SOTW history help

[Jan in SC]

This is our first year homeschooling, so I've focused on the basics. I have done some history. We have been working on ancients with SOTW 1, but we have not finished it. If we don't finish it should I :

1. continue next year with it
or
2. start SOTW 2 (and pretend we finished it!)

My boys are 5,6,&7 now.

I really want to just pack it up and continue on with #2, but I don't want to confuse them!

Thanks,
Janet

[Jennifer in NH]

How far along are you? Can you fast forward a little bit. When we did SOTW 1 we skipped a few chapters. Actually, we also have the audio cd...so we just listened to those chapters in the car. We are doing the same with SOTW 2. I find I get a little worn out this time of year and tend to want to just drop it...so instead I just pare it down. My kids are 7 and 5. We will be doing this stuff 2 more times so what they miss now they will get again.
I haven't really answered your question though. I wouldn't stop half way through the book and then start SOTW 2, but I might skim a little more to get near the end...if that makes any sense. hope this helps some!

[Lenora in MD]

They are pretty young, so I would just keep going with it next year and start sotw 2 when you finish. You will be thankful you didn't rush it in the end! Enjoy your time with history.

[ArwenA]

They are pretty young, so I would just keep going with it next year and start sotw 2 when you finish. You will be thankful you didn't rush it in the end! Enjoy your time with history.

My thoughts exactly.:)

[Beth in Central TX]

In our first history cycle, I did the older version of SOTW. Each book had 42 chapters which was too much for our school year, so I decided to skip the chapters that I didn't think were necessary during this introduction to history. Therefore, I would stop at the end of the year where you are in SOTW Vol I and pick up next year with Vol II. Your kids are young, and you have 2 more history cycles to move through; whatever they miss now will get picked-up eventually.

[Adrianne]

This is what we did when faced with the same dilema. For us the point of chronological history is not to skip around, (hence defeating the original purpose). So when I was faced with the same decision I just continued the next year and started 2 when finished.

We are now in SOTW 3 and I have not regretted my decision.

It also helps you not to feel rushed b/c you don't need to worry about getting done!

[Mrs Mungo]

They are pretty young, so I would just keep going with it next year and start sotw 2 when you finish. You will be thankful you didn't rush it in the end! Enjoy your time with history.

I agree. If you need to skimp on a few lessons and do minimal activities or even skip a chapter or two fine but don't skip the rest of the book. Try to keep history in order.

[mchel210]

We are in SOTW 1 but I purchased 2 for next year. I am only on lesson 15 this week. I went back and cut out the cards in the back of the activity book for a timeline and we reviewed them all up to chapter 15. Now today we did 15. I plan on at least 1 or 2 chapters a week up till the end of our school year then we can do more over the summer to complete.

I know we cant stop working over the summer or we loose too many brain cells. (at least my kids do) So we will catch up over the summer and do tons of activities along with our studies. This should get us ready for SOTW2 next year without skipping.

[Strawberry Queen]

If you want to condense things, then look to see what will be important to know for sotw2. I would do all of the chapters on Rome and Greece, as those are referenced later on.

I did this with sotw2. I was feeling like it was taking us forever. So, I went through and figured out which chapters were really necessary. I made it into a quasi unit study by doing no science for a month and history every day. I feel more successful because we're getting somewhere. Some of the chapters I just read with no narrations. I added in some extra books that rounded out our study. I'm finding this very helpful and we're almost done history. If I hadn't done this then I would be doing sotw right through until the middle of July.

I also found that focusing on one content area study is good for my focus. I find it hard to be creative in history one day and science the next. Too much jumping around for my poor brain.lol

HTH

[Jan in SC]

Thanks for all of the suggestions! I will order SOTW 2 and look ahead and then I'll just relax a little about it.

[Chris in VA]

Yet another vote for finishing. How much do you have left?
I find I can do history 4 days a week, and really get a good chance to pick an activity and add in supplemental reading. We actually started SOTW 1 in Jan of K, and didn't finish until the end of first. I left off a few chapters.
This year, we have loved the second book, but again, we go at our own pace. We really don't get bogged down in the details, but just like to do the AG and pull in some extra lit.
It's ok to go slowly--just relax. I certainly don't slow down with the purpose of having kids memorize everything--our reason, as I said, is just so that we can have fun with it.

[nestof3]

We just finish a book when we finish it (my boys are young too). I actually like that we are OFF on the cycle because I never have a problem with library materials being checked out by other WTM users. :D