Confused about when to start MCT

[JeneralMom]

Looking through the site, it looks like the program should be started with a 4th grader or advanced 3rd grader. However, in a recent poll I noticed that a lot of people are starting with 1st and 2nd graders. So, when is it best to start? Is there a lot of advanced reading and writing required? If so, I cannot imagine my 6yo (who likes to write but not read) going for this program.

 

Would it be reasonable to do FLL and WWE up to 4th grade and then start with MCT or would that be too "old" to start the MCT 'cycle'?

[Capt_Uhura]

I would say 3rd/4th is a great time to start. I've done Sentence Island w/ an advanced 1st grader only b/c I was doing it w/ my 4th grader. He found it easy and VERY enjoyable. He absolutely loved it. However, he won't be able to move into Town level next year. he'll probably be able to do Grammar Town and Practice Town but not the writing in Paragraph Town. So if you start early, you have to live w/ gap years I think.

[Irishmommy]

I just started with my 3rd grader about a month ago. We are almost finished with Grammar Island and have begun a few of the other books, but are going through them slowly. I honestly can't imagine using them with him in 1st grade. I think we could have started at the beginning of 3rd with no problems, but 1st and 2nd, not so sure about. The topics are pretty deep for that age. Your child really does have to be able to look at sentences in a different way and for that must be able to read very well, imo. Every child is different, so take what I say with a grain of salt. My son probably is on a 5-6th grade reading level or higher. He began silently reading Percy Jackson and is now on page 113 (after doing all his other school work). That just gives you an idea of his academic level. He is a reluctant writer, but has not balked at any of the writing assignments as of yet. I'm a BIG fan of the program, but I think this year was the right year for us to start.

[JeneralMom]

I would say 3rd/4th is a great time to start. I've done Sentence Island w/ an advanced 1st grader only b/c I was doing it w/ my 4th grader. He found it easy and VERY enjoyable. He absolutely loved it. However, he won't be able to move into Town level next year. he'll probably be able to do Grammar Town and Practice Town but not the writing in Paragraph Town. So if you start early, you have to live w/ gap years I think.

 

 

Thank you...that is exactly what I was concerned about - him finding one part fun but not being able to move on to the next level because of it being too advanced.

[Irishmommy]

The other thing I was going to add is that I can see using it for younger kids if you have olders that are going through it. They might not be able to do all the writing, but certainly could enjoy the stories.

[Melissa B]

Doing FLL/WWE for first through fourth and then moving into MCT level 2 in fifth grade is an excellent schedule. You wouldn't miss anything skipping MCT level 1 if you have already done FLL/WWE for four years.

[Kuovonne]

From reading the recent poll and other threads on MCT, I get the impression that most of the younger kids using MCT are either tagging along with an older sibling, accelerated in language arts, or both. I haven't heard of a child who reads and writes at a 1st or 2nd grade level also doing the full blown MCT program without an older sibling. I think that this is one case where the homeschooling practice of using a kid's age (vs academic level) to determine grade can be misleading.

 

I think that MCT is a great program that can appeal to a broad range of ages.

Edited May 18, 2010 by Kuovonne

[JeneralMom]

Doing FLL/WWE for first through fourth and then moving into MCT level 2 in fifth grade is an excellent schedule. You wouldn't miss anything skipping MCT level 1 if you have already done FLL/WWE for four years.

 

 

Level 2 - would that be the town level? So skip the "island" level?

[Capt_Uhura]

personally I would not skip Island level. My friend skipped Island level, went straight into Town (she also skipped Grammar Town) and after our boys both took the NWEA Map assessment for language arts, she was kicking herself mightily for having skipped Island level. My oldest scored high school level after having only done GWG 4 and MCT Island. He is quite intuitive w/ lang. arts but all the terms etc he got right were from MCT.

 

WWE in no way overlaps w/ MCT, I think both are useful. My boys both do WWE in conjunction with MCT. I don't know anything about the higher levels of FLL but MCT just has a way of making kids love language. And several here have skipped a level, only to back up a level. If I had to skip one level of MCT, I suppose it would be Island but it is so fun, and my boys retention has been excellent, why skip it. If you're wedded to FLL that's a whole different story. IF it works for you, great. But if you're thinking of going the road w/ MCT, I'd start w/ Island. Town is all about paragraphs. I'm continually talking w/ my friend about nuances about sentences my boys got or something introduced in Practice Island and she continually says "We didn't get that in Town level. AARGH I'm going to have to go back and do Island."

 

YMMV

 

Capt_Uhura

[Dawn E]

I don't know what your plan is, but since your two oldest are so close in age, I would do the FLL/WWE process until your oldest ds is in fourth. Then I would do the Island series with the two oldest at the same time. I think that would work very well, but time alone will tell. Many people actually continue WWE after starting MCT, so that is an option as well.

[Matryoshka]

I think 3rd/4th is just about the right time to start Island. I agree with others than if you start early you're probably going to have to live with gap years, or spread it out over multiple years, unless your kid is really, really advanced.

 

I also agree that WWE and MCT address completely different skills. I'm using WWE3 along with Island with my 9yo. I did skip Island with my older two, but they were already in 6th grade when we started. I did back up to Town instead of just jumping in to Voyage, which they would've been in if I only looked at the grade level posted.