Katiebug_1976 Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 I have a dd that will turn 5 in November. She is ready for "school" and keeps asking for her own books & things to do. I have 1/2 of Sonlight P4/5 & 1/2 of MFW K. I'm trying to decide which one to sell & which one to buy the remaining books for. I would greatly appreciate any info. you could give me (positive and negative) about either/both programs. I am looking for something that I can handle while teaching 4 other dc & having 1 toddler running around. WHEW!:tongue_smilie: Thanks so much for your thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 I like MFW K with the phonics ladder and all of the fun science tied into the living books, and all the (easy for me) art. I'm not a huge SL fan. I will read the whole book, not a couple of pages, thanks :tongue_smilie:. At least for the youngers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosyl Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 That's a tough question. I think that I would keep the sonlight because that is mostly reading and is easier to get done that the craft part of MFW. If you have the alphabet cards for MFW, I would keep those and use them for sounds. I would get the before the code books. She would have reading and workbooks so she thought she was doing big kid school, but simple enough that anyone in your house can help her. If she was your first or 2nd my choice would be the opposite.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinsfamily Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 We loved P4/5 for my oldest and we're starting it today for my 5yo (we're very excited). The books are just plain fun and a good complement to the 3Rs. DEL has also been a great resource for us. We use the schedule but make it work for us. I read many of the books horizontally on the schedule instead of vertically. If you're good at pacing, you wouldn't need the schedule. I'm not so it's handy. The science books remain some of our favorite all-time reads. I've never used MFW K so I can't compare, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebug_1976 Posted May 23, 2011 Author Share Posted May 23, 2011 Hmmm...such a hard decision. Anybody else have anything to add? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 I personally LOVE MFW K! Ds loves it and is having a blast with it. Its really nice now also they have a book basket set you can buy for K (if you are interested in that) He loves the worksheets, the read alouds. Its just fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 I think they are really different balls of wax :). SL comes with ALL the books you need - MFW relies more upon library usage, especially in K. MFW integrates early phonics and early math into their K program - SL's core, not so much, math is totally separate and the little K readers that you can get are just sort of stand alones (for me this is a plus because reading skills often move at a different pace than other things) I haven't used MFW so I don't really have their K booklist, but I sure like SL's selections! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krismoose Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Is she ready for phonics and sit-down worksheets etc? Does she join in on science etc with the older kiddos? I'm starting MFW K with my 4yo, but I'm using it more for phonics, math, Bible and read-aloud and don't plan on doing as much of the science or art because she enjoys tagging along with big bro. I'm also reading the Sonlight P 3/4 books with her in the early morning before everyone else is up, and we'll just move on to 4/5 when those are done. If she just wants a workbook of her own, I second the suggestion for the ETC primer books, my dd loved them, and very easy to fit in. The R&S Kindergarten Counting with Numbers is a great math intro, and inexpensive. Then make some special reading time with her with the P4/5 books. I did most of MFW K with my ds and dd last summer, and it was lovely, but it could be more than you want to commit to with so many older dc plus a toddler ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 I think they are really different balls of wax :). SL comes with ALL the books you need - MFW relies more upon library usage, especially in K. MFW integrates early phonics and early math into their K program - SL's core, not so much, math is totally separate and the little K readers that you can get are just sort of stand alones (for me this is a plus because reading skills often move at a different pace than other things) I haven't used MFW so I don't really have their K booklist, but I sure like SL's selections! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrystal in TX Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 MFWK hands down is my favorite for getting "school" done. I did purchase Sonlight 4/5 tho and used that as my book basket. We stretched 4/5 out. The library part of MFW was challenging at times if my routine of going to the library got disturbed. Overall tho' I think the unit study approach is great for creating a great learning environment for a 4 or 5 yo. And although there is the crafty component of MFW it doesn't take much time. I'm on my second round of MFWK. The first time I did it with a 5/6 yo and a 3/4 yo and baby in tow. This go round I'm doine MFWK with my 5/6 yo and a 2yo in tow. We love it. The 2yo even joins us in some of the fun activities (tasting apples). The 2yo loves some of the books too. If you have to choose I definitely do MFWK. Sonlight 4/5 is great for the literature but I don't think the language arts is as easily and well laid out. We do love both tho'. I have a dd that will turn 5 in November. She is ready for "school" and keeps asking for her own books & things to do. I have 1/2 of Sonlight P4/5 & 1/2 of MFW K. I'm trying to decide which one to sell & which one to buy the remaining books for. I would greatly appreciate any info. you could give me (positive and negative) about either/both programs. I am looking for something that I can handle while teaching 4 other dc & having 1 toddler running around. WHEW!:tongue_smilie: Thanks so much for your thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecclecticmum Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 We love sonlight here! Great Lit, my kids adore the stories, Milly Molly Mandy is a huge hit, as well as berenstein bears science, we love everything. As well as p4/5 we have LA K, and we also use the Handle on the Arts Supplements for P4/5. The kids had great fun today making pails for Jack & Jill, putting bandaids on and wrapping themselves in bandages, and they made snowmen and glitter snowflakes, and jumped over various obstacles for Uncle Wigglys Stubby Toes, traced and counted their toes. Tommorrow we are having a "snowball fight" using crumpled paper, and making a crystal snowflake using borax. All these ideas and more can be found in the handle on the arts supplement. Oh and we painted the side of the house with water. Each day is an absolute adventure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebug_1976 Posted May 25, 2011 Author Share Posted May 25, 2011 So, it sounds like maybe SL is great for the literature, but MFW has their language arts laid out a little better? SL is already pretty expensive so if I chose to go that route, I really don't think I could swing having to add math & LA to it. I really want to focus on LA (phonics & reading), some math and, of course some great lit books (but those are pretty easy to add in also). I'm thinking that maybe MFW fits that bill more than SL...right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 So, it sounds like maybe SL is great for the literature, but MFW has their language arts laid out a little better? SL is already pretty expensive so if I chose to go that route, I really don't think I could swing having to add math & LA to it. I really want to focus on LA (phonics & reading), some math and, of course some great lit books (but those are pretty easy to add in also). I'm thinking that maybe MFW fits that bill more than SL...right? You sounds just like I was a year ago, so I will share my experience. I love the idea of SL, LOVE IT! But everyone I know discouraged me from using it bc it is so expensive, and bc it does not cover LA, math, science, it is a really expensive lit/history curriculum. For K I really wanted to focus on the 3 R's. SO, I looked at MFW. I hated the integration of math and phonics in the k and first grade. My dd was way above that level, and math, phonics, and Bible is really the main focus of MFW K and 1 (and I had other things I wanted to use for those) SO . . . I did my own thing. Focusing on the 3 R's, hands on projects for science and history... not spending the money on what many consider "unnecessary" at that age. ultimately? We had a great year, we had a lot of fun and she learned a lot. "But" my one regret is I wish we would have bought SL. (or at least all the books! which is what we are doing this year):) Read alouds took a back seat this year, and that is one of the reasons I love SL -- scheduling it all out for you and having all the books right there. The library and I don't get along! ;) just my thoughts looking back! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellesmere Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto3innc Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 I always liked MFW K but I've never used it because for me I didn't like that the math/phonics were integrated. Everything else about the program was where my kids were/are at but they were ahead in those two areas. That, for me, was why I went with Sonlight. I could use all their readers/activities but have my kids at precisely the right math/phonics level for them. As far as cost goes, I usually get the vast majority of SL books used so the cost really has been comparable to MFW. I only buy new for consummable books (like Explode the Code, math, Developing the Early Learner). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelissaMinNC Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 My vote is for MFW K - just finished it for the 2nd time and we absolutely loved it, both times. More the second time, I think. It's just wonderful. I've never used SL, though. MFW K now has a Literature pack you can buy if you don't want to rely on the library. All the books you *need* plus a huge list of optional titles, and lots of activities listed to go with them. The Bible/character is fantastic, the phonics are thorough, but gentle, it doesn't take too much time, so if you want to add things in you can...it's just...awesome. :) Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebug_1976 Posted May 26, 2011 Author Share Posted May 26, 2011 hmmm...I hadn't thought of the problems that may arise w/ math & phonics being so tightly integrated in to everything else. So, now I'm wondering if I should even buy a seperate program for her. Maybe I should just get her math & phonics and have her tag along doing MFW Explor - 1850 with the older kids. I'm so confused now! I really want to keep things as simple as I can, but I also want to make sure that this year is a fun/special time for dd4. If I opt to just get math & phonics for her, knowing that we will be using Math Mammoth for grades 1-6, what would you recommend to use for Kindergarten? And for phonics, would ETC be enough by itself, or would I need to add something else to it. To make things even more difficult, I have been looking at OPGTR (Ordinary Parents Guide to Reading). :banghead: UGH!! When does it end?LOL! TOO MANY CHOICES! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 If I opt to just get math & phonics for her, knowing that we will be using Math Mammoth for grades 1-6, what would you recommend to use for Kindergarten? In that event, I'd probably go with SL. There's not really a point in getting MFW K if you're not going to use the math/phonics. But... I have not used MFW K. I used SL P 4/5 for Sylvia's K year and we're doing MFW Adv. in the fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellesmere Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 MFW K is definitely more for 4-year-olds, IMO. It's not high enough level for a true K'er. So I love it, but I forgot to add I'll be using it on dd who will be 4, not 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 I was looking at MFW K for this year for my newly five-year-old, but ultimately decided not to do it because I prefer skills-based subjects to be separate from each other AND from core type currics to allow my little ones to move at their own pace in skill building in the various areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountryGirlShake Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 MFW K is definitely more for 4-year-olds, IMO. It's not high enough level for a true K'er. So I love it, but I forgot to add I'll be using it on dd who will be 4, not 5. I was wondering about that. My DS5 seems above their math/phonics but I like the weekly themes/projects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebug_1976 Posted June 19, 2011 Author Share Posted June 19, 2011 I was wondering about that. My DS5 seems above their math/phonics but I like the weekly themes/projects. I thought I would share what we decided to so, just in case you're interested. We decided to use My Father World Kindergarten (we really LOVE the books & projects they do), just not the math & phonics portions (I wanted my dd to be able to move at her own pace with these subjects and it would have been too difficult to try and tweek MFW that much). So for those subjects, we decided on McRuffy Kindergarten Color Math & Explode the Code workbooks along with phonics readers by Nora Gaydos and others from our library. We are very excited about this choice and hope to start in the next 2-3 weeks (as soon as everything arrives and I have it all planned out). :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacus2 Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 We attempted MFW K last year and this year have done Sonlight's P4/5. I like MFW K's language arts and math. I was beyond frustrated with the extra books I was supposed to use; I could never find what I needed. I also found many of the activities impossible with littler ones around. We have loved Sonlight's P4/5, but not Sonlight language arts. This coming year I have a new Ker. I am planning to use MFW's K math. I was planning to use MFW's language arts, but she started reading recently so I had to change my plans to match her level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimsclan Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 We loved MFWK- my son loved the hands-on science and the crafts- it was the best part of his day. He learned to read beautifully with the phonics, and we had so many sweet moments with so many good library books that year. I loaned it to a friend and she loves it too!!! HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EgoElfWife Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 While Sonlight has its appeal, I've never bit that bullet. We will be doing MFWK rapidly this year with an almost 6 year old and then she will go into first. If I think that I can add in the MFWK and do MFW1 and MFWECC then I'll start my 4.5 year old as well this year. But for now We will be doing only three of the children. Anyway my vote is for MFW with the literacy collection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellesmere Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 I thought I would share what we decided to so, just in case you're interested. We decided to use My Father World Kindergarten (we really LOVE the books & projects they do), just not the math & phonics portions (I wanted my dd to be able to move at her own pace with these subjects and it would have been too difficult to try and tweek MFW that much). So for those subjects, we decided on McRuffy Kindergarten Color Math & Explode the Code workbooks along with phonics readers by Nora Gaydos and others from our library. We are very excited about this choice and hope to start in the next 2-3 weeks (as soon as everything arrives and I have it all planned out). :001_smile: That sounds like a good plan! I liked the ETC workbooks. My daughter would sit cuddled up with me and we did everything orally since she wasn't ready to write (and we have a separate handwriting program.) I really prefer choosing different programs for each subject so far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountryGirlShake Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Awesome Katie Thank you for the insite :) I thought I would share what we decided to so, just in case you're interested. We decided to use My Father World Kindergarten (we really LOVE the books & projects they do), just not the math & phonics portions (I wanted my dd to be able to move at her own pace with these subjects and it would have been too difficult to try and tweek MFW that much). So for those subjects, we decided on McRuffy Kindergarten Color Math & Explode the Code workbooks along with phonics readers by Nora Gaydos and others from our library. We are very excited about this choice and hope to start in the next 2-3 weeks (as soon as everything arrives and I have it all planned out). :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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