SOTW4: What happens when the younger child joins in?

[beansprouts]

This is a spin-off from the eager 4 year old thread: Quite a few people mentioned that they would not begin the SOTW series too early because then the child would be in volume 4 at a tender age. I had the same concerns with my own early learner. We are managing to avoid the modern era this time around by delaying it until dd is in 8th grade. However, I have two more children whom I will want to fold into our lessons as they are able to participate. We are beginning the history cycle again this coming year and when we return to volume 4 I will have an 8 1/2 year old and a 6 year old tagging along with my 8th grade dd. How would you handle this situation?

[Beth in Central TX]

Next year, I'm going to let my then 7th & 6th graders move forward in the Renaissance & Reformation era, and I'm going to start over in Ancients with my 1st grader. The older ones will be more independent, so it shouldn't create too much additional work for me. I think my youngest would be lost in SOTW Vol III.

Some homeschoolers continue to fold their youngest ones in the history cycle. The young ones will see that cycle at least two more times before they graduate. Either way will work. Like you, it bothered me that my young one would be in over his head.

[Anne/Ankara]

We started Ancients in first grade, as WTM recommended, with a six year old and a four year old listening in, and the younger child participated to the best of her ability and interest. This was no problem throughout the past 8 years (yikes!), with the older child getting a bit more detail out of the history/science studies than the younger one.

Even Year 4, Modern History, hasn't been a problem because I chose not to concentrate all our energies on studying all the terrible wars of the period-- rather we really looked at the cultural contributions of the time (music, art, people, scientific advances). So it wasn't too "heavy" for seven year old, grammar stage kid.

[Susan Wise Bauer]

I say this with fear and trembling, because it's always a risk to say what you're working on before it's done...but we're developing a "younger sibling" pack for SOTW 4. It has 1-2 grade age appropriate coloring pages, maps, questions, projects, and reading lists. Should make it much easier to teach multilevel. (Eventually we hope to develop "older sibling" packets for Ancient and Medieval Times and another "younger sibling" pack for Early Modern.)

It should be ready before late summer...I'll keep you posted.

[Kelli in TN]

I say this with fear and trembling, because it's always a risk to say what you're working on before it's done...but we're developing a "younger sibling" pack for SOTW 4. It has 1-2 grade age appropriate coloring pages, maps, questions, projects, and reading lists. Should make it much easier to teach multilevel. (Eventually we hope to develop "older sibling" packets for Ancient and Medieval Times and another "younger sibling" pack for Early Modern.)

It should be ready before late summer...I'll keep you posted.


Thank you. That is all. Just thank you, thank you, thank you.

[beansprouts]

I say this with fear and trembling, because it's always a risk to say what you're working on before it's done...but we're developing a "younger sibling" pack for SOTW 4. It has 1-2 grade age appropriate coloring pages, maps, questions, projects, and reading lists. Should make it much easier to teach multilevel. (Eventually we hope to develop "older sibling" packets for Ancient and Medieval Times and another "younger sibling" pack for Early Modern.)

It should be ready before late summer...I'll keep you posted.

That would be perfect. Thank you! :)

[Kalah]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

[nmoira]

My 3.5 yo was listening to the cd's awhile back with her sister (we were doing a final listen to wrap up Ancients). During the Assyrian chapter, she said, "Mama, I think they're going to kill everybody." Wait, wait. "Yup, they killed everybody." I'm in no hurry to get to Modern History with my 6 yo, let alone my 3.5 yo. We're going to do 2 years on Medieval... the girls will probably come up with some great games based on what we read.

[Kalah]

That's a cute story, though. Sounds like something my little one would say! I can imagine how you felt hearing those words!
We're starting Ancients again next year. By then my youngest will be 5.5. We'll see how it goes. I think you've got a great idea, doing Medieval twice. As this is my favorite period in history, maybe I'll follow your example!

[Old Dominion Heather]

Sweet! nt

[nmoira]

That's a cute story, though. Sounds like something my little one would say! I can imagine how you felt hearing those words!It was pretty funny... she said it in a deadpan voice. The idea of death isn't a new one to her -- she's played with older sis and her friends "hunting food" a la Little House in the Big Woods, dragon hunting, fighting knights errant (as dragons), etc. for years. Just this morning the were raining thunderbolts (manufactured from huge pipe cleaners) on monsters and disobedient and disrespectful villages (as gods). I'm not sure who it was that decided girls were the more delicate sex.

[Arch At Home]

With that maybe I should hold off starting SOTW 4. My oldest even could use a younger pack.

[Laura Corin]

But I started Hobbes over with his own cycle when he reached age six. I now have Calvin on SOTW 3 (we took a year off to do Chinese history) and Hobbes on SOTW 2.

Laura

[nmoira]

But I started Hobbes over with his own cycle when he reached age six. I now have Calvin on SOTW 3 (we took a year off to do Chinese history) and Hobbes on SOTW 2.My younger girl probably won't be starting until age 7, as she doesn't share her sister's academic inclination. If I can time it right, I can have both kids on the same part of the cycle, but one iteration apart.

[beansprouts]

But I started Hobbes over with his own cycle when he reached age six. I now have Calvin on SOTW 3 (we took a year off to do Chinese history) and Hobbes on SOTW 2.

Laura

I am willing to hear anything ;) How do you keep up with multiple children in different history cycles?

[Laura Corin]

Well, I only have two children! Calvin does a lot of his history on his own. He reads all the books, then we come together to discuss his assignment for the week. It does mean that I am not as intimately involved in his history as I used to be, but it's going okay.

Laura

[Cadam]

It's one of the reasons I am going with MFW. They have a pack of books to use with the younger siblings when you get to SOTW 4 with big ones

[Debra in CO]

Oooh, that sounds fabulous!

Debra
Mom of five, ages 2-10

[nmoira]

Oooh, that sounds fabulous!What does?

[CleoQc]

we're developing a "younger sibling" pack for SOTW 4.


Woohooo!!!!:D

[WTMindy]

I say this with fear and trembling, because it's always a risk to say what you're working on before it's done...but we're developing a "younger sibling" pack for SOTW 4. It has 1-2 grade age appropriate coloring pages, maps, questions, projects, and reading lists. Should make it much easier to teach multilevel. (Eventually we hope to develop "older sibling" packets for Ancient and Medieval Times and another "younger sibling" pack for Early Modern.)

It should be ready before late summer...I'll keep you posted.

Susan, I really, seriously think I love you!! And my kids are finished with all four years (which we loved.) But, what a fantastic idea!!!!

[Karin]

...but we're developing a "younger sibling" pack for SOTW 4. It has 1-2 grade age appropriate coloring pages, maps, questions, projects, and reading lists. Should make it much easier to teach multilevel. (Eventually we hope to develop "older sibling" packets for Ancient and Medieval Times and another "younger sibling" pack for Early Modern.)


THANKS!!!! My kids love SOTW, but getting the work and reading level right was more work.

[Karin]

I am willing to hear anything ;) How do you keep up with multiple children in different history cycles?

My eldest hates history, so she does it on her own. We don't even discuss it much. She's done with SOTW, but will do SWB's high school spine starting next year. My second one does all the reading and work on her own. We do some discussion, but not regularly enough. Actually, she's between SOTW books at the moment as she finished early and we can't afford to buy the next one until later this spring, so she's continuing with US history.

My kids only do 2 rotations through history, though, not three. They start the first one later, which is why I'm doubly glad about the new materials coming out. Well, my middle one might do 3 rotations just because she really loves history.

[Aubrey]

I say this with fear and trembling, because it's always a risk to say what you're working on before it's done...but we're developing a "younger sibling" pack for SOTW 4. It has 1-2 grade age appropriate coloring pages, maps, questions, projects, and reading lists. Should make it much easier to teach multilevel. (Eventually we hope to develop "older sibling" packets for Ancient and Medieval Times and another "younger sibling" pack for Early Modern.)

It should be ready before late summer...I'll keep you posted.

Bless you!! I've been dreading this--mine will be 4th & 1st in another year.

[Oak Knoll Mom]

Bless you!! I've been dreading this--mine will be 4th & 1st in another year.

This is actually why I gave SOTW the old heave-ho this school year. I bought into the whole "fold in your younger kids" line and then was disappointed when I found out about the warning against using SOTW 4 with younger siblings. I asked several times what the recommendation would be for dealing with younger kids as I would have a 4th, 3rd and K5 by that point. I never got a response so I decided that instead of dreading what I would do, I'd just go ahead and do something about it now before we had too much invested in SOTW. I switched to Sonlight and am very happy with my decision!

If I had know about the planned younger sibling packs at the beginning of this school year, I might have stuck with SOTW.

[Colleen in SEVA]

I say this with fear and trembling, because it's always a risk to say what you're working on before it's done...but we're developing a "younger sibling" pack for SOTW 4. It has 1-2 grade age appropriate coloring pages, maps, questions, projects, and reading lists. Should make it much easier to teach multilevel. (Eventually we hope to develop "older sibling" packets for Ancient and Medieval Times and another "younger sibling" pack for Early Modern.)

It should be ready before late summer...I'll keep you posted.

Has anyone heard more about this? :)

[Arch At Home]

Yes...I tracked it for almost a year. We even temporially substituted a state/presidents study for SOTW 4. At Peace Hill Press the project has been put on indefinite hold. We have recently started with SOTW 4 with my 2 and 4th graders. It is going well as in the past we didn't much of the extra and I have been able to adapt the map work for the younger.