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Convince me not to jump ship on SCM History?
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We are four years into SCM’s 6 year history/geography/Bible rotation and I’m needing some reassurance. This is the only curriculum I’ve ever taught. Several friends are raving about their history choices (Masterbooks, The Good and the Beautiful)—the colors, the pictures!, the worksheets are even somewhat appealing, I hate to admit! If you’ve been “around the block” with history curricula, can you please extol for me the virtues and value in the SCM way?
The biggest question to ask yourself is why switch?
There are always going to be fun new options, the grass is greener on the other side syndrom :), or because what you are using is not working for your family?
We have used SCM for 8 years. This year my older two are branching out a bit, but still participating in family read alouds. SCM is fantastic for keeping us together, and engaging books with out requiring so much that it controls our day.
As someone who doesn’t use SCM (though I have — I just find it less expensive to make my own plan!!!), SCM is a really solid program. I dont’ use it, but I follow the same ideas with the books I choose.
I do use some Masterbooks — math and some science. But I wouldn’t use all Masterbooks. I just won’t trade the multiple living books for one history book. And their books are so much more expensive than the really wonderful living books I can get.
As to The Good and the Beautiful — my sister used that last year. She raved about how wonderful it was, so I researched it. I’m not Mormon so for me, finding out that the author is gave me some concerns. My sister assured me that material only presented basic Christian truths with which all Christian faiths would agree. But, I quickly found LDS specific doctrine in the material. So, if you aren’t LDS and that would bother you, it’s something to know and think about.
Hope that helps!
From experience (and I’m sure there are other veteran homeschoolers who will tell you this) I will say that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. No program is perfect and if you switch to something else, you will probably find faults with it, too.
I don’t use SCM’s history, but the value and virtue I see in it is its simplicity and all those lovely living books. Reading books together and doing narration is a great and simple way to do history (a method I also use but with different books). Personally, for my homeschool, I don’t want anything more complicated than that.
I get it – I love color. But – colorful worksheets are still busy work.
It is totally not worth jumping ship at this point in favor of colorful worksheets and pictures. Stay the course with SCM unless you are struggling for some particular reason.
If you want more colorful photos for your lessons, simply look subjects up on the computer. I do that a lot anyway simply because I love history and it seems to make these events and people more real to my children.
I love SCM history. We have used it for several years. I didn’t use it last year trying to piece my own together and I felt lost. We are back at it this year. I think it gives adequate reading and information without feeling burdensome. I have used Tapestry of Grace and My Father’s World before SCM. Nothing is going to be a perfect fit and i agree with @sarah2106…
Do you have the “Stuff They Left Behind” packets? I think those plus a globe, Book of Centuries, and maybe a detailed map would add some color and visual aids without overwhelming you with busywork.
Oh, a history encyclopedia would make a good addition just for the pictures. I have one from Kingfisher and use it for my BOC entries.
We are on our 6th year of SCM History/Geography/Bible and we LOVE it. Not every single book recommended has been a perfect fit, but most of them have. I am learning right along with my children as I didn’t learn half of this. All of my children are learning together and I have found it very easy to go deeper with the books for the older kids. I have looked at other curriculum but I have yet to find the simplicity and quality that SCM offers. I love the following about the SCM History/Geo/Bible:
Living books recommended for history make it come alive
Visits to series
All of the wonderful living books used alongside the Visit to series
The Stuff They Left Behind
Book of Centuries
Bible readings
With the 6 year history plan, our kids become very familiar with the period we are studying and we can take our time.
Very brief teaching from me (if any) as the living books are sufficient
There isn’t a focus on memorization although I find my kids remember so much
American History and World History is taught at the same time
Narration is included in the lesson plans
Solid biblical teaching
Using a globe and maps are used regularly
It is flexible. There have a few crazy days here and there where I didn’t get to the older kids history reading, thanks to my wild one year old 🙂 Daddy put the littles to bed and the older kids curled up with me on the couch for our history reading. They wouldn’t hear of missing it 🙂 That wouldn’t happen with a textbook. Not ideal, but on those crazy days, it works.
And I LOVE teaching history! I look forward to doing History, Geography & Bible with SCM. I grew up not enjoying history at all, but that is not the case anymore. 🙂
Be at peace mama! Do you enjoy teaching SCM History/Geography/Bible? Are your kids learning? Incorporating additional pictures is easy peasy if that is what you are looking for. Worksheets don’t equal learning! 🙂
Missusleata,
I was looking at the Good and the Beautiful but concerned about the content you mention…could you give some examples please so I can assess for our family?
Thanks
Bek,
I haven’t looked deeply at The Good and the Beautiful curriculum. What I noticed was on the history game. It was a great game that taught history in a fun way, but also included Bible history. The Bible history question included LDS theology. My sister hadn’t noticed it, and when I pointed it out she scratched the information out on the card, so it was an easy fix. I don’t remember the details but it was something about the Priesthood of the Patriarchs. My concern was that if that made it through the editors that were supposed to make sure there was no exclusively LDS doctrine in the curriculum, what else might have?
But I have not read the readers or history or anything to see what else might be there. I just played the board game at a family holiday gathering.
Thank you for that. I don’t want to be disrespectful of others who believe differently to me but we want to be sure that we are teaching according to our beliefs and not confuse our children.😊
Bek, exactly! That’s part of why we homeschool, to disciple our children. So, we pick curriculum that follows how we want our children discipled!
Missusleata,
I’m wondering if your sister had an early edition of TGTB history game because I have the games for the first two years of their history and there is no mention of any LDS doctrine. I just went and read through the cards for both games to make sure I didn’t miss anything! I know when the company first started, it was much smaller but it has grown quite a bit and is working to VERY hard to be doctrine neutral. Just wanted to throw that out there in case someone was wanting to add this fun game into their history study.
My sister got her material last year. The LDS doctrine was very non-apparent. On the game, there was a question about one of that Patriarchs and the fact included that he was a priest. She hadn’t noticed it as LDS doctrine. And she just crossed of one word on the card and it was fixed. But it did make me question using that curriculum for my kids.
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