Anyone using Moving Beyond the Page?

[Cammie]

I have just started looking into this curriculum and I was wondering what the wise ladies (and gentlemen) of the hive thought about it?

[nova147]

We just finished the first unit of MBTP 5-7 (habitats and homes). I know there are a few threads about it -- search MBTP. Also, check out the forums at MBTP. You'll get a lot of the positives there, but people aren't all "rah, rah".

 

So far, DS likes it. He thinks the projects are fun and seems to be making some good connections. I like the ease of use (it's completely ready to go, you just have to gather materials, which are all listed at the beginning of each lesson). I also think the projects are good ideas for kids this age.

 

Now, my gripes. 1)Some days are just worksheets. Different-than-normal worksheets, but still worksheets. If you have a child who likes to color, the worksheets might be more fun, but DS prefers to make 3D art and resists premade coloring sheets. 2)There is a lot of talking at the child. Not a lot of discussion or reading to find out. I will probably do less of this with the next unit, supplementing with books and letting him discover the ideas himself. I understand why this happens (not all kids can read as well as DS), but it feels forced.

 

Overall, I like the program. I don't love it, but I like it. DS (who is reading over my shoulder now) says he doesn't like it, but he loves it! I don't know if we will do it next year, mostly because I have no idea what next year will bring. I am excited to start the weather unit. We will probably spend a lot more than 3 weeks on it, as there are a lot of ways it can be extended (we spent 4 weeks on the first unit, expanding the amount of time we talked about habitats).

[PeterPan]

You'll notice Nova's dc is younger than the recommended ages for the materials. That would be my tip. I bought a couple units of it to try with dd, just to see what would thought. She was on the upper end (I just bought guides to go with books I thought would interest her, this was a couple years ago), and she could do it pretty much independently at that point. She naturally saw the themes they were trying to point out, enjoyed some of the activities, but just generally found it a bit easy or obvious. I think it was enjoyable, just too young/easy for her. Their sequence wouldn't be what I personally would want for my whole curriculum (we're happy with the WTM approach, cycling history, more traditional science, etc.), but it's definitely a fun supplement.

 

I suggest you just buy a guide or two and try it. Make sure you bump it up a level if your dc is advanced. See responses on the Accelerated board for more info.

[Cammie]

BUMP

[Aurelia]

We have been using the 5-7 level as a supplement since January and are about halfway through the 2nd concept (Similarities and Differences). I think this particular level is a little light on the writing but, from what I understand, it ramps up very quickly for 6-8 and 7-9. Some of the instructions sound a little "schoolish," but Ariel has done quite well with it. There are usually 2 levels of difficulty for the work, so you can choose the assignment based on your child's skills, but they are pretty similar. I really like the look of the 8-10 level myself, and may make that our main curriculum when my child is old enough. I'm not terribly enamored with the 5-7 and 6-8 levels for some reason, but I think the 7-9 and 8-10 look pretty neat. Ariel loves the hands on stuff and, in general, likes the work pages, which says a lot because she generally dislikes worksheets.

[love2read]

We used this last year as a supplement and I just placed an order for more units. I think it's expensive and put off placing an order, but our 8yo who is gifted missed it and the conceptual way that the material is approached is unique enough that I can't pull the same thing off myself without a lot of planning. We bought units from the 8-10yo and based on last years experience they should just be challenging enough and still fun. If you have any questions let me know.

[shadowcat]

We used the 5-7 last year. Dd liked habitats and homes, but Community and the third one were less interesting for her. I didn't think the units lived up to their hype. I had no real problems or complaints though.

 

If it were cheaper I might buy it again, but it isn't, and I didn't.

[nova147]

I wanted to add - it is expensive. That would have stopped us from buying it this year, but my parents offered to pay for our curriculum, so we got to spend quite a bit more than we would have otherwise. But even still, we only bought the curriculum, which at the 5-7 level saved us about $130. Most of the books that are required (and included in the package) are available from our library system, so with a bit of planning, I can make sure we have them. I also noticed on the website that they now offer a monthly payment plan if you buy everything from them (including the books).

 

Also, it doesn't take us nearly as long as the website suggests. We spend between 30 and 60 minutes a day on it. Obviously, some days there is a lot more to do and things that interest DS more than other days. Maybe it is more time intensive at higher levels.