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I am wondering how HOD does review of science and history concepts specifically in the Bigger guide. Is review built into the guide somewhere or do I have to remember to go back and review the things we learn?

We skim back over his science lab sheets and notebooking pages when we add new ones. Plus, we talk about subjects as they arise.

My kids love reviewing their notebooks with grandparents. They then tell them all about the pages.

My dc also share their notebooking pages with others. This wouldn't happen with worksheets. It is because their notebooking pages are their own creations. Plus just in general when living books are used with fun hands-on activities, general are just in general excited to talk about things they are learning with others. I hear it all the time. They will sometimes ask me for a video on something that they've really enjoyed too, so we do that.

On another note, I honestly, don't ever remember ever having to review things like history and science later in the year in public school. The exception may have been when I was older and cramming for exams and we all know that's just stored in the short term memory.

Thanks ladies, that makes a lot of sense. I am still a little hung up on the text book approach with review questions at the end of each unit. I think reviewing using the notebook pages is a great idea!

As the other ladies shared, we too have loved reviewing by perusing and sharing our notebooks, both in history and in science! The best part about reviewing this way is that you keep doing it, just because it is so enjoyable, for years to come! We like to pull out our old portfolios and ooooo and ahhhhh about this or that - something we would NEVER think to do with old worksheets. Also, notebooking and portfolio assessments from year to year make incredibly obvious the gains and growth dc have made in skills. Others like to look at their notebooks, and each sharing time is like a happy family sharing time, almost like impromptu oral narrations! This is so different from firing questions at dc and waiting for an exact answer. I remember being pretty nervous about the switch from textbooks/workbooks to more living, Charlotte Mason style assessments too. Here is a neat post from another lady who felt that way too...
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=6096

Here is one more post about this...
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4693&p=34480

HTH!
In Christ,
Julie

We've never done any formal review.

At the end of many of the history books, mainly the ones by Christian Liberty Press, there are questions about the reading that can be asked. And, when they do their narrations, that is review. The girls go back through their notebooks from time to time.

One thing we like to do is buy cheap historical movies from Family Christian. It's great watching those in the evenings with the family, or on days when you just need a little break. It's awesome when the children relate what they are seeing to a story we're currently reading or have just finished. That helps me to see that they are remembering more than I think they are at times. The same when watching the Drive Thru History dvds, or various shows on the Discovery or History channel.

And, another way us parents got to see "review" up close and personal:
This week we did 2 family field trips to places we've never been, and daddy came along (planned anniversary outings - lol)! We hit the Michigan/Detroit Science Center one day and the Detroit Institute of Arts today. It was great. The girls were so excited about each one, chatting up all their science know-how with what they were doing or trying to figure out...and then seeing all the time period art and artifacts and applying them to all their readings. It was great seeing them excited and making connections. It put new life into their little minds about what they've been reading. I don't like Detroit and don't want to venture there alone so I never went to these places. I feel bad that I never took the time to talk the children there before now. We'll be going back. There is too much we didn't get to see, and the girls are hungry for more.

I've found that review is really necessary in things like math or spelling (where HOD will build it in), but in History and Science my kids seem to do very well at retaining the things without any extra effort on my part. They are making connections with the things they read, and this cements it into their brains. They'll bring up something they studied in one of these subjects weeks, or months down the road, saying, "Mom, remember when we did..." or "Wow, that's like that person we learned about in school. Remember when..." Occasionally I'll fill in the blank with a name that they ask about, but they are remembering much more than even I at times!

Timelines are another great tool, besides the notebooks, though-whenever they get it out to add to it, they're refresing what they learned about all year long.