History advice please!!

Tagged: ,

Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • September 17, 2009 at 1:09 am
    Rachel White
    Participant

    OK, I’ll try to make this sound like what is going on inside my head.

    First of all, I am doing the Prairie Primer for our History this year. However, alongside it, once a week, I want to add in something of world history. I have three options running around in my head.

    One, I can use Streams of History:Early Civilizations to start a reading from the beginning. Second, use another book as a comprehensive overview of world history, or lastly, read a living book on what was happening in the rest of the world at the same time as the events in Little House stories were happening in the last half of the 1800’s; problem is, I can’t find one.

    What are your opinions of my three options I’ve laid out and does anyone know of a book that fulfills the last option?

    If I need to clarify let me know, I just need some assistance in working this one area out.

    Thanks, Rachel

    September 17, 2009 at 3:13 am
    gingermcp
    Member

    Rachel-

    I feel your frustartion!!! This is my second year to homeschool and we too are using the Prairie Primer. And I having the same problem with History. I am wondering if just doing the “Prairie books” is really enough History? But whenever I tried to throw other historical events in there, it was soooo much information. It would be nice to find a balance!!! I hope someone responds to your post!!! I know that I didn’t help you, I just wanted you to know YOU ARE NOT ALONE! (-:

    Ginger

    September 17, 2009 at 3:15 am
    Sonya Shafer
    Moderator

    I vote for #3.  

    Depending on the age of your children, Rachel, what about using Abraham Lincoln’s World by Genevieve Foster (covers 1806-1863 world events and US events) or A Child’s History of the World by Hillyer (chapters 75-83 approximately).

     

    September 17, 2009 at 11:25 am
    Rachel White
    Participant

    HI Ginger, I appreciate your words of encouragement! I feel that the PP is enough American history, I just want my two to venture into some more world history info. at their age. But, like you, didn’t want it to be overwhelming for me. Hope this post does help you out, too.

    Sonya,

    I agree, option 3 is my preference as well. That struggle and preference for a parallel historical study was the impetus for my post. I wanted them (ages 8 and 9) to be able to parallel their thinking and notkeep it in a ‘box’, so to speak, of what was just going on in America.  I just couldn’t find anything to use! There was so much going on at that time!

    I’m using a family book of centuries and timelines for them to document events and people of this period. I didn’t know Hillyer’s book went into the mid-20 century, but apparently the lastest revision(1997) does. 

    Thank you, that’s what I’ll use! I feel much better now.

    Rachel

    September 17, 2009 at 4:56 pm
    marstar
    Participant

    Rachel, I’m glad you posted this (and found an answer) as I’ve been considering a study like PP with Little House books for my DD and wondered about adding more to round it out.  Sonya, thanks pointing out those two books. I have wanted to read the Foster book eventually anyway…M

    September 17, 2009 at 6:23 pm
    crazy4boys
    Participant

    Who is the author of the Prairie Primer?  I see 2 different ones on Amazon.  Also, do you ladies using the Prairie Primer have boys or only girls?  My boys (I have 4) moan and groan when I try to read the Little House books.  We made it through one and they begged me to never read another one again.  Just wondering if it’s a boy thing….

    September 17, 2009 at 6:56 pm
    nerakr
    Participant

    I don’t know if it’s a boy thing or not. My husband has loved them since he was a boy. And my son loves the picture book versions, even the ones with Laura in them. I guess I’ll know in a couple of years, when we start them as read-alouds.

    Karen

    September 17, 2009 at 7:53 pm
    crazy4boys
    Participant

    My boys love the picture books too!  It’s just the regular books they said they didn’t like.  Although they did laugh out loud in some parts, like the pig bladder balloon.

    September 17, 2009 at 10:32 pm
    Rachel White
    Participant

    I have a boy and a girl; the boy (9) has been reading and/or  listening (on Audio by Cherry Jones) to the Little House books, up till “On the Shores of Silver Lake”, so we’ll actually be starting over for the PP. BTW, my version (which Mamasong so generously is letting me borrow!) is by Margie Gray.

    We have watched the Little House show, rented the pilot and wacthed the new movie version of LH on the Prairie made for Hallmark.

    Of course, my son likes Anne of Green Gables, too as well as The Hobbit and Star Wars, so he’s kind of eclectic in his tastes! I think it just depends on the boy. Now, one difference we have from ya’ll is that we never used the picture books, so I don’t know if that is an element in their dislike of the transition into the regular chapter books or not.

    Rachel

    September 18, 2009 at 1:41 am
    meagan
    Participant

    My boys (14, 10, and 9) would die if I started reading this to them.

    September 18, 2009 at 5:29 am
    gingermcp
    Member

    To answer your question, my boys are 6 and 9. They too like watching the Little house shows but can’t get enough stuff like Star Wars, etc. And we too are not using the picture books. They seem to like the books so far but are just starting out! So we shall see!!

     Our version of the PP is by Margie Gray as well. There is a lot of information for each day so I tend to pick and choose the activities that we want to do. Also I didn’t think that my 9 year old would enjoy it either , I was wrong,so I guess you never know! (-:

    Ginger

Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
  • The topic ‘History advice please!!’ is closed to new replies.