Is anyone using Memoria Press full curriculum packages?

[Mommyfaithe]

Reviews?? Are you using them for the suggested grade level??

 

Tell me more!

[sleeplessnights]

We are using the 3rd grade package, although we do substitute for our own math (SM) and history (VP). I love how they have the latin all mapped out. One of the other great features is that they came out with their own grammar for 3rd grade (and up?) that coordinates with the literature selections.

 

The curriculum is designed in LCC style, with Latin, Math, LA, and Literature every day. Then History, Bible, Astronomy, and States & Capitals are scheduled for one day a week. This gives you five "work" blocks per day.

 

Another plus is that they provide a weekly recitation to review with your students every morning to solidify what they've learned. I find my 5-year old reciting what my 8-year old is learning.

 

So, in essence, it's well laid-out, efficient, and no frills. That is, as long as you want to focus on latin, math and LA and not history or science. We intend to continue to purchase their grade-level packages.

[FO4UR]

:bigear:

 

 

I am seriously considering K and 2nd for my 5yo (6 in June) and 7yo (advanced reader). I'll sub out the R&S math for MEP.

 

My 9yo fits in no box.:willy_nilly: I will probably get the 3rd grade lesson plans and use parts and pieces, combining him in Prima Latina with the 7yo.

[Flaura]

Wow, 3rd grade sounds nice. Must put that on my list.

Thanks for the review!

[Dawn E]

I have never used a "boxed" curriculum before, and I have been so impressed with MP K that I am considering keeping him on the MP track. I even bought the 5th grade guide and plan to use a lot with dd next year. I'll likely tweak things along the way, but I love the solid foundation it is giving ds in the 3 r's. The recitation guide in the appendix is fantastic and makes me confident I am covering all the bases.

[woolybear]

:lurk5:

[abrightmom]

:bigear:

 

Listening in. I've been reading their website a lot.

 

I'm not sure how to use MP with several kids or if it is feasible...

[abrightmom]

 

The curriculum is designed in LCC style, with Latin, Math, LA, and Literature every day. Then History, Bible, Astronomy, and States & Capitals are scheduled for one day a week. This gives you five "work" blocks per day....

 

Another plus is that they provide a weekly recitation to review with your students every morning....

 

This is what appeals to me. It is focused on core skills and subjects. :001_smile:

 

What kind of recitations are scheduled?

 

Are there teaching helps in the Lesson Plans or is just the weekly schedule?

 

Are you using their read aloud lit lists and lit study guides? How do you feel about the amount of writing required?

 

Are you using VP self paced or are you teaching it?

 

Could my rising 4th grader start the 3rd grade now and perhaps eventually work his way to being on MPs grade level track?

 

Faiths, Hopefully some of the answers will help you. :001_smile::001_smile:

[Random]

I am using MP K this year, on grade level. My son turned 6 in January. I am using the program as is, except I drop math if we run out of time for the day. I plan to start with SM 1A with him next fall.

 

It has worked very well for us this year, but would not have been a good fit for any of my other children. There is a lot of writing, and the lessons are long. The enrichment activities are fun, and my son has enjoyed everything we've done. At this point, he is starting to get burned-out, but so is everyone else.

 

My K son is reading well and is learning math facts. He loves the poems and does the recitations. I am still surprised every time he completes an assignment, because it seems like so much to do. Again, my older children would have wilted under the amount of writing and reading in the MP K program. (Maybe I finally got an 'easy' child to teach??? ;) )

 

Best wishes!

[Robyn]

We're using K at grade level. I substituted math and phonics, only because we had already started with different programs. Next year we will use the 1st grade package as written.

 

My oldest is a little out of synch with the 8th grade book list for next year, so we will be doing a mix, picking and choosing from MP grade 6th-8th levels. The book lists for 7th and 8th are on their forums.

 

The bulk of the lesson plans at the K level are the grid schedules like the sample on the website. The appendix has the recitation(math, geography, vowel sounds are a small sample of what is in there), memory verses, read-aloud list, poetry, and music and art selections.

 

I have found the staff at MP, especially Tanya on the forums, to be very helpful in selecting level/materials for individual students.

[SkateLeft]

It has worked very well for us this year, but would not have been a good fit for any of my other children. There is a lot of writing, and the lessons are long.

 

Thanks for posting your experience! This is helpful!

 

My son also turned 6 in January. I checked out MP's curriculum packages last May at a conference, and decided that K would be way too much for him. He has good fine motor skills, but has other issues.

 

I'm thinking about buying MP's K when he's done with his current stuff, and working through that with him. The memory stuff will be very tough for him, but I think it would stretch him a lot, and it would keep him doing skills work over the summer.

[ksr5377]

I just wanted to second that Tanya is SO wonderful. I'm thinking of using it next year for 2 and wanted to see if combining them was a possibility. She took the time to work out several different options for me, based on their abilities. I'm saving my official decision for when we go to the convention, just because I prefer to see things before buying and no one I know has their materials. The thing that I'm really loving about them is that they focus on the important things. My children are young (K & 1st next year) and I don't want to be spending 4 hours a day on school. I know that will happen eventually, and we'll get there, but for now I prefer to focus on the core subjects.

[FO4UR]

:bigear: bumpity bump...

 

 

I am super-duper interested in knowing how long the days are for K,1st, and 2nd.:D

[Random]

Thanks for posting your experience! This is helpful!

 

My son also turned 6 in January. I checked out MP's curriculum packages last May at a conference, and decided that K would be way too much for him. He has good fine motor skills, but has other issues.

 

I'm thinking about buying MP's K when he's done with his current stuff, and working through that with him. The memory stuff will be very tough for him, but I think it would stretch him a lot, and it would keep him doing skills work over the summer.

 

I bought the K program second hand on a whim from the For Sale boards here. I am happily surprised that my son does it and does it well. It's plays to his strengths, which (again) surprised me. If you think your son would enjoy the program and succeed with it, then I highly recommend it! My two older boys do NOT have the same strengths as my K'er and they couldn't do the K writing, even at their current ages (10 and 8). Well, they could, but it would be awful for all of us. Especially me. :tongue_smilie:

 

 

:bigear: bumpity bump...

 

 

I am super-duper interested in knowing how long the days are for K,1st, and 2nd.:D

 

When we do Bible, Recitation, LA, Math, Copywork, it takes about 2-3 hrs for K, some of it independently. The enrichment can last all day, if I let it.

[Bloggermom]

We are using the Kindergarten program and LOVE it! We are using CLE Math 100 instead of their math though.

[Mommyfaithe]

Wow!! Thanks everyone for your replies!

 

I have a question.....what DID Tanya say about combining kids?? That seems to be the deal breaker for me...I just can't handle more than one history/science or unit study thing at a time. I tried this year with HOD Preparing and SL Core W, which studies the same time period and uses the same spine for Hx, And darn near went out of my mind....chucked HOD, and have all the kids in SL.

 

I think my kids would be ok with the writing.....but we haven't done Latin yet....hmmmmmm.

[danybug]

Wow, I like what I am hearing! I just returned our SL P 4/5 core, today. I felt like it was basically too easy for her. I have been wondering what would be our best option.

 

The only issue was I was set on using Saxon for math. Can you order the set without math?

[MeganW]

We have the MP K level. My kids are old for kindergarteners, and it has been perfect! I would NOT use it with a young 5 year old.

 

We used our own math, reading, handwriting, and despite that, I still think it was worth buying!

 

My youngest child will be 6 in Sept, and my olders will be 7.5 years old. I am debating buying the 1st grade, vs. going through the kindergarten again. The 1st grade would be perfect for my olders, but I am not sure I can see running two different grades on top of doing Classical Conversations.

[danybug]

We have the MP K level. My kids are old for kindergarteners, and it has been perfect! I would NOT use it with a young 5 year old.

 

We used our own math, reading, handwriting, and despite that, I still think it was worth buying!

 

My youngest child will be 6 in Sept, and my olders will be 7.5 years old. I am debating buying the 1st grade, vs. going through the kindergarten again. The 1st grade would be perfect for my olders, but I am not sure I can see running two different grades on top of doing Classical Conversations.

 

My dd is almost 5 and loves to write, write, write. What are some reasons you think it is not for a young 5? And did you buy it as one curriculum set or did you piece it together?

[FO4UR]

 

When we do Bible, Recitation, LA, Math, Copywork, it takes about 2-3 hrs for K, some of it independently. The enrichment can last all day, if I let it.

 

:svengo:

[sleeplessnights]

What kind of recitations are scheduled?

 

There are recitation questions scheduled for each week that cover all subjects. Every morning you review every question up to the current week.

 

 

Are there teaching helps in the Lesson Plans or is just the weekly schedule?

 

There are some general teaching helps in the beginning in the manual, including how they would recommend scheduling your day. More specific lesson plans are provided in the teacher's manuals for each subject. The curriculum guide also provides final exams for the subjects.

 

 

Are you using their read aloud lit lists and lit study guides? How do you feel about the amount of writing required?

 

We don't exclusively use their read-aloud list because I have four kids to combine, though we do take them into account. We use the lit guides, and it does look like a lot of writing, but they are supposed to be used in place of a writing program for younger children. From what I understand, the student says what he thinks the answer should be, then you help him formulate a decent-sounding complete sentence, then you write it on the board (or dictate it), and they write it down. It's supposed to follow SWB's WWE program. In the curriculum guide, sometimes a chapter is completed over two days, so it's not too much writing (for 2nd grade).

 

Are you using VP self paced or are you teaching it?

 

We are using the self-paced class (5 days/wk). Then we do corresponding reading in SOTW one day/week to practice summarizing & to do the activities during the history block.

 

 

Could my rising 4th grader start the 3rd grade now and perhaps eventually work his way to being on MPs grade level track?

 

I don't think there would be any problem making it work for the individual. They only schedule 32 weeks, so if you work more than that, you should be able to catch up quickly.

 

 

 

Hope this helps answer your questions. The samples of the curriculum guides on their website are exactly what you get, so it should give you a good idea.

[Dawn E]

Each child is so different. I'm using the K program with a not quite 5 year old. We've only been using it since January, and we focus on daily recitation, phonics and math. I do those three sections as they are posted in the guide. We do not do the extra memory work or the copy books. I prefer d'nealian. Ds was writing his letters prior to beginning and knew his letter sounds. With these three focuses, I never spend more than an hour/hour and a half with him daily. He had already done Counting with Numbers, so that also cuts out some time.

 

There is a good deal of writing, even cutting out the copy book, but it's not too much for him. I love how thorough it is while still being gentle. It lays a solid foundation in the three r's. I am very happy with it and am impressed with all ds is learning and retaining. If you think your child is ready, I recommend trying it...as others have said, it is worth it even when not fully utilized. In fact, I think the recitation guide alone would be worth the cost of the guide for me.

[jer2911mom]

as others have said, it is worth it even when not fully utilized. In fact, I think the recitation guide alone would be worth the cost of the guide for me.

 

This is the case for us. I used the K guide last year and although we dropped the R&S math, we did use the guide for copywork, bible, read-alouds, recitation, the R&S workbooks, the CLP nature reader, the music and art appreciation, the poetry, and some of the social studies and science. This year we are again supplementing with MP using the 1st grade guide. I use it for the recitation (not as stringently as it is scheduled), read-alouds, music and art appreciation, and poetry. I love having these things scheduled. The recitation helps you make sure your kids are learning things that might slip through the cracks otherwise. I also really like their questions for art appreciation.

 

I have gotten the impression from the parts I've seen that a lot of writing is required at these lower levels, so that is definitely something to consider. Also, I've found the science and social studies assignments a bit ambiguous. There isn't a lot of explicit instruction there, but it's probably fine considering that these are lower levels. And I agree, Tanya is wonderful for customer support!

 

HTH,

Kathy

[Robyn]

Wow!! Thanks everyone for your replies!

 

I have a question.....what DID Tanya say about combining kids?? That seems to be the deal breaker for me...I just can't handle more than one history/science or unit study thing at a time. I tried this year with HOD Preparing and SL Core W, which studies the same time period and uses the same spine for Hx, And darn near went out of my mind....chucked HOD, and have all the kids in SL.

 

 

The history books are for a range of grades, so you can definitely combine with out a problem. You don't have to buy the package as written, they will work with you to put together a package with the appropriate guides.

 

 

My dd is almost 5 and loves to write, write, write. What are some reasons you think it is not for a young 5? And did you buy it as one curriculum set or did you piece it together?

 

It really depends on your child. We started K in Sept with a wiggly ds who turned 5 in August. You don't have to do all of the writing if it gets to be too much.

 

We pieced together. It is a good idea to get anything Beta from MP directly because they will update their products free of charge when the final versions are printed. You just need to call and ask.

 

We have had no problem using a different math this year. I am planning to use R&S for the next few years, but I will likely switch to Saxon by 6th since I already own the set for 7/6.

 

I spoke to someone from MP recently on the phone while placing an order and asked if we can stick with WWE/WWS instead of CC and she said that would be fine.

[8circles]

I really appreciate all this talk about MP. I've been looking at their products a lot lately & am really liking what I see. Its great to hear about how they are willing to work with you on piecing together.

 

Thanks all!

[Bloggermom]

My dd is almost 5 and loves to write, write, write. What are some reasons you think it is not for a young 5? And did you buy it as one curriculum set or did you piece it together?

My son doesn't turn 5 until June and I am doing the MP K program with him now. There is a lot of writing, but we just spread it out throughout the day.

[Susan in TX]

The only issue was I was set on using Saxon for math. Can you order the set without math?

 

It is my understanding that Memoria Press will customize their grade level packages (within reason). I am very interested in using their 2nd and 4th grade levels but I didn't want to use Rod & Staff Math and I also don't want to do Christian Studies. I'm also not sure if my 4th grader could handle First Form Latin. So I sent an email and asked if I could buy the packages without R&S Math and Christian Studies and if I could substitute Latina Christiana for First Form Latin and the answer was yes. And they adjusted the pricing as well.

 

Susan in TX

[abrightmom]

What kind of recitations are scheduled?

 

There are recitation questions scheduled for each week that cover all subjects. Every morning you review every question up to the current week.

 

 

Are there teaching helps in the Lesson Plans or is just the weekly schedule?

 

There are some general teaching helps in the beginning in the manual, including how they would recommend scheduling your day. More specific lesson plans are provided in the teacher's manuals for each subject. The curriculum guide also provides final exams for the subjects.

 

 

Are you using their read aloud lit lists and lit study guides? How do you feel about the amount of writing required?

 

We don't exclusively use their read-aloud list because I have four kids to combine, though we do take them into account. We use the lit guides, and it does look like a lot of writing, but they are supposed to be used in place of a writing program for younger children. From what I understand, the student says what he thinks the answer should be, then you help him formulate a decent-sounding complete sentence, then you write it on the board (or dictate it), and they write it down. It's supposed to follow SWB's WWE program. In the curriculum guide, sometimes a chapter is completed over two days, so it's not too much writing (for 2nd grade).

 

Are you using VP self paced or are you teaching it?

 

We are using the self-paced class (5 days/wk). Then we do corresponding reading in SOTW one day/week to practice summarizing & to do the activities during the history block.

 

 

Could my rising 4th grader start the 3rd grade now and perhaps eventually work his way to being on MPs grade level track?

 

I don't think there would be any problem making it work for the individual. They only schedule 32 weeks, so if you work more than that, you should be able to catch up quickly.

 

 

 

Hope this helps answer your questions. The samples of the curriculum guides on their website are exactly what you get, so it should give you a good idea.

Thank-you for answering my questions! I'm intrigued by your schedule and I LOVE the idea of a "VP self paced/SOTW all together" combination alongside MP. I just love it. My wheels are turning quickly right now.

 

:001_smile::001_smile::001_smile:

Edited March 17, 2012 by abrightmom
typos....

[Mommyfaithe]

It is my understanding that Memoria Press will customize their grade level packages (within reason). I am very interested in using their 2nd and 4th grade levels but I didn't want to use Rod & Staff Math and I also don't want to do Christian Studies. I'm also not sure if my 4th grader could handle First Form Latin. So I sent an email and asked if I could buy the packages without R&S Math and Christian Studies and if I could substitute Latina Christiana for First Form Latin and the answer was yes. And they adjusted the pricing as well.

 

Susan in TX

 

Wow!!! That is really amazing of them! Hmmmmmm.....

[Medieval Mom]

I'm bumping this thread from several weeks ago to catch any new responses.

 

Mommyfaithe... Did you decide whether or not to give them a try?

 

:lurk5:

[Hunter]

Most of the MP love seems to be from the kindergarten crowd. I wonder how people with older students are liking it.

 

The Classical Studies are very "men" focused and glorify war. Just from the samples I realized I won't like that. We are a few lessons into Christian Studies 1 using the GCB. So far so good, with that.

 

The science looks spotty, at least so far.

 

I just love geography curricula and can't ever seem to own enough of them. I want to take a better look at what they have now, and what is coming.

[sleeplessnights]

 

The science looks spotty, at least so far.

 

 

We have used parts of K, 1, 2, and 3. I am planning on using their Grade 4 package next year. I definitely feel like they have strengths in some areas and are weak in others (math & science). However, we are going to try their Grade 4 insects book next year and see how it goes. Up till now we have supplemented their science. This year we are incorporating their astronomy book with our self-made astronomy/earth science study.

 

I think Memoria Press has done a great job majoring on the majors in these early years. The history texts are used to introduce the student (and you!) to the major characters in history. We use other sources, readers, and read alouds to expand upon the given time period.

 

We tweak as needed, but their framework helps keep us on track.

[Twilight Woods]

Thanks for bumping this thread. I have been talking to MP all this week. We are planning on using Grade 1 and Grade 6. I was told my rising 6th grader should be able to do some of the work independently since grade 1 is teacher intensive....We will not be using their math. We use Saxon. I will also be subbing the Latin to FFL and I think I will have DD complete CS IV b/c I was told it does an overview..... then once she is finished with that I think I will have her complete 1-3 as time allows. I am most excited about latin b/c I will be learning it with her.

 

Once we start working the program I will decide if I need to add anything to science/history.

 

I still need to go over the book list for 6th grade and plan that out for her as well.

[2_girls_mommy]

I am doing the 5th grade science this coming year and I am very excited about it. I think it is going to be great to dive into a study of birds and really learn the subject. The history of medicine looks good too.

 

But I will be supplementing too. There are too many topics I need to fit into this year. So I will be doing their two semesters in shorter time periods and also do a couple of units on two other subjects. That will give us four subjects of study and a science fair project over the year.

[WIS0320]

Each child is so different. I'm using the K program with a not quite 5 year old.

 

I've been using MP K for the past month with my DS who turned 4 in January. He is definitely young and is working on fine motor skills. He is an accelerated learner and already reading. We've done most of R&S Math orally with minimal writing as he had pretty much already mastered everything we've covered in the first month's lessons. I think MP is going to help him develop fine motor as there is a good bit of writing in the schedule. I'm not pushing though, we do what is reasonable for him at this time. No guide is set in stone, everything is tweak-able for the specific student. :)

 

I think it is a perfect fit for him at this time. I looked for a long time to find something fairly scheduled that would actually be interesting for him. My 6 year old DD would have drowned with this program at 4 and possibly even at age 5. Every kid is different!

 

ETA: I am using the Grade 2 plans for my DD next year with the addition of Singapore Math, Phonics Road (not using SRA Phonics as we are already using PR), History Odyssey Ancients 1 instead of the social studies included and adding NOEO Biology I to the schedule. I do agree that MP is very light on science, it appears to be light all the way through the K-8 curriculum. I'm not opposed to adding though.

Edited May 2, 2012 by drexel

[Medieval Mom]

Most of the MP love seems to be from the kindergarten crowd. I wonder how people with older students are liking it.

 

I'm wondering this, too! :lurk5:

 

The Classical Studies are very "men" focused and glorify war. Just from the samples I realized I won't like that. We are a few lessons into Christian Studies 1 using the GCB. So far so good, with that.

 

Can you help me by explaining this? How do they glorify war? Do you mean the study in 6th grade on Horatius at the Bridge and The Trojan War?

 

I'm not sure I'm too worried about Horatius or The Trojan War... In fact, it might be an interesting contrast to the pacifist teachings we read in our R&S and CLE books ;) Then again, I have 2 boys. :D

[2_girls_mommy]

I read the Famous Men of Rome in my Latin class at co-op this past year. The battle descriptions are what kept the boys in the class listening. Even my 9 yr old dd was enthralled with certain stories. '

 

As for men focused, I guess the titles of the books are the Famous Men of .... They don't do a Famous Women of ... series. So she is right about that :D

[oraetstudia]

Most of the MP love seems to be from the kindergarten crowd. I wonder how people with older students are liking it.

.

 

I suspect there are at least two reasons one doesn't hear as much about the upper grades. First, MP still has several levels only in a beta version, so a lot of people probably haven't bought them.

 

Second, at least for me, once I feel locked into a timeline schedule, I don't want to backtrack and use their plans in full for my older kids. By that I mean, when I started looking at MP plans, we had all finished a year of ancients, and I didn't want to do another year. But I could start a K'er fresh with their plans and then move through history on their schedule, but I don't want to reboot my other kids in the middle of the cycle.

[Medieval Mom]

I read the Famous Men of Rome in my Latin class at co-op this past year. The battle descriptions are what kept the boys in the class listening. Even my 9 yr old dd was enthralled with certain stories. '

 

As for men focused, I guess the titles of the books are the Famous Men of .... They don't do a Famous Women of ... series. So she is right about that :D

 

Ah! Thanks on both points! It's good to know the kids like FMOR; and thanks for pointing out the fact that the FM series is... all men! We do lots of outside reading, so we can read about heroines and other famous women, too. :)

[2_girls_mommy]

 

Second, at least for me, once I feel locked into a timeline schedule, I don't want to backtrack and use their plans in full for my older kids. By that I mean, when I started looking at MP plans, we had all finished a year of ancients, and I didn't want to do another year. But I could start a K'er fresh with their plans and then move through history on their schedule, but I don't want to reboot my other kids in the middle of the cycle.

 

I agree with this. I think they are too new. I drool over the packages. But they didn't come out w/MP until I was about to start K with my 2nd child. And since I already had materials that I had at home for my older and was familiar with my programs (like SOTW) it was easier for me to just fold her in to what we were already doing. But if I was starting over and they had these. Then I would probaby just keep with it, the way I have kept with my grammar choices, just moving up a level each year. If I felt something was lacking, then I would add to it or switch parts.

[Hunter]

I recently read the introduction of SOTW 4, on the same day as I read some of the samples of the Famous men series and was overwhelmed by the contrast.

 

It's a personal thing whether or not to glorify war. When my boys were teens I came very close to joining an ultra conservative Mennonite church, but their dad was old school Italian, so you can imagine the mixed message my boys were getting. And to top it all off, my oldest was a big fan of Japanese literature and I remember him once waxing on and on, about the best way to die was under a cherry tree with the blossoms falling on you as you died. He took to drawing lots of pictures of dying Samurai warriors under cherry trees.

 

I don't believe that war is glorious and don't want to CENTER a history/literature curriculum on sources that glorify something so hideous. Yes, many boys and even some girls adore these curricula and know all sorts of "classical" and "Great" history, but...I personally can't teach with glorification of war CENTERED resources. And I also don't want to use resources that entirely exclude all women for years in a row. I feel that the Classical Studies are unbalanced.

 

I truly understand why other people will like these resources. They just won't work for me. My priorities are different than the curricula writers'. Most of my students are marginalized women who have suffered the devastating effects of violence, and some of them have survived brutal wars, before moving to this country.

 

My ex-husband would have loved his boys to have used the famous men series as reading books. My boys would have loved them. Over my dead body would they have been exposed to a steady diet of them. And if I find out one of my boys grows up, to CENTER my grandchildren's logic level studies on these, this might be one area where I overstep boundaries and stick my nose where it doesn't belong.

[Abbeygurl4]

I recently read the introduction of SOTW 4, on the same day as I read some of the samples of the Famous men series and was overwhelmed by the contrast.

 

It's a personal thing whether or not to glorify war. When my boys were teens I came very close to joining an ultra conservative Mennonite church, but their dad was old school Italian, so you can imagine the mixed message my boys were getting. And to top it all off, my oldest was a big fan of Japanese literature and I remember him once waxing on and on, about the best way to die was under a cherry tree with the blossoms falling on you as you died. He took to drawing lots of pictures of dying Samurai warriors under cherry trees.

 

 

I cracked up when I read this! My son goes on and on about EVERYTHING Japanese. I asked him if he thought dying under a Cherry Blossom tree was appealing to him and he exclaimed with fervency, "Yes! Wouldn't it appeal to anyone?".

[lbakos]

It is my understanding that Memoria Press will customize their grade level packages (within reason). I am very interested in using their 2nd and 4th grade levels but I didn't want to use Rod & Staff Math and I also don't want to do Christian Studies. I'm also not sure if my 4th grader could handle First Form Latin. So I sent an email and asked if I could buy the packages without R&S Math and Christian Studies and if I could substitute Latina Christiana for First Form Latin and the answer was yes. And they adjusted the pricing as well.

 

Susan in TX

 

 

Good to know.

 

I don't believe that war is glorious and don't want to CENTER a history/literature curriculum on sources that glorify something so hideous. Yes, many boys and even some girls adore these curricula and know all sorts of "classical" and "Great" history, but...I personally can't teach with glorification of war CENTERED resources.

 

I feel the same way.

[lbakos]

bumping up this thread for any new replies. i'm debating ordering the 1st and 4th packages for this year.

[sleeplessnights]

I just got my 4th grade package in the mail. The teacher's manual has the weekly schedule in it, but the recitations and other "extras" haven't been included yet. (however, when they are, you can call up MP and they'll send you the updated one for free)

 

I have to say that I'm really excited about what I see. The insects set is awesome. The reader is very Charlotte Mason, and the student workbook has sketching sections each week. It's nice to have a science that doesn't involve experiments.

 

The Geography set looks great too. They include a US States review book in which you review one section a week.

 

I was a little wary about the Classical Composition: Fable set, but the explanations have made all the difficult jargon easier to understand, and I might actually be able to use it well.

 

I have been very pleased with the MP packages over the last few years, and I think that next year will be the best yet! Feel free to PM me if you need more info.

[Medieval Mom]

I ordered the 4th grade package and sent MOST of it back. I did keep FMOR and First Form Latin.

 

I was disappointed by the quality of some of the books that were NOT Beta. The literature guides were full of typos and errors, for example. I expected this in the BETA products, but not the "finished" products.

 

I was excited by the package when it arrived, but after reviewing it, I decided that even I couldn't stomach doing this work. To me, it seemed a lot of WORK without a lot of knowledge or skill gained--- rather "much ado about nothing." (This was ESPECIALLY true about the lit. guides. Ack!) I knew I could hammer out a better weekly schedule for us, too. (And I did.)

 

I LIKE lots of memory work and the idea on focusing on a few things and learning them well. But the entire MP program taken on a whole seems VERY drill and kill. Some things are worth drilling (like math facts, history facts, science facts). Others are NOT.

 

All in all, I spent quite a lot of $$ for the luxury of previewing my materials. Ah well.

 

For what it's worth, I decided to go with the following texts instead of the MP's 4th grade texts:

 

for MP Geo... R&S Homeland's Around the World.

 

for MP Insects (a collection of chapters from the Seaside and Wayside series, Arabella Buckley, and other such public domain works).... a reading list including FULL books of Seaside and Wayside, Buckley and many others, covering a wide variety of natural history, not just insects.

 

For a textbook, we're using God's Marvelous Works Books from R&S. I typed up the chapter questions in MP's drill format (which I like in FMOR and Greek Myths).

 

for MP's Literature... McGuffey's 4th Eclectic (revised), CLE Reading 4, and MP's Greek Myths.

 

for Classical Composition... similar ideas like CC found in Progressive Composition by Brautigam using McGuffey's.

 

I hesitate to even write this post, as I certainly wish MP the best and hate to discourage anyone from using their materials/complete curricula packages if that's the way she wants to go.

 

So, please, take this all with a pound of salt.

Edited July 17, 2012 by Medieval Mom

[TheAutumnOak]

 

I LIKE lots of memory work and the idea on focusing on a few things and learning them well. But the entire MP program taken on a whole seems VERY drill and kill. Some things are worth drilling (like math facts, history facts, science facts). Others are NOT.

 

 

I appreciate your feedback Medieval Mom...Does anyone else have a similar view?

 

Also, I wondered what things you found that are prioritized that are just not worth it...

[Heidi]

I ordered the 4th grade package and set MOST of it back. I did keep FMOR and First Form Latin.

 

I was disappointed by the quality of some of the books that were NOT Beta. The literature guides were full of typos and errors, for example. I expected this in the BETA products, but not the "finished" products.

 

I was excited by the package when it arrived, but after reviewing it, I decided that even I couldn't stomach doing this work. To me, it seemed a lot of WORK without a lot of knowledge or skill gained--- rather "much ado about nothing." (This was ESPECIALLY true about the lit. guides. Ack!) I knew I could hammer out a better weekly schedule for us, too. (And I did.)

 

I LIKE lots of memory work and the idea on focusing on a few things and learning them well. But the entire MP program taken on a whole seems VERY drill and kill. Some things are worth drilling (like math facts, history facts, science facts). Others are NOT.

 

All in all, I spent quite a lot of $$ for the luxury of previewing my materials. Ah well.

 

For what it's worth, I decided to go with the following texts instead of the MP's 4th grade texts:

 

for MP Geo... R&S Homeland's Around the World.

 

for MP Insects (a collection of chapters from the Seaside and Wayside series, Arabella Buckley, and other such public domain works).... a reading list including FULL books of Seaside and Wayside, Buckley and many others, covering a wide variety of natural history, not just insects.

 

For a textbook, we're using God's Marvelous Works Books from R&S. I typed up the chapter questions in MP's drill format (which I like in FMOR and Greek Myths).

 

for MP's Literature... McGuffey's 4th Eclectic (revised), CLE Reading 4, and MP's Greek Myths.

 

for Classical Composition... similar ideas like CC found in Progressive Composition by Brautigam using McGuffey's.

 

I hesitate to even write this post, as I certainly wish MP the best and hate to discourage anyone from using their materials/complete curricula packages if that's the way she wants to go.

 

So, please, take this all with a pound of salt.

 

I really appreciate this post! It is very honest; the rose-colored glasses are off! Thanks for taking the time to write your opinion.

[Abbeygurl4]

I ordered the 4th grade package and set MOST of it back. I did keep FMOR and First Form Latin.

 

I was disappointed by the quality of some of the books that were NOT Beta. The literature guides were full of typos and errors, for example. I expected this in the BETA products, but not the "finished" products.

 

I was excited by the package when it arrived, but after reviewing it, I decided that even I couldn't stomach doing this work. To me, it seemed a lot of WORK without a lot of knowledge or skill gained--- rather "much ado about nothing." (This was ESPECIALLY true about the lit. guides. Ack!) I knew I could hammer out a better weekly schedule for us, too. (And I did.)

 

I LIKE lots of memory work and the idea on focusing on a few things and learning them well. But the entire MP program taken on a whole seems VERY drill and kill. Some things are worth drilling (like math facts, history facts, science facts). Others are NOT.

 

All in all, I spent quite a lot of $$ for the luxury of previewing my materials. Ah well.

 

For what it's worth, I decided to go with the following texts instead of the MP's 4th grade texts:

 

for MP Geo... R&S Homeland's Around the World.

 

for MP Insects (a collection of chapters from the Seaside and Wayside series, Arabella Buckley, and other such public domain works).... a reading list including FULL books of Seaside and Wayside, Buckley and many others, covering a wide variety of natural history, not just insects.

 

For a textbook, we're using God's Marvelous Works Books from R&S. I typed up the chapter questions in MP's drill format (which I like in FMOR and Greek Myths).

 

for MP's Literature... McGuffey's 4th Eclectic (revised), CLE Reading 4, and MP's Greek Myths.

 

for Classical Composition... similar ideas like CC found in Progressive Composition by Brautigam using McGuffey's.

 

I hesitate to even write this post, as I certainly wish MP the best and hate to discourage anyone from using their materials/complete curricula packages if that's the way she wants to go.

 

So, please, take this all with a pound of salt.

 

I have the 4th grade package and your post hasn't discouraged me:001_smile:

 

I haven't started using it but I've looked everything over. I like the simple layout of the guide (easy on my ADD brain).

 

I like MP science; I like the Buckley books and I'm glad MP has selections reprinted because I'd rather pay for a "free domain" book than have to read it online. (Again, having ADD I need the book in front of me not in cyber space).

 

"Drill and Kill" works. At least for us. I used MP's Famous Men series for my ds. At first it seems like they are just memorizing facts but as they read literature and other books that mention the facts that have been memorized, everything falls into place for them. They can access those drilled and killed facts and they become knowledge.

 

I can't wait to start using MP next month, I feel it's a curriculum I won't have to tweak. I've used MFW, SL and HOD and have had to tweak so much it just wasn't worth using.

 

Having said that, your opinion is valuable. I like reading pros as well as cons before deciding to buy any curriculum. I tried HOD 3 times based on all the great reviews it gets, but I just can NOT use it. It was a relief to read negative reviews from other people who felt the same as I did about it.

[Abbeygurl4]

I just got my 4th grade package in the mail. The teacher's manual has the weekly schedule in it, but the recitations and other "extras" haven't been included yet. (however, when they are, you can call up MP and they'll send you the updated one for free)

 

I have to say that I'm really excited about what I see. The insects set is awesome. The reader is very Charlotte Mason, and the student workbook has sketching sections each week. It's nice to have a science that doesn't involve experiments.

 

The Geography set looks great too. They include a US States review book in which you review one section a week.

 

I was a little wary about the Classical Composition: Fable set, but the explanations have made all the difficult jargon easier to understand, and I might actually be able to use it well.

 

I have been very pleased with the MP packages over the last few years, and I think that next year will be the best yet! Feel free to PM me if you need more info.

 

:iagree:

 

When are you starting?