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anitamarie
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| Posted: May 15 2009 at 2:50pm | IP Logged
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or why not?
Do you do this? Have you tried and abandoned this approach? Do you think it's a bad idea? Do you love it?
I ask because we started out hsing this way 2 years ago and are not sure we want to continue. We are finding it difficult to make a transition away from it, though.
Thanks for any input.
Anita
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Macmom
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| Posted: May 20 2009 at 3:21pm | IP Logged
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I LOVE doing history chronologically so much! We have finished TWO four year cycles of history this way (so, yes, I'm coming up on my 9th year of teaching history this way). My kids love it, it helps to cement in their minds historical personages and events, and, after the 1st 4-year cycle, I had so much stuff to use again! Referring to the 4 historical periods as "Ancients, Middle Ages, Renaissance and Exploration, and Modern Times" has helped the kids with putting saints lives in their correct time periods, too.
I really think any other way of teaching history just jumps around too much and gives kids a jumbles view of both salvation history and secular history, and how they intersect. That was why I chose not to go with MODG's curriculum suggestions. Too much American history, not integrated with Bible History when studying Ancients, and a whole year on Rome and then another whole year on Greece? Nah!!!
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SylviaB
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| Posted: May 20 2009 at 4:38pm | IP Logged
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Macmom,
I don't want to hijack the thread, but can you expand a little on how you do the 4 year cycle?
do you have the family do history together? If so, does a child just join in the cycle whenever they area ready knowing they will eventually cycle thru it all even if they don't start at the beginning?
Do you have any particular curriculum you like for the four year cycle?
Sylvia
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Sarah M
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| Posted: May 20 2009 at 6:49pm | IP Logged
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In her book, Elizabeth describes why studying history chronologically isn't necessary... but I lent my book out and can't quote her here... anyone want to jump in with that?
I think if you enjoy studying history chronologically, then go for it! But if history is getting dry, or you are wanting to follow the children's interests (to study pioneers or the Revolutionary War or ancient China or whatever), you shouldn't feel like you can't. This is where the Book of Centuries idea comes in. Even though history isn't being taught "in order", the child is making deep relationships with each of the historical topics, and then placing them in the book of centuries to understand the broad sweep of what-happened-when and how it all fits together.
I find that my children learn and remember material better when they are able to study what interests them. This last year, they were completely absorbed with the Little House series, so we studied pioneers (read books, did crafts, visited a pioneer museum, etc). Right after this, they watched the American Girl movie, Felicity, and that launched a months-long interest in all things Revolutionary War. We touched on The Boston Tea Party, George Washington, Paul Revere....etc. My 7yo is now a storehouse of knowledge about Colonial America. I don't think a unit on the Ancients would have been greeted with the same enthusiasm. But I do think I'll use a general timeline (for myself) to make sure we are covering important historical topics over the course of their education.
History can be very rich and rewarding when approached in either way, I'm sure. You wanted thoughts from both perspectives, so I thought I'd throw in my thoughts-- chronological history just doesn't work for us.
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anitamarie
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| Posted: May 25 2009 at 2:43pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for the opinions. See, I was all on board with the chronological thing, but then it wasn't working with the 2nd grader. Then I read Elizabeth's book, and started to wonder which way to go in the future. We also did the Serendipity American History Plans and they were so fun. And the continent study looks great. I can see it working both ways, now that some of us are a little older and wiser.
Macmom: You've clarified exactly why we started doing it that way to begin with. I really like the idea of it, maybe it was my implementation. 
I guess we'll pray where to go next. I am thankful for your input. Anyone else want to chime in, that's great.
Anita
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Willa
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| Posted: May 25 2009 at 7:27pm | IP Logged
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Hi, Anita,
I started off with a pretty strict chronological cycle when I began homeschooling but found my kids didn't get a whole lot of benefit from it when they were little and I felt locked-in.
When I went to the other extreme, though, it didn't work for us either -- I get too unfocused without some sort of big picture plan to follow.
What we do now is sort of in the middle. General history stories in the first couple of grades, without a whole lot of attention to chronology or details of the time period; then two cycles through history, one from 2nd to 6th grade and the second from 7th to 12th.
I think a century book is a good idea because no matter how chronological the history cycle is, you will also probably be doing some Bible and Church history through the liturgical year and some history out of the time period you are studying through National Holidays and from free reading by the kids. A century book or timeline or at least discussions occasionally about the "big picture" helps smooth that out and order it without having to worry about keeping everything centered around one time period in history.
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Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
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Topic: Studying history chronologically, why...
