How to choose module and other questions.

Tammy, you really can start with any module you want. What was the time period you studies most in the past or the most recently? Don’t do that one! Start in the next time period or start at the beginning.

Some people tweak SCM and do Ancients in fewer than 3 years by skipping a few books, doubling up some days, or even just doing history through the summers to get through more in a year. Make it work for you.

State history – do it when you want to. If you want to devote a full year to it you could, or what about studying your own state once a week in Module 5 or 6 when the US is being studied already? Or study your state over the summer one year.

As for working with multiple ages – several of us do that. I have seven children ages 11 down to 11 mos, with baby #8 on the way. The biggest advantage of putting all the family together in a history time period is we have lots of learning in common to talk about, shared memories of books, etc. It’s less work for mom! It does mean each child will start and end their school years in a different module, but that’s ok.

For the curriculum guide here is how it works. You read aloud to the entire family the books in the Family section. Generally one chapter or section per day, but up to you. Then the children in grades 1-3 read or have read to them 1 chapter/section each day in the books listed for their age group as well. The children in 4-6 have a different set of books to read independently at 1 chapter/section per day after family read aloud. These books are written more to their level than the books listed for 1-3 graders. It goes the same for 7-9th graders, they have a list for their age, as do 10-12 graders.

Do the older grades read the books listed for younger grades? No. Unless they want to do it in their free time. My 6th grader often likes to look through some of the 1-3 grade kids books, but not always. She has her own set of books in the time period to read that keep her busy.

Let me give you an example from a Module. In Module 3 this week you might read 1 chapter from Famous Men of Rome aloud to the whole family each day. Then all your younger children grade 3 and under would listen to you read a chapter in Pompeii, Buried Alive each day. They narrate to you about what was read and are done. Meanwhile your 4-6 graders are busy reading a chapter each day in Detectives in Togas after the family read aloud. They come to you when they finish and give an oral narration or do a written narration.

Hope that helps!

You’re not overcomplicating it, Tammy. It’s just new to you right now, that’s all.

The “plus” is there to make sure readers understand that students in each of those grade levels will be participating in the Family books, as well as the books listed in that grade level. Just grabbing the books for the grade level won’t be a complete study. The student will benefit most from hearing the Family books plus reading the ones listed for his grade level.

So, you’re right, the Romans Bible study is just for grades 7-12. Your students in that age range will be hearing the Gospels read in the Family lesson times, then completing an additional study on the side, the book of Romans (since it was written to believers living in Ancient Rome).

A Book of Centuries can be started in any of the modules. It is an ideal way for the student to see where he is reading in the panorama of history. If a student starts his BOC when studying module 3, that’s not a problem. He’ll be entering events and people of Ancient Rome that he reads about on the pages for those centuries. And he will be seeing how many pages come before that and after that, which will give him a good feel for where he is in history. As he studies other people and events, his BOC will begin to fill in and he will start to make more mental connections.

If you want to, you can do a family BOC for your younger students. This video clip might be helpful.

You’re wise to keep things simple as you deal with possible celiac. We had to go GF several years ago, and the transition can seem intimidating!

Feel free to ask more questions.

I’ll try to answer your questions and I’m sure others will chime in 🙂

When you see “Family Plus” (except for 1-3 grade in module 1, seems to be missing or intended to not be there, not sure) the child in that grade range should be read to/exposed to/in the same room as the whole family when the book/s listed for Family are read. Then at a different time of day/week the book/s listed for their grade level are read to them. If you follow the guide (you have to purchase it) it will tell you when to read what OR you can create your own schedule.

BOC can be approached many different ways. My oldest (14) has his own and adds to it from his personal studies and from our family studies. My 10yo has one of his own but it’s a purchased book, not the same as can be downloaded here. My youngest does not have one of his own yet, well, I guess that’s not true. He has a timeline book that I picked up real cheap and it was brand new for $2. He does us that. He and my 10yo draw pictures of people/events we study and add them to their books. My oldest prefers to write, no drawings for him.

I have one of my own as well.

It has worked best for us to have each child have their own. Even if we had a “family” one they would still want their own to personalize. Actually, we started out w/ a family one, but that ended pretty quick.

You could start w/ a family one OR allow the oldest to have one of his/her own and allow the younger ones one when they are old enough. I think 4th grade was what CM suggested, but I could be wrong. Plus, it could depend on the kid.

As to whether the younger ones will add what is being studied now, later, I’m not concerned with as they will add those studies as they study them. Hope that makes sense. No two BOCs will be the same, ever. Lol.

Hope that helps some.