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| The Scream, Edvard Munch |
I've got a couple of years before The Boy hits high school (which is also making me feel like that picture), at which point I know he "should" do at least one year each of world and American history (or should he?). In the meantime, where should we go?
Option A... on the more classical side:
Continue with K12's Human Odyssey (world history, ancient Greece-maybe the Renaissance)
Read through the Narnia lit list I put together
Option B... American:
Use Hakim's [concise] books as our "spine" for US history
Bring in complimentary American literature
Option C... interest-led:
Let the kids pick titles from the Landmark and World Landmark (and similar) series for history
Pick and choose whatever we feel like reading from my giant to-read list
Option D... world studies:
Study a country/region each month or so, learning about the history of that area, and basing literature off that area as well
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| image courtesy of stock.xchng |
If only they could stay little kids longer.
I am always, always torn on history and lit as well. This year, William, who is in 6th grade, used/is using the concise History of US and filling in with American lit. as we go. It has been good.
ReplyDeleteBuild Your Library Curriculum has a pretty nice schedule for Hakim (the older versions, but easy to line up with the concise) and she chooses pretty nice lit. You could look at that. She leaves enough wiggle room to modify, too. Just a thought. When you get to high school, you can start over with the 4 year cycle. But...if the Narnia lit list is something you would rather love to do, do it before high school if you can, when you are not bound to graduation requirements. Then use Human Odyssey when you get to high school and start with ancients.
Here's the link for Build Your Library Curric: http://buildyourlibrary.com/
I've always thought history is such an odd subject because there is seemingly infinite (prehistory + history) amount of information to cover and yet, in 13 years, schools repeat basically the same stuff over and over in cycles as kids mature?!?
ReplyDeleteI think maybe that's why I like the Core Knowlwedge Sequence -- although the information cycles, you have freedom to choose your resources. So, I can include any literature, art, music, etc. to accompany the material.
As you know, I'm planning to use Hakim's first two books to go along with CK's Grade Three concepts this year -- but as for the World History topics of Ancient Rome and Vikings, I'm using a mix of contemporary books and old timey stuff.
Your indecisiveness is a good thing--you're always keeping an open mind. You didn't buy one boxed curriculum when Cyrus was 5 and refuse to deviate from it (like a lot of people do)!
Your kids are part of all your decisions and they're happy...that is all that matters!