stage fully yet, so it might not be feasible.

Then the question as to when to start ds outlining in our History cycle? As well as should I go ahead and have him participate in the timeline now? Have her work on the timeline and let him peruse it at will? I know he isn't ready for outlining quite yet. He needs to polish his narrating and summarizing skills.

I'm also very torn between The Story of the World Activity book and the History Odyssey guides. I think I will be using both next year. Where I'm mostly torn is which order should I follow? To follow SOTW order and incorporate HO into that, or follow HO order and incorporate SOTW into that? It seems it may be easier to use the HO order and incorporate SOTW because HO level 2 has quite a lot to do (outlining, timeline, summaries,etc), whereas using the the SOTW activity book is simply questions, narration (which I would have ds do, but not dd if she's outlining), and mapwork. I bought the SOTW 1 activity book to use for the rest of the year and decided to try using its order and I have to admit I like the ease and simplicity of being able to read straight through the chapters. The flow seems much better this way. Anyone have experience using both? MLW- didn't you mention using both? How do you use them together?

Ancients- dd 5th(grammar/transitioning to logic), ds 3rd(grammar)

Middle Ages- dd 6th(logic), ds 4th(grammar)

Early Modern- dd 7th(logic, ds 5th(logic)

Where to go from here? My little one will be 5 at the beginning of the school year after that and six mid year. I'm thinking of skipping Modern! ACK! So confusing! Or I may do Modern with the olders and either push History to 1st for the little one and/or spend K doing Geography. Thing is I bet she will want to participate with what they are doing, so I may just skip Modern. I know I will be open to changing at any time, but I've been pestering myself to have a tentative plan so that I can prepare.

Any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions?

I am in somewhat the same situation with my three boys. Technically we should have been in Early Modern this year with ds#1 in 4th grade and ds#2 in 2nd grade. But that would have put us in Modern Times with ds#2 only in 3rd grade, and I was not comfortable with that, nor did I want to separate them for history. (I have a couple friends who were doing Modern Times with their kids and they said it's different than the other books - more war, less story.) So, we backtracked and did Ancients this year (well, we started half-way through last year as we were off by a half-year anyway, and are finishing this year - I stretched basically a half-year over the full school year). That has us doing Modern Times when ds#1 will be in 7th grade and ds#2 in 5th grade, both logic stage. At that time, ds#3 will be in 2nd grade, but I do not plan on having him join in with any of it. I'll start him in Ancient Times in 3rd grade when the older two cycle back to it. I've realized after starting the history cycle and then restarting it that I think the ages in WTM are too young, at least if you are trying to keep multiple-aged children in the same history cycle. There's just something about Early Modern Times and Modern Times that to me are too "old" for 3rd and 4th grade. So, chances are the boys will only make it through 2 history cycles instead of 3, but I figure that's probably 2 more than they would get in public school, and it'll also give us some flex time in there for things like US history, government, economics, and civics, without having to sacrifice world history. I'm not sure what I'm going to have ds#3 do for K-2nd grade for history, but I think I might just focus on American history via picture books of various famous Americans, as well as some basic geography. I think I'll use the US history lesson plans from the Core Knowledge Sequence. 

And yes, I do use the SOTW activity guide and History Odyssey, but I follow the progression of History Odyssey. I tried to do Medieval Times according to SOTW and pull the HO materials as they came up, but it was too much work for me. I like how HO has every laid out for me. It is frustrating sometimes getting to a chapter in SOTW and having the chapter assume we have already read the preceding chapter, even if we haven't according to the HO timeline, but it wasn't worth trying to rewrite the program to make it work for me. But, I do like the SOTW activity guide for the coloring/activity pages (helps with what I feel is the monotony of HO with just map work), and I am using the narration questions in it as well since I decided we needed to do narration and dictation for history. So, basically I follow the lesson plan in HO, photocopy the appropriate coloring page from SOTW, use the narration questions from SOTW when we read the chapter, and sometimes do the dictionary work from HO when we read the pages from the Usborne Encyclopedia. Does that make sense (I keep getting interrupted by a 4 year old who is very concerned about where his marshmallows end up in regards to his hot cocoa - oh man!)?

[MyLittleWonders]

MR&K - By the way, I don't think I've ever told you, but I love the quote in your signature! Is it from The Alchemist? (That would be my guess - I love his books, but that is by far one of the best books in the world.) 

[MissRubyandKen]

Originally Posted by MyLittleWonders 

MR&K - By the way, I don't think I've ever told you, but I love the quote in your signature! Is it from The Alchemist? (That would be my guess - I love his books, but that is by far one of the best books in the world.) 

Now I've another book added to my must read list, sooner rather than later. Thank you! I really should have been curious where it came from, but for some reason it never crossed my mind. Another poster had it in their signature. I PMed them to tell them how much I liked the quote. They told me I could have it as they were thinking of changing their quote anyhow! :)

[kittywitty]

For those who use IEW- is this program good enough? http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/Teaching+Writing+Structure+and+Style+10-DVD+Set+with+All+3+Student+Workshops%2C+Tips+%26amp%3B+Tricks%2C+Student+Workbook-Syllabus/012487/1291480454-1341778

[MyLittleWonders]

Originally Posted by MissRubyandKen 

Originally Posted by MyLittleWonders 

MR&K - By the way, I don't think I've ever told you, but I love the quote in your signature! Is it from The Alchemist? (That would be my guess - I love his books, but that is by far one of the best books in the world.) 

Now I've another book added to my must read list, sooner rather than later. Thank you! I really should have been curious where it came from, but for some reason it never crossed my mind. Another poster had it in their signature. I PMed them to tell them how much I liked the quote. They told me I could have it as they were thinking of changing their quote anyhow! :)

It's on my "to be read again" list. It is a wonderful book. 

Originally Posted by kittywitty 

For those who use IEW- is this program good enough? http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/Teaching+Writing+Structure+and+Style+10-DVD+Set+with+All+3+Student+Workshops%2C+Tips+%26amp%3B+Tricks%2C+Student+Workbook-Syllabus/012487/1291480454-1341778

That is what I plan on buying in the spring (I didn't realize Rainbow Resource carried IEW materials). I'm debating buying either the Medieval History writing book or the Student Intensive notebook pages so I do not have to always come up with material to use for the writing assignments. I'm leaning towards the Medieval materials for two reasons - we'll still be doing our WWE/MCT mix for language arts/literature based writing, and I'm not sure if the SWI notebook pages are all I'd need to have the written student assignments that normally come with the entire Student Writing Intensive package (the one that has the DVDs aimed at the students). I think it does based on what my friend uses (she has the SWI package for her dd). I like the idea of having some history-based writing assignments though; we'll be studying Medieval Times next year anyway, so it'll blend well.