oliverw wrote:So I thought of two things: (1) maybe I could start with the American History high school levels first and then do AHL and WHL when my girls would be in 11/12th grade and 9/10th grade. Would my 7/8th grader be able to handle the high school level american history?
Welcome along!
NO! NO ! NO ! and NO! do not put the 7th grader in high school US1. NO! I just got my US1 package yesterday and it is 11th and 12th grade material. no no no. strike that plan!
oliverw wrote:or (2) if I do start the 9th grader in AHL, my 7th grader could do the ECC, I think it's called..the geography class. But then what would I do when she's in 8th grade? I wouldn't want to have her in a different history time frame than the oldest. and the dates between the american history classes for middlers and high school don't match up (one goes to 1850 and the other 1877, or something close).
((hugs)) I'd recommend that you not get too worried about them all being in the same history together. The way MFW sets up the programs - there is an easier way on mom to juggle different learning stages. I know lots of homeschoolers talk about "ooh.. it's so much fun to have them on same history" or other subject.... But what we really mean is that we need to juggle less and that's one subject to do. But it's not the only way to do it. Some programs try to have all kinds of learning levels mixed in, but it doesn't have to work that way.
The high school programs are easy on parent. The guides are written to the student to begin to take more responsibility on their own. Then, we can work more with younger crowd that needs more help. It really frees us up as parents that way. I have a 10th grader in WHL, a 7th grader in EX1850. and an autistic child in a mix of things for her special needs. It really isn't that bad to mix/match history with the mfw manuals because they pre trim it all and it's doable.
I have a crazy idea for you to consider. But before that, please know that in addition to any ideas we have, I'd encourage to call MFW's office and talk with them for planning in your family.
this is my idea...(although I really like what Julie in MN wrote)
If you want to have the family connected in history time frame....
what if you went a little off the standard path and did it this way:
AHL and CTG - invite the 9th grader to have some fun on the Old Testament feasts. Or invite to join on building the model tabernacle. Things will not line up perfectly and that is ok! review and preview are ok.
then in 10th and 8th: WHL and ECC. My oldest is in WHL this year and she and I are finding that she is remembering a lot of things from her ECC year with missions and mapping. This week is one of those odd examples -- in the history book, there was mention of George Muller. His biography is used in ECC.
The website recommendations for using parts of ECC in high school toward part of the Geography Credit are:
additional work:
1. Read one missionary biography per quarter (four total) and write a one-page personal reaction to each book. Suggested biographies are Bruchko, The Narrow Road, Peace Child, and I Dared to Call Him Father (available from My Father’s World in the Exploring Countries and Cultures 7th and 8th Grade Supplement).
2. Take a pre-test for identifying the locations and names of countries, major rivers, etc. Then set a goal with your parent/teacher for memorizing a certain number of them. Work on your goal until achieved. (The Geography Game in Exploring Countries and Cultures may be used.)
3. Read/study general geography books found at your library. Another option: BJU has a year-long course with multiple components. Consider reading through just the textbook, Cultural Geography for Christian Schools.
so, now for the first two years of homeschooling, you have the children thematically connected in history/geography and everyone is more in their needs and such. And you never know..... you could use the opportunity for research paper in WHL to do an extensive research paper on one of the countries in ECC or another country.
The year after that,
you'd have the oldest in US1 as 11th grade
youngest in AHL - don't worry that ancients was done in 7th, it's that different. My oldest did CTG and AHL back to back..
Although they do not look like they will be connected, you might find that they will be connected in Bible themes that year. I can't fully explain it yet. But from looking extensively at the US1 Bible last night, I can see how it could connect. There is the "worldview" connections. The living life on purpose and intent connections. Then, in US1, students are encouraged to develop their own Bible reading plan -- well, both of them could do the reading plan in AHL.
then in oldest's senior year.... US2 and the youngest in 10th.... you'll be a veteran homeschooler by then and it'll just flow.,
oliverw wrote:(3) I would love for both of them to start in the geography curriculum because they have not had any good teaching on this from public or private school. But then my high schooler would not get through the 4 years of history that she needs.
Sorry for the long post. I'm just swimming in too many choices and even more questions.
Rachel
I have crazy ideas on that part of it...... What if you starting homeschooling when oldest is in 8th grade instead of 9th?
MFW does have recommendations on how to use selections of ECC in high school toward building part of a geography credit. It doesn't mean you do ECC as a full program, but select parts of it. So you could set aside some time in the day to do that.
You asked if you do ECC in 7th, what about 8th? Well, you can do any of the 5 year programs.
keep asking but , do not use the high school US1 with 7th grader. You will be a very frustrated homeschooling mom that way. I think the way MFW sets it up you can "survive" that first year in 2 programs even if the history topics do not line up. I'd encourage you to call MFW's office and speak in person with one of their high school consultants. I know at least one of them started homeschooling when his son was mid way through 10th grade and next child was 7th grade. They were in different programs and things really worked out well.
-crystal