MP all the way through?

[3girls4me]

Hi ladies!

Have any of you used Memoria Press all the way through?? Or at least for most of your years? Especially once you hit middle and high school. If so, how do you like the way they approach history? I'm sold on so many things about MP, but history is still something I can't decide on with them.....

Thanks!

[EmilyGF]

You should try on the MP board. Also, MP hasn't been around for that long, especially in its form as a complete curriculum.

Emily

[3girls4me]

You should try on the MP board. Also, MP hasn't been around for that long, especially in its form as a complete curriculum.

Emily

Thanks. Good point about it not being around for that long.

I definitely ask some questions on that board but see a lot of MP users here also and thought I'd get a more unbiased answer here :)

[EmilyGF]

Thanks. Good point about it not being around for that long.

I definitely ask some questions on that board but see a lot of MP users here also and thought I'd get a more unbiased answer here :)

I find people who frequent this board tend to like making up their own thing, or cobbling a bunch of things together. MP full packages don't really appeal, generally, to people on this board. So if you're "that type", they won't appeal to you either.

 

I ended up emailing back and forth with a woman I "met" on the MP board and found that really helpful. So you might try finding someone whose line of thinking make sense to you on that board and then contacting them apart from the message board.

 

Do remember that with any curriculum, consistency is key. Look for something you will be consistent with. 

 

Emily

[3girls4me]

Thanks Emily!

I likely wouldn't do the whole package really. I tend to grab from lots of sources myself. We are about to start their Latin and I'm using some of their literature guides. Sometimes I think I may like a year or two where it's all put together for me. I really like what I read in their articles and much of it resonates. But their approach to history seems so different from all the rest. I'm curious if people really like it and feel good about it.

Thanks for your help!

[Ambrosia]

Memoria Press suggests The Story of The World as summer reading (supplement to their Classical Core packages).

 

https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/educational-resources/the-story-of-the-world/

[Holly]

I really like the idea of their history.  I was totally sold on a 4 year history plan, but implementing one hasn't been as rewarding as I'd hoped.  It's impossible to keep everything 100% chronological (without constantly jumping around), and I get irritated that everything doesn't fit into a neat little timeline.    I'm actually looking forward to having multiple history streams going, since it seems easier to keep things chronological.  Plus, their timeline program looks really simple.  

 

We won't be using their program 100%.  We will be using MUS and R&S Spelling, our own Bible program, Visual Latin for my oldest two, and I'll be combining several subjects (Bible, classical studies, modern studies, and literature).  Two of my DC will be using Prima Latina and two will be using Visual Latin.  We may add more MP for the following year, depending on how next year goes.  I really like their high school plans, although I plan on subbing some of their HS modern study books with Compass Classroom's American History, Modernity, and Economics.  

 

I also love what I read about their methods and they seem like a really great company!  The Facebook group is filled with very happy MP users.  The negative comments I've seen about MP generally have to do with them being "workbook heavy", which I think is a misunderstanding of how the workbooks are to be used.  

Edited May 23, 2016 by Holly

[CherryBlossomMJ]

I've been using MP full curriculum since they started full sets. We are starting third this year. I have my second child in the simply classical and third child starting the new preschool this fall. I do know a lot about their full curriculum across the grades if you have any specific questions.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SevenDaisies]

_{I've used mostly complete cores for 5th and 6th grade. I will have 2 kids using 3A next year and one using 7A. We do not use their math, spelling or grammar, and we only use the science materials written by MP. We hopped around a lot with history until we started Famous Men of Rome and States & Capitals in 4th grade, but we've really enjoyed MP history. I love how they teach Modern/American Studies alongside classical studies. SOTW is used as summer reading as stated by a previous poster.}

 

_{The complete cores only go through 9th grade at the moment, but their goal is to release a grade each year. If you would like to see more of the upper level courses, see the website of their B&M school www.thelatinschool.org.} 

[mamamoose]

So what do you think of science?

[SevenDaisies]

So what do you think of science?

 

I love MP Science. I have only used the courses written by MP - Mammals, Astronomy, Birds & Trees. They also have Insects, but we haven't done that yet. My background is in science, and science was the one part of MP I didn't think I would ever use. I love BFSU, but failed largely at getting it done. When I learned that a customized package was about the same price as buying what I needed piecemeal, I ended up with science. It sat on the shelf the first year, but then I decided to let my daughter try Birds just to get some science done. We have absolutely loved it. We have birdfeeders outside our classroom window, and even my younger kids who haven't done Birds can identify every bird that comes to the feeder.

 

I am a total convert to Cheryl Lowe's philosophy on science - essentially a solid background in math, getting to know nature, and then hitting science hard in middle school/high school. Here is an article that she wrote:

 

https://www.memoriapress.com/articles/nature-science/

[mamamoose]

Is birds too easy for a 5th grader? I think she would like birds better than insects.

[SevenDaisies]

Is birds too easy for a 5th grader? I think she would like birds better than insects.

No, it is not. MP schedules it after Insects in 5th or 6th grade depending on which track you choose.

[2_girls_mommy]

We did the Birds for 5th grade with one of mine.  I don't remember what grade they have it in now, but the Bird unit and History of Medicine were in the 5th grade package at that time.  It was one of my favorite science years, honestly.  We also did their astronomy one semester with the Greek Myths as written in the plans. 

 

I have always used the latin.  I used one of their Shakespeare lit guides this year.  I did FMOR with LCI as written into the plans a couple of times. We did the Christian Studies one  year.  We use their art cards.  I bought Traditional Logic for next year. I am sure there is more that I am forgetting. 

 

I personally love MP.  I use Rod and Staff for English and Math and spelling all the way here from the beginning.  I have liked that they like it too.  They used to use more of it in their packages before they developed some more of their own products.  I was already on the WTM cycles when their K pack came out in 2009 or 2010.     I liked what I was doing with my older and I had all of the younger materials on hand that I had just used with her, so it didn't make sense to buy more stuff and they didn't even have my older's levels in the packages. It just wasn't in the stars for us. But if I was starting over now, it is most likely the way I would go.  It would be so nice to have those plans already made. (I might stick with a bit more R&S though than the early grammar recitations and a few other small changes.)

 

History is one thing besides the reading of FMOR alongside LCI that I haven't used any of their materials for.  I love WTM style history so much that I haven't ever looked for anything else for it. I haven't ever needed it, where sometimes I felt I needed a hand in science or lit,  a little more guidance than WTM style for a season. And I love the catalogs.  I look forward to the articles.

Edited May 30, 2016 by 2_girls_mommy

[3girls4me]

Much like CreativeMadnessMama, we've used it since we began homeschooling. We've used everything from Preschool on up -- we are currently straddling the fence between 4th and 5th grades. My sons are using pieces from MPs Simply Classical, and that's as well written as the 'standard' MP programs.

 

We did FMoR this year, and I'll admit, going into it, it sounded SO boring. It quickly became one of my daughter's favorite classes, and I was amazed at how much Roman history influences our own culture. (I did not enjoy history when I was young, nor retained much of it)

 

Do you need a scope and sequence for MP history?

I have one. Thanks though.

all of these comments are really helpful!