Choosing - CTG and then AHL??

[cbollin]

As many of us do this time of year, I've been thinking about our future! I'd love input from some of you more knowledgable MFW-ers.

My plan has my older son studying ancient history for 8th AND 9th grade. I don't think I feel very excited about that.

well, I don't know what to tell you other than my oldest is doing CTG right now in 8th grade and she'll do AHL in a few months. She's fine with it. so am I. I figure it means she'll be that much more able to concentrate on the more indepth history in AHL as well as having more time with writing her papers.
It means this year, 8th grade, she is "lightly" covering history, but getting to do some side topics of interest for other social studies.

the only other CTG 8th then AHL 9th heads up that I know about going into the program real soon is this: in AHL, part of the English credit is Reading Time. The suggestion in the AHL manual is to having certain reading list that go with ancient history theme or to use whatever classics you want. Just one "problem" -- the suggested reading list is mostly stuff she did this year in basket/reading time on her own. So, no big deal there -- we'll just do the other path that's mentioned "use classics" and for that, we'll be using the suggestions in the SAT prep book that MFW recommends. and don't feel the need to do Cat of Babustes (or whatever it is when you do CTG b/c you'll do that in AHL). So our "reading" time will be selections unrelated to history and using that SAT prep to try to help. We'll just make sure it doesn't include books in the whl, HS-YR3/4 list.

well... that's my only help. well, except to say call MFW if no one comes up with a good tweak

-crystal

Posted Tue Jun 01, 2010 8:00 am by cbollin
ok. so that means if you have an 8th grader in ctg, enjoy book basket but skip The Cat of Bubastes from book basket since that gets extensive coverage in AHL.

[Julie in MN]

Just one "problem" -- the suggested reading list is mostly stuff she did this year in basket/reading time on her own. So, no big deal there -- we'll just do the other path that's mentioned "use classics" and for that, we'll be using the suggestions in the SAT prep book that MFW recommends. and don't feel the need to do Cat of Babustes (or whatever it is when you do CTG b/c you'll do that in AHL). So our "reading" time will be selections unrelated to history and using that SAT prep to try to help. We'll just make sure it doesn't include books in the whl, HS-YR3/4 list.

Interesting, Crystal! A good recommendation we can add for folks now, due to you always forging the path ahead

I actually decided to have my son read "classics" this year, after attending a Stobaugh seminar in the fall. There are a lot of "classics" that I just wanted to skip because they didn't interest me, but he convinced me that it's important to recognize those references in speeches & conversations & such. So we've spent 8th grade on things like you'll find in the back of the MFW manuals on the "classics list" and other books you find on various "must read" lists (that I used to ignore) -- Tom Sawyer, Treasure Island, Alice in Wonderland, A Christmas Carol (Dickens), some famous biographies, etc. So even for non-readers like my son (as compared to your lovely reading dd), I think your "classics" idea in either 8th or 9th would be a great idea when CTG/AHL reading lists overlap.

Julie

[sojen]

Next year I will have 4 kids "doing school" in , K, 2nd, 5th, and 7th grades. I have been planning on doing ECC with them (we are finishing up American History), but now I am beginning to second guess that idea. My concern is mostly for my then 7th grader. He would do ECC then CTG and then move on to AHL. I'm afraid doing CTG and AHL back to back would cause him to lose interest.

I really like the look of ECC and I think my kids would enjoy it, so skipping it would be purely for the reason of doing CTG and AHL back to back. Anything that you can share with me to help make this decision would be much appreciated.

I loved ECC, so I wouldn't skip it. I'm sure some other ladies can explain what they did to remedy the back to back CTG and AHL- but it seems to me you would at least have one more year to figure that out.

ECC was so much fun, I'm actually kind of missing it right now. Tonight I went to the copy store and they always have a trivia question on the board to answer while you wait. It was, "What country has the smallest population?" Thanks to ECC I knew the answer. (Vatican City)

[cbollin]

Well, there's always the other option,
do CTG when he is in 7th then ECC in 8th. then jump back to RTR for youngers and continue in order while oldest is in AHL.

But my oldest did ECC in 7th, CTG in 8th and is in AHL this year and it is fine. Different books, different focus. It meant in 8th grade that her history wasn't a huge focus and let us have "social studies" electives (like adjusting to life in a new city which we had no intention of moving!) and even teen books and topics for extra reading and just enjoying lots of options in reading. It really was that easy to plan ahead for CTG then AHL. It wasn't a problem at all. but more questions welcomed

-crystal

[Julie in MN]

Agreeing with Crystal that you could switch them around, and agreeing with Jen that ECC is a great place for a family to begin together

One thing I've noticed this year while doing AHL is that Crystal has been correct when she says that the years are different. Reading the entire Old Testament in high school is a big task. We only had the one day to read the 10 commandments, so I was glad that back in 4th grade my son spent I think a day on each one, memorized them, made a "tablet of stone" poster (that we got out again in high school), and watched movies about it. During the days we read all the requirements for building the tabernacle and looked at the pictures, I was glad that he actually built a model back in 4th grade (and it's out in our living room again ). The 10 plagues, well, just read Lainie's posts (including her link) - http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php ... ilit=frogs Oh, and the feasts, what can I say, here's my big ol' 9th grader way back when:

You'll have lots of fun family memories and meaningful family discussions, either way.
Julie

[dhudson]

First of all, Julie, I loved seeing your picture of your sukkoth.

I would do ECC and then CTG merely because of the younger kids schedule. The 7th grader is going have the history cycle intact during high school and it would be nicer for the younger kids to have it in order as well.

I also have found great benefit in doing ECC first because it is easier to teach history if we teach the geography first. The history and lives of people who live in the jungle are drastically different from the people who live in a desert region. Can you imagine a tribe of people having no contact with outsiders until the 1900's that lived in the desert? No, of course not because they have to travel to get water and food and they have to trade to survive. A people who live in the Amazon can and have kept themselves hidden because they have everything they need to survive in the jungle. Geography plays a huge part in history and I just have found it easier to teach it first.

Not huge reasons but it might give you food for thought.

[cbollin]

Julie, I still love that picture all these years later. It looks so "mfw poster family" to me.

I also have found great benefit in doing ECC first because it is easier to teach history if we teach the geography first.

totally agreeing with that!

that was one of the big things for me when I was really looking into programs with chronological history. I wanted a basis of geography and cultures and current events first. and the missions focus too. Even know as I go through RTR for the 2nd time, it's just so much easier to read and study all of that history because we have our ECC year and can really picture the places and peoples.

-crystal

[LisaMarie6]

Thanks ladies. What I am hearing is that CTG and AHL are different enough that it wouldn't be like doing the same thing over again and that ECC would probably be the better starting point for my youngers.

I really do like the look of ECC. It is something different from what we have been doing and I think my dc would really enjoy it. Since I am used to saving and spending a lot of money on Sonlight Cores I figured I would just buy the books that we plan to use.

[Lucy]

Dear Lisa Marie,

I do not think anyone else mentioned it, but there is a 7th/8th grade supplement that you will need for your 7th grader that includes 4 readers that will be scheduled in the Teacher's Manual on a special 7th/8th lesson plan grid along with other assignments especially for 7th and 8th graders. MFW also recommends adding two literature unit studies each year. You can take a look at what they offer here, http://www.mfwbooks.com/progenypress/index.htm. This would be considered part of the 7th graders language arts for the year.

Lucy