SCM sufficiently challenging for High school? Please help me with this statement

I’m really not qualified to answer either. My oldest is 12, going into 7th grade. I just recently decided to come back to SCM and plan on using it through high school. I know I will add literature and supplemental books to SCM, just like I would with any other program that I would use. I’ve used Sonlight and added books or replaced books, I’ve used Ambleside Online and done the same. What I love about SCM is that I can teach my kids on the same time period, sharing some things for fantastic family time, while challenging them on their own levels as well. Of course I will add books. Like I said, I always do. No one curriculum can have all the books that I personally would choose for my child, but SCM does a pretty good job. I will take it a year at a time and tweek what needs to be tweeked for my individual students (I have 5) as I go. And I am LOVING that Bible is placed in such a position of importance with SCM, which is my absolute main goal. With other curriculums I’ve used I often feel like I’m trying to cram in Bible. Not so with SCM. It’s a part of our day as it should be.

I wish you well in finding what is just right for your family.

JFG… there has been a lot of discussion about whether SCM is enough at the high school level and if you search you may find some helpful threads.

We used MFW K, 1st, ADV, ECC, and almost all of the 5-year cycle. So I’m familiar with the early levels of MFW. We’ve never used their high school courses. 

To answer your question about books specifically, I think you’ll find that some of MFW’s “book basket” selections will show up as required resources in SCM jr high/high school. Others will not. There are WAY more book selections listed in the book basket section of the MFW TM than most families will use. 

However, Augustus Caesar’s World in Mod 3… if you have gone through the MFW cycle, you’ve already used that extensively. And Mara. ACW is a required resource in MFW and in SCM, Mara is a highly recommended book basket resource in MFW, it is required in SCM. Iliad/Odyssey show up at the high school level in both SCM and MFW. Plutarch doesn’t show up at all in MFW I don’t think… but I may be remembering wrong. These are just some examples.

Looking over the lists to remind myself what is included, a few things pop out at me… one is that a lot of the books in SCM’s 10th – 12th range (especially in Mod 5 and 6) are also used in Beautiful Feet Books American and World history for high schoolers, also geared towards 10th – 12th. My current 10th grade boy used that program for 9th grade and found it sufficiently challenging. Now I know you’re not asking about BFBooks, but wanted to mention that since many of the books are the same. For example I wouldn’t personally give the Albert Marrin books to someone younger than 10th or maybe advanced 9th. Of course that’s going to differ from family to family. 

Another randon thought… I *do* think that SCM as written in Mod 1, 2, and 3 is too light for a high schooler. However it is my understanding from some previous threads that SCM would recommend combining some or all of these Mod’s for a high schooler into one year. I have no experiece with that, just wanted to mention it. 

Comparing MFW and SCM is really comparing apples and oranges because they are so fundamentally different, so it may come down to you and your high schooler deciding what your goals are and which program would better meet them.

For example, SCM groups 9th grade with 7th and 8th, MFW does not. So you are going to see somewhat lower level books in the SCM 7th – 9th grouping sometimes. For most of my kids this works out perfectly. For my brainy academic boy, I would need to ramp things up at that level. However, like Jennifer mentioned, I really like being able to add to the program for him with the specific books I want him to read. So that’s a personal preference. 

Also, SCM is written to keep the whole family learning “on the same page” so to speak. I have found that my high schooler really does well with this. He enjoys still having some time with the whole family but then having his own stimulating and challenging books to read/narrate. Some kids might prefer the way MFW does it where the high schoolers are completely separate.

Anyway, this post is very random and I hope I haven’t further confused things. If you have more questions, please ask! 

~ Jenn

I’m not qualified either…never used MFW and oldest is entering 7th:)  But I was briefly tempted by the looks of their h.s. program and ordered a catalog….was in a phase where I didn’t want to worry about planning!! To me, it looks like it would be a great program to use if you don’t want to plan, want your high schooler independent, and don’t mind that it’s not as CM as say SCM or Ambleside.  

Just me, but I knew I would not use all of it, tweak it (as I always do any program:), and I really like my kids on the same history cycle.  SCM did not look as rigorous to me when I came from Ambleside, I’ll admit.  But the more I use of it the more I realize that it it’s provides a wonderful foundation and really simplifies my life and makes a CM education doable for our family.  I do plan to add a bit more for h.s.  Every year I peruse AO’s site and add in some of their selections.  I also use Truthquest History as a supplement to SCM, for the biblical commentary, added book selections, and movies.  Just what works here:)  Hope you find a good fit! Blessings, Gina

This is a REALLY GOOD IDEA.  Once you find a good platform, then if you feel you need more, you add a book.  Or a Teaching Company course.  Or your kid suddenly develops an obsession with military history and you buy him some additional books.  Or whatever.  Start with your “basic platform”, watch for interests and watch for areas you might need to “bump up” to stay challenged, and make adjustments as you go.  If your kid gets all her history reading done in half an hour during the week, well, maybe she needs more.  Look up some lists, ENLIST HER to help find or plan more (what is she interested in?) and add a little.  This is easy to do.  Start, though, with something you know will work for you.  It’s much easier to tweak UP than it is to tweak DOWN, IME. 

Yes, so true it’s easier to ‘tweak up.’ When I used SL, I thought the books were wonderful, but we were so busy keeping up w/the pace we didn’t have time to add in many CM aspects.  School is much more peaceful now that we schedule subjects at our own pace.  I want my kids to have a solid foundation in core subjects, but there’s a lot of leeway (I think) as far as how many books to read, how often to do Shakespeare, etc. Fine tuning these aspects keeps my life sane:) Thanks for the ideas to enlist our kids in the decisions and the reminder about Linda Fay’s site! Gina

Well I have no knowledge or experience with MFW and am late weighing in, but I do think SCM books for the high school range and 7-9th are very appropriate.

I wanted to echo what JennNC said about combining Modules 1-3 (or some part of them) in HS years. This is exactly what I plan to do for my 8th grader. We are in Module 5 now. We did Module 4 last year.

Before that, he was in PS until the end of 4th grade where he seemed to get little to no history? Anyway, we began our homeschool journey with Mystery of History Vol 1 and Vol 2, two years in a row. When we found SCM last summer, I knew we’d be switching and Module 4 seemed to overlap just a bit with MOH Vol. 2 and take up where it left off. So we modifed as needed and went forward.

To give you an idea of how easily you can adapt the SCM Module suggestions, it is divided by Grades: 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, and finally 10-12. My son is in 8th this year but is a voracious reader. He is reading a couple of selections from the 10-12 suggestions even though he is in 8th grade.

Conversely, my 12YO son, a 6th grader, is just on his 2nd year of speaking and reading English, and is reading independently now. He is reading selections from the 1-3 level, but he is so excited to have his own books and be able to read on his own. I also have 7YO DS and 6YO DD, in 1st grade, who use the same books, but I read aloud to them.

So my personal thoughts are the guides are just that: a guide, and with the bookfinder on here, and the suggestions in the guide, you can certainly substitute as needed, but so far in Module 4 and the beginning of Module 5, I would not want a younger child reading any of the books my 13YO read last year in Module 4.

I have 6 children and can’t read aloud to them all, so I like using books that SCM guides suggest b/c I know they are well thought out, and they are always good to make notes IN the guide if something might be questionable. I have also found Sonya and others at SCM to be very helpful with specific questions on books (as are members on the forum).

Can you tell I love the SCM history modules? With 6 children in grades 1st (2 DC), 5th, 6th, and 8th, I find the ease of use and ability to all be studying same time period very helpful.

I’m not sure if this was posted earlier, but thought it fit into this thread.

http://www.charlottemasonhelp.com/2009/07/heo-year-7-schedule-that-fits-it-all-in.html?m=1

It talks about CM style high school amounts if study.

Becca<><