Choosing Curric and First Impressions...was your first gut reaction right?

[Wee Pip]

Just for fun: I've noticed that I have strong reactions to certain curriculum (how about you?) There have been certain things that I just get a bad vibe from. They are perfectly good books, get rave reviews, but everytime I look at them, I feel like running and screaming. Likewise, some books I have an instant reaction of "ohhh, I like!" These books may or may not be right for us, but I was curious if anyone else has these reactions and whether your initial reaction is right-on. So...

 

1. What curric do you get strong vibes from (good or bad)?

2. Have you ever tried a curric that you initially had a bad first reaction to? If so, was your initial reaction right or wrong?

3. Those curric that you initially had a great first reaction - were you right? Did it work out for you?

[Wee Pip]

I'll play first...

 

1. What curric do you get strong vibes from (good or bad)?

Good impressions: Sonlight, BJU, Singapore Math, HWT

Bad impressions: Horizons Math, Rod & Staff, Phonics Pathways, 100 EZ Lessons

 

2. Have you ever tried a curric that you initially had a bad first reaction to? If so, was your initial reaction right or wrong?

Yes - Horizons. I really never could like it. Phonics Pathways - dd & I were both overwhelmed. 100 EZ Lessons - nothing wrong with it, just wasn't right for us at that particular time, maybe it would've worked better we had waited to start it? So, my initial reactions seem to be right & I kick myself later for not listening to my intuition.

 

3. Those curric that you initially had a great first reaction - were you right? Did it work out for you?

Some things worked, some things didn't. BJU Phonics & Reading was a bit overwhelming for me, but now I'm thinking about going back to BJU. I liked BJU Math & kicked myself for not continuing it. Singapore math didn't work out for us - I almost tried it again recently, but I think I still would've been unhappy with it. So, an initial good reaction wasn't a fool-proof way of picking a good curric:)

[Brindee]

1. What curric do you get strong vibes from (good or bad)?

Good: Rod & Staff, TT Math, SOTW, Christian Kids Explore..., A Beka ower grade level science and health, Singapore Math

Bad: Any program that has an overwhelming amount of things to do, and poor teacher helps, Saxon, Writing Strands, Power-Glide Languages

 

2. Have you ever tried a curric that you initially had a bad first reaction to? If so, was your initial reaction right or wrong?

Yes for me too. Saxon seemed somehow overwhelming or something, just didn't get good feelings. I WANTED to like it, but that like was forced. I tried it twice, a few years apart, but it didn't work. Expensive mistake!

 

3. Those curric that you initially had a great first reaction - were you right? Did it work out for you?

Well, I really liked the idea of English From the Roots Up. But it still sits on my shelf, and I'm not sure how to use it!

 

Rod & Staff Engish was another thing I really liked. It's done WONDERS for my kids! The year before we started it my younger two got in the 30's on their ITBS tests for language usage and that kind of thing. This year they got in the 90's! Dramatic difference that I attribute to R&S. It just clicked with my kids, and they actually really like English Grammar now!

 

TT Math (Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1) is working well with them as well!

[siloam]

1. What curric do you get strong vibes from (good or bad)?

 

Good: SL, WP, TQ, CW, Singapore

 

Middle: Looked good, but can I do this? TOG, SWR, RS math.

 

Bad: Anything boxed or too workbookish, LOL! Abeka, BJU (though I am considering their science 7th grade on up), R&S, ect...

 

2. Have you ever tried a curric that you initially had a bad first reaction to? If so, was your initial reaction right or wrong?

 

Not really. There were times I almost threw SWR out the window, but I am glad I stuck it out. RS was also really hard for me to get into at first, to learn to manage it, to feel comfortable with it. After a year of using it things looked much brighter.

 

3. Those curric that you initially had a great first reaction - were you right? Did it work out for you?

 

SL didn't work out because all my kids are kinesthetic, TQ is just unnecessary with TOG and WP is my back up plan if I don't have the time to invest into TOG. Singpaore and CW have always clicked here.

 

Now I have used a few things that I bought for various reasons. 100 EZ lessons because everyone raved about it, but I didn't see any samples. I am a visual dyslexic and couldn't read it! LOL! If I had seen a sample I would have know right off. I tried Reading Reflex next, because SL recommends it, without seeing samples. I actually liked the philosophy, but it was too unstructured for me. Actually I think it was just a mis-match with my dd. She could take apart any word and spell it but was second guessing the letter sounds when she went to blend. Once we started drilling phonics sounds with SWR she took off. I just didn't know how to practice with RR without her memorizing everything. Another I tried was Visualize World Geography, but that was at my oldest dd's request. It was just to hokey/silly for my personality. I am sure it is a good program.

 

Overall I have been successful in choosing material.

 

Heather

 

[Closeacademy]

1. What curric do you get strong vibes from (good or bad)?

 

IEW, Singapore, SWR, Sonlight, Saxon Math

 

2. Have you ever tried a curric that you initially had a bad first reaction to? If so, was your initial reaction right or wrong?

 

I've decided not to try IEW after trying to look at it and deciding it wasn't for me.

 

3. Those curric that you initially had a great first reaction - were you right? Did it work out for you?

 

Sonlight--Looked wonderful but wasn't for us.

 

SWR--it has been great

 

Singapore--love it!

 

Saxon--From everything I read it was the perfect math curriculum then I used it and it was not for us.

 

:001_smile:

[Heather in Neverland]

1. What curric do you get strong vibes from (good or bad)?

 

Good: MUS, the MP Latin series (PL, LCI, LCII), Phonetic zoo, Easy Grammar, SOTW

 

Bad: Saxon!!

 

2. Have you ever tried a curric that you initially had a bad first reaction to? If so, was your initial reaction right or wrong?

 

Yes. I did not like MUS when I first saw it. Now it has saved our math and I wouldn't change it for anything!

 

3. Those curric that you initially had a great first reaction - were you right? Did it work out for you?

 

CW did not work out for us even though I was fired up about it at first.

[Trivium Academy]

 

1. What curric do you get strong vibes from (good or bad)?

Good Impressions: WTM and suggestions, Veritas Press, Sonlight

Bad Impressions: Winter Promise, Tapestry of Grace, My Father's World, and other curricula packages

 

2. Have you ever tried a curric that you initially had a bad first reaction to? If so, was your initial reaction right or wrong?

 

1. Yes! Tapestry of Grace and I was wrong, wrong, wrong. It turned out to be the best thing for us! I have no doubt that while we're homeschooling we will use Tapestry.

 

2. Living Learning Chemistry, I knew it wasn't going to be what I would want, others told me it wasn't but I bought it anyways since it was the closest thing I could find for the type of study I wanted. It's not horrible but just bland.

 

3. FLL - I liked the first level but I burned out by the second level. At first, I thought it was wonderful but using it, even if it was just 15 minutes a day became such a chore.

 

4. Paper crafts, like History Pockets. I despised how simple they were and it seemed like busywork. We're not necessarily using History Pockets but using paper crafts like dioramas and other paper creations have been a lot of fun around here lately. It's been the perfect way to combine LA, art and history for us.

 

3. Those curric that you initially had a great first reaction - were you right? Did it work out for you?

1. Sonlight. The 29 reasons not to buy Sonlight did not apply to me until I read The Well-Trained Mind. I'm so thankful I did because I know now I wouldn't have been happy at all. I did not buy Sonlight, the day I went to place my order, WTM came in from inter-library loan.

 

2. Horizons Math has been great for us, I saw it in the Sonlight catalog and we've been happy ever since.

 

3. Artistic Pursuits has been great too, although I researched it extensively before buying, great decision. We'll see if Drawing with Children has the same results.

 

4. Charlotte Mason stuff, I had a bad reaction at first but I still had the public-school mentality too. Now it's a breath of fresh air and right up our alley. Relaxed or informal does not mean it lacks rigor.

 

5. I thought I would love The Easy French so I bought (even with family help, no less!) the Jr. level and Level 1. What a bomb for us. It's a nice program but not our style at all. Dd would have done it but I saw she wasn't thrilled, I wasn't thrilled- out it went.

 

6. I thought we use SOTW for all four years 1-4. Tapestry and C. Mason changed that for me, we still have all four hardcovers. They might end up being independent reading, who knows?

[Peela]

Loved SOTW all the way through. It was a backbone of our homeschooling for 4 years. First impressions good, and it was one thing I consistently stayed with.

 

Henle Latin- I wanted to like this, but it gives me shudders every time I look at it! Not for us.

 

Writing Strands, Wordsmith- I liked these, thought they would work, my kids hated them with a passion.

 

Ambleside Online- I always felt attracted to this but only now, 5 years into homeschooling, am I seriously using it. Its too soon to say how well the kids will respond, but they are not keen on textbooks/workbooks at all so I am optimistic.

 

Traditional Logic. Another shudder. Yuk.

 

Artistic Pursuits- love it, kids hate it.

 

Its taken me a long time to get it, but my kids prefer to read and narrate than do a literature program, prefer to write than do a writing program, prefer to draw/paint than do an art program. Thats why I am moving more toward CM.

[PeterPan]

I've learned more and more to trust my gut, even when I don't know all the specifics of WHY my gut is saying that. Every time, EVERY TIME, I've gone against my gut, it's been a bad result. Even my mixed feelings (Shurley--like the approach, hate the clutter of the tm) turn out to be right on when I go to use it. You just have to know yourself and listen to your gut. You're often chosen between two or three GOOD things, not bad, meaning it's not a slam to say just your intuition points you a certain direction.

[Wee Pip]

Oh, I want to add to my post...

MFW - friends use it & love it, and I love seeing the results that others get from it, but every time I look at the sample tm, or the booklists, I am completely turned off by it. So I don't think it would work for me.

 

And I want to elaborate on my initial reaction to Rod & Staff - very cluttered, full pages (I like *simple*), and I always think of my 8th gr English teacher, whom I didn't get along with, and used to make us write 80 sentences per week. Yuck.

[Peso]

Unfortunately though, I haven't learned to trust myself. I keep finding that I buy the stuff that gives me the bad vibe if people keep recommending it - I guess I think of it as a veg I don't like but should eat. Often as not, I should've trusted myself - maybe one of these days I'll learn!

[Peso]

Unfortunately though, I haven't learned to trust myself. I keep finding that I buy the stuff that gives me the bad vibe if people keep recommending it - I guess I think of it as a veg I don't like but should eat. Often as not, I should've trusted myself - maybe one of these days I'll learn!

 

NOEO Physics II was a good example of this. Snooze.

 

Marie

[Murphy101]

bad - BJU, Abeka, Saxon, and Apologia, SOTW, Little Angel Readers Phonics program

 

tried anyhow - all but BJU and Apologia

 

Regretted all but SOTW 1 and 2

to be fair to SOTW and LAR I thought they would be great, but they looked like a LOT of time commitment and work - thus my gut screaming it wouldn't work for us.

with SOTW it was a good chunk of time commitment, but we enjoyed it and learned far too much from it to call it work:)

LAR was LOTS of work. Just lots and lots of work. I was exhausted just looking at it on the shelf and then felt guilty for not doing "it all" - so I sold it and someone else can feel guilty looking at it on their shelf.:D

[Sasharowan]

1. What curric do you get strong vibes from (good or bad)?

2. Have you ever tried a curric that you initially had a bad first reaction to? If so, was your initial reaction right or wrong?

3. Those curric that you initially had a great first reaction - were you right? Did it work out for you?

 

 

Good vibes: MUS, LL7, WT1

Bad Vibes: Saxon, Miquon, Boxed sets, k12 VA

 

MUS we have used since 1st grade for my oldest and still like it. We tried Miquon in the beginning and both of us were totally lost. LL7 and WT1 we are trying next year so don't know how well they will work, but I like the way they look.

[momto3]

1. What curric do you get strong vibes from (good or bad)?

 

Sonlight History, Readers and Read Alouds - I just love all of those books and the schedule keeps me on track, ensuring that we get it done. It is so easy to PLAN to read great books but having a guide has made all the difference for me.

 

Rod & Staff English - I really like the clean, simple look of all their material but have only used the English. They make English easy to understand and explain. There is just enough practice.

 

2. Have you ever tried a curric that you initially had a bad first reaction to? If so, was your initial reaction right or wrong?

 

Phonics Pathways - I hated it from the beginning and did not last long.

Writing Strands - I did not care for this initially but really tried to see the good in the program since it is so highly recommended by WTM. My son only saw misery.

 

3. Those curric that you initially had a great first reaction - were you right? Did it work out for you?

 

Sonlight Language Arts - We lasted about three months before going back to R & S.

 

Math -u - See, Saxon and Singapore Math - We have used all of these programs at different times and enjoyed them. They are very different in style and amount of drill required. The variety over the years has helped my children learn to use math in different ways.

[OnTheBrink]

I've learned more and more to trust my gut, even when I don't know all the specifics of WHY my gut is saying that. Every time, EVERY TIME, I've gone against my gut, it's been a bad result. Even my mixed feelings (Shurley--like the approach, hate the clutter of the tm) turn out to be right on when I go to use it. You just have to know yourself and listen to your gut. You're often chosen between two or three GOOD things, not bad, meaning it's not a slam to say just your intuition points you a certain direction.

 

:iagree:

 

I could have written this myself. Many times, I went against my intuition and bought the latest rage/popular item and each time, I regretted it.

[WTMindy]

:iagree:

 

I don't think I have ever been wrong when I listened to my gut. The things I thought I would love (mostly SOTW 1-4 and now TOG) I have.

 

I did stay away from Rod & Staff for awhile because of how blah it looks, but I think it is good once I tried it.

[TraceyS/FL]

1. What curric do you get strong vibes from (good or bad)?

Good: MUS, BJU Home Sat, Video Text, BJU Phonics/Reading 1, SL, WP, Calculadders, The WTM plan.

 

Bad: TT, Horizons, LifePacs, Abeka 2nd grade Lang

 

2. Have you ever tried a curric that you initially had a bad first reaction to? If so, was your initial reaction right or wrong?

 

We did full Abeka 2nd grade - i was right on the Language. 3rd grade didn't get any better.....

 

I keep trying to feel good about TT, it's not happening - but don't make me tell you WHY, because i can't.

 

3. Those curric that you initially had a great first reaction - were you right? Did it work out for you?

 

I never have done MUS with my oldest, but it's a great fit so far for my middle "Special Needs" learner. DD1 also does NOT respond to Living Book learning, so back to textbooks mainly with HomeSat next year (hey, i waited 5 years to get it! LOL!!). I'll give her a stack of the books to read still though, but we just won't attempt to talk about them!

 

My #2 & #3 kids are totally different - so i'm not sure where i'll totally end up with them, but it will be fun getting there!

[Lisawa]

One thing I know I was wrong about was Tapestry of Grace. When I was first told about it, in theory... it sounded great! Then I saw someone’s guide! I just bought my SL for the year... and was comparing and looking... I just thought there is no way I can do all that...

 

I met with 2 friends and another gal who used TOG before.... one of my friends really, really thought it was great and wanted to use it... and wanted us to use it too. The other friend was undecided and I was having mild freak outs... still thinking no way......too much... the guide was huge!

 

I spoke w/ my husband and prayed about it... sold SL and bought TOG.... It was actually everything I ever wanted in a literature based unit study type curriculum…. and then some... I just didn’t know what I wanted yet....

 

Of the 2 friends... I’m the only one using it... its kind of funny how things work out... but I really thought I couldn’t do it.

 

I have been wrong on a lot of purchases over the years.... and right on others... TOG is the one that sticks out the most.....

 

Konos I thought I would love and bought used.... to turn around and sell it right away.... but if I bought something in general... I at least tried to use it for the year I purchased it..... even if we didn’t finish all the way....

 

I think my biggest struggle was I loved literature based studies/ unit studies... but just had a hard time finding the right one.

[keptwoman]

Everything that I have bought has worked. I don't know if it's luck, listening to my gut or good planning/research.

Right now I don't have one piece of curriculum that I have bought feeling good about that has not worked out.

 

Oh actually I have....Growing with Grammar, it sounded good but after FLL it just felt a bit light. But that was OK, because I bought GWG3 and FLL3 because I couldnt' decide without seeing them both.

 

Things that give me an instant bad impression are anything with heavily Christian content, but that's my belief system at work rather than anything inherently wrong with the program. Also anything that involves heavy scheduling.

[SkateLeft]

1. Strong vibes...

Bad: BJU, Abeka, Alpha Omega, Rod & Staff, Veritas Press, Winterpromise

Good: Ambleside, Sonlight, Mater Amabilis, MODG, K12

 

2. Yup. At some point or another, I've tried BJU, Abeka, AO, Rod & Staff and I borrowed VP's Omnibus I. I bought two Winterpromise programs. Each time, I've gone against my better judgment, and afterwards, I've wanted to whap myself upside the head for not trusting myself in the first place.

 

3. Yes. We've had great years with AO, K12, Mater Amabilis and Sonlight. At this point, we're primarily using Sonlight since that's what fits our life at this time. :D

[TracyR]

Well I'm going to go on memory here since its been a while since we've used curriculum that I could chose .

 

1. What curric do you get strong vibes from (good or bad)?

 

Good : Writing Tales , Bob Jones math , Saxon math , The Reading Lesson , Children's History of the World , Rod and Staff English , A Reason for Writing , Sonlight

Bad : Calvert and Powerglide Jr , and Calvert math (yuk!)

Middle : HWT's

 

2. Have you ever tried a curric that you initially had a bad first reaction to? If so, was your initial reaction right or wrong?

 

The curriculum that I had a bad first reaction to was Sonlight . It just couldn't seem to figure it out at first . But once I tweaked it to our needs it was the best homeschooling year ever .

Also 100 Ez lessons was a tough one for me . It didn't work well for my 1st child , The Reading Lessons worked for her for some reason , they're similar programs , who knows . But was just awesome to do the 2nd time around and worked great with my 2nd child .

I initially didn't care for Saxon when I first saw it . It looked too scattered to me . But it worked great for my 2nd daughter and after Calvert math I wished I never stopped using it .

I wasn't sure about CHOW because I had read so many negative reviews about it . Once we had a chance to use it though I can't be happier . Next to Writing Tales its our other favorite subject :>)

Handwriting Without Tears really isn't my favorite handwriting program . I prefer the Zaner Bloser style writing actually ( what I grew up with ) . But my oldest had such a hard time with it I had to use something else because she struggled so badly . Her handwriting as well as her sisters has improved and I'm thinking of switching . I just cannot get used to the straight up and down handwriting of HWT's .

 

3. Those curric that you initially had a great first reaction - were you right? Did it work out for you?

 

I had a good reaction to Powerglide Jr and thought this would be a good start to learning foreign language. Unfortunatley it hasn't worked for us , too boring for my girls . And wasn't very effective .It sits on my shelf and collects dust .

 

Another I had a good feel for was Rod and Staff. Loved it . But my oldest didnot like it at all . At the time she was pretty young and pictures and color meant everything to her . Of course she is older now and could care less . It might work a 2nd time around possibly but if she has to write things out for too long it doesn't get done . So I need something in workbook form for her in this area .

 

Calvert hasn't been a good fit for us at all from the beginning . I've had to supplement this curriculum so much that thank goodness I get it from a cyberschool because if I had to pay for it I'd want my money back . I know after 3 years of Calvert I'm burnt out and so are my daughters .

 

I had a good reaction to Bob Jones math for my oldest and it was perfect . I used K, 1, 2, and part of 3 before switching over to Calvert math . Worst mistake to switch my daughter . She is begging back for her Bob Jones math .

 

Had a very good reaction to Writing Tales and I hit that on the head. I can't be happier with the program .

 

I really like A Reason for Handwriting . But my oldest struggled with handwriting so much that I HAD to switch to HWT's .