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History “spines”
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Hello to all from a long time lurker.
We’ve been using CM methods pretty exclusively for almost 2 years. We have 2 children and live in NH.
I have greatly appreciated the wisdom found on this site and praise God for all of the times a post from someone else has answered my question.
I do have a question regarding history and the use of a “spine” book. Was the use of a spine something Charlotte recommended? To me, they tend to race through history very quickly without really getting to know the people. Charlotte recommended we linger pleasantly over a person’s life and the time in which they lived. I’d rather use just living books (which the kids actually remember). But, when we’re not using a spine I feel like were leaving <gasp!> gaps!
About every other week I tend to flip-flop how we’re going to do history. Any insight will be greatly appreciated!
I am not posting because I have an answer. I am posting because I deal with the same problem. I do it one way one week, then try it another way the next week or two. I know this is not good. I feel like the waves tossed to and fro. I am orderering the all day charlotte mason dvd’s and seminar book. I know Sonya talks about teaching history in the dvd’s so I am looking forward to getting them and learning from her expertise. Histor is the only subject I have a problem with. I am afraid of gaps. However, I think that is a public school thing I have not gotten out of my system yet.
So what if my child is different than the public school norm, what does that mean anyway. We are brainwashed in that. I want her to be the best she can be for the Glory of God. not for the public school performance.
but I still fall in that trap…..I think Charlotte was way before her time. I sincerely appreciate her way of teaching. I want to learn every possible thing I can. Praise the Lord for all the experts on this sight. God bless, nancyt.
I’ve finally found my groove with history. We use the TruthQuest guides and a spine (we use the H.A. Guerber ones). What I did is to make a list of the Guerber chapters, the corresponding commentary pages in TQ, and any “extras” recommended in the guide. Aside from our history time each day, on Thursdays during our afternoon read aloud time, I’m reading a historical fiction (Bronze Bow since we’re studying the Romans). I also assign the children to read some historical fiction based on the TQ recommendations. This works for us.
I think what was hard for me is that for a few weeks I’d follow the spine, then I’d flip to just following the TQ guide, and then when I would go back to the spine, we’d have to skip alot. It felt very disjointed to me.
Another thing I did was to buy the G.A. Henty books for the time period we are studying in audio form. Sometimes, I have the kids listen to this in the afternoon, in addition to what we read. I also take it along on trips. Works good.
Hope this helps!
Well, I’m not an expert, but I’m happy to post my thoughts. Yes, Charlotte advocated lingering over a time period and even studying just one man’s life during that time period. However, she also used Our Island Story, which I would consider a living spine book. (OK, that phrase sounds a little odd, doesn’t it? Or is it just me?)
I think it works well to combine the two: living biographies about men’s lives and a spine to show how those men and events are connected. I, personally, need a spine because my knowledge of history is lacking from my school years. I’ve heard of various historical figures but often don’t know where or how they fit into the big picture of history. A spine helps me put together those pieces. Then the biographies give me the close-up details.
Over the years I’ve pretty much come to grips with the fact that there will always be gaps, especially in history. (By the way, remember that we have about 100 more years of history to cover than Charlotte did.) I realize this afresh every time I talk with a grown man or woman who expresses how he learned something from a book he read recently on the American Revolution or about submarines in World War II or about early sea explorers. You could spend a lifetime studying just one other person’s lifetime from history.
So, yes, there will always be gaps. But my main goal is to encourage that love for learning so my children will consider it quite natural to keep on learning throughout all of their lives, even as adults.
Hi!
Like Sonya mentioned, there are spines and then there are “spines” If you take a dull textbook and then zip through it to connect your dots, you will not be getting the maximum out of your reading. But I think a well-written “big picture” historical book can really tie together what is going on over long periods of time, how things are connected, and I think it can be an especially good way to manage multiple ages while staying on the same “page” As Sonya noted, Charlotte’s schools used Our Island Story. So I feel comfortable as long as I look for well-written, living books. We love Helene Guerber’s books, we love Genevieve Foster’s books, which I really consider more a “spine” than biography because of the wide-ranging content, and we occasionally find other gems here and there to help in an area. I like knowing that everyone gets at least this much information, then everyone is off taking in biographies, fiction, and other things on their own or in groups. I don’t think of this as avoiding gaps–patently impossible! but as building a base to add onto.
Now, all this said, I don’t think the police will come and get anyone who doesn’t use a spine. At times, for various reasons, we have dispensed with them temporarily. So you are free to use what you feel led to use. However, a really good spine cannot race too quickly through history–because you are in charge, and it can only race as fast as you read it. 🙂 If the spine we use “gets ahead” of us, we set it aside for a time and concentrate on our other things, then pick it back up when ready to move on. Also, a critically important activity in our home to help in retention and understanding is our Book of Centuries; we couldn’t get along without it. When reading our spine, we all participate in identifying people, events and trends to enter into our books.
Michelle D
(Sonya, I am truly laughing at your comment about “living spine book.” That does sound funny…and sort of scary!)
I also use Our Island Story as well as This Country of Ours for American history. Once in awhile I check out a book from the library called The American Story: 100 True Tales from American History by Jennifer Armstrong. It’s a fun book, interesting but not in-depth. It gives me a quick glance on what was happening in our country at certain times and nudges me to cover those topics in greater depth. Plus my kids really like the stories and the chapters are short, good for narration.
The Book of Centuries has proved essential for me (and I hope for the kids, lol!), and things fall into place without much more effort than writing what you DO know in the Book of Centuries.
What is fun for us when studying an era in history is finding a quirky book (the book about the history of cod is coming to mind). When we read a living book on a nitch topic and see the connections to what we are reading in our “living spine,” we are delighted.
Good biographies are powerful. When you feel a connection to a person, the historical context becomes much more interesting, real, and memorable.
So use a spine (but avoid the boring ones!), and then spin off on tangents when the spirit moves you and jot things down in a Book of Centuries…and be content that you are doing enough. One interesting book about a historical subject is worth more than a pile of boring texts.
Thank you all for your thoughtful responses!
Boy, if someone brand new checks out this thread, they’re really going to wonder what kind of group talks about “living spines”! LOL
It’s nice to know I’m not alone in trying to figure out how to put this all together.
I guess the idea that has hit me the most is read the spine and stop when a living book can be added. Aha! I don’t have to try to keep them both going at the same time. Sounds so simple, but that’s the key I was missing. Make a map, add to the time line and narrate. Perfect!
I will check out the Henty, Guerber, and Foster books. We already have Bauer’s Story of the world. Could anyone comment on how it compares to the others as far as being a “living spine” <grin>
Thanks again…
What works for us is simple; we read a book based on a certain time period. It is historical fiction, but involves several real people and true stories about them. We also reference the If You Lived… books for some true facts about the time period.
I’m not too worried about the gaps right now; my daughter is only 8. What I’m concerned about is fostering a love for history and a continued thirst for knowledge.
Faith 🙂
Here’s a thread for you that compares various history spines.
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