SCM Discussion Forum

1. 

   JennNC
   Member

   Hi SCM team! (or anyone who has a suggestion for me :)

   I'm wondering what you guys suggest we use for a spine for module 6 this year, while waiting for Greenleaf Press to finish out the Famous Men series?

   Also, I know you're looking at releasing the modern times handbook in the spring... any chance you'd like to sell early drafts of it to certain families to do a trial run for you this year? I know it is a long shot but thought it couldn't hurt to ask. We could give you the perspective of a large family using it for kids all the way from high school to kindergarten. :)

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
2. 

   Sonya Shafer
   SCM Team

   I don't really have a good Modern spine to recommend, JennNC. That's why we're writing Stories of the World and Stories of America to cover that time period. We plan to release those books just as soon as we finish writing them, so I'm afraid we don't have them ready for a trial run.

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
3. 

   JennNC
   Member

   Ok. I'll see what I can find :)

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
4. 

   Sue
   Member

   For U.S. History, this year I'm planning to start with This Country of Ours, which we can access online for free , and that will take us nearly halfway through the period. Once we finish that, if Stories of America Volume II has been released, we'll finish up with that. If not........well, I'll figure that out later!

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
5. 

   JennNC
   Member

   Hi Sue_mom! I'll go google it! What reading level is it? (I mean read aloud, not independent reading level.)

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
6. 

   JennNC
   Member

   I just found it on Amazon for kindle for .99! :)

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
7. 

   suzukimom
   Member

   If using TCOO - please don't read the chapter on Mormons.  It is hateful and inaccurate.

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
8. 

   JennNC
   Member

   Thanks for the heads up on that... anything else I should watch out for? I haven't decided to use it yet, just trying to figure out my options. So any other thoughts are welcome!

    

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
9. 

   my3boys
   Member

   We have Story of the World volume 4 (I think, I'll have to look) and TCOO audio version from Librivox and hard copy (I think).  That's all I've got so far for us as well.  Last year we didn't use a spine or commentary so this will be interesting.

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
10. 

    momto2blessings
    Member

    We're doing Module 6 this year with the SCM readers and Truthquest. My kids are 6th and 3rd. I'm using TQ as a spine, along with This Country of Ours and Abe Linclon's World, and a couple intermittent readings in TQ.  Ambleside uses TCoO from the early years through Y6 (first as a read aloud, then as a reader).  And Abe Lincoln's World is used in Y6.  I think AO is pretty advanced....Gina 

    Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
11. 

    my3boys
    Member

    I think I'm going to get Abe Lincoln's World as well. I actually forgot that I had considered that, too, yeah, Gina, you reminded me.

    Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
12. 

    Sue
    Member

    You can read TCOO online at http://www.heritage-history.com if you don't want to purchase it. However, it would be handy to have it on Kindle.

    Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
13. 

    Sue
    Member

    Okay, I've been searching for and reviewing comments about TCOO, Hakim's History of the U.S. series, Truthquest Guides....."et cetera, et cetera, et cetera....and so forth!" Now I'm wondering and wondering, will my kids think of Native Americans as "savages" if I read TCOO to them? Would they slip into a liberal worldview when my back is turned if we use Hakim's series? Could Truthquest Guides be used instead of a spine this year? Why is my pink lemonade frozen??? (Just wanted to see if you were paying attention!)

    Honestly, the last question is easy (I put it in the freezer to chill and forgot about it)....the rest--well, let's just say MY HEAD IS SWIMMING! I have read several comments in various places that speak to the inappropriateness of TCOO's "dated material," and I am having second thoughts about it. Sure, it's free (read online), but at what price if I have to keep editing/explaining it?

    As far as Hakim is concerned, they look like engaging books and my library has all of the volumes, but again, I don't want to have to explain away the liberal worldview--I want to instill in my children the Christian conservative worldview I believe in.

    So, this evening, I looked at Truthquest's website and viewed a couple of samples. I liked what I saw. Setting aside the notion that our curriculum budget is just about down to $0, I am wondering how I would use this. Has anyone used Truthquest Guides in place of a spine, when paired with living book selections? (I love a lot of the books on SCM's curriculum guide list and a few others, too.) I have a nearly-11yo, a 12yo, and a 13yo, but I was planning on using the same spine for all three of them. Would TQ American History be "too young" for the 13yo? Could I use the upper level TQ Age of Revolution for all three kids and use it instead of SOTW Vol. 4?

    Does anyone have an ibuprofen???

    Thanks,

    Sue

    Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
14. 

    JennNC
    Member

    I may be remembering wrong, but I think that the TQ guides do suggest certain spines in some of their guides, although the way they use them is a little different. You use the guide as your spine and then it will suggest certain chapters in various books that are usually considered spines. (Make sense?) Of course the bulk of what the guide suggests are living books -- but I do remember her noting particular chapters from one or two regular spines as you would follow along in the guide. And then in the next section she would suggest another chapter or two. And so on.

    But I have only used one TQ guide and that was years ago. So I may be wrong? Anyway I think you could successfully use TQ as your spine if you could get a good fit for the ages of your kids. I love her commentary and the way she teaches kids (and parents!) to think about history. Momto2blessings, which guide are you using?

    Hakim does look interesting -- I am concerned about the liberal bias too though. And I have thought about just going with SOTW 4, my kids always like those, especially if we get the Jim Weiss recordings. What to do. 

    Abe Lincoln's World -- thank you! I forgot I had that on my shelf. Happy day.

    Lots of ideas, thanks everyone. :)

    Sue -- I love to do this to my kids

    Why is my pink lemonade frozen??? (Just wanted to see if you were paying attention!)

    Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
15. 

    crazy4boys
    Member

    I don't have any ibuprofen.  Sorry!  I'd check out a few Hakim books from the library and read them yourself to see how well you like them or not.  I think (for the modern age) just using Truthquest without a spine would probably be okay.  Most of us are a little more familiar with the happenings of this time period.  We did a "living books" only (no spine) before the SCM stuff came out and my kids weren't damaged!  In fact, we had fun.

    It does make your head swim.

    Heather

    Posted 1 year ago # Report Post

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