Sheraz, will you be doing Rome next year?

Sheraz, how do you keep all the books straight? Do you make notes as you go along? Do you read all the books in their entirety? I have been wanting to preread some Greece books for next year, but am worried about getting confused.

I printed out the YC book list summaries by genre, and made notes on them as I read them.

With Heritage History, the books come with a Study Guide – not as in a read this everyday thing, but as a resource that tells you about the actual books.

In the Study Guide, the books are already listed in the various time frames of the civilizations, they are listed in what they call beginner, intermediate and advanced reading levels, and they include a summary of each book. Then they break the books into other lists, like subjects as well as chronological. They include timelines (all I have to do it locate the figure in my timeline CD) and really cool maps – outline and full color.

Basically, after I read the books, I make notes right on my guides so it easier to remember my thoughts or impressions for making our plans.

ETA: The CD is only $25 and has all the books (45), maps, timelines, and the study guide. I think that if you are not very familiar with the Roman history, then the timelines and maps would be worth it since that it what helps you get the whole picture so to speak.

I’d be glad to – I will be posting it to my blog in later-ish summer in prep for next year. =)

Thanks for the Heritage History tips! I already have the YC collection and noticed that HH sells the study guides on their own, as well. Both Greece and Rome were $12.99 for the electronic download.

@Katrina – I didn’t realize that they sold them separately. Good deal… =)

@Des – I have started with the SCM guides and enjoyed them. They are great! I find history fascinating, so have collected things over the years. So when I started with the guides, I just went through at the beginning of the year and jotted down the things that I thought would be fun and applicable to add for certain topics or events – for all three of the subjects (Bible, History and Geography.) It would be completely easy to use HH books as additional reading for your kids history readings. Since they are divided by topic, your children could chose what interested them the most: military battles, biographies, etc…

As for which one I would recommend…I guess it depends on where you are and what your plans are.

HH assumes that the Young Readers collection would be for independent readers of about 4th grade and say that it is a great way to introduce the child to a wide variety of famous characters/people before starting them on an independent history reading program by using one of their other CD’s. 

If you are not starting history chronologically for some reason when the kids are younger or have a voracious reader, trying to encourage a newly independent reader, or just plain want to expose any age kids to great books inexpensively, this would be a great place to start. I think that they would make great read-aloud books for grades 1-3.

If you are following history chronologically, then I think that you would start with the CD of the time period you are at.

I am planning to read the Young Reader stories aloud to my younger girls (4 & 5 yo), and having my older girls chose three or four books to read independently about Greece (or Rome, etc) to go along with our family study. That will change as they get older, of course. =)

I am planning to read the Young Reader stories aloud to my younger girls (4 & 5 yo), and having my older girls chose three or four books to read independently about Greece (or Rome, etc) to go along with our family study. That will change as they get older, of course. =)

Ooops! Just re-read my last post. What I actually meant by this was that my older girls will choose books from the Ancient Greece CD, not the YR collection.