Truthquest – two in one year?

We did the MA and RtR in one year.  I used the SCM module 4 guide as well and that was our schedule, I marked all of the books that were in the SCM in the TQ guides and those were our must reads and I would read the commentary.  If I wanted to add a few books I did, but we didn’t always.  We did the thinkwrites orally, next time my ds will do them written.

I haven’t used the older guides, but I do think it’s possible to combine since TQ takes a bit longer to get through a full cycle of history than any other program I’ve seen.  I think it’s best doable with good upfront organization. We did AHYS I w/little planning and at the end of the year I was really cramming to try to finish what I wanted in that one guide.  This year we are having no problem doing both AHYS II and III….I was just more particular about what we chose and took time planning, rather than winging it so much:)  Gina

Translate AHYS. I’m new to Truth Quest.

Yes, it can be intimidating to plan!  But after you do it once, it really does get easier.  What I do is use the SCM history booklist as my main guide (to narrow the HUGE TQ list:) and go through and pencil check them in my TQ guide (most tend to be in there, so far anyway!)  I also pencil check a couple that TQ might label as a ‘don’t miss.’  I pick a spine to refer to for topics we won’t read a whole living book for. My kids are 12 and 9. Currently, I read the spine and the guide commentaries to both, and they read the SCM readers on their own.

Once I have the books, I plan out how many chapters (1 or 2) can be read in a day and how many days/wk. I want to do history.  We usually read as a family 4-5 days, my 12yo reads her reader 4 days, my 9yo reads his reader 3 days. Once I know how many total days of history we’ll have in a year (together time and individual), I can add up the readings to see if we have too many or too few books.  If too few, I can order more.  If too many, I’ll drop one or two, or transfer to nighttime free reading.  I simply type out a master schedule for me…just a list really…of what we do day 1, day 2, etc. in together time.  My kids simply know what days to read history and have a list in their binder of the books in order and how many ch. to read per day. I’m not concerned w/perfectly lining up their readings with our together topic….would be near impossible:) I also list movies I’d like to watch on my master schedule.

O.k., that probably sounds more complicated than it really is!  It takes a bit of time, but so worth it to me to have the books I think best for our family. Following straight AO or straight SCM (or straight anything:)  is difficult for me! As my kids age, I plan to transfer more and more reading to them, and probably expand on history titles.  I hope that all makes sense:)   Blessings, Gina

I am planning on using a three year cylce with our boys starting in September.  They will be 8 and nearly 12 (3 and 6th).  I am planning on using the SCM Mod 1 and 2 and allow a total of 18 weeks (two 9 week blocks) to cover each.  This way my boys will be able to cycle through history more than once (older ds 2x, younger ds 3x). High School in our Province is only three years (grades 10-12) so this allows a full cycle for each in High School.  While I’m looking at the book list I am noting which books are going to be used in the elementary, jr high and sr. high levels.  I won’t have time to get through everything in one year, so I will leave somethings that are appropriate for more than one age group for the next cycle.  For the first cycle through Bible History will definately be the main focus, with brief sojourns into other cultures, a little deeper through independant reading for my older ds.

I believe it is completly doable — infact in my case it’s preferable to do it this way.  My boys would get bored stuck on one culture too long.

Another thing I’m doing:  My sister has traced our family tree back in some areas as far as 616.  There are a few famous names on the list, We are adding some of these people to our book of centuries so that when we get to that time frame and/or even that particular individual they can see the relationship.  We expect it will add to the excitement of history when they reach some of them and see how their “great-great-times-whatever-grandfather or grandmother”did this or that and how it affected history as we know it.

If you join the Truthquest yahoo group, which is HIStory questers — I think — and look in the file section, there are some schedules that people have put together for the TQ guides.  You may want to change things up a bit, but it would give you a starting point for planning purposes.