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SCM Guides Gen.-Joshua Take a few PLEASE!
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Well Trained Mind followers suggested that I come to this website to get an opinion about the OT Ancient Egypt curriculum guides. Users, take a few to read my questions in the previous post. Take a few to let me know what you like, dislike, how you might tweak it.
Tanglewood is free. Ambleside is free too. Not that I care. Just trying to get someone to tell me how much you like SCM, or should I look into something else because SCM doesn’t cut the mustard.
Take a few!
I am not familiar with AO and have not read WTM, but I have used the Mystery of History which, from what I can tell, is similar to SOTW. Now that I have converted my family to the CM method, neither or those would work for us. MOH is too disjointed to fit well in my CM homeschool. It’s hard for me to explain and strange that I’m even explaining it because I totally fell for MOH, but now I can’t see myself using it except for a referrence book. Others may be able to but I am just not that talented.
The CM method for History seems to flow better and is, by far much simpler than the MOH, and I feel my children have a much better understanding of what we have read together. We have incorporated the BOC and will do a timeline, as well.
Mind you, I have been converting over to CM for a while and in the fall will be our first full year CM. I have read enough and experimented enough to know that I have found a good thing and will continue until God leads us somewhere else:)
Also, on the forums homepage there are *tags* (links) for history, science, reading, etc. and if you click on the history tag/link you will find some past/recent conversations re: MOH/SOTW and so on.
May you find peace in what you are searching for, as I know how it feels to want to find the best product/method/approach for our children and not have to test everything to find that perfect match.
Hi April,
I started w/ AO Year 1, moved over to Higher Up and Further In halfway through year 1 and completed that Year 1 and 2 before finding SCM. I LOVE SCM. I learned a lot about CM education in general from AO & HIFI (esp. HIFI), but I felt too pushed with some of the reading selections and I wanted my kids (I have 4.) to study the same time period. Neither AO or HIFI allowed for this w/o major tweaking from me and I simply wasn’t up for that.
As I prayed, the Lord confirmed over and over and over the important need for me to simplify. If I am going to homeschool long term, I need methods/curricula that make the job easier for me. I bought and resold Tapestry of Grace twice in my efforts to find a way to keep us all together. I liked the togetherness of TOG, but not the whole ball of wax – it was just TOO much for us. When I found SCM, it was like a cup of cold water in the desert – exactly what I was looking for.
SCM’s curriculum guide and family handbooks allow me to teach my kids many subjects together, but at their appropriate levels all without killing ourselves and our joy of learning. Last year we used Module 3 (Matthew – Acts & Ancient Rome) and it was great. I can’t say that history was the favorite subject here, but it was enjoyable and we learned a lot. We just began this school year last week using Module 4 (Middle Ages, R & R, and the Epistles) and so far it’s going well.
I think there are a few things parents need to consider when deciding what to use/not use:
- Don’t underestimate the importance of prayer in all of your decision making.
- Determine what type of homeschooler you want to be – what approach do you want to use. This list is helpful in determining. Once you determine this, it makes it easier to focus on your approach.
- Once you’ve determined your approach, CM or otherwise, then evaluate the options available. If it’s CM, then you can look at SCM, AO, HIFI, and others or come up with your own plan.
- When deciding upon your plan, determine what factors are most important to you – academic rigor, able to work with multiple ages, reading what others have labeled classics, seeing God’s hand throughout history – whatever they are.
- Now compare your “requirements” to the programs or plans you’re considering and you’ll get a better picture of what fits your needs.
For us, SCM is our Framework. We use the 6 year history rotation and the family handbooks. I buy all of our books b/c I am not a good library user. I will substitute something if need be (ie. Traveller in Rome was too much for us, so we used Rome Antics instead.)
When I need to find a substitute or I want to add to what we’re doing, there are 3 places I check for resources:
- The SCM website – the bookfinder, the links pages for the handbooks and this forum.
- Christine Miller’s All Through the Ages
- A database that I created that lists all of the books from AO, HIFI, and the book Honey for a Child’s Heart.
By limiting myself to these main resources, I avoid being overwhelmed by seeing all of the newest & greatest that is out there.
It’s just a fact that all of our kids will have “gaps” in their education no matter what we do, but if I can teach my kids to love learning, how to find information and build relationships with that information, then I will have done the best I can in educating them.
Finally, yes, SCM cuts the mustard as you put it
. It is thorough and challenging, yet gentle. SCM has been the ABSOLUTE BEST resource I’ve found for help in implementing a CM education in our home as simply as possible. The curriculum guide is FREE here, too, but the family handbooks are a simple and inexpensive addition to take all of the work out of planning for three subjects – Bible, History, Geography. SCM’s Planning Your CM Education makes the rest of the planning easier, too.Blessings in your journey,
Christie
This why I come here and stay here. Women like Christie and Richele (and many others) help to make this journey so much easier and don’t get paid to do it:)
I am not gifted in writing out my thoughts, but basically think the same way as these two women do regarding history ( SCM, and other subjects).
All I can really say (I tried earlier) is “Ditto.” I know that’s pathetic, but after reading so much on this site and suggested material (books on Charlotte Mason and the approach), I know that I have found the anchor (for homeschooling) that I have been looking for:)
Thank you ladies for taking the time to write your experiences with using this program. I’m glad to hear that you have had good experiences with the program. Richele wrote that she did not use the “spine, core” books with her family. I was wondering if any of you had used them and if you found them to be good resources or “textbook” like. I’m rather I’m still trying to figure out what our approach is. I tend to be more “Classical” when it comes to the 3R’s. I have made good choices and feel confident in the material that we are using. I have also seen0. the results. We want our children to love learning, but we don’t want to spend our whole day learning. I have a 3 year old and when she began crying in the morning because her sister and brother were called to do their “school work” I decided to make a change. Our day begins with breakfast, a cartoon, playtime for the kids and sometimes they join me for dinner prep and house chores. I would do it any other way. We eat lunch, I lay my little one down for a nap and then my son, 6 and daughter, 8 sit down and we get as much as we can done until 4:30. History and Science have not been a high priority for us. I want to learn history chronologically because I did not have this opportunity as a child. It is fun for me to provide my children with opportunities that I did not have as a child. History was a textbook and for a while it was interesting but then it became very, very boring. I finally found a Science program that I can get excited about and the last piece of the puzzle was to find a History program.
Thank you for your time and sharing your experiences.
April
A database that I created that lists all of the books from AO, HIFI, and the book Honey for a Child’s Heart.
Missceegee…….I was getting prepared to do something very similar to this myself since I am in the “homestretch” of planning for next year. Could you give me a litte helpful guidance as how to set it up? Did you do it by subject or grade? Everytime I start plugging things in, it just seems all jumbled 🙁
Hi Blessedmom,
I organized it it iWork Numbers (like excel) and it is sortable by author, grade level, list, subject, etc. I also uploaded my Master Booklist here, if it’s helpful to see it.
Blessings,
Christie
Oh, Christie…that is so generous of you to share! And it will be most helpful! Bless you ! 😀
I would have thanked you earlier, but we have been camping for the last week and in a technology free bubble!! …now back to reality…
Thank you so very much…you have been a blessing!
. It is thorough and challenging, yet gentle. SCM has been the ABSOLUTE BEST resource I’ve found for help in implementing a CM education in our home as simply as possible. The curriculum guide is FREE here, too, but the family handbooks are a simple and inexpensive addition to take all of the work out of planning for three subjects – Bible, History, Geography. SCM’s Planning Your CM Education makes the rest of the planning easier, too.
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