How much work for Mom is MFW K?

[Guest]

I'm learning that Unit Studies = lots of prep work for Mom. I love them, but....

 

So, I'm looking at MFW K, but I'm wondering how much work it will be for me - if it's just reserving 1-2 books per week at the library, I'm okay with that, but if it's a lot more, then it might not be a good fit for us.

 

Curioius about the prep time, everytime I read about it's "thematic units" on their website, I keep thinking, time, time, and more time....but it does sound like such a great program...

 

Thanks!

[Oops, duplicate account :/]

Well I'm not doing the reading/phonics/handwriting portion so I'm probably no help there. What I just discovered though is the awesome short-vowel stories MFW K comes with! There are 11 in all and they are adorable, not dumb stories or silly. So factor GOOd readers into the price when considering. I'm actually making them into books and will post a thread on that shortly.

[Guest]

I'm thinking of the thematic part with the letters - S is for Sun and all that lesson would entail.

 

I'm glad you are liking those stories - that is encouraging to here!

[Oops, duplicate account :/]

Well doing just the science and bible and the weekly letter sound would take an hour a day, four days a week TOPS and that may be stretching it some weeks. Could be much less depending on if you don't find lots of books related to the theme (I check out as many as I can find and all the recs on the MFW forum) or if you don't do all the activities or the "additional" ones. Could be more if you factor in field trips. I hope that sorta helps. :confused:

[Oops, duplicate account :/]

Here's something I posted on another thread awhile back. Might help give you a feel for what a week can look like.

 

 

Lesson 1

Sun

Jesus is the light of the world.

 

Day 1

Present information about the sun, using the "Sun" article from an enclyodpdia and/or other children's books about the sun. Explain some of the key points in the text to the student. Show him any relevant illustrations. Discuss why the sun is so important to us. Read Genesis 1:14-19 and discuss when and how the sun, moon, and stars were made.

 

1. Go outside when it is dark or create a dark enviroment by using a thick blindfold or a very dark room. Have the student try to walk in the dark. Discuss: Is it easy to walk safely? Is it easy to find your way? Why not? How does the sun help us?

2. Go outside in the daylight and have the student walk. Discuss: Is it easy to walk safely now? Is it easier to go the right way and not get lost? WHy? How does the sun help us?

3. Say, "The sun is a very bright light. It gives us light so that we can see where we are going. The we don't stumble and fall or go the wrong way. Jesus is also called a light. He helps us see where we are going and helps us go the right way in our thoughts and actions."

4. Show the "sun" flashcard and help the student memorize these words to remember: "Jesus is the light of the world."

 

Math and REading Reminder: In addition to these activities, each day throughout the year continue presenting the Calendar and 100 chart as described on page 12. Also, present the activities in the Reading Plan, which is found on the colored pages.

 

Day 2

Make raisins. Put a few small grapes in a bowl in a sunny window. Check the grapes each day and ;make a chart to show how the grapes are changing. Each day, draw a life-size picture of the chart of what the grapes look like. Discuss why the grapes are changing. Count how many days it took to make raisins...

 

Explain that one way God speaks to us is through the Bible. The Bible is a letter to us from God. Read the following verses to the student from your own Bible. Discuss the meaning and some practical applications.

 

John 8:12...

Psalm 119:105...

 

Emphasize that the sun helps us see where we are going, so we go the right way and don't stumble and get hurt. Ask, "How is the sun like Jesus?" Explain that when we listen to the Bible, we learn how to obey Jesus. And when we obey Jesus, we will go the right way in what we think and what we do. Show the "sun" flashcard and review the words to remember, "Jesus is the light of the world."

 

Day 3

Have the student paint a yellow sun...

 

Make a sun -shaped badge... On the badge print "Jesus is the light of the world." Ask the student to tell you what these words mean. Discuss briefly. Remind him that he can tell people he meets today what his badge means.

 

Day 4

The sun can be used to tell time. To demonstrate this, make a simple sundial... Each hour, on the hour, look at a regular clock and help the student read the time. Then look at the sundial, mark the location of the pencil's shadow on the cardboard, and write the time next to the mark. For the next few days, check the time on the sundail and on a regular clock several times each day, on the hour. Discuss the similarities and the differences between the sundial and the modern clock.

 

Day 5

Use a globe and a flashlight in a darkened room to demonstrate day and night. Show the student where you live on the globe and shine the "sun" (flashlight) there to demonstrate day. Then slowly rotate the globe until the globe becomes dark where you live. Say, "Now it is 'night' on our side of the globe and 'day" on the other side of the globe. Does all of the earth have day at the same time?"

 

Show picture flashcard and review the words to remember for "sun."

 

Day 6

(Children's book Title and activities.)

 

(Read Poem by Robert Louis Stevenson) (in teacher's manual)

 

(Alternate literature selections list and activities)

 

(additional activities...make sun tea, weather chart, etc.)

 

 

The next lesson is so neat because it talks about the moon and how the moon's light is actually reflected from the sun and that "we are like the moon, and Jesus is like the sun." "The more time we spend with Jesus, and the more we obey Jesus, the more light we have. Other people need to see our light shining brightly!" So, so sweet!

[Guest]

Oh, that is helpful. That's all in the IG, right? That's the kind of stuff that I don't want to come up with myself. It's all in there, then that is a good thing!

[Oops, duplicate account :/]

Yes, I typed it out directly from the teacher's manual. I wanted to mention that I got mine used (basically new!) for a great price at homeschoolclassifieds.com. So looking for it used on forums and stuff is an option.

[mom24boys]

Hopefully, MommyJen will come back to check on this thread. I don't want to hijack the thread, but maybe this will be helpful to the op as well. I did the HOD vs MFW struggle this year, although I'm enjoying HOD, I am thinking that I might want to try MFW as well (maybe with my next kid). Just a couple of questions based upon that 1st week of MFW K that MommyJen listed: It's hard for me to tell...are the days equal in amount of stuff to do? In other words, does it take about the same amount of time each day? Thanks.

[tangomoon]

We've been doing MFW K for just about a month now, and I'd say that it is VERY friendly to mom in terms of prep time. There are activities suggested for each theme that use basic materials, and have instructions written out. Some days I've added read alouds, videos, or other activities when I felt like it, but others I've just done them as written. It's flexible enough to either do it as written, or add on if you desire.

 

We're LOVING the Bible tie-ins to the science theme each week!

[mom2koh]

We did MFW K a few years ago and LOVED it. It was my introduction into "thematic units". Later when I did a thematic unit on my own, I truly realized how much work it could be for the mom! ;)

 

I remember spending maybe an hour a day if that on it. It was simple for me and my daughter loved it. I have been floundering since and am thinking about MFW for next year. We miss it.

 

HTH

[Guest]

Hopefully, MommyJen will come back to check on this thread. I don't want to hijack the thread, but maybe this will be helpful to the op as well. I did the HOD vs MFW struggle this year, although I'm enjoying HOD, I am thinking that I might want to try MFW as well (maybe with my next kid). Just a couple of questions based upon that 1st week of MFW K that MommyJen listed: It's hard for me to tell...are the days equal in amount of stuff to do? In other words, does it take about the same amount of time each day? Thanks.

 

Ugh. I'm doing the same thing right now. I'm trying to decide between MFW K or HOD LHTH for my dd for next year. I bought LHTH for my son and returned it. I like the look of LHFHG (and older years), but I think it would be better for my dd the following year. So, I'm contemplating MFW K and then LHFHG OR LHTH and then LHFHG. I don't expect anyone to follow that, lol. :tongue_smilie:

[Guest]

We've been doing MFW K for just about a month now, and I'd say that it is VERY friendly to mom in terms of prep time. There are activities suggested for each theme that use basic materials, and have instructions written out. Some days I've added read alouds, videos, or other activities when I felt like it, but others I've just done them as written. It's flexible enough to either do it as written, or add on if you desire.

 

We're LOVING the Bible tie-ins to the science theme each week!

 

We did MFW K a few years ago and LOVED it. It was my introduction into "thematic units". Later when I did a thematic unit on my own, I truly realized how much work it could be for the mom! ;)

 

I remember spending maybe an hour a day if that on it. It was simple for me and my daughter loved it. I have been floundering since and am thinking about MFW for next year. We miss it.

 

HTH

 

Hmmm...good info!

[cbollin]

I've done MFW K two times now.

 

all of the lesson planning is done. there really isn't a lot of time to have to decide what to do.

 

There was initial prep at the very beginning of the year. I timed it one year and it took me 30 minutes to do the instructions of getting it prepped to cut bingo cards and things like that. It's all included. Well, ok, I didn't actually use "look ahead folders" like is suggested. So that might have added a few minutes.

 

Each unit: I spent about 10 minutes to prep it for the week to look over the unit and make sure I had supplies. The supplies are kinda normal stuff.

Here is a preview that I typed out and put on MFW's board

http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=9&p=49381#p45939

 

Then, the other prep time was going to the library about once every 2-3 weeks. There is a library recommended list, then I spent a few minutes looking for "science books" on the topic.

 

Then each day, since I was doing MFW K with younger sibling instead of oldest, I spent about 45-60 minutes teaching. I broke it up in 3 segments during the day while doing older MFW program with older children.

 

And now that they (MFW) makes the badges for you in the student packet.... it's even less prep.

 

-crystal

[Guest]

Thank you, Crystal! :)

[Oops, duplicate account :/]

Hopefully, MommyJen will come back to check on this thread. I don't want to hijack the thread, but maybe this will be helpful to the op as well. I did the HOD vs MFW struggle this year, although I'm enjoying HOD, I am thinking that I might want to try MFW as well (maybe with my next kid). Just a couple of questions based upon that 1st week of MFW K that MommyJen listed: It's hard for me to tell...are the days equal in amount of stuff to do? In other words, does it take about the same amount of time each day? Thanks.

 

I would say no they are not equal. But, the thing is, if you wanted them to be equal, you could probably divide things up equally enough yourself after a few weeks of doing the curr. and getting a feel for how much time activities take. That's my best guess anyways. :tongue_smilie: HTH!

[MelissaMinNC]

I agree with Crystal - I spend almost no time prepping for MFw K. I spend anywhere from 45min to a little over an hour teaching it. Sometimes I throw in an "extra" thing that is technically related, but that I don't really count in the teaching time. For example, last week for the "Moon" unit we spent a little time one afternoon making a "Moon Cake." During that time, we talked about what we had learned about the moon, how we could apply the "words to remember" etc., but I didn't count it as "school time."

 

I think I spend approx the same amount of time each day doing the lessons, with Day 6 "Book Day" being the exception. That day is purposefully shorter so there is plenty of time to enjoy being outside - good day for nature walks/journals! :)

 

Take care,

Melissa