Compare HOD & MFW - depth, rigor, pros/cons

[abrightmom]

I'd love to hear some gracious, yet honest, comparisons of these two programs if you've used both. There are merits to each. I have used Adventures in My Father's World and have purchased (& planned) to begin HOD. I am having reservations about using HOD as I'm beginning to see the joy of multi-teaching and remaining together on content subjects.

 

From the outside looking in HOD appears to have a richness & depth that I do not see in MFW. I also think HOD asks more of the child in the way of thinking skills and writing skills (especially in Preparing and up). However, things are not always as they seem so a comparison will help.

 

Linking me to relevant threads would be fine! I did do some searching and haven't found a really thorough, meaty comparison though I did read some MFW vs. HOD threads.

 

Tell me your HOD and/or MFW stories!!

[KeriJ]

You sound so much like me (I just read your other thread about 2 HOD guides), and our kids are similar in age as well. (I have 8, 6, 3, and 1 year olds.) I'll be all ears on this thread, but after struggling with this same decision, I finally decided on MFW just for simplicity and sanity. Every family is different, but for our family, that is what we are needing right now.

 

But I totally understand the struggle. I have gone back and forth on this since both programs pull me strongly for different reasons. :)

[twoxcell]

What's funny is I spent several years looking at both of these programs. Initially I was drawn more towards MFW, but after jumping in to HOD this year I have no desire to even look at any other curriculum. HOD fits us perfectly.

[abrightmom]

You sound so much like me (I just read your other thread about 2 HOD guides), and our kids are similar in age as well. (I have 8, 6, 3, and 1 year olds.) I'll be all ears on this thread, but after struggling with this same decision, I finally decided on MFW just for simplicity and sanity. Every family is different, but for our family, that is what we are needing right now.

 

But I totally understand the struggle. I have gone back and forth on this since both programs pull me strongly for different reasons. :)

Keri,

 

Thanks for sharing that! I'd love to hear your struggle and what pushed you over the edge to decide on MFW. Did you prefer HOD but have a hard time with some aspect of it? Were you completely divided on which path to take? What year of MFW are you going to use? We did Adventures last year and my boys loved all of it!

[KeriJ]

We are planning to do Adventures in the fall. Sometimes being mentally divided stresses me as much as actual time spent. So just having one guide in MFW appealed to me. I also like the flexibility of the MFW guide, but that is probably just my personality. We tend to tweak things during the week: doubling up on something one day, putting something else off until the end of the week etc. The MFW's guide seemed to lend itself to that better. I think I would be stressed over switching things around in the HOD guide, but that's just me.

 

I definitely am attracted to the "richness" of HOD, but we also really enjoy just going to the library, picking up some books and snuggling up to read on the couch. Once again: simplicity. :) So I like the MFW book basket idea knowing that the books are optional.

 

I just feel that I would be doing a lot of tweaking with HOD since we have already read many of the books and are way ahead in LA compared to what the age appropriate guide has scheduled. (I can explain that later if needed) MFW uses so many books that I had already looked at using in the future.

 

The 4 day week in MFW works better for us also, although I do realize that HOD switches to 4 day eventually. and I know that some people use HOD in a 4 day format from the start, but once again: it's a mental thing for me :)

 

Anyway, those are just some of the things I had thought through. I may think of others. I may even end up waffling again later. But all in all, as much as I love the idea of HOD, my gut just says to go with MFW.

[abrightmom]

Thanks Keri. That does help. MFW's grid is excellent and quite flexible. I did enjoy that last year.

 

The big issue that has sent me over the edge in considering HOD is the LA. I want a more rigorous, classical approach to LA (Phonics Road) but it is time intensive. That and running HOD with two guides is overwhelming....

 

I am considering 3 options: 1. Using 2 HOD guides with my 3 students placed appropriately for language arts within those guides. 2. Using HOD and PR :001_huh:. 3. Saying good-bye to HOD, hello to PR, and continuing with MFW ECC. We adored the book basket for Adventures. It did add depth and richness to the program for us.

 

Still praying and pondering these options and would LOVE to hear from some others.

[birchbark]

I have not used MFW but have reviewed it extensively and have friends that use it. The reason I chose HoD was that I liked the teacher's guide and book choices much better. I also feel the Language Arts are more rigorous.

 

Here's an old thread where I asked for a comparison between the two when I first heard of HoD. The answers I got favored HoD.

 

However, combining is not an issue with me yet because of my DC's ages. If I had closer age ranges I would definitely feel the pull of a multi-age curriculum or casual approach like Truthquest. :001_smile: Some people do use HoD to combine successfully though they can be hard to find. ;)

 

Although HoD and MFW are lovely options, keep in mind the 3R's are really what is most important for elementary students. Go with what you like the look of and don't sweat the decision too much. If MFW looks better for you right now, perhaps you can revisit HoD when your DC get to the more independent levels.

[johnandtinagilbert]

 

Although HoD and MFW are lovely options, keep in mind the 3R's are really what is most important for elementary students. Go with what you like the look of and don't sweat the decision too much. If MFW looks better for you right now, perhaps you can revisit HoD when your DC get to the more independent levels.

:iagree: whole heartedly. In your family ages, I deeply encourage the fundamentals, and let the rest be enjoyable, but not mind boggling or stressful to plan. Truly, history and science will prove less important than fundamentals.

 

If I were you...PR + MFW would be my choice. You can read more from the book basket to increase rigor and available knowledge for you ds, but still keep gentle for the youngers, and of course.....there is no way I'd leave PR :) (but you already knew that!).

[janie_ranae]

I can not help you with MFW - I know nothing about it, but we are using BHFHG for both my DS8 and DD6. I have adapted some of the assignments, e.g. type out the Bible verse used in Science Notebooking instead of requiring them to write it out, or sometimes I'll find a black & white drawing online and print that instead of requiring them to draw it.

 

DS8 is using gr3 math, R&S grammar, and DITHOR. DD6 is using gr2 math, R&S grammar, and CLE reading. So they work together in some subjects (history, Bible, poetry, geography, science, read aloud, dictation, spelling) but are separate in others. I'm not sure how next year will work out with the skills required for Preparing, but I'm looking forward to using it next year!

 

Ah, the joys of choice. :) All the best with your decision!

[abrightmom]

I have not used MFW but have reviewed it extensively and have friends that use it. The reason I chose HoD was that I liked the teacher's guide and book choices much better. I also feel the Language Arts are more rigorous.

 

Here's an old thread where I asked for a comparison between the two when I first heard of HoD. The answers I got favored HoD.

 

However, combining is not an issue with me yet because of my DC's ages. If I had closer age ranges I would definitely feel the pull of a multi-age curriculum or casual approach like Truthquest. :001_smile: Some people do use HoD to combine successfully though they can be hard to find. ;)

 

Although HoD and MFW are lovely options, keep in mind the 3R's are really what is most important for elementary students. Go with what you like the look of and don't sweat the decision too much. If MFW looks better for you right now, perhaps you can revisit HoD when your DC get to the more independent levels.

 

:iagree: whole heartedly. In your family ages, I deeply encourage the fundamentals, and let the rest be enjoyable, but not mind boggling or stressful to plan. Truly, history and science will prove less important than fundamentals.

 

If I were you...PR + MFW would be my choice. You can read more from the book basket to increase rigor and available knowledge for you ds, but still keep gentle for the youngers, and of course.....there is no way I'd leave PR :) (but you already knew that!).

Ladies,

 

What you are sharing resonates so loudly and is THE central issue here. I even love Sonlight for right now...Read good books. Delight in them. They fit in the nooks & crannies of the day.

 

HOD is beautiful and rich. I have it on the shelf, partially in use, with the wonderful books. It is very very hard to say no to it. I have longed to use it for a long time and I'm finally here...I am absolutely in love with Preparing Hearts for His Glory. Every little bit of it. I cannot imagine not allowing my children to study in that HOD year.

 

Birchbark, Do you love HOD's LA and do you think it will lead you and your DC toward a strong command of the English language? HOD DOES contain many skills that are interwoven in the guides so while you are enjoying content the child is also building a skill (i.e. narration, writing). I see a lot of application of skills in HOD and I really like that! That is a big draw to HOD for me ---- efficiency! :001_smile: I really want to trust Carrie and go with HOD's recommendations. I just doubt myself because I have tasted of the rigor and thoroughness that is The Phonics Road. Then there is the richness of the content in HOD . . . it ministers to my heart as well as the hearts of my children.

[abrightmom]

Birchbark,

 

I thought of another question. How is your kiddo handling the independent portion of CTC? Is it working out as expected in the guide? Do the boxes really work out to be T, S or I as Carrie has coded them? If your child is working somewhat independently do you feel like you have enough involvement to stay connected, have discussions, etc.? How is the workload for your ten year old? Are you using HOD as written? What about DITHOR? If you have said no to DITHOR why is that?

 

Bless you for answering my questions.:001_smile:

[johnandtinagilbert]

Katrina,

I'm not very familiar with HOD, so forgive my ignorance. Why not just plug PR into the HOD slots for LA? If you find redundancy in assignments, drop the redundant ones in HOD for the sake of Fundamental Focus. Am I oversimplifying?

[abrightmom]

Katrina,

I'm not very familiar with HOD, so forgive my ignorance. Why not just plug PR into the HOD slots for LA? If you find redundancy in assignments, drop the redundant ones in HOD for the sake of Fundamental Focus. Am I oversimplifying?

Perhaps Tina. Can I just tell you that I have thoroughly investigated this? Boy oh boy. I could probably write a HOD guide from memory ... :lol:

 

Let me give you an example and it will probably reveal MY ignorance of what is age/level appropriate:

 

Preparing would be used by my oldest in 4th grade and is a 4 day program. He is a rising 3rd grader now and using the HOD program Bigger Hearts. Bigger does have a fair amount of writing as well. But, for this example I'll share from Preparing which would be studied in 4th grade by my oldest. Here's the basic LA line-up with time estimates gleaned from the HOD board (of course this varies by day, kid and assignment as you know):

 

Rod & Staff 4: One lesson per day. 15-30 minutes

Reading (lit. study): 3 times per week. 30 minutes

Studied dictation (this is spelling): 3 times per week. 5 minutes

 

Only a portion of that time is teacher intensive; probably half. Within the content areas the child is doing writing in a variety of ways. Here's a list for this particular program:

 

History: A written narration 1x weekly, use of Draw and Write Through History in which cursive is used along with sketching (very fun!) 1x weekly for the cursive writing portion (they work on the sketch/drawing a bit each day)

Science: Copywork, labeling, sketching, writing out lab sheets, answering questions in complete sentences. Writing happens in this subject 3 out of 4 days. The other day is reading & orally narrating.

Vocabulary: A written vocab. portion 1x a week.

Bible: Copying the scripture memory passage once per unit/week. This is 2 -3 verses long.

Poetry: 1x per week there is a writing activity based on the poem. I LOVE this and I KNOW my oldest will love it. I estimate it would take about 20 minutes to complete.

Other: There are other items on the schedule but not a lot of writing linked to them (crafts, projects, Bible reading, memory work, poetry reading, timelines, geography)

******** Okay, that is probably a lot more than you were asking for Tina. It's hard for me to imagine omitting anything in HOD because I believe it is scheduled out in a balanced, yet rigorous, way. As I have perused these guides I find that there is a LOT of skill application across subject lines. I couldn't really see myself folding PR into it without asking way more writing of my kiddos than is necessary (or doable for them).

 

With the exception of spelling rules and roots study I find nothing missing in HOD. The writing portions are excellent every year. Rod & Staff is the writing spine, if you will, while Carrie puts flesh on those bones in a variety of ways. :D

Edited March 25, 2011 by abrightmom

[Chelli]

 

Preparing would be used by my oldest in 4th grade and is a 4 day program. He is a rising 3rd grader now and using the HOD program Bigger Hearts. Bigger does have a fair amount of writing as well. But, for this example I'll share from Preparing which would be studied in 4th grade by my oldest. Here's the basic LA line-up with time estimates gleaned from the HOD board (of course this varies by day, kid and assignment as you know):

 

Rod & Staff 4: One lesson per day. 15-30 minutes

Reading (lit. study): 3 times per week. 30 minutes

Studied dictation (this is spelling): 3 times per week. 5 minutes

 

Only a portion of that time is teacher intensive; probably half. Within the content areas the child is doing writing in a variety of ways. Here's a list for this particular program:

 

History: A written narration 1x weekly, use of Draw and Write Through History in which cursive is used along with sketching (very fun!) 1x weekly for the cursive writing portion (they work on the sketch/drawing a bit each day)

Science: Copywork, labeling, sketching, writing out lab sheets, answering questions in complete sentences. Writing happens in this subject 3 out of 4 days. The other day is reading & orally narrating.

Vocabulary: A written vocab. portion 1x a week.

Bible: Copying the scripture memory passage once per unit/week. This is 2 -3 verses long.

Poetry: 1x per week there is a writing activity based on the poem. I LOVE this and I KNOW my oldest will love it. I estimate it would take about 20 minutes to complete.

Other: There are other items on the schedule but not a lot of writing linked to them (crafts, projects, Bible reading, memory work, poetry reading, timelines, geography)

 

This is why have finally decided to go with HOD instead of MFW for this year. I have debated for months about the two programs. Ultimately I will probably switch back and forth between the two programs from year to year, but for the next couple of years I am planning on using HOD (Bigger and Preparing). I love the layout of the TM; I love Carrie's book choices; I love how the LA is rigorous and aligned with classical education (IMO). After doing my two years of HOD, I have planned to try MFW ECC. After that year, I will know for sure which of the two programs we like better and then will be able to stick with one (hopefully ;)), but for now, with the ages of my kids, using two HOD TMs shouldn't be too hard.

 

If you are for sure wanting to keep using PR, then I would probably choose MFW because I believe (from what I've seen) that it's LA for your kid's ages is less intensive. If you are willing to let PR go, then HOD would be my choice. Ultimately, though, I don't think you could go wrong choosing either one.

[Donna A.]

If I were you...PR + MFW would be my choice. You can read more from the book basket to increase rigor and available knowledge for you ds, but still keep gentle for the youngers, and of course.....there is no way I'd leave PR :) (but you already knew that!).

 

:iagree: We've been using MFW for over 6 years and have used every year of it from K thru 9th grade (about to begin 10th). I've also tried HOD a couple of times and went right back to MFW.

 

You can use whatever math and LA you like with MFW; you don't have to use their recommendations. They've chosen Charlotte Mason methods for language arts for the most part (and have copywork, dictation, etc. scheduled in the lesson plans in addition to the recommended purchases), and if you know how CM language arts works over the long term, you know that it is very effective when done consistently. That said, I do know that many MFW users prefer other options, including one on this board who's done it LCC style. I've seen everything from WTM recs to ACE, CLE, Rod & Staff, and anything in between.

 

The nice thing about the weekly grid is that you can turn it any which way you want. :lol: (The one mom turned it on its side to use it LCC style.) And they have boxes in the grid marked "English", "Spelling", "Math", etc. for you to write in your child's assignments for the day. With MFW recs, it's basically just "do the next thing", and instructions for how to use PLL and ILL are in the front of the manual. HOD does the same thing with R&S English assignments. While she does have copywork, memorization, narrations, and dictation exercises scheduled in (as does MFW), the R&S assignments are basically just do the next thing.

 

So what I do with MFW weekly grids is to photocopy them, one per child, and then I can write in each child's math and LA at their own level, put it in the front of their notebooks as part of their portfolio, and Voila, done.

 

Your child will be prepared for independent work and writing/composition for high school level in MFW by the time they get there (yes, even if you use their recs for LA :D ). My oldest is now about to start year 2 of h.s. She's doing great, and LOVES it.

 

I guess my point is that HOD doesn't really have anything in their LA that necessarily prepares a student for high school any better than MFW does. ;) Both schedule in copywork, dictation, narrations, and memory work. Both include notebooking, or at least notebooking ideas. (MFW includes student sheets in every year from Adventures on.) Both have hands-on activities to pick from. Both include biblical worldview. Both have writing and grammar scheduled, but they recommend different resources... however, HOD doesn't "do" anything different with those resources than if you used the same resources with MFW. So on that point, you could really use either one and be just fine.

 

But, in my opinion, and for my personal style, MFW has proven to be more flexible with multiple ages. I've got the weekly grid so I can shift things around in the schedule easily by being able to see at a glance what's coming up this week. I can photocopy the weekly grids for recordkeeping purposes and individualize their math and LA. I have a weekly supply list for consumable materials right there at the front of each week, so it's easy for me to check and see if anything's missing that I add to my shopping list the week before. I have just a *few* well-chosen books scheduled as read-alouds/core assignments each week, but then I have the extensive booklist in the back to choose from as time and interest allow. That booklist allows me to pick something for every age student in the house... including Mom and Dad. :tongue_smilie: It also has topic-related videos on the list.

 

On the booklist, Marie has asterisked some titles that she recommends for purchase if the library isn't a good option for you. I also know that some MFW users buy books from HOD or SL to use in lieu of Book Basket. Also, Marie has pre-read every single title on that list and noted (in most cases) where there's questionable content in a book or video that might not be age-appropriate or content-appropriate for someone in your family. That makes my job a lot easier when I'm ordering from the library about two weeks ahead of time. ;)

 

With HOD, it didn't seem like the LA levels matched up with the history levels in each guide. So if I bought one guide for history content/time period, I'd have to buy another guide for LA skills.

 

When HOD CTC first came out, I was very drawn to the beautiful notebook pages that she includes. However, once I got them and started using CTC, I discovered that I dislike the NB pages for the same reason I dislike the HOD manuals -- those boxes! The pages are beautiful indeed, but everything is like a scripted box that you have to fill in with certain things, very specific information or drawings. I also felt confined with how it's laid out... if you skipped any boxes, then you didn't have a complete page. (Because there's multiple boxes on each page, or most pages.) With MFW, I feel a lot more flexibility as far as each child being able to be creative with it and add their own personal style. Also, if a younger child can't do a particular NB page, it's easy to skip without messing up a whole page or portion of the NB. It's also easier to add written narrations and self-created NB pages if I want to. If I tweak anything with the prepared HOD NB pages, then it completely changes the look and (I think) intent of them.

 

Now all that is just MY experience... I know many love those HOD NB pages. They just didn't fit my personal style at all. :)

 

Can you get to a convention to see both curriculums in person? I think that's helpful. If not, I'd recommend going to each site, printing out all the sample lessons from each year, and reading through them in order to see where you'll be headed after your first year with that publisher.

[johnandtinagilbert]

 

Preparing would be used by my oldest in 4th grade and is a 4 day program. He is a rising 3rd grader now and using the HOD program Bigger Hearts. Bigger does have a fair amount of writing as well. But, for this example I'll share from Preparing which would be studied in 4th grade by my oldest. Here's the basic LA line-up with time estimates gleaned from the HOD board (of course this varies by day, kid and assignment as you know):

 

Rod & Staff 4: One lesson per day. 15-30 minutes *My* experience was the oral review was necessary for retention and the oral review took 15-20 minutes daily. Then they had to do the independent work. That was generally 20-30 min (and that was doing odds or evens only). I used RS 2-6 with my dc and tutored with 7&8. *I* have found I spend less time with PR than I ever did with RS and my children enjoy PR more, always dreaded RS (except the equation filler, who always found the pattern, then plugged away -- she rarely carried over RS skills into her writing). As always, YMMV.

Reading (lit. study): 3 times per week. 30 minutes Spending that in PR, often times less time than that and understanding literature, using spelling, grammar and writing skills to express it. A true strength of PR!

Studied dictation (this is spelling): 3 times per week. 5 minutes You may spend 15 minutes on spelling, about 3 times per week.

I honestly think you could do it. You just have to plug in your own assignments (like Donna mentioned). If you do PR3&4 in 3 years, you can really have a very light workload in language arts as independent subjects and really apply skills learned across the board in the ways you mention.

 

Only a portion of that time is teacher intensive; probably half. Within the content areas the child is doing writing in a variety of ways. Here's a list for this particular program:

 

History: A written narration 1x weekly, use of Draw and Write Through History in which cursive is used along with sketching (very fun!) 1x weekly for the cursive writing portion (they work on the sketch/drawing a bit each day) So, your cursive would be in all of PR, just make sure after the first month they use the skill regularly in daily writing. We do this with TOG, so I'm sure you can do the same with either HOD or MFW. Sounds like fun!

Science: Copywork, labeling, sketching, writing out lab sheets, answering questions in complete sentences. Writing happens in this subject 3 out of 4 days. The other day is reading & orally narrating. We do that now, too, with whatever science we have for the day. I had them do a narration for Netflix, Deadly Dozen -- the Amazon, today. I typed, they narrated. They illustrated and put it in their notebook. We do it for Elemental Science and did it for Apologia.

Vocabulary: A written vocab. portion 1x a week. TOG + PR both have vocab and we vary our activities to work on specific skills. I enjoy that vocab. is integrated and also the word study (amazing!).

Bible: Copying the scripture memory passage once per unit/week. This is 2 -3 verses long. We use our church's materials for this. We have also done "themes" like this year, we memorize 2 scriptures per month about the poor. Took me less than an hour to plan out the entire year.

Poetry: 1x per week there is a writing activity based on the poem. I LOVE this and I KNOW my oldest will love it. I estimate it would take about 20 minutes to complete. We need to work on this! We do some w/ TOG, but I have never made it a priority. This year our focus in TOG was very biographical in nature (working on one skill, in depth). Next year, poetry will be that skill, so the family read alouds will be heavily poetry and we'll make a ton of notebook pages in poetry. This takes TOGs recs and then my very simple notebooking skills.

Other: There are other items on the schedule but not a lot of writing linked to them (crafts, projects, Bible reading, memory work, poetry reading, timelines, geography)

******** Okay, that is probably a lot more than you were asking for Tina. It's hard for me to imagine omitting anything in HOD because I believe it is scheduled out in a balanced, yet rigorous, way. As I have perused these guides I find that there is a LOT of skill application across subject lines. I couldn't really see myself folding PR into it without asking way more writing of my kiddos than is necessary (or doable for them).

 

With the exception of spelling rules and roots study I find nothing missing in HOD. Those 2 things might be a deal breaker for me, particularly after going through grammar school once. There is really No Way I would skip the spelling rules ever again. Additionally, I am amazed at how Easy word study has become. You'd be impressed to listen to my dd11 rattle off the meanings of words b/c she's nearly done with the word study. It's impressive! The writing portions are excellent every year. Rod & Staff is the writing spine, if you will, while Carrie puts flesh on those bones in a variety of ways. :D

Okay, to be honest, well...you already know my thoughts on RS versus PR.

 

As for the rest, I understand how nice it is to have scheduling done for you (I SO GET THAT) as a mother of many and also remembering what it means to be a young teacher (this journey is so much about growing over time), but I have to be honest....you can do all that HOD offers by using other things. I can think of a few off the top of my head: TOG, MFW, Veritas, SOTW/WTM, TruthQuest, Bibloplan. I'm not saying HOD isn't great (I honestly wouldn't know), I'm just saying that if each of those portions are important to you, you obviously understand the importance of dictation, copywork, et. al for writing, and you hear me bellow "application, application, application" all day long :tongue_smilie: so I know you get that, too. My point is, if HOD confines you to a particular schedule of LA that you're not really happy with, then break free! If you can't tweak it, then choose another program or combo of programs that will all give you the same things! MFW + PR; TOG + PR (the writing aids will give you plenty of opportunity for more application, as will narrations and notebooking and all the examples I put on my blog), et al...anything + PR, really. You don't need those any more scheduled than they come, just do what's next from day to day!

 

Elemental science, Apologia, etc. will also give you notebooking, writing, lab sheets, and 4-day schedules.

 

Maybe b/c I haven't seen HOD, I don't know how wonderful it is...and it does have a lot of loyal followers, so I'm sure it is great! I'm just sayin', the list you gave can be accomplished in other places, too and you can get those kiddos smiling at Mrs. Beers again :)

 

Your life can be easy! I love that each year my plans go like this:

PR/LR

TOG

science

the next math

electives (change yearly - logic, etc.)

It's nice to have the line up ready to go! You'll get there, too! :grouphug:

[mothergooseof4]

:iagree: We've been using MFW for over 6 years and have used every year of it from K thru 9th grade (about to begin 10th). I've also tried HOD a couple of times and went right back to MFW.

 

You can use whatever math and LA you like with MFW; you don't have to use their recommendations. They've chosen Charlotte Mason methods for language arts for the most part (and have copywork, dictation, etc. scheduled in the lesson plans in addition to the recommended purchases), and if you know how CM language arts works over the long term, you know that it is very effective when done consistently. That said, I do know that many MFW users prefer other options, including one on this board who's done it LCC style. I've seen everything from WTM recs to ACE, CLE, Rod & Staff, and anything in between.

 

The nice thing about the weekly grid is that you can turn it any which way you want. :lol: (The one mom turned it on its side to use it LCC style.) And they have boxes in the grid marked "English", "Spelling", "Math", etc. for you to write in your child's assignments for the day. With MFW recs, it's basically just "do the next thing", and instructions for how to use PLL and ILL are in the front of the manual. HOD does the same thing with R&S English assignments. While she does have copywork, memorization, narrations, and dictation exercises scheduled in (as does MFW), the R&S assignments are basically just do the next thing.

 

So what I do with MFW weekly grids is to photocopy them, one per child, and then I can write in each child's math and LA at their own level, put it in the front of their notebooks as part of their portfolio, and Voila, done.

 

Your child will be prepared for independent work and writing/composition for high school level in MFW by the time they get there (yes, even if you use their recs for LA :D ). My oldest is now about to start year 2 of h.s. She's doing great, and LOVES it.

 

I guess my point is that HOD doesn't really have anything in their LA that necessarily prepares a student for high school any better than MFW does. ;) Both schedule in copywork, dictation, narrations, and memory work. Both include notebooking, or at least notebooking ideas. (MFW includes student sheets in every year from Adventures on.) Both have hands-on activities to pick from. Both include biblical worldview. Both have writing and grammar scheduled, but they recommend different resources... however, HOD doesn't "do" anything different with those resources than if you used the same resources with MFW. So on that point, you could really use either one and be just fine.

 

But, in my opinion, and for my personal style, MFW has proven to be more flexible with multiple ages. I've got the weekly grid so I can shift things around in the schedule easily by being able to see at a glance what's coming up this week. I can photocopy the weekly grids for recordkeeping purposes and individualize their math and LA. I have a weekly supply list for consumable materials right there at the front of each week, so it's easy for me to check and see if anything's missing that I add to my shopping list the week before. I have just a *few* well-chosen books scheduled as read-alouds/core assignments each week, but then I have the extensive booklist in the back to choose from as time and interest allow. That booklist allows me to pick something for every age student in the house... including Mom and Dad. :tongue_smilie: It also has topic-related videos on the list.

 

On the booklist, Marie has asterisked some titles that she recommends for purchase if the library isn't a good option for you. I also know that some MFW users buy books from HOD or SL to use in lieu of Book Basket. Also, Marie has pre-read every single title on that list and noted (in most cases) where there's questionable content in a book or video that might not be age-appropriate or content-appropriate for someone in your family. That makes my job a lot easier when I'm ordering from the library about two weeks ahead of time. ;)

 

With HOD, it didn't seem like the LA levels matched up with the history levels in each guide. So if I bought one guide for history content/time period, I'd have to buy another guide for LA skills.

 

When HOD CTC first came out, I was very drawn to the beautiful notebook pages that she includes. However, once I got them and started using CTC, I discovered that I dislike the NB pages for the same reason I dislike the HOD manuals -- those boxes! The pages are beautiful indeed, but everything is like a scripted box that you have to fill in with certain things, very specific information or drawings. I also felt confined with how it's laid out... if you skipped any boxes, then you didn't have a complete page. (Because there's multiple boxes on each page, or most pages.) With MFW, I feel a lot more flexibility as far as each child being able to be creative with it and add their own personal style. Also, if a younger child can't do a particular NB page, it's easy to skip without messing up a whole page or portion of the NB. It's also easier to add written narrations and self-created NB pages if I want to. If I tweak anything with the prepared HOD NB pages, then it completely changes the look and (I think) intent of them.

 

Now all that is just MY experience... I know many love those HOD NB pages. They just didn't fit my personal style at all. :)

 

Can you get to a convention to see both curriculums in person? I think that's helpful. If not, I'd recommend going to each site, printing out all the sample lessons from each year, and reading through them in order to see where you'll be headed after your first year with that publisher.

 

Katrina, I answered your pms, but in my short amount of time using MFW, I agree with all of this.

[Sue G in PA]

If only I could find a way to merge both MFW and HOD! I have used MFW K, 1st and ECC and dd14 is using MFW AHL for 9th grade. This year we are using LHFHG and Preparing (and I've used LHTH sporadically). I loved MFW K and will use it again with ds2 in a couple years. I didn't like 1st as much b/c the phonics instruction just wasn't my cup of tea. ECC looked fabulous and I was so excited to use it. But, it bombed. :glare: As for HOD...LHFHG is okay. I find many of the activities a little "babyish" for the ages indicated. Perhaps I'm just not into the rhymes and play-acting and such. I LOVE Preparing. Love it. Full, challenging, all-inclusive, Christ-centered, engages the child's "heart" and not just the "mind", great crafts, activities, etc. I don't think the science is "beefy" enough, but my guys are really in to science. And that is easy to "tweak". We are moving on to RtR next year and I can't wait! That being said...we will also be using MFW Adventures with my youngers...or maybe HOD Beyond...no, no, no...def. Adv...well...maybe HOD Beyond. Can you see my dilemna? :D I love them both! Anyway, I am rambling. Sorry. Honestly, I wish I could combine both. I prefer HOD for the older years (Preparing and up). That I do know. :D

[mom24boys]

For what it's worth, I think you should just go for it! :auto: You've already got HOD on your shelf and you're really excited about trying it.

 

If it doesn't work as is, tweak it. If tweaking doesn't work then you've got it out of your system! ;) But, you might find you love it!

[mothergooseof4]

For what it's worth, I think you should just go for it! :auto: You've already got HOD on your shelf and you're really excited about trying it.

 

If it doesn't work as is, tweak it. If tweaking doesn't work then you've got it out of your system! ;) But, you might find you love it!

 

This works! If you have HOD already use it, but sub the LA with PR. It can be done. Just prioritize the writing and don't overload your dc. If it bombs, then sell it off and switch to MFW. We did our switch in January. You are NOT going to damage your kids at their young ages if you switch. I promise!

[birchbark]

Birchbark, Do you love HOD's LA and do you think it will lead you and your DC toward a strong command of the English language?

 

Absolutely. When I was first considering HoD, Donna T. mentioned that the Language Arts were her favorite part of HoD. Now that I've used it a couple years I know what she means! The classical skills interwoven in the guides, the rigorous grammar (R&S) done at a gentle pace, the writing across the curriculum, the quality engaging literature with the addition of poetry study, the gradual skill progression. . . it's just brilliant. Yep, I could plan all that out myself, but it is already done and scheduled incrementally in one place.

 

HOD DOES contain many skills that are interwoven in the guides so while you are enjoying content the child is also building a skill (i.e. narration, writing).

 

You have hit the nail on the head. This is a beautiful description of HoD. You could almost describe HoD as a Language Arts program that teaches history, science, Bible, etc. in the process.

 

Birchbark,

 

I thought of another question. How is your kiddo handling the independent portion of CTC? Is it working out as expected in the guide? Do the boxes really work out to be T, S or I as Carrie has coded them? If your child is working somewhat independently do you feel like you have enough involvement to stay connected, have discussions, etc.? How is the workload for your ten year old? Are you using HOD as written? What about DITHOR? If you have said no to DITHOR why is that?

 

Bless you for answering my questions.:001_smile:

 

I LOVE the independence training in HoD. My DS is doing beautifully with it. It took a lot of hand-holding at first, but once he got used to the guide, he just took off. If your child is placed correctly, it is at least as independent as the codes indicate. There have been a few days this year (sickness, etc.) where he picked up the guide and did the whole day himself. The "Key Idea" at the bottom of each box is a quick summary for the teacher so you know what your DC is learning if you opt to have him do that portion independently. However you can also make it as togetherish as you want too. My DS works at the dining table and I am frequently checking in on him or sitting down to read or discuss together. I find it a nice balance. But be aware it is not "tons" of snuggling and reading on the couch like Sonlight perhaps.

 

Workload: when we first started the the year I thought, Oh my, what have we gotten into? :001_smile: I wondered if it would be too much. But DS has really grown and I find it the perfect workload for him right now.

 

I do CTC as written except DITHOR and Bible Study. As far as DITHOR, I just preferred SWB's approach to lit analysis. I use the time we would have put in DITHOR into a Spanish program. I also let my DS choose whether or not he does the history project which ends up being about half the time. We do a root word program on Fridays.

 

All that said, I also think PR looks like a fabulous program. In LA, I don't think you could go wrong with either program. Pick what you think YOU would enjoy. The best curriculum is the one that gets done, and it won't get done if Mama doesn't like it. :D

Edited March 26, 2011 by birchbark