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What curricula have you tried and HATED?


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I wouldn't say I have hated any programs (ok......100 EZ Lessons, blech) but there have been a lot that I thought weren't very good and some that just didn't work with my approach to teaching.

 

Some (this is only a partial list b/c my brain isn't good enough to remember!)

 

Spelling Power

Keys to Good English

IEW

CW

Considering God's Creation

Apologia

Rosetta Stone

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Guest Cindie2dds

Winter Promise. Looks great, didn't flow well for us and the book selections weren't good for the age recommended. I also don't like scripted programs.

 

Considering God's Creation

Apologia Elementary

 

I like to add my faith in, not have to correct things we don't believe; so we use secular curricula now.

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Anything with scripts. I just can't stand scripted programs. And my children hate worksheet based programs.

 

We like things that give us a framework and let us do our own thing or have a workbook or text.:001_smile:

 

:iagree: Except my dd loves CLE.....go figure!

I also hated TOG Classic. I got brain freeze from it and it was much easier for me to pick a topic and pre-read the books my kids were going to read or use some Spark Notes rather than the notes, which were basically World Book articles.

 

I don't like gridded plans either (Sonlight/ MFW) because I always feel behind or the need to push on even though we are well beyond finished for the day.

 

I like "do the next thing" materials that give me the chance to decide how long to work and I know where to pick up next, and I know the ending point. SOTW is like that...most text books as spines, Beautiful Feet, Ambleside Online etc.

 

~~Faithe

~~Faithe

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I don't like gridded plans either (Sonlight/ MFW) because I always feel behind or the need to push on even though we are well beyond finished for the day.

 

I like "do the next thing" materials that give me the chance to decide how long to work and I know where to pick up next, and I know the ending point.

 

You've put it into words for me!! :) I've had such a hard time trying to do that... Thank You!

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I like to add my faith in, not have to correct things we don't believe; so we use secular curricula now.

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

Saxon math -- boring boring boring

Sonlight -- Also couldn't stand John Holzmann's preaching

 

 

:iagree::iagree: Especially when he puts it in the book (Incas, Aztecs & Mayans) rather than just in the teacher's notes (which I can totally ignore if I want to). My dd loved the Incas, Aztecs & Mayans book. I did, too, other than the sidebar notes sermonizing on using the name of God more and equating Aztec human sacrifice to modern-day abortion. Ugh, do I really need to introduce that topic to my elementary-aged kids????? NO! Sorry, :rant: I'll stop now:D

 

I didn't like LLATL, I couldn't see where it was going.

I don't really like scripted things because my kiddos never say what's in the script!

 

There hasn't been much I would say I've hated.

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:blink:

 

I don't really like scripted things because my kiddos never say what's in the script!

.

 

This is my son - he likes to deliberately give wrong answers to things he knows because he thinks its "funny". It's going to be an interesting few years but just imagine if he went to public school. :blink:

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Apologia high school science -- blather over substance

 

BJUP social sciences -- inexcusable inaccuracies

 

Writing Strands -- zzzzzzz

 

Anything with scripts

 

Saxon math -- (don't want to start a war !)

 

Learning Language Arts Through Literature -- chaotic presentation; teaching content is random, rather than builds upon previously learned material which is organized into a sensible learning sequence.

 

Sonlight language arts -- similar to LLATL

 

Calvert School -- overpriced and "under-academic"

 

Those are what pop into my mind quickly.

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We are wrapping up our 9th year and have tried just about everything out there! We weren't thrilled with:

SOS - the boys just did not like it nor the way their answers were graded

A&P Lifepacs - boring :bored:

BJU DVD program - way too much $ and thought the instructors wasted too much time

 

Our style has really changed over the years - from schooling at home, boxed curriculum to now quite eclectic and relaxed :001_smile:

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I wanted to like it, but the gentle Catholic faith formation handbook

 

My Jesus and I

 

(very, very inexpensive, thank goodness) did not work for us at all. I thought it was soooo boooooring, and ds too. I couldn't bring myself to open it up again.

 

Thanks for this thread. I was considering Sonlight, but that kind of preaching wouldn't be appreciated here.

 

Just like a PP, I like "do the next thing" programs like SOTW. Love SOTW!

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BJU Heritage Studies- BORING and DRY!

 

Easy Grammar and Daily Grams- BORING and not enough explanation

 

Abeka Language Arts- overwhelming

 

Sonlight IG's- I don't hate SL, but the IG notes are overwhelming, especially in the upper grades. Core 400 almost killed me on the notes.

 

ACE- can't stand workbook, workbook, workbook for every subject

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Mine are a lot of the other ones people have stated.

 

LLATL- drove me nuts. It jumps too fast w/o really teaching the concepts.

Sonight- I love the books hate the IG!

100 EZ - the book itself drove me nuts, why does a young child need to know this, is all I kept asking myself.

 

I have others, they are more of a flop and a hate.

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Easy Grammar. Ds and I had no idea grammar could get so boring. He loved grammar before that book.

 

Spelling Workout. It absolutely flopped with my oldest. The puzzles they call work drove him bananas. He'd *much* rather just copy the words three times each than be subjected to that torture. I'm not one to let a kid out of a curriculum just because they don't like it, but ds's reaction to this one was so strong it wasn't accomplishing anything. However, I brought the same book back out for my second, and she loves it. The puzzles are right up her alley and she rarely gets less than a 90% on the final spelling test.

 

Red Herring. If I had more than one logic stage kid it might have been fun.

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Dislike:

 

Sonlight - like many of the books but not the package/schedules

LLATL

Put That in Writing 1

Worthsmith

DITHOR

Calvert - like some material but overall dislike

R&S math 7-8

Apologia

 

Michelle, did you mean Wordsmith? If so, what didn't you like about it? Planning on using this with our 4-5th graders.

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Saxon math

:iagree:

 

Abeka Language Arts-

ACE- can't stand workbook, workbook, workbook for every subject

 

:iagree: ACE should be OUTLAWED (IMHO:blushing:)

 

 

I dont like Abeka. When we started homeschooling 2 years ago, I started my kids on that because I kept hearing it was "THE BEST" :001_huh: I found it shallow, dry, and my kids were NOT being challenged! No more Abeka!!!!

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I have tried many things that just didn't gel with me but the only thing I can really say I hate is K12's math program using Sadlier-Oxford Progress in Mathematics. Hate is not even a strong enough word. I hope their improvements are truly improvements although it is currently looking like we are going back to traditional homeschooling next year so I won't be anywhere near it anyway.

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Winston Grammar. I don't know what it was *specifically,* but my ordinarily-compliant dd refused to do any more after about the 10th lesson.

 

Alpha Omega science. We had no idea on this green earth how we were supposed to answer the questions.

 

ABeka grammar/comp. Beats grammar to death every.single.year, not nearly enough writing (unless you also buy the teacher's curriculum, which hsers don't need as it is mostly classroom management).

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1962 editions of Voyages in English. I liked how it incorporated Catholicism but it was simply too dry...

 

:iagree: I have several volumes, and we never could "get into it" !

 

Just a "disinclination", though. My other list was for things we were strongly negative about.

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Saxon math... jumps around too much, bored me and the kids to tears!

 

Horizons math....too scattered and I hate the teacher's manual

 

Alpha Phonics....thought it would be simple, read lists of words, sentences, etc.. my daughter nearly has a complete meltdown when I bring it out. My son does it fine, but she Hates it!

 

Sonlight....I love the booklist, but who wants to read 3 pages one day and then pick up another book for 2 more pages? Made me crazy!

 

SOTW....I Love this book but my kids, not so much, so I have struggled to be faithful to it, lol

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I have tried many things that just didn't gel with me but the only thing I can really say I hate is K12's math program using Sadlier-Oxford Progress in Mathematics. Hate is not even a strong enough word. I hope their improvements are truly improvements although it is currently looking like we are going back to traditional homeschooling next year so I won't be anywhere near it anyway.

 

oh my-i agree. what's so funny is I didn't actually REALIZE how much I disliked it until we switched to Singapore and MEP-math is fun!!! Math can be interesting!!! My poor son never complained about Sadlier Oxford, but I'm glad I broadened my horizons and moved away from k12.

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Thanks for this thread. I was considering Sonlight, but that kind of preaching wouldn't be appreciated here.

 

 

I use Sonlight and am not bothered by John's preaching at all because I don't read his notes in the IG, and I skip books like Incans, Mayans, and Aztecs. I use SL secularly.

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K12 language arts at all levels that we tried (2, 3, 4, 7, 8)--except for the literature. But the grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and writing were AWFUL.

 

Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings--though some of the unit studies were pretty good.

 

Mapping the World by Heart

 

Prentice Hall middle school geography

 

VideoText Algebra

 

Saxon math

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I didn't hate it but my oldest two kids hated MUS. They cheered the day I packaged it up and sold to someone!

 

Voyages in English - I have a visceral response to these books. They wring any kind of interest in grammar right out of me and my kids.

 

Easy Grammar - awful!

 

Jensen's Vocabulary - couldn't even understand the first lesson

 

But we really like Saxon math! And I have used My Jesus and I for all my kids to prepare them for their First Communion.

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I don't think there's anything I've hated, other than Calvert, but at the time I was attempting it with my 9 yr old, I also had a 2 yr old, 3 yr old, and infant and was a new hser. So to be fair, that had something to do with it too.

 

There are things that didn't work for us, such as MFW. I want to like it, but the heavy Biblical emphasis doesn't work for me.

 

I also have some kind of addiction to WP, though it never works out. We've tried IRTL, AW, CAW, and AS 1. :001_huh: Takes me a long time to get it through my head I suppose. Something about WP really appeals to me in theory, but it never works out in practice. I actually attempted AW 3 different times because the idea of it appeals to me so much. I bought AS 1 to go with SL Core 3 because I have two highly crafty kids. But after 2 months of it, my crafty dd informed me that the crafts in WP are boring and she's rather just do SL. I think AS 1 is nice and almost bought the AS 2 IG ahead of time, good thing I didn't. It's certainly more cost effective just to use one curriculum.

 

Singapore math is another one I cling to, my dd is mathy and I have been convinced it would be perfect for her, but she hates it. So I've had to force myself to stop buying that one too.

 

SL LA. It's not structured enough for me, I've tried that one multiple times too.

 

Geesh, I'm either really stubborn or a really slow learner.

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Real Science 4 Kids- couldn't stand it. I'd looked forward to getting when I first read about it when my ds was in 1st. Waited and waited till he was old enough,finally got to order, then it finally came, open the box look through it and go"this is it?" :confused: I was so dissappointed. Sold it the next day.

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We couldn't stand Saxon Math for 1st grade. I especially hated the meeting book. We might consider Saxon at the higher levels, though.

 

The one I just HATED was AAS. I can see how it would work for a struggling speller. I literally used it for 2 days and that was it. We are so much happier with SWO.

 

Prima Latina didn't work for us either.

 

Surprisingly I'm not that fond of SOTW. We tried. We really tried. But something just didn't click. This was the curriculum I was most excited about when we started homeschooling. My daughter and I both love FLL and WWE so I don't know why SOTW didn't work for us? Though, I really do like the reading recommendations. Great books.

 

We are only three years into our homeschooling journey but I have already learned that if something doesn't work don't be afraid to change and don't change what is working well.

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I use Sonlight and am not bothered by John's preaching at all because I don't read his notes in the IG, and I skip books like Incans, Mayans, and Aztecs. I use SL secularly.

 

I do, too, if the Core lends itself to doing so. Sometimes have to dump a lot of SL books to do this, though.

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