Veteran Homeschooler but looking for a change! I have a question about MFW/K

[Guest hollyinfl]

So I have taught 5 kids to read using Abeka but we were blessed with #6 much later in life. I am a little older and a lot more laid back.;) So I am researching something new for her. She will be beginning K this year. We had a lot of fun in PreK just using learning packs off pinterest. She knows her letter sounds and can blend. I was looking at MFW but then realized they do a letter a week and that worries me a bit because we did that this past year. I am looking for something along those lines though. She needs more practice with blending and special sounds mainly. Do you think MFW would move to slow for her? I could bump her up to the 1st grade but I am not quite sure she is there yet. They only spend 2-3 weeks on blending. Thanks for your help!

 

~Holly

[ExcitedMama]

What about Memoria Press First Start Reading? It's gentle and starts with simple blends.

[5sons]

I am doing MFW 1st with my ker this year (we did MFW K last year and started 1st beginning of summer.) We went slow and did the first three weeks in six. Read bob books and I made up practice sentences. We are now going a little quicker. I just add in review days when I see the need. She loves MFW first and asks for it daily. I know this is probably not what others do/have done, but it's working well for us. I went into it keeping in mind I might have to slow down. I also have not started the memory verse copy work yet. It's a bit much writing at this point. I'm just going to save them for later.

 

Just our experience. HTH

 

Kristen

[Guest hollyinfl]

Thanks for the responses I will look into both of those. I thought about just taking a little longer with the first few weeks of phonics too Kristen. 

 

Has anyone ever looked at K4/K by Confessions of a Homeschooler? It's mostly printable's. Which my dd loves to do. 

[5sons]

I have not. You might have to start a new thread with the program in the title. Might get more responses.

 

Just out of curiosity how many years between your youngest dd and the next to last?

 

Happy curriculum hunting :)

 

Kristen

[cbollin]

Although MFW K does "letter of the unit", it is about blending and sounds.  It is not just learn "letter of the week".  In the intro weeks, all letter names and sounds are introduced.  Then, the order of the letters are focused in such a way so that you can put together the sounds into words by unit 6, and then reading CVC controlled stories by around unit 12 or 13.  I forget which one and am too lazy to get my manual out and look.  I'm not exactly sure what you meant with they only blend 2-3 weeks.  But from week 12 (or was it 13?) until the end they are reading cvc stories in the workbook.  Also, they review all of the letter names/sounds throughout the whole year, so it's not letter of the week only.  They sing that sounds song with the whole alphabet and all flashcards at least once a week/unit.   I know it looks like any other letter of the week program, but it's not the same.

 

Will MFW K  move too slowly?  from my personal experiences doing MFW K twice and listening to others talk about it, I think it's easy to adjust in the early weeks to move along as needed.  Then go at written pace.  This gives time to work on blends, and writing skills.    I think even with the revised first grade, the pace will be rather fast for a child who is not comfortably reading CVC stories, or not writing several words in sentence for copy work.    I think MFW K is easy to speed up if needed with older kindy age child.

 

and then there's the other subjects in there with the Bible, crafts, and hands on, and music appreciation, and extensive library read aloud list.  

 

I found it easy to use MFW K with my middle child who was already reading but was still age 5 and needed everything else at kindy level.  and even with my youngest who was older (6 y.o) she was needing it.

 

I'm not sure what age your child is. and I haven't used the other program that was mentioned to be able to compare.   MFW K has at least one paper and pencil worksheet a day for phonics and/or math, and then hands on stuff.

 

hope something in my description helps you know it is what you are looking for or thinking it's not what you're hoping for.

[Mrs. B]

I liked MFW K for the weekly science topics, project ideas, online support and suggestions for enriching each unit, book suggestions for each week's topics, songs and poems to go along with each unit, character connection with weekly motto, and Bible readings. I added hymns based on the weekly Bible or character theme. I didn't follow their reading or math closely except having my children do worksheets in those subjects as they came up. I used a different phonics program and we did mostly hands on math.

[Ewe Mama]

We beefed up the reading portion of MFW K for our kiddos who were already blending pretty well. We added in Bob Books and Progressive Phonics readers while still enjoying the gentle pace of the rest of the program. When we did MFW first grade, it was a big adjustment, particularly when it came to writing. We loved it, it just required us to slow down and not push too quickly while those little hand muscles were gaining strength and the ability to write several sentences at one sitting. I loved both K and 1st and I am very sad we don't have any more littles to teach. Sniff.