Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Combining TruthQuest History and Beautiful Feet, A Match Made in Heaven...


There are a handful of frequently asked questions I get from readers regarding planning, scheduling, and combining various programs.  Today, I thought I'd take a minute to answer a comment from Tami.  She asks...

I'm curious how you meshed BF and Truthquest?  I have a couple TQ guides but feel as though I need more structure with it. I've purchased BF Early American history and am truly smitten by it.

Well Tami, I'm smitten with Beautiful Feet too!...and if you've been reading here a while, you know that I use Beautiful Feet history guides with TruthQuest History and absolutely LOVE the combination!   Although, I do believe both programs are definitely sweet enough to stand alone, marrying the two adds the cherry on top.  I also believe it's important to let your curriculum be your slave and not your master, therefore, I've adapted both Beautiful Feet (BF) and TruthQuest (TQ) to meet my family's needs.

Let me explain...

You can read more about my introduction to BF and courtship here.  Meanwhile, a few of years ago, I was also introduced to TQ and thought I'd like to give it a try.  However, after the first year I felt a little burned out by all the books we read....don't get me wrong, the books were wonderful, but due to my perfectionist/anal tendencies, I was overwhelmed with the choices.  I also had other things going on in the home and needed to simplify.   At that point, I started consulting my BF guides, among other things, to narrow my choices.  You can read more about those planning steps here

Once my books are chosen and my schedules made, the practical application begins.  In the newer BF guides, there is background information as well as discussion questions.  Both of these give me something to ponder even if I don't use them with the kiddos.  With the younger kids, I typically stick with oral narration after reading TQ books, but I do occasionally pull from the BF guides for questions, particularly if my kiddos don't seem to grasp some of the reading or for help with vocabulary....for example, I'm just about finished reading aloud Abraham Lincoln by Daugherty, which is a BF recommendation in The Western Expansion guide.  Prior to the reading, I looked over the questions.  One of the lessons suggested 4 vocabulary words...keelboats, languorous, horse-and-alligator men, and Creole.  Before reading that day, I wrote the four words on the board and we talked about them.  Both kids new what a keelboat was from former reading.  Our dd knew languorous from her Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts program.  They took a good guess at the other two words, I Googled them and found meanings, which we briefly discussed.  At that point, I read the assigned reading with both kids listening intently for the words we discussed.  They narrated upon completion and we moved on.  I did not make them write anything in their notebooks.  We did not do any comp questions that day.  However, some days, I do choose passages from the reading based on BF questions and vocabulary words, then I have them copy them into their notebooks.  This is just a few ways I've adapted the guides to meet our needs.    

BTW, the vocabulary method I gave as an example above is in line with the Charlotte Mason method of teaching.  Prior to reading aloud, she encouraged her teachers to briefly review the reading from the day before and note any new words, from the passage to be read, on the board.  However, this should take less than 5 minutes and I certainly wouldn't recommend any more than 3-4 new vocab words per lesson or it may become tedious.  

As stated, I really love both BF and TQ.  I've used TQ to build our personal library and to keep us on track chronologically.  I also read Michelle Miller's commentary, particularly if it's a section that I want to skim over and not choose books from.  I use BF for my background information, vocabulary, copywork, and Socratic questioning. 

Our older dd, who's graduated, used TQ Age Of Revolution III and BF US and World History for her 12th grade year and also loved the combination.  She read books chronologically from the TQ guide as well as the commentary, then used the BF guide for prompts in writing her narration and composition papers.  By using both, along with Commas are our Friends and misc. speech books, I felt warranted to award her a history and English credit.  

By this point, you may have noticed that I'm very independent and eclectic in my approach.  I've also used Time Traveler CD-Roms, History Pockets, and a variety of notebooking/lapbooking pages with our history studies.  However, great living books have always been the bottom line.  I feel TQ and BF mesh the best, offering a buffet of wonderful, solid books choices for our family.  And, often times, the BF books are listed in the TQ guides anyway.  One other resource that I absolutely LOVE for choosing living books is A Visual American History Timeline of Books created by Bonnie Anderson.  The Timeline includes many books from both TQ and BF, in addition to adding the visual piece that really solidifies learning. 

18 comments:

  1. Such a good description of how to use these together! I need to check out the timeline book. I haven't seen that one before.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm so excited to see this post. I have been agonizing over BF and TQ. I have TQ guide and love the books listed even though I'm going to have to buy almost every resource due to living in a town with a horrible library and nothing within a 2 hour drive that would be any better. Interlibrary loans are just starting to happen, and can take 9 months to get a book! Gasp, I know!!! Anyway, I have been drooling over BF books, but felt it might be a little light for what I'm wanting. Marrying the two together is exactly what I need/want to do. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Quick question Melissa, maybe I should ask over at SCM, but I'm asking here. Would you suggest BF Early or Intermediate for a 2nd and 3rd grader? I'm leaning towards early just because I'm loving the books included.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey April,

    Thanks for reading! I would start those ages in the Early guide. The D'Aulaire books are so rich, I just hate to see any child miss them. Also, there is a considerable step up in the intermediate level books, as well as a couple of writing assignments. I've used both and personally wouldn't begin the Intermediate until that 4th/5th grade range.

    BTW, I wanted to mention the used history book list that I posted Monday here on the blog. There are many TQ books and some BF books. You mentioned your library not being great so I thought I'd offer another option. Also, many of the books set prior to the Civil War are books we've read and love! I've kept personal copies for our youngest son and future grandchildren ;-)

    Blessings,
    Melissa

    ReplyDelete
  5. Melissa,
    We have used the updated BF EA Intermediate guide exclusively this year. This coming school year my kids will be in 5th and 6th. I "plan" to use BF Modern US and World with them but I have these TQ guides sitting here that I am giddy about. There are days that I feel BF readings are SO long...especially for reading aloud AND with a 1yr old and 3 yr old in tow. Are you still combining the two? Do you plan to continue to do so? While we thoroughly enjoy the BF selections I'm still thinking about going exclusively TQ. In some of the later guides Mrs. Miller uses several books that I have read and told DH I want our children to read (Coffin's books as an example).

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think I answered myself. lol. I sat down with the rest of my current BF EA intermediate guide and TQ vol 1 and the first part of vol 2. I'm adding in from TQ where I see fit. It means it will take us a long time to get from Lewis and Clark to present day but I'm okay with that.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Tami,

    We are using BF Modern American and World History this year and yes, the readings are a bit long...although, the book selections are fabulous!! I've been using BF as my spine so to speak, adding TQ books occasionally. It sounds like you have a good plan :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Melissa, I'm back. :-)
    I had a long reply typed up but then the table was shaken, buttons hit, and it disappeared! Ack. lol. Are there any books in BF Modern that you felt could be dropped? Books that did not add a whole lot to the study of history?
    My second question pertains to the History of Science. I had initially planned on BF Modern and the History of Science. Upon working through BF EA and looking at Modern and the science (mine is the newest edition which has more lessons) BF just has long readings. If you had it to do over again, would you still do modern history along with science history? I'm wondering if we'd gain more out of the science if I used it as my core history once we finish Modern and before we start with Ancients. My kiddos are just about 5th and 6th grade.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome back :) We are a little over half way through the Modern study, but have taken about a 6 week sabbatical. We finished all other subjects but the BF Modern guide and I'm intending to read the rest of the books over summer at bedtime and on rainy days. However, our kids play softball and baseball so our evenings have been filled. Starting in July, we will get back to it.

      With that said, the only book that I subbed out was Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and only because I felt it was more suited for upper middle and high school. It's a fabulous book that my kids will read later on, but for now we read a shorter biography. Other than that, I can't think of any to sub/skip. The Perilous Road was just OK for me, but my kids loved it. Also, Across Five Aprils was so wonderful, it was a hard act to follow.

      Regarding BF Science, I have no regrets about the way we did it. It's a fabulous study! Given the ages of your kids, I think it would be totally appropriate to finish Modern and then work through Science before staring Ancients.

      Hope that helps,
      Melissa

      Delete
    2. Thank you Melissa. I read your most recent update and noted that you subbed out the Fredrick Douglass book. Thank you for posting your way though the BF guides!! I have been really "iffy" about the George Washington Carver book but your post has encouraged me to look through it again. I prefer the book they include with the history of science pack. At the rate we are moving through the guides we won't be finished with Modern until my kids are entering 7th and 8th. :-)

      Delete
    3. You know Tami, I forgot that BF added the George Washington Carver book in the science pack. The Modern GWC poem book was interesting in that I'd never read a biography in poems. However, there were a couple of poems that had questionable content so I would say if you plan to read the biography in the science pack, the Modern GWC book could probably be skipped.

      Whether you decide to finish Modern before starting Science or not, I think you'd be OK starting Ancients in 7th/8th or 8th/9th. The later would most likely give you an opportunity for one more pass through the pageant of history. Also, at those upper levels, they seem to be able to absorb more as well as make more meaningful connections. I say don't feel pressured, pray about it and go for it! :))

      Delete
    4. Thank you for your thoughts. These are my oldest kiddos so I feel unsure at times. I originally started with a full boxed curriculum. Used them for years but last year felt confident enough to walk away from a full boxed set. I think the struggle for me is that I need to consider the future but not dwell on the future. I can plan out all I want but ultimately the Lord knows what is best, what is needed, what seasons of life we will go through, etc.

      Delete
  9. I forgot a question. That's what I get for multitasking. I have not seen a post on HOW you decide what notebooking pages you choose for your children's school year. So many homeschoolers use pre-made pages but HOW do you go about choosing what you want to use? I assume they are done in advance since I frequently see them spiral bound.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hey Tami,

    There is no right or wrong way to determine notebooking pages. I go through the guide ahead of time, looking at each lesson. From there, I decide which activities, experiments, mapwork, etc., the kids will do and I find notebooking pages to match. If I'm unable to find what I'm looking for, I create my own. Some things I consider are line spacing and how big of an area/box there is to write. Our son struggles with fine motor skills so I want to be sure he has enough space to write/draw in an attempt to avoid frustration. Also, my kids are not big on experiments so I limit the number required.

    Does that help?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Kind of. lol. There are SO many experiment options in the new guide. I have my work cut out for me when the time comes. I like how we are notebooking through EA. Just a simple spiral notebook with tan paper that is a bit thicker than standard composition notebooks. The kids picked them and they hold up well. It's hard to notebook science for us though. We find it fascinating but...we just don't notebook as well (creatively???) as we do with history. We too are not huge on experiments. I even went so far as to buy a science experiment kit for the Apologia book that we used and it sits mostly unused.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I totally feel what you are saying. We also used a simple composition notebook for history, but since we struggled through science, I created the notebooking pages. Our ds, rising 6th grader, prefers the notebooking pages so I'm working on a set for him for the upcoming school year. Our dd was on the fence and hasn't decided which way she'll go. This fall, I plan to use different programs with them for the first time, though they'll be studying the same time period. It should be interesting, ha!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I look forward to your curriculum post!! I "think" that we will separate in the sciences. My kids have always down everything together so this is kind of...eek. My DD is completely fascinated with astronomy and would like to go down that path. My DS is requesting to use Science in the Beginning as a basic general science. We'll stick together for most other subjects other than required literature I'll assign.

      Delete
    2. I should add that this (the science split) would be done for the year and then the following year potentially go back to the History of Science as our core. Potentially History of Science with the addition of the TQ Beginnings guide for our Bible studies.

      Delete