A Child's History of the World

Once we made the decision to join Classical Conversations in the fall, it was full steam ahead in the planning department.  Coming from an early American history overview for 1st grade, I wanted to give Old Crow a solid introduction into world history.  History sentences covered in Cycle 2 of CC cover a large time period.  I struggled with this for a long time.  Do we jump around in different Story of the World volumes to follow along?  Read only one volume of Mystery of History?  Or do nothing at all?  

I finally decided to give Old Crow (2nd grade) a gentle, one year world history overview.  

We chose A Child's History of the World (CHOW) by V.M. Hillyer. 

I like for things to be neat and tidy.  So I couldn't quite grasp how we could learn about Charlemagne on week 1 of Classical Conversations but then not read about him in CHOW until many weeks later.  So I went chapter by chapter through CHOW and correlated it with the history sentences in CC.

Charlemagne is first mentioned in CHOW in Chapter 47.  So we will be reading the beginning chapters over the summer and in August.  Then only 2 or 3 chapters per week are required to keep up with the pace of the CC history sentences.  CHOW's sequence actually goes along quite well with the sequence of the history sentences.  I will be reading the chapters aloud and then the boys will narrate.  While this book is geared perfectly for a 2nd grader, I will also have my Kindergartner listen along.  Hopefully, everything will go as planned!

Click here to download the CHOW chapter correlations.

Jenny

Big Change: Curriculum Choices for 2013-2014

We are making a big move this year...in curriculum!  ;)

Last year was wonderful as we used Heart of Dakota's program.  I even posted the top 10 reasons why we loved it so much.  It was perfect for Old Crow's 1st grade year.  As I began to look at how Heart of Dakota would fit both Old Crow in 2nd grade and Crazy Horse in Kindergarten, it became difficult to make it work.  Their learning would be completely different and their subjects would be separated.  I began to feel pulled in the direction of combined teaching or multiple-age learning.  I wanted as much of our learning to be together as possible.   So I began looking into new curriculum choices. 

I researched and researched until I felt physically sick (no joke).  My husband finally told me to stop looking at it.  I laid it all out for him and let him make the decision.  Wheewww!  The weight that was lifted off of me was indescribable.  Why do we moms do that to ourselves? :)  

Our final choice...We have joined our local Classical Conversations community and are so excited about beginning in August.

Taken from CC's website:

Classical Conversations is a leader in the home-centered education movement. It is a mission: To know God and to make Him known. It is a model: Classical Conversations combines the classical method of learning with a biblical worldview. It is a method: Classical Conversations families meet in communities where parents train parents to implement home-centered education well.

Here is the breakdown of our curriculum for this coming year:

Old Crow:  2nd Grade

Math: Singapore Math 2A/2B

Reading:  Heart of Dakota's Drawn into the Heart of Reading Program Level 2

English:  First Language Lessons Level 2

Spelling:  All About Spelling Level 3

Copywork and Writing:  Various portions of poems, classical stories, and scripture

Crazy Horse:  Kindergarten

Math:  Singapore Math Earlybird Kindergarten A & B

Reading:  All About Reading Pre-Reading

Handwriting:  A Reason for Handwriting Level K

Everything else we will all learn together through our Classical Conversations work.

Bible, History, Science, Geography, Latin, Fine Arts, English Grammar are all included with CC.  We will read living books and complete activities to expand on what is learned.

Looking forward to a new year,

Jenny