I’m wondering how many of you are actually using SCM history modules. I’m wondering which ones and how you’re liking them and how many you’ve used in the past.
Thanks! I’ll start.
First time SCM history user. We’re using module 1. It’s going fairly well, although I still am drawn to AO a lot since I used it the last few years. My perfect history would be SCM with AO books wrapped around the module topically. That’s kind of the plan here.
We just started Module 1 this year (oldest is 6). I really like it so far…easy to use and I liked the idea of starting history from the beginning…with creation. So far I like the added books that accompany the Bible reading.
We are using Module 2 this year. We like it so far. I am not a huge fan of ancients, but doing my best to put my best face forward. Just curious Missceegee why did you only do half of this module?
Missceegee, what you said rang a bell with me tonight. I think my problem sometimes is that I don’t do things “as is” and get overwhelmed. Maybe I should drop the extras and enjoy it as written.
We have used mod 1 and 2 and are just starting mod 3. I do hymn study on the days we are scheduled to do geography and read different versions of the Bible readings on the days we have history so we are doing Bible every day. I add things I google or find, coloring pages, games, etc. I like ancients over modern so we will see how much I like the modules I have not done yet! I am also not using the geography reading books but finding things on my own but still using the countries on the days scheduled by the guide. Other than that we have used everything pretty much as is. Love the guidance along with flexiblity.
This is our first year using the SCM materials. We’re doing Module 4 (Middle Ages to Reformation) with a 5th grader, 1st grader, Kindergartener, and three little ones tagging along. Tomorrow we’re on lesson 34, Marco Polo. We’re not using the geography/bible day each week, we just skip those because I like a 4 day plan better. We are doing Europe’s geography, we just are using the GeoPuzzle Europe for it instead, and we do scriptures daily.
What do we think of the books so far? We love them in general! The only one that has been a challenge is Famous Men of the Middle Ages, the current Family Read ALoud. Honestly my K and 1st grader have enjoyed about 75% of it, it’s all biographies. There have been some that just don’t catch them, and that’s okay with me. The grade level books have all been great for the ages we’ve got.
I love having the Guide that schedules out the books for me so everyone’s on the same topic generally. It’s been wonderful not to need to plan that out myself.
We’re just finishing up Module 1 with a 7 and 5 yo and LOVE it! We use one of the geo puzzles for map study of Africa and instead of Letters from Egypt, we’ve been reading Stories from the Gorilla Country (from Yesterdays Classics) – the girls REALLY love that one. We just follow the guide and I have a Veritas Press magazine with all the books that our library carries highlighted – so if I feel like we need to add something I know what I can get for free!
Well, I’ll be the first to chime in here about module 6. Last year was our first time using SCM’s Curriculum Guide, and module 5 went very well. I, too, tried to use nearly each and every book listed for the grades we spanned (4th, 5th, & 7th at the time), so we ended up paring things down a bit after awhile. I felt a little stressed at the end, but it was okay, and in terms of American history, the colonies and the American Revolution are favorites of mine to study. My oldest daughter loves to read about the Civil War, so she will enjoy history module 6.
This year, I’ve been more choosy about the books for module 6 (less is more?) and we’re using a couple of spines. Also, I’ve become a bit of a clock-watcher to keep the lessons as short as they should be instead of forcing us to read to the end of a chapter. It has made a big difference because everyone can pay better attention.
We are using Module 4. This is our first year as well using an SCM guide. We switched over after two years with Mystery of History Volumes 1 and 2 (one each year). I like MOH, but I LOVE the SCM Module Guide. I love that we are reading actual books, and for us, the different grade level suggestions are wonderful. We have a 7th grader, 5th grader, 4th grader and two in kindergarten. They do listen in while I read from Famous Men or Around the World but I give them activites to work on such as their handwriting or maybe a color page or maps to look at as we read. I am AMAZED that 5YO DD can now find Europe on a world map in less than a second!!!
I LOVE the family structure of it. This is exactly what we were missing before. Oh and the books lists help me in ways SCM might not have thought. Our 5th grader just began speaking English 14 months ago and has been reading maybe 6 months. He is 11, but with the book lists I can choose books on his reading level yet appropriate for his age too. He loves having his own books to read while his brothers have their own as well.
I can’t imagine us switching from this. And the cost too is wonderful!
We’re beginner CM students and are using SCM’s Module 5 this year. The girls and I love love love it. I use it just 4 days a week, omitting the geography recommendation, but do map/globe work based on the stories. My girls are 4 and 7, and we’ve also added in a couple of extra books of interest so far. It is amazing how dry other curriculum have been and how absolutely captivating this has become for my family. What a great STORY to learn!! We started with this particular module b/c my oldest has been asking so many questions about that time in history. I just went with the flow…..why not capture her interest when it’s piqued, right?? One thing I wasn’t sure about was studying the world history with the early us history (not sure if that would be too much/confusing for the girls?) Boy was I in for a wonderful surprise~~remember, I’m a novice ;). I cannot imagine doing one without the other, the books make the history flow effortlessly. I am excited that we are ALL learning! I cannot wait to try the other modules 🙂
First time SCM history Module user here ,too. We started with module 1 with my DD6. It is going well so far. We use Oxford’s Children’s Ancient History with it. Honestly I thought my DD would be bored to death with a history book, but this one is written very well and it is easy to come up with fun activities with each reading (for instance with the Sumer we were making and writing on clay tablets like the Sumers did, we tried dates etc..)As a 6 year old I don’t expect her to remeber all the details (since she has a very hard time getting used to narration anyway) but she remebers the activities and how they relate to the reading.
This is our first year using SCM and we’ll be starting Module 1 in another week or so. Last year (our first year hs’ing) we used My Father’s World ECC and liked it well enough, but I really wanted all my children to learn together every year through high school. I have a 8th, 6th, 4th, & 1st grader this school year. We’re excited to start and just waiting on a few things to arrive in the mail. 🙂 This is very encouraging to read – everyone seems to happy with their studies.