The Moore Formula - anyone sorta kinda maybe-just-a-little implements this?

[Wee Pip]

(For those who don't know - the philosophy of Dr Raymond and Dorothy Moore is 1. study, 2. work, 3. service, with equal attention to all 3)

If so, what does your day or week look like?

What are the ages of your kiddos?

I've never been a Moore fan, but on days like today, I gotta wonder if it might be a better practice. My kids don't know how to work without being stuck with a hot poker every 2mins. Sigh. I'm wondering if a little "Moore" in our family studies might be a good thing.

BTW, I'm more (uh Moore, LOL) interested in the "study, work, service" philosophy over the "better late than early" philosophy, which I've never practiced!

[lovinmomma]

I'd like to know, too! :bigear:

[In2why]

I have read a couple of their books and I like the service and character training. But that was about it. I can't imagine following the late learning schedule because I think the Grammar stage of memorization and building pegs is so important.

 

The way that we stress Character training is through scouts. We focus on one trait per week and read about it, discuss it, and remind one another to put it into prcatice in our daily lives. We also do quite a bit of service work with our den. I searched for one that was active in giving to the community.

[Strawberry Queen]

I've dabbled in it a bit myself but along the lines that you're looking at. I've never been good at waiting:D.

I have my kids do a chore time 2x a day. I need to revamp their chores as some have been taken off at dh's request (too many badly folded shirts). I have them participate in meaningful work like cooking and baking. My kids are confident in the kitchen and enjoy making things to eat. My older dd wants to cook suppers for a week so I don't have to and she is getting enough recipes under her belt that she could do it.

I also signed them up to deliver a community newspaper once a week. This gives them a bit of cash (approx. $4.5/day) and something they have to work at-especially when winter comes.;) bwhahhahah Yes I know I should be more sympathetic but it will build character. Besides I have to go with them.:001_huh:

 

Now, does this translate to doing better work during school? Well, not really. I haven't seen a great difference in their schoolwork but I guess they've been doing chores for forever so I wouldn't notice a change. My older dd has always been quicker to work diligently and according to my dh my youngest is still a really slow worker(they had to pick up dead plants from the garden on Saturday)

 

I'm hoping that they will eventually have good character built by the time they're adults. So long as they figure out that they have to earn their own money to live on when they're adults, and that they should help others when they see a need, then I'll be happy.

HTH

[fenni]

I've dabbled in Moore. I have to say, though, that my kids are just becoming better workers the more we work them. If we are lax about working them, then they fall back into bad habits and bad attitudes. If we are lax about inspecting the work we expect them to do, they fall back also.

[Deb in NZ]

I like the Moore formula of study-work-service. I've found that it isn't practical to give each equal time daily, but instead I look at implementing each over a week/fortnight. Some days we work more. Other days we study more. Some days are full of service to others. Over the year I am amazed at how much of each we get done.

Examples of what we do for each:

 

Study = assigned schoolwork, music lessons/practice/independent study of own choice

 

Work = household chores, work assigned by Dad, life skills instruction/practice, paper run (paid job)

 

Service = unpaid work for the benefit of others, volunteering at local nature reserve, helping out at scouts, helping with jobs at grandparents, volunteering at SPCA

 

As my dc have grown up the balance between study-work-service changes. The key is to keep the "work" part real. Ds#1 has grown so much by doing real work with his dad. Creating good work habits is extremely important as if our dc don't know how to put in a good days work they won't succeed no matter their grades in their schoolwork. I look at the Moore formula as a good balance of emphasis on Attitude & Academics.

 

JMHO,

[at the beach]

I like the Moore formula of study-work-service. I've found that it isn't practical to give each equal time daily, but instead I look at implementing each over a week/fortnight. Some days we work more. Other days we study more. Some days are full of service to others. Over the year I am amazed at how much of each we get done.

Examples of what we do for each:

 

Study = assigned schoolwork, music lessons/practice/independent study of own choice

 

Work = household chores, work assigned by Dad, life skills instruction/practice, paper run (paid job)

 

Service = unpaid work for the benefit of others, volunteering at local nature reserve, helping out at scouts, helping with jobs at grandparents, volunteering at SPCA

 

As my dc have grown up the balance between study-work-service changes. The key is to keep the "work" part real. Ds#1 has grown so much by doing real work with his dad. Creating good work habits is extremely important as if our dc don't know how to put in a good days work they won't succeed no matter their grades in their schoolwork. I look at the Moore formula as a good balance of emphasis on Attitude & Academics.

 

JMHO,

:iagree: I often recommend The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook on these boards when people are frustrated with homeschooling for various reasons. This book really helped me put things in perspective. Service, work, and academics should all be part of a child's life. My kids seem much happier when we have some balance in these areas. We don't do well when academic work takes up so much time that we have no time for anything else. And I also think that better late than early is very beneficial for some children.

[Keniki]

:iagree: I often recommend The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook on these boards when people are frustrated with homeschooling for various reasons. This book really helped me put things in perspective. Service, work, and academics should all be part of a child's life. My kids seem much happier when we have some balance in these areas. We don't do well when academic work takes up so much time that we have no time for anything else. And I also think that better late than early is very beneficial for some children.

:iagree: I'm just reading The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook for the first time, but I'm finding it to be exactly what has worked best for our youngest. I'm not as good at incorporating the service part as I'd like, so that's something for me to work towards. I HAVE used the Better Late Than Early theory with this child also, and that has worked VERY well for him.

[Mallory]

I've never really read any of the Moore's, but we do most of those things.

 

We volunteer 8+ hours a week at a food pantry/pregnancy center (well everyone has to come one day a week, 4 hours, but I always go both). We are also very involved in Scouts and service is important.

 

My boys also do lots of work around here- from chores to repairs and landscaping (does the pyramid they are building for our chicken mummy count :D). I also agree that doing work by moving rocks to build a sidewalk, or clearing brush around the pond, or building new benches for our table, or building a chicken coop is work that means a lot more than than dishes or laundry (I also feel strongly that boys need some hard labor most days). When the boys clean the table they do a much better job of making sure the benches they built are clean then the other chairs. Or when part of the chicken coop needs fixed they notice way before the broken fence you walk by to get the chicken coop, but that isn't "thiers" in the same way as the coop.

 

I even follow a better late than early schedule, not quite to the extent of the Moores, but the whole grammar=memorization never quite fit here, and as my oldest has gotten to logic stage and his memorization skills have skyrocketed, I can see that maybe it (memorizing young) doesn't work for all the same way!

[mama25angels]

I'm just reading the Successful Homeschool Family Handbook for the first time also, haven't read much actually, and i'm excited about it. I'm totally feeling burnt our right now and i'm hoping that this will refresh me and give me a new direction for our homeschool or at least something to add to it and hopefully make it better. Would definitely love to hear more about/from those who've done it.