History-start @ beginning or own county???

I prefer to start with our own country.

One thing to remember – if you are doing history as a family study (everyone in the same time period, which is how SCM is written) then it won’t matter because only the first child is likely to start history where you decide to begin.  Here’s what I mean. Last year we did ancient history (not using SCM, but we were in ancients).  The official school age kids were in the following grades: 9th, 5th, 4th, 2nd, 1st. This year we are doing medieval times.  Kids will be 10th, 6th, 5th, 3rd, 2nd, and I’m adding a Kindergartener (plus the 3 younger boys who listen in when they wish).  If I’m going to keep up with family centered history studies then most of my kids won’t end up starting with Ancients (or whatever your chosen starting point it).  They just jump in where the rest of the family is when they reach Kindergarten age.

So to me it doesn’t matter.

Now, if you are teaching history separately to each child you can decide where to start them and each one begins with your chosen time period in Kindergarten or 1st grade.  Ambleside Online does this. If you have 4 kids you teach 4 different history lessons in a variety of time periods every day you do history. If you have 9 kids like I do you teach 9 different history lessons in several different time periods every day you teach history.  It’s a fast road to crazy for me, so I don’t do it!  BUT I know some people prefer that approach.

So what happens when kids jump in where the rest of the family is for history time period? They figure it out as they cycle through and as their sense of time develops in a few years. And you keep a Book of Centuries so they can make entries of people and events and see in a hands on way who came before or after who.

Do what works for you!

I have been pondering the same question. My 3rd grader did SCM Ancients last year and some of it was too much for her but every child is different.  As Heather mentioned,  I would suggest checking out Beautiful Feet<span style=”line-height: 1.5;”>s ideas on history. Here is a great podcast from Rea Berg too…   http://amongstlovelythings.com/31/</span>

One reasoning she had to start with American History is that there seem to be a lot more great  living books for this period for younger ones that they could miss out on once the get older. There are other reasons she mentions too.

I am no expert,  still trying to figure this out for our family too!