We are doing Ancient Rome using Module 3 with an 8 year-old, 6 year-old, and a 4 & 1 year-old “around.” I am not 100% sure The Story of the Romans is a perfect fit. They listen, they narrate, but I feel like they tolerate it…we just finished Detectives in Togas, which they enjoyed, but I am curious to know if there are other books for Rome that might be worth looking at for these ages…thanks!
That was a hard time period for us too. We used the first edition of the module which used the OOP Roy Burrell book. Try Mystery of the Roman Ransom – it too is by Henry Winterfeld. I’m sure others will chime in to help, but you might look through the book All Through the Ages by Christine Miller for some other period books. Look on Amazon too for book ideas and make it was enjoyable as you can. Your children are young and a little dip of the toes in the water with the ages you have is perfectly fine. They will revisit ancients when they are older and pick up more. I have had to drop numerous books because my kids didn’t enjoy them (and sometimes myself included). I’m over checking off a box to say I’ve done something. If we’re not all getting anything out of it, it’s off to find something that will fit that bill.
My kids are enjoying it (finally, a spine they do enjoy!), but one piece of advice Sonya gave me when my DD was 8 and not enjoying the Greece spine (old edition module): read books like “Our Little _____ Cousin of Long Ago”. Here is the one for Rome:
Also, look into History Pockets and other hands on activities to teach about Roman life. We also love the Growing Up In series. There is one for each of the ancients. One thing I like to do is read one or two 2-page spreads (each 2-page spread covers one part of life there in that time) and then do a hands-on activity to coincide with that topic.