If your kid(s) didn't like SOTW, what did you choose to do instead (1st grade level)?

[melissel]

For various reasons, I just have a feeling that SOTW isn't going to go over well with my DD next year. I'm planning on trying it out anyway, because I know so many people love it and use it with great success, and I do like the idea of the history cycle. But if it doesn't work out, what are some other options?

Oh, I forgot! To throw another wrench into the works, I'd be looking for something secular, or that could easily be made secular.

TIA!

[Sue G in PA]

I ask b/c it might help in recommending "other options". I'm not "too" familiar w/ secular History programs as we've been using and drawn to a more Biblical approach, but if I knew what part of SOTW didn't "click" w/ you I might be able to help!:)

[Kendra]

We are Mystery of History fanatics here, with a 7th grader, 5th, 3rd, and 1st all using it. We have the audio CDs for year one, which my kids really enjoy, particularly because we can throw it on in the car if we're going somewhere.

I did a post on our love affair with MOH (http://www.preschoolersandpeace.com/?p=27)...

[cajun.classical]

How about Hillyer's Child's History of the World? I love this book and it's perfect for younger kids. It's also secular. And for studying Ancients, the Table of Contents is almost identical to SOTW. I just prefer his writing style and presentation.

[Ohio12]

I love SOTW, but I think Child's History of the World would be my second choice.

[Kendra]

Oh, I forgot! To throw another wrench into the works, I'd be looking for something secular, or that could easily be made secular.

TIA!

Ooops! Sorry. I completely missed this. MOH is definitely not secular.

[Parabola]

Not everyone thinks A Child's History of the World is secular. I think it is VERY religious, so look into that one carefully if you are considering it. And its too bad, it is a written in an appealing way for children. I wish it were secular.

[melissel]

Not everyone thinks A Child's History of the World is secular. I think it is VERY religious, so look into that one carefully if you are considering it. And its too bad, it is a written in an appealing way for children. I wish it were secular.

I've heard the same criticism of SOTW. Do you think CHOW has more of a religious slant than SOTW does? I'm comfortable with the level in SOTW, for the most part, but I have no way to look at an actual copy of CHOW unless I buy it.

Thanks!

[melissel]

I ask b/c it might help in recommending "other options". I'm not "too" familiar w/ secular History programs as we've been using and drawn to a more Biblical approach, but if I knew what part of SOTW didn't "click" w/ you I might be able to help!:)

You know, it's hard to say. I have a feeling the text is going to be a bit too dry for her, I guess. This is a kid who is, and has always been, generally happy to sit and listen to anything as a read-aloud, but she wouldn't sit for more than 2 minutes of SOTW when I read it for her a year ago. Granted, she was young for it, which is why I'm happy to give it another go. Also, the activities are not really her style, maybe? I don't know, Sue, it's hard to put my finger on, which is why I'm still going full-speed ahead, LOL! I'm probably just thinking about it too much. I just want to be ready to switch gears if I have to, you know?

[Closeacademy]

Galore Park has a history curriculum that looks good. It does drag the cycle out for a few years but it follows the chronological sequence and the samples look like it would have been a lot of fun. I think I may try it with my second and pick up with the book that comes after Story of the World 2.

Now, it is a text but it is in narrative form and there are lively drawing and such. It is also British so it focuses on history from their viewpoint.:001_smile:

[melissel]

I've heard the same criticism of SOTW. Do you think CHOW has more of a religious slant than SOTW does? I'm comfortable with the level in SOTW, for the most part, but I have no way to look at an actual copy of CHOW unless I buy it.

Thanks!

Ack! Never mind. I just did a search on CHOW and discovered that you answered this exact question a few days ago. Thank you!


Galore Park has a history curriculum that looks good. It does drag the cycle out for a few years but it follows the chronological sequence and the samples look like it would have been a lot of fun. I think I may try it with my second and pick up with the book that comes after Story of the World 2.

Now, it is a text but it is in narrative form and there are lively drawing and such. It is also British so it focuses on history from their viewpoint.:001_smile:

Thanks, I'll look at it. I've heard such great things about Galore Park in general.

[Carolyn in Ohio]

The 1st edition of WTM recommended an Usborne book, which might be out of print now ( a big white hardcover) , But I think the internet linked one would work. I used the Usborne with my oldest and it worked well. Lots of pictures, much less text than SOTW and I had lots of time to supplement with library books. I use SOTW now and I don't add in ALL the extra books I did before because there is more in SOTW. I'm not sure which way I prefer.

hth
Carolyn

[Another Lynn]

have you looked at Amblesideonline? It uses CHOW along with Our Island Story, 50 Famous stories Retold, Just So Stories, Aesop's Fables, Burgess Bird Book, among others. You could leave out Parables from Nature and Trial and Triumph. Many of their selections are available online which would at least give you a chance to preview them. Our 1st grade situation was different because I DID want a Biblical perspective for history, but after a couple months of MOH we were dying for something more literary. We switched to Ambleside and covered Biblical ancient history with something else.

[Plaid Dad]

We used CHOW as a read-aloud, with occasional oral narrations. It was easy and an enjoyable read. We are not doing a four-year history rotation, though, if that matters for your plans.

ETA: How religious CHOW is is very much in the eye of the beholder. I don't think of it as explicitly religious, but then, I don't consider SOTW religious either. CHOW does tacitly assume that the child is growing up in a culture that is at least nominally Judeo-Christian and it does talk about the Big Bang and prehistory. Neopagans would probably object to Hillyer's "fairy tale" characterization of the Greek gods. So while those would be issues for certain families, overall I don't think of it as a religious text.

[Shari]

I loved the 4-year cycle, but didn't care for SOTW. For first grade, we used History Pockets: Ancient Civilizations and readers / literature from Tapestry of Grace.

[Sandwich in Wi]

Well, not a spine, but if you want something that pulls it all together and gives you activities to boot, check out History Odyssey, Level One. It uses CHOW as a spine, along with Usborne Internet-Linked History of the World and SOTW AND History Pockets--kind of everything that has been mentioned in this thread. And HO is secular.

Hope you find something that works well for you.

Blessings,
Sandwich

edited to add: Here's the link: http://www.pandiapress.com/history_odyssey.htm

[Bambam]

My oldest didn't enjoy SOTW Volume 1, so we switched to Child's History of the World. This worked out much better for us. I do wish there was a CHOW activity page book to go with it though!

[melissel]

I can't believe it!!! One of the libraries in our system has CHOW in its collection! I'm totally :eek: Our system is great for readalouds, but not so much for spines. Hooray! I'm going to get the copy and test them both out with DD5. Hopefully SOTW will go over better this time, since we're all set for it, but if not, at least CHOW will be another option.

Thanks, everyone!

[freethinkermom]

SOTW did not work for us. With my 1st-ish grade 6yo I am using What Your 1st Grader Should Know as a basic chronology, Usborne Internet-linked as a spine, and lapbooks, usually purchased from Hands of a Child for activities and more in depth learning. This is basically what I did with my older boy too, but we used a WTM chronology. Right now ds6 is working on the Explorers lapbook from HOAC (it was a recent Super Member download, I think it will be available to the public soon). It is written for a hogher grade level than he is, but he can handle the reading and information just fine. He needs help with the physical writing of the answers, but that is it. Personally I would rather do something other than lapbooks, but ds6 LOVES tham and really learns well from them.

[OhElizabeth]

There is a workbook for CHOW. You can order it directly from Calvert. The main part is an outline to fill in after reading the text and in the back are activities ranging from recipes to crosswords, etc. It's not as many activities as the SOTW AG and I probably wouldn't bother if your dc isn't old enough to fill in the outlines. It's listed as 4th gr, but my dd did it in 2nd profitably. The outlines just have blanks to fill in, nothing terribly difficult.

[one l michele]

nt

[Parabola]

ETA: How religious CHOW is is very much in the eye of the beholder. I don't think of it as explicitly religious, but then, I don't consider SOTW religious either. CHOW does tacitly assume that the child is growing up in a culture that is at least nominally Judeo-Christian and it does talk about the Big Bang and prehistory. Neopagans would probably object to Hillyer's "fairy tale" characterization of the Greek gods. So while those would be issues for certain families, overall I don't think of it as a religious text.

You are very right on this. People may think I'm nuts for saying its very religious. But I come from a very- lets just say- secular point of view. There is no religion in our homeschool, so when I peruse CHOW and see christ or another biblical character mentioned on 7 of the 10 pages I land on, then this seems quite blatantly religious to me.
On the other hand, people who homeschool using one or more of the very biblical curriculums, see CHOW as being quite secular because it includes things like prehistoric people and pantheistic gods, and because from their POV its not near as biblical as what they may be doing otherwise in their school.
Which just goes to show, it IS all relative.

[Lovedtodeath]

It is the history of Israel. It is written by a secular historian and those that believe Israel to be God's chosen nation actually have problems with a couple of things in the book. Just to throw out another possibility in case neither work. A pessimistic one aren't I?

You could also just do a study on world culture instead of starting the history cycle. We are doing this first.

[Osaubi]

Maybe she would like the CD's that go with SOTW. I have seen other threads where the kids didn't like the parents reading, but they did enjoy the CD's.
My ds doesn't like activities, so we don't do any of those. He will sometimes do a coloring page though. I do use the list of extra books, and the maps.

HTH