kimnjed Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I'm thinking of using MFW next year for my oldest who will be a 2nd grader. I'll also have one in kinder, but I plan on him mostly tagging along with us. I can't decide where to start! I know they recommend doing the Adventures year if your oldest is younger than 4th grade, but I hate to mess up our history cycle. We did SOTW 1 this year and absolutely loved it!!!!! My daughter is obsessed with ancient history now!:) Part of the reason I was drawn to MFW was because they use SOTW 2 in their Rome rotation. I don't really want to move to American history when she is loving world history so much. Also, I don't really love the thought of using a whole year to study America...I like the idea of studying it more as it pertains to world history...kwim? Any thoughts? Would it be better to do the Rome rotation of MFW and just skip the things that are too advanced, or should we do a year of Adventures and then go back to our history cycle? Would their Rome year be far too advanced for us? She is a great reader who devours books... Help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 That's a tough one. :D I would say if you are loving SOTW then continue with it. Don't fix what ain't broke, right? MFW RtR might be a tad over a 2nd grader's head, IMO. I suppose it would be helpful to know what is drawing you toward MFW? Is it the all-in-oneness, the Bible aspect, or something else? It is also important to remember with the elem. years that History study is really just about giving them "pegs" on which to hang more in depth study later on. Your dd will do the "cycle" again in middle or high school (depending on how you tailor your future studies, kwim?). Personally, I think taking a year to study Amer. Hist. is a good idea and I LOVE the look of Adv. :D I am still trying to decide btwn. that and HOD Beyond for my dd6 and ds8 next year. Both cover Amer. Hist. and use similar books. Good luck with your decision...I know it can be tough! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimnjed Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 What's drawing me to MFW is the all-in-oneness. I love SOTW, but I'm looking into science (we didn't really do formal science this year-but my daughter would love to), and I really need more hands on activities, and I feel like by the time I buy a science curriculum and something for Bible it would have been easier to have it all laid out for me. I also like how they add the Biblical perspective since that isn't naturally a part of SOTW. This was my first year homeschooling and my curriculum was very pieced together. It worked well, but now I'm adding a kinder to the mix and I think more plans made by someone else could be easier???? Maybe....? Thanks for the reminder about the "pegs". I need to keep reminding myself that this isn't the only time she will hear this info!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Have you looked at HOD (Heart of Dakota)? That is another Christ-centered all-in-one curriculum. It is a bit like MFW but has a different "feel" to it. Depending on how advanced your Ker is, you might be able to combine in HOD. I combine a Ker and 2nd grader in HOD LHFHG b/c my 2nd grader is not quite up to grade level in reading and my Ker is quite advanced. HOD has a placement chart that is very helpful when choosing which program to use for your dc. It is really right on target. HTH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in MN Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Well you're right, the usual recommendation would be America/Adventures. There really is a lot to learn if you go over every one of the 50 states, etc. The next most usual recommendation would be to learn about world cultures in ECC. Not a lot of history, but it's there because it's unavoidable when you're learning about human beings :) It's also a great help to studying history, since kids understand history better if they know where they're talking about. RTR... yes, it can be done. My ds did RTR in 5th grade or so, so I have no experience with doing it in 2nd, but some 2nd graders are naturally doing RTR alongside their older siblings. Here's a thread about that over on the MFW board: http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=3637 It will take more work to hold yourself back when using a program not really written for a 2nd grader, but you know yourself and your 2nd grader best. Study the sample grid well and that should give you a good idea of a typical week: http://www.mfwbooks.com/inc/pdf/rtrsample.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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