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Geography
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I am looking at next year when I will have years 5, 4 & 1. I have looked at A Child’s Geography Vol 1&2 online and I’m just not feeling it. Do people really like this? Honestly, it looks like a lot of hassle. Does anyone have experience with this book?
I have also been wondering about A Child’s Geography of the World by Virgil Hillyer, has anyone gotten a hold of this book?
I was also considering Paddle to the Sea for my year 1 boy.
See how conflicted I am?
Have you checked out Charlotte’s Elementary Geography? I am using it with my year one child and she and I both enjoy it. It has poems for some lessons that lead into what you will be talking about for the next lesson. For example Jane Taylor’s Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and Charlotte’s own proes. I have some friends that read Paddle to the Sea with their year two student and loved it and had all sorts of discussions with the atlas out while they were reading. I would love to read it and visit all the places. Wouldn’t that be fun!? Anyway, back to Elementary Geography… You can find it at http://home.comcast.net. Hope that helps.
~Melissa
We are using Hillyear’s Geography book and it is one of my DD’s favorite books. They have learned a lot. But it is VERY out-of-date. You will have to do quite a bit of editing on the fly! I skipped the first chapter (maybe two) cause there was some information contrary to what we teach about the earth’s formation.
With all its flaws, we’ve still enjoyed it and learned quite a bit. They really know their world map!
We also read Paddle, and although they enjoyed the book (all the Holling C Holling books), they have learned more with Hillyear’s.
HTH, Tonni
I use A Child’s Geography: Explore His Earth with my children. I haven’t used the Hillyer book (or even looked at it). My understanding is that Ann Voskamp wrote her books in the style of Hillyer but more up to date. I do use Hillyer’s A Child’s History and Ann Voskamp has certainly kept up that chatty relationship with the reader, as if she was in the room herself talking to you (like Hillyer does).
My children have learned A LOT from A Child’s Geography: Explore His Earth. They still talk about their walk through the atmosphere (even though it was months ago) and many other things, such as the jigsaw pieces of the continents, the warm stove our planet moves around etc. I’ve ordered book 2 for next year.
The book really isn’t any hassle at all, you read a loud like you would any other book, get narrations/dictation done. I use the book two to three times a week and each chapter lasts us about three weeks (because of how I break it down). On the third week the children do the activities in the book – which really are so simple, such as plotting where a spillage of shoes turned up in the Pacific on a map (this explained how tides and gyres work). Last week we did an experiment to find out how the water cycle works (no biggie, it took about 10 mins to complete and the kids learned (and saw first hand) how ocean water evaporates and then comes back as fresh water).
I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with Voskamp’s book(s) but, knowing how much we love Hillyer’s A Child’s History, I don’t think you’d be disappointed with A Child’s Geography by Hillyer either. You have to decide what is best for your families needs.
HTH, Lyn
BTW – we love Holling C. Holling books – Paddle to the Sea is one we are also using next year!
I have a confession. I am not a big fan of the Voskamp book. It felt to us–and I read it with a 7yo–that we were being baby-talked. We did finish it, but were both cringing at the tone at times.
I must admit to liking many of the Ambleside geography selections better. We’ve happily used the Holling books, a Marco Polo book, Kon-Tiki. We love Material World and other books like that. We enjoyed Book of Marvels by Richard Halliburton.
I also want to put in a plug for the benefits of just having a geography-rich home. Maps, globes, games, lots of time looking up places mentioned during videos and books. I think my kids know more geography from these things than from our official “school books” and that is fine. Most of this takes very little extra time–for us it is just part of family time. Dukers just know where things are and if they don’t, they look them up. 🙂
Michelle D
I can’t believe that others are not into the Voskamp book. I bought it and love the “idea” of it, but never started it and I think it’s because I thought it talked down to us, now that you mention it. I use Hillyer’s Child’s History of the World and CM’s A Child’s Geography (though some info is out of date) and enjoy them. We love the Holling C. Holling books.
I think I’ll unload my Voskamp book now. I feel like I have permission since some of you other moms felt the same about it. 😆
Thanks,
Christie
Does CM’s book cover too much in the England area or does it cover world geography? (Is that where she is from? Oh my, maybe I need to check my geography!)
It’s actually called Charlotte Mason’s Elementary Geography and is put out by Sandi Queen. It is world geography. it covers basics like landforms, climate, maps, etc. It’s pretty simple, but I like it.
Christie
I just wanted to put in a thumbs up for H.C. Hollings’ books. We read Paddle to the Sea awhile ago and loved it; and I think I would love to read it again sometime – the kids probably don’t remember too much about it anymore (they’re younger). But they can still find the Wolf’s Head of Lake Superior! 🙂 His books are great because young ones pick up on some things and then they can read it again when they are older and learn something they missed before.
I’ve been reading this cause I was going to buy this book also Childs’ geo #2. Now I reconsidering??
Is this geo by Queens on the Queens Homeschool site?
Also where would I look for the Paddle to the Sea?
Thanks for the help with this post! You might have just saved me a bit of $$!!
Misty
I bought the CM Elementary Geo. book put out by Sandi Queen at a homeschool convention last year. I’ve not looked for it on their site, but it may be there.
Paddle to the Sea is by Holling C. Holling and is available in many libraries and online bookstores like Amazon. We’ve read several of his books and love them, I must get better at using them as geography, though.
Concerning the Voskamp book. I think the info. is top notch and the layout wonderful, but there was just something that kept me from using it. (It’s been on my shelf for over a year.) I like a conversational style, but like Michelle D. the tone was not appealing to me so I never started it with my dd. You can see samples of both Voskamp books here – http://www.achildsgeography.com/. That way you can try before you buy.
Blessings,
Christie
Call me crazy, BUT I love Geography. And with my little ones (8yr-3 mon.) We just like doing map drill. We have a world map and an USA map on our kitchen wall. Anytime we are reading a book that mentions a country or state one of the kids goes to look for it and points it out.
I also sing this song that I adapted from a hymn. When your Spirit speaks to (insert child’s name) and tells him/her to go to (insert country) her answer will be YES LORD YES. The child then sings YES LORD YES and then goes and tries to find the country on the map. With my littlest ones 18 months-4years old we normally start off with Australia and then Papua New Guinea then the Philippines since they are lower on the map. We do this at lunch time. Oh and the kids have fun trying to stump mommy. They sing the song and insert mommy and I answer YES LORD YES.
Not only our we learning geography but we are also learning that if and when the Lord speaks to us and says GO…we will answer with a hearty YES LORD YES.
And by the way they have only stumped me once…with Franz Josef Land..I found it eventually..can you?? 😀
Shelly
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