[If you've done both MFW and HOD....]

hmm.... maybe it's just the limits of internet communication. It is hard to describe how these programs are different. Maybe it's like trying to describe differences in coffee flavors... you just have to taste it to understand. This morning I have a bolder coffee than yesterday. :)

 

I don't want others reading to have a take away message of "mfw excludes inward."

 

There certainly is an outward focus, but not at the expense of inward. I've used Pre K through WHL. I wonder if I can help describe it a bit more....

 

From Pre K until High School, MFW has Bible in the program as family devotional time. As the family gets older, there are shifts in focus and who does what even in the "5 year cycle" programs. So it's gradual transition over years.

 

Pre K - time of worship through song and hiding the word in their hearts.

Kindy - that's time with who God is and getting to know Him

1st - time in the Word, memory work, applying Proverbs to your life.

ADV - getting to know Jesus

 

Definitely an inward time.

 

ECC - now we know all of that. let's take it into the world :) a full year study on book of Matthew. so we get both the inward - study of character traits, the gospel. We get the outward - praying for others, learning that some people leave their own country.

 

CTG - studying OT. again, this is family led devotions instead of each child trying to do it on their own. As parents we are the ones teaching them at this stage. (hmm.. is that a difference in these programs?)

 

RTR - NT study. lots of personal devotion. Dangerous Journey for example.

 

EX1850: this is a unique year in the MFW Bible. students who are old enough will have their devotional book for personal time and devotion and application from book of James, while also memorizing the entire book of James. younger students will also use the study book, but parent guided. It's from the read alouds that an outward focus happens.

 

1850MOD - Bible is devotional with Young Person's Guide . Bible time is world focus with devotional by using Tales of Persia. World focus in prayer time.

 

High school -

AHL: read and study, personal devotional time from OT. "go into the world" focus is through encouragement of service projects.

 

WHL: NT, church history (personal devotional time... they are old enough now to study more on their own and process themselves with weekly meetings with you.) service projects again. Devotional and application and growth studies with Experiencing God.

 

US1 and US2: well, I haven't used them yet. It definitely has a new flavor as our children have to decide if this is something they will do for their lives.

 

I haven't used HOD to know what it does... But MFW does both "personal inward" and "go into the world". It's not an either or situation with MFW. As parents we guide our children into the Word. We help them grow over the years, we teach them. Then, we help them to spread their wings and learn to do this for themselves. It's stages of learning meets life long mentoring roles of parents.

 

 

-crystal

 

Crystal - as always - a very great explanation of MFW. I didn't want to put it in a bad light, I truly have not experienced these great insights with it...not that they're not there...I just have missed it. Thank you for sharing. :)

[If you've done both MFW and HOD....]

 

I have a question though: which program is stronger for Bible?

 

I haven't used HOD yet, although I do have 3 guides w/ books in my possession awaiting use ;).

 

From all my asking around, looking myself at the guides and materials, and my personal 4 years of experience with MFW...they both use the bible extensively...HOD uses it with more of an inward focus (time with the Lord, personal devotion, application) and MFW uses it more with an outward focus (missions, praying for others, being aware of others' need for Christ, etc).

 

Both are great, just different.

[Has anyone else seen this HILARIOUS video?]

That is funny. We watched it yesterday. :lol:

[Watching Food Inc. with my family.]

We've watched most of the ones already mentioned in this thread. They are all wonderful. But, afterwards I feel like I shouldn't eat anything in my fridge or cupboard. I want to change everything all at once - but in reality - that can't happen.

 

It is so hard for me to do one thing at a time. I don't have that mentality. I have an all now or never mentality. :blushing:

 

Has anyone ever really made changes? If you did, how and what did you do?

[When do you start a new school year?]

We live in a non-reporting state also.

 

I usually start after Labor Day. We have short summers here, so we try to have official school off and enjoy the outdoors. :D

[If you've done both MFW and HOD....]

This has been such a great thread to read...to get good perspectives from both sides.

 

I am on year 4 with MFW and have never really loved any of the years, but enough to keep on with it. This year I've struggled badly on and off with ECC. Some days the kiddos get it and others I wonder if they're getting anything from it at all. I like POE, but not for young elementary students. I have given up on that book.

 

I "plan" to switch to HOD later this year, if the Lord doesn't change my mind first. I am still in prayer over the matter.

 

I know I really don't have any help to offer, but I wanted you all to know I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences. :D

[School at the kitchen table people.... please come here]

We have schooled in our living room at a table set up on one end and now we have moved into the dining room at the table.

 

We actually have a built-in desk area with cabinets so that is where we are storing our books.

 

When we were at the table in the living room, I just used one of those heavy duty plastic drawer towers from Walmart or Meijer. Each child had a drawer for their books.

 

I haven't decided which area I like best yet.

[When you don't like the curriculum you're in the middle of...]

Laura, I did think of that, I will have most of the HOD stuff this week but I want to finish what we started. I'm trying to do my best and through this thread, I've re-gained a little motivation.

 

Amy, thank you! That is about what we're doing too. We actually do like looking at the Usborne Living World Encyclopedia. I am trying to draw activities or books from outside sources to make it more interesting! I agree, not a great big fan of the notebooking pages.

 

However, I did find http://www.mamajenn.com/MamaJenn/MFW_ECC.html recently and she has some great pages for copying the memory verses and character traits.

 

gratitude - I don't think I'm the same Melissa? Although I did just buy R&S 2 and start my 3rd grader on it. lol Sounds like we've had similar feelings about MFW. I love the company, what they stand for, and their curriculum is great---just not for me. I really have not enjoyed any of the years a whole lot. I am doing K right now for the 3rd time with my 3rd daughter. It is okay...just always feels like something isn't right for me.

 

Hunter - thank you for the links!!! I will bookmark them and come back them to them later when I can sit longer!!!

 

Colleen - Yes, I am a list-maker! I have made a list and we will be able to finish it...just wish it was more enjoyable...but sometimes it's what we make it. I'm glad I started this thread, because it has helped me to re-evaluate things and push forward.

 

Kam - thank you for sharing your experiences! I am excited to try something new soon too!

[When you don't like the curriculum you're in the middle of...]

We have done MFW K, 1st, Adventures, ECC and now CtG. We liked all of those years, but ECC was my least favorite year, and I think it was because I missed the narrative of history woven throughout the program. You get bits and pieces of history in ECC, to be sure, but it is different from studying a time period for an entire year. We are doing CtG now, though, and I can really see the fruit of our ECC work as we study ancient history. My dc learned so much about geography and cultures during ECC, and that has been helpful as we study history chronologically again. I personally am enjoying CtG more than ECC, but my dc liked both.

 

I'm sorry that you are not liking it, and I'm just sharing this as an encouragement -- that there may be some good knowledge you all can glean from the program. I like the pps' suggestions to condense the material and use it in the way that best fits your family.

 

FWIW, my dc really benefitted from playing the ECC Geography Game. I let them use Skittles as markers, and they learned a lot. They are better at locating countries than my dh and me. :)

 

Thank you. :)

[When you don't like the curriculum you're in the middle of...]

Something similar happened to us with Winter Promise's Children Around the World. We made it to Christmas. When we started back up in January it was :ack2: all the way around.

 

Do you know what you want to use for next year? I knew that I was going to switch to TOG the following year. Instead of waiting, we made the switch in March. I used the month of February to familiarize myself with the program. The kids didn't do any history that month but I was okay with that and it's worked out well for us.

 

If you know what you want to move to, maybe you could make the switch now.

 

I thought about switching now, but I think I'd rather wait. I am switching to HOD next. :D

[When you don't like the curriculum you're in the middle of...]

I have a question for you if that's OK. :D

 

We've used EX-1850, and 1850-MOD. I dislike ECC so much that I'm considering not using CTG next year. I feel like the same problems we have this year will crop up next year. Have you used it? Did you like it? How was it different/better than ECC?

 

If you'd prefer not to discuss it here, you can always PM me.

Thanks!

Dorinda

 

No worries. :) No I haven't used it yet. We have used K, 1st, Adv, and now ECC. CTG was next for us, but after pouring over samples, books, etc, I just don't think we will use it. My dh and I are not interested in using many of the books they've selected at this time with our children. I really really wanted to do CTG to study the history and feasts, but I don't think we'd be able to stand the rest of it.

 

We are switching this fall to HOD and will see how that goes for us. There's always the chance we'll return to MFW, but I'm trying to look at it year by year now. I've learned that lesson the hard way. :tongue_smilie:

[When you don't like the curriculum you're in the middle of...]

Dorinda - Thank you for the suggestion! Off to check it out.

[When you don't like the curriculum you're in the middle of...]

Thank you Julie. That idea had never crossed my mind but makes a lot of sense!

 

I will figure out how to make that work for us.

 

I knew this year I needed to switch, but still stuck with MFW in hopes the multi-level cycle would work out for us...but it isn't. I'm also realizing other things that about it that isn't going to work for our family. I have complete peace about my decision, and want to finish what I started this year.

[When you don't like the curriculum you're in the middle of...]

How do you get through the rest of your "year"?

 

We are starting week 16 of MFW ECC today. I know we're about half-through, but I am disliking it so much for our family. My kids and I are not enjoying much about it. I am doing my best to supplement books from the library, but we are just getting through each day, not enjoying it. This is year 4 for us with MFW and I really had planned to use it through 12th grade. I am so sad to have come to this place with it.

 

I am trying to be enthusiastic about finishing this year and looking at blogs and such to find great ideas and be motivated, but it just isn't working well for me.

 

If you have been in this kind of situation, what did you do to make it through the rest of your year without drudging through every day?

 

I'm also open to any suggestions how to improve ECC for the rest of our year.

[If you've switched between MFW & HOD]

HOD is great, but have you considered that you will be doing American history again if you do Beyond or Bigger? Which isn't a bad thing, if you dc enjoy it.

 

Are your 8 & 9 year olds similar in skill level? If so, you could have them both in Beyond or Bigger, and your 6 year old in LHFHG.

 

I think when you are trying to decide which guide for your 2 older dc, you need to know how much writing & narration they are used to. Personally, even though your oldest will be 10, I would advise having her do Bigger with the extensions, along with your 8 year old. I am going to be doing the same thing with my 2 dc. I have the Preparing guide, but don't think she would be able to handle all of the writing or narration. And if I go a little lighter with my 8 year old, that's okay with me. I just think if you did 3 guides just starting with HOD, you might be overwhelmed. We are able to do this, because I don't use HOD's LA. I am using FLL & WWE.

 

Yes, I had thought about that, but my oldest is the only one who has done Adventures, and she probably doesn't remember much from it :tongue_smilie:. I am thinking about combining them in Bigger and seeing how that goes. Just not sure what the future would look like for the 2nd daughter when she runs out of guides?

[If you've switched between MFW & HOD]

WTM/SWB = The Well Trained Mind/Susan Wise Bauer This means that I want to use her writing plan laid out in her book The Well Trained Mind. It is also more clearly outlined in her AWESOME writing lectures available for purchase on Peace Hill Press' website. Highly recommended.

 

FLL = First Language Lessons

 

Ahh, I see. Thank you! I have heard of WTM before and actually had a copy of FLL but sold it. lol

[If you've switched between MFW & HOD]

abrightmom - I recognize your username from pming with me a little while back. Thank you again for your help. :) What is WTM/SWB and FLL?

 

Thank you so much for all the replies so quickly!

[If you've switched between MFW & HOD]

Please tell me your story. I've looked at all the threads on here about the two over the past few months. I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO torn. I am praying about it.

 

I am on year 4 with MFW. We have done K, 1st, Adv, and now ECC this year with my 7 and 8 year olds. My 3rd daughter, 5, is doing MFW K this year. I am just not sure we will be ready for CTG next year? I'm afraid it's going to be way too much for dd2. She will turn 8 Nov of this fall, and I've considered her 2nd this year...but I don't know if I've pushed her too early or not.

 

I have been pouring over HOD's catalog, samples, and reviews for about a year now and am more confused now than I think I've ever been.

 

I'm really curious what you experience has been if you've switched from one to the other. Why? Are you glad? Etc.

 

If we switch to HOD, I'm thinking...

 

LHFHG - still not sure if for K or 1 - for my youngest daughter (will turn 6 Oct)

Beyond or Bigger ???? for my next (will turn 8 Nov)

Bigger or Preparing??? for my oldest (will be 9 turning 10 during Feb that year)

 

HELP ME :ack2: