SOTW 2

[StephanieF]

We are using SOTW 1 with my ds5 and enjoying it a lot.

If we follow the schedule (and do one vol a year) we'll be on to SOTW before he is 6.5 yrs old. Is that too young do you think? I can slow down SOTW 1 if necessary, I don't want to do vol2 if it would be difficult for him to understand and he doesn't think it is fun any more? The same goes for 3 and 4.
Thanks
Stephanie

[Susie in CA]

We started SOTW 1 when my older son was 5. We, too, loved it. I do suggest that you slow down going through it, though, not because you have to but because you are having so much fun.

We read almost all the extra books from the Activity Guide. We did tons of projects; most from the activity guides. It just ended up taking longer to get through the volume anyway.
As you move through book 2, 3, and 4 the level of difficulty increases so much that it will be better to get there later. We actually ended up starting SOTW 4 in 4th grade and I am very glad it worked out that way. The amount of information in SOTW is just incredible. I know some even suggest that the content is too advanced for elementary kids. I don't think so myself but the detail is still overwhelming.

Susie

[Veritaserum]

We are doing volume 2 this year with dd8 and dd6. If I only had dd6 I would move more slowly through volume 1.

[whitestavern]

I bet it will take you longer than a year to cover each of the SOTWs. We didn't use SOTW 1, but we stopped and spent more time at a couple of different points in SOTW 2 because there were some things that had SO many resources we wanted to go through. I see that the same thing could happen with SOTW 3, especially when we cover the US topics. I think we'll finish up SOTW 3 when my dd is in the middle of 4th and my ds is in 2nd. I will probably do geography after that to finish up that year because I think SOTW 4 will be too much for them at that point. So we'll do SOTW 4 during 3rd/5th grades.

[jennyt]

Hi,

My eldest dd had just turned 5 and she was officially considered "grade 1" in Australia, and she was reading and writing quite happily, so we started SOTW1. I admit to having been in a bit of a rush to get started on this wonderful curriculum with my eldest, but she loved it. We have continued on finishing each SOTW within the year and are almost finished SOTW4 - our school year ends in December. I've even added in a couple of extra weeks of Australian history every year. We don't have long breaks off school so don't struggle to get through 42 chapters a year. My eldest dd turns 9 tomorrow. Dd6 joined us this year - tougher for her to have to start on SOTW4 but she has done a great job of keeping up with it, doing narrations with me and mapwork, while dd8 has done outlining and the mapwork with her.

All I can say is, I held off a bit longer with dd6 (she was 5 3/4 when she started) thinking that her comprehension level would be better than my eldest's because she was older, but I haven't noticed any real difference. I think the whole thing really trains them to think and think well! - whatever age you start, obviously within reason. dd8 has loved history the entire way through and her literacy skills have been really well developed, I think.

Actually, I'm definitely not starting history with ds4 when he's 5 at the beginning of next year. Though I didn't notice the difference with the girls, I think I prefer to start with them when they're older now. It's a little bit easier if they're a bit older, when you are juggling a few kids.

Hopefully, this is just another perspective.

Jenny

[StephanieF]

Thanks for all your replies! As usual they have been very helpful
Stephanie