So I had bought the SOTW 1 and 2. We started out listening to the c.d.'s and my dd9 quickly got bored. So, I just let her go off on her own to do her own thing. My ds10 on the other hand, took these books and read them, as though they were regular books. I feel like I'm doing him such an injustice. He is already done with both of them.... I guess I need to let him finish up with the last 2 though....

What history do I do with him that will keep him going? Should I just let him check out books to go with that part of history? should I buy an actual curriculum? GRRR...

Then there is my dd9 who doesn't like to read, doesn't like to be read to. WHAT DO I DO? I don't want them to suffer b/c I don't have it together. Please help y'all...
I don't mind having something that my son can go to and pick it up and read it... all year even. He loves history, I just want to keep his desire blossoming like it is, and quench his thirst for this knowledge. While at the same time giving my daughter the same opportunity to learn.

This post was edited on Jul 30, 2010 08:26 PM

We use History Odyssey by Pandia. They use SOTW as one of the spines that go along with the list of books. I really like the book choices. Thye have a try-before-you-buy offer where you can get the first 10 or so lessons for free download to see if it work. HO might be a good fit for your DS, since you already have the spines.

For your DD, I would probably look at getting a workbook, since she's not fond of reading. Carson Dellosa makes some really good ones on U.S. or world geography, presidents, and some other topics. She may get more interested in reading when she is a little older.

My vote would be to leave your ds alone. Let him check out books from the library if he wants to. You can't possibly kill his love for history by letting him follow his nose. :-)

Don't get a workbook for your dd. See if you can cut back on the reading aloud or something, but don't get a workbook. History isn't that vital at this age, IMHO; children should just enjoy it. If they enjoy it, they'll remember more, and they'll want to learn more.

Also, remember that "curriculum" does not mean "that pile of schoolbooks there." It means "the subjects offered by an institution of education." Your "curriculum" is history; anything you use to teach is an instructional resource.

This post was edited on Jul 30, 2010 10:39 PM

My history buff son used BJUP history curriculum in upper grades, but during his primary/elementary years, his main source of learning was good, solid, historically-accurate books (and even some carefully-chosen DVDs). I was amazed at what I could find at the library via inter-library loan!

We did use some colorful, interesting workbooks (written from a Christian worldview) for 'fun' when they were younger, saw them in the store, and 'wanted' to do them. We used them very informally, but it was time well spent. That was in the middle years, not when they were very young.

Looking back on their early and middle years, the thing they enjoyed most in history was going on field trips. We went to a number of places in your area, including Fort Frederica, Fort King George (at Darien), Castille de San Marcos, Charleston, SC (Fort Sumter and more), the Okefenokee, etc.

I went in the Visitors' Centers and got brochures, maps, coloring books, activity books, etc. Some were free and some were not, but none were expensive. When we came home, we'd use those in the following week to remember what we had learned on the trips and learn even more. It was always fun.

We also read books about those places before we went on the trips -- for example, we read a great Childhood of Famous Americans biography of James Oglethorpe before going to Fort Frederica and Savannah. I checked it out at the local library.

This post was edited on Jul 30, 2010 10:53 PM

Great advice. I don't really want to do "workbooks" with my dd, I want her to love history and science like my ds. She will pick up a 100 page book and it takes her 2 months to read it. She'll be on page 20 and think she's doing something. My ds chews books up and spits them out. My dd is so precious, she's more of a cooking, sewing make believe kind of girl. I guess I kind of feel like I'm short changing them, b/c all the "curriculum" I've gotten so far we have wound up quitting half way through (except SOTW for my ds).

Julie, we have been to some of those places you mentioned. My family is from Darien (dad's side).... we went to Fort King George last year I believe it was. They were having war re-enactment (sp?) When we got there they took us around to different places and showed us different things about how life was back in those days. At the end of the day we got to watch a "gun fight" against the British I think... and the indians. My ds LOVED it. There was a blacksmith there and my ds just soaked that up. He loves blacksmithing. Not that he has ever done it.

We don't really have the finances for field trips much. Okefenokee park is WAY too expensive, plus we've all been there too. I am wanting to take them to the Museum of Science and History in Jacksonville. The only downside to that is I know it will contain evolutionary facts and my ds will hate that and probably be lose interest in the place.

Thanks for the help.

My son used History at Our House for the last two years and we are hooked! We use the recorded lectures option. They always keep his interest. He has learned so much this way! There is a month-to-month option, so you could always try it for a month and see how they do, without spending a lot of money.

Audrey :)

Miranda, when we went to Fort King George, they were not having the war re-enactment -- my dc would have really enjoyed that! (and DH too) That was actually a spur-of-the-moment trip for us; we went there on the way home from Fort Frederica and Savannah.

St. Augustine is very close to Jacksonville. It's supposed to be the earliest European settlement in the USA, and there are a LOT of historical sites there, including Castille de San Marcos. I don't recall there being any charge there, but it's been awhile so I may have forgotten.

We went to Okefenokee with a h/s group, got a big group discount. We couldn't have done it otherwise.

We took the trips I mentioned about every six months; usually about once each school year. Those were BIG trips for us, because they required more than one day's drive. We learned that going in the off-season (not summer or holidays) meant we could do that type thing at much less cost.