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Hi, has anyone put together a picture book list to align by weeks with Heart of Dakota Resurrection to Reformation? My 3rd grader really wants to be a part of the older siblings curriculum and I think it would help with understanding for all children.

I am thinking about doing the right side of Bigger and a few other boxes with my 3rd grade child but want to do a bit more simplified history study if possible from Res. to Ref. so to still be in the same time period as the older kids.

Thanks so much for your help!!

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"All Through the Ages" is a great resource that has books categorized by grade, chronological order, geographical order, etc. There are lots of books in there that are already sorted.

mothermayi? wrote:"All Through the Ages" is a great resource that has books categorized by grade, chronological order, geographical order, etc. There are lots of books in there that are already sorted.

Thanks so much! I forgot about that book!!!

I just wanted to pop into this thread to share a little bit different perspective that may be worth pondering as you think about this potential path. The reason I share this is because I did something similar for awhile with my two oldest kiddos, and it definitely has some pitfalls.

One pitfall is that you are having a younger child cover a time period in history whose content is better left for an older, more mature student. I would hesistate long and hard before exposing a younger student to the content and coverage of the Dark Ages, Medieval Times, the Reformation, and the Renaissance. Without a firm Scriptural foundation, and an understanding of the spread of Christianity, these time periods are difficult to understand. The content can be terrifying. Martyrdoms and strict and horrible punishments were a part of daily life. The darkness and corruptability of the church during these time periods is also hard to understand.

Another pitfall is that sweet picture books portraying these times as filled with knights and castles and damsels in distress result in false impressions of these times. While it is wonderful to read picture books like these as fairy tales for bedtime and free-time reading, to read them as a part of a history study, provides a wrong impression of history. However, if you go the other way with books that show history as it really was, you could scare your child with things that are difficult to understand with their limited view of the world and of history.

With these thoughts in mind, wouldn't it be better to surround your younger kiddos with stories that are more understandable from a time period closer to their time? If your child fits in Bigger Hearts for the right side of the guide, why go through all of the work to create your own history curriculum to match your older child's history (and then find that you are lacking all of the skills for history that are wound within the left side of the history part of the Bigger Heart's Guide)? I would highly suggest that you take a look at the left side of Bigger Hearts to notice all of the skills that are wound within the history part of the plans. Will your child be getting those things, by listening to picture books? I would encourage you to try the history from Bigger Hearts for your younger student, and save the content of RTR for when your student actually fits there age-wise and skill-wise. If you do so, you will actually save yourself much time at the library, much money spent on books you will read once, and much time spent scouring book lists that could actually be better spent in teaching your child. I know this is true, because I attempted it for several years before realizing these tough facts!

Anyway, just a little insight that may be of help before you head far down this path. As the teacher, you will ultimately know best what works for your family. I just encourage you to explore your options before making a firm decision.

Blessings,
Carrie

Thanks so much, Carrie! I really appreciate your insight and thoughts. I have been feeling many of the same things you mentioned as far as that time period being intense. My problem is that I combine my two older kids who fit together nicely. They are 12 and 10 and are both in Creation to Christ right now. My other child is in Beyond right now and I was planning on using Bigger next year but I think she is feeling left out because she wants to be a part of her older siblings curriculum. What are your thoughts on that?

Thanks!

Andrea

Hi Andrea, I just wanted to say, there have been many times that my youngest has wanted the same privileges or things that his older brothers have. This is hard, but I have to remind him that his older brothers also had to wait until certain criteria were met such as reaching the right age, proving a level of responsibility, or purchasing with their own money. Also, I point out the fact that the older siblings have done each level in order...."they have done what you are about to do".

Everyone is right. It's best to fit each child.

Maybe an older sibling would be willing to read her history or science with her, so she feels like they are doing something together?

Thanks for all of your help and ideas. I personally like combining all my kids together for History. I LOVE HOD but miss them being together. When my child mentioned they wanted to be with her siblings I really understood that. I totally understand the age levels and needing them to not be exposed to things they shouldn't yet. I was just hoping to make it work. Thanks again!

Hi! I have some ideas I'd love to share! Our 3 sons are in different guides and thriving. We have some 'sharing' times that they love though! Here is a post where I explain it...
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=12990&p=93454

This has always been 'enough' togetherness and sharing for them. They are each happy to go back to what they do well and are well-suited for in their own respective guides, but these short together times are fun! On a side note, I think of schooling a bit like swimming. I could throw the little one in the olders' swimming class in the deep end of the pool, but it wouldn't be long until he was struggling and in way over his head! I don't want to do that with swimming lessons, and I don't want to do it with school either. Our short sharing times I've shared in the above link have been a blast through the years, have fostered togetherness, have given each a window into what the others are doing, but the best thing is they are each still getting what they need individually too, and my day as a teacher isn't dragging out because they're not doubling up on work in guides they're not matched well to do! HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

This post might be of help as you ponder too: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=9343

Blessings,
Carrie