What curriculum have you left that you later wished you had stuck with?

[mothergooseof4]

I admit it, I am a curriculum junkie. I get bored easily. I read about something and think it sounds soooooooo much better than what we are using.

 

All of this has its pros and cons. I have found some great programs. I also have learned a lot about different approaches and find that I often pull from the variety of my past experience to teach things to my younger kids. I don't use just the curriculum that my dc is working through, but I pull from my toolbox of things I have learned from other currucula. However, I have also tried some programs that everyone else LOVED and my kids or I hated them or they just didn't click around here. I have also left some programs because they didn't seem to be what I wanted or something else looked prettier and I later decided that the old one was just what we needed.

 

So, what programs have you left and then later decided they were exactly what you needed?

[CarrieF]

FLL and WWE. Seriously. I have found that if I stick with the "Wise Girls" (as I affectionately call them!), we sail; if I divert, we sink. There are SO many great LA curricula out there that I have been tempted to stray (repeatedly!), but I am sticking with FLL and WWE. Really, I AM! ;)

[Tree House Academy]

HOD! But...we went back and I am now no longer a curriculum junkie at all! :)

[mothergooseof4]

To answer my own question.....

 

The first that I regret ever leaving, well, really I never actually used it is Phonics Road. I had been using SWR with my oldest and saw PR at our convention before his 2nd grade year. I ordered level 1 on a whim. When it came in, I watched the first dvd, decided I already knew how to dictate words and didn't want to watch those dvds all of the time, and quickly sold it on ebay without ever using it or really getting to know the program. He spent the next few years doing other programs and for 5th I realized that I regretted not using PR with him. He has spent 5th accelerating through levels 1 and 2. He will not finish level 4 until the end of 7th. I really regret that decision I made to sell PR back at the beginning of his 2nd grade year. He could be finishing up level 4 right now and be ready to move on. My younger two are using PR.

 

Another that I am now starting to regret leaving is MUS. My oldest used Horizons for K and 1st, then we did a run through MUS Alpha. He was bored with it because he already knew addition and subtraction so we went back to Horizons and then proceeded to a year of CLE. He has now finished up a year of TT. I have just discovered that I think he needs the mastery approach. These spiral programs don't seem to cement concepts for him. My younger two have been using MM this past year. They are just doing okay with it. I find that I often refer back to what little I learned in MUS to teach them things like place value, addition, and subtraction. I bought several levels of MUS to go through with each dc this summer and I am loving what I am seeing. I am starting to wish I had never left it, but maybe supplemented or moved at a quicker pace to avoid boredom.

[Momma4Boys]

When I first started homeschooling I purchased TOG - it was wonderful but I got caught up in the perfectionist syndrome and the 9 week fog never lifted (or however long it was supposed to be). I sold it way back when and have been skipping around from curr to curr ever since.

 

I am currently researching a bunch of options trying to do my due diligence (TOG, MFW, HOD & Omnibus I) but I wish I had held onto my TOG because I think I have grown and loosened up a bit and could handle it now.

 

I am heartened to see that I am not the only one with past curr regrets :001_smile:

[ABQmom]

Rod and Staff

[Pata]

AAS, I had two levels of this with all the trimmings that I sold for reasons I can't remember right now. So wish I hadn't done that because now I can't bring myself to paying the price for it again. WRTR is good, it's more work for me, but it costs a lot less ;).

Edited June 16, 2011 by Pata

[Paintedlady]

Sometimes I regret leaving IEW for writing. I liked it and my kids loved it, but we left it after a year to use WWE. I admit I'm still nervous about doing things SWB's way, but I have great confidence in her and plan to keep following where she leads us.

[khall]

LLATL

 

First tried it for 3rd, and then again for 4th, and had trouble seeing the big picture and where it was going. It seemed a little scattered and both times we ended up shelving it and doing a little of this and a little of that. I wish I had been able to look through the upper level editions, because now that I have, I understand the approach. We are back to using it with rising 5th grader, and just love it! Everything is coming together for him, and I think he would have enjoyed the earlier levels if I had understood the process.

[kamom]

CLE Math. We did go back!

[Lizzie in Ma]

CLE math. One year off for BJU, regret it wholeheartedly.

[Mom0012]

I regret not giving R&S grammar more of a go with my son. He's doing well with Saxon Grammar, but I kind of feel like if I had given him a solid foundation with a year or two of R&S first, then Saxon would be a breeze for him now. I just bought R&S 5 and can't decide whether to spend some time going through that with him in his 6th grade year or to just leave well enough alone and hope the concepts he's having difficulty with in Saxon with solidify after he's introduced to them another time or two.

 

Lisa

[johnandtinagilbert]

Singapore. I went full on MUS one year and spent about $400 buying a variety of levels. I started really excited, but ended up very unhappy. Now we use the MUS if we need extra help, but I continue to be so happy w/ Singapore!

[Tess in the Burbs]

oh gosh, so much. But I blame this board for all the positive reviews of things that led me to look at them :tongue_smilie:

 

 

We did FLL 1 & 2 but I didn't love the look of FLL 3 when it came out. And if my memory hasn't failed me it seems it may not have been out the fall I needed it but later in that school year....anyway, we did a workbook thing that year so I could put my two together....boy who hated grammer with girl who loved it. Amazing plan but I abandoned it that spring and come fall we went with Rod & Staff in their grade levels. Oh my gosh, by Jan we were borrowing MCT stuff! This year we did Daily Grams and focused on writing.

 

Come fall we are back to FLL 3. Both kids. Together :glare: As my son put it, "Why didn't we just go with FLL 3 after 1 & 2 mom?"

 

 

My other issue....math. I kinda wonder what would have happened....basically my son hit a wall with math facts in MUS. I tried to just play math games and drill some but after weeks of nothing I dumped it and went to Horizons. He thrived in Horizons that year and completed both MUS Alpha and Horizons 1 that year, lol! No wonder he hates math now :lol: Anyway, We stayed with Horizons. His sister hit the same wall the next year but I wasn't going back to MUS at this point. But guess what I bought this spring to help better explain fractions/decimals? MUS :tongue_smilie:

 

And after looking at Horizons 5 for next year(that I already bought) I kinda wish I could just go to MUS for fractions/decimals. I think at this point we will finish Horizons but I don't love it, they don't love it, and I wonder if MUS would be enough before algebra......

[Homeschooling6]

I have come full circle with some of my choices. Things I started with my oldest but did not continue, only to come back. Sadly, I had to repurchase them :glare:

 

HWT

Saxon Phonics

IEW

WWE

MUS (Annette will start Epsilon in the fall, thankfully I haven't sold my blocks;))

MOH

FLL 1&2

PP

 

Others have been(things I wish I would have at least kept, because although good I'm not going to purchase them again)Even though we may have not used them they would have been great for reference or supplements.

RS (I had three grade levels)

AAS (had all four levels)

MFW K and 1st grade (I may purchase 1st grade again for Lance to use in 2nd grade)

R&S(every subject from 1-5th grades)

 

I may repurchase The Bridge from Mrs. Beers in the future.

 

I am no longer a curriculum junkie. I don't buy everything I see anymore:hurray:. I think part of my problem was, when the going got tough, I went shopping, thinking there was a fix to the problem. Also, I'm realizing that my oldest has learning challenges. Lastly, for the most part I try to stick to what we are using through the year. I make it work (unless it's just really bad).

Edited June 16, 2011 by Homeschooling6

[mama25angels]

AWOA, I wish I had continued with the series after we finished the first volume. MUS, leaving this program was a huge mistake for us, for one of my ds'.

[LittleIzumi]

AAS!! And Singapore!! Oh, and MFW K.

Edited June 16, 2011 by LittleIzumi

[FairProspects]

Sonlight Science. We really liked it, but switched because of expense, which resulted in very little structured science happening this year.

[JudoMom]

Rod & Staff English. We took a planned break from it last year, with the intention of going back to it this year. We made it only a couple months with another program (less time-intensive) before we switched back to Rod & Staff.

[Kfamily]

I regret:

not staying with Singapore and R&S Math for my older dd

(am staying put with these two with my younger dd)

not staying put with Classical Writing

(we never left completely....just lost our way a few times, but we getting back on track now)

 

 

This is not a curriculum but:

I wish I stayed consistent with dictation with my older dd....we drifted off here too and we've had to backtrack and are working our way back to the level where we left.

 

I also wish I had been more consistent with drawing and nature study. I'm trying to correct this as well.

[giftof6]

Five In A Row!

 

I couldn't understand how it could possibly be meaty enough to stand alone. However, my kids still remember things from FIAR that we did YEARS ago. And they remember it fondly! Wish we had given it a better go. It's still on my shelf and calls my name from time to time (for my younger ones), I just can't get myself out of the "box" I'm in.

[Melissa B]

Saxon math

 

I did a combo of Saxon/Singapore for years, but a couple of years ago as I was adding my third student I decided it was too time consuming and went with just Singapore instead. I wish I had just kept going with the pair of them. Now I am in the process of rebuying :glare: and reintegrating Saxon into our math program.

[Hunter]

I dropped American School with my youngest son when he was just a few credits shy of earning a diploma with them. I let people convince me that he deserved "better". What is "better"? Better is what gets DONE without being overwhelming to MOM. Better is what allows the home to be a HOME and not a boarding school for the kids and sweatshop for mom.

 

Academics are important, but they are not EVERYTHING. Character development, a homey home, exercise and fresh air, and yes some fun are just as important, for the children AND mom!

[Abbeygurl4]

HOD! But...we went back and I am now no longer a curriculum junkie at all! :)

 

I just ordered HOD's CtC and Preparing and am PRAYING that this time next year I will be able to say those exact words you said above!

 

I have tried it ALL and I need to get off the curriculum merry-go-round!

 

I spent a lot of time on HOD's message boards before I ordered and have been blessed beyond belief by the women over there! Everyone is so helpful and encouraging. I can't wait to get started.

[ChiknGirl]

Singapore for math. I wish I had pushed on through, but we quit because I didn't want to do it anymore.

[Carol in Cal.]

Saxon Math. The two-three years that we spent not using this set DD back a great deal. Returning to it at a lower level than we would have had if we had just kept going was hard to swallow, but it was the best thing I ever did for her.

 

Rod and Staff grammar. I used it but twice when we couldn't finish the book in a year just skimmed the 'back parts' and started the new book the next year. At book 5 DD finally hit Adverbs in all their glorious complexity full on, and the 'once over lightly' that we had done to finish the other books quickly was not enough to make this easy/incremental like the other material in the book had been.

 

Having said that, I'm glad I backed off on RS after that book, and used RS6 selectively, interspersing it with other resources, for the following year and a half. I wanted to cover gerunds, infinitives, complex sentences, and phrases more thoroughly than RS was doing, and spend less time on all the many MANY kinds of each part of speech. So I did. Teach the kid, not the book, is one of my favorite principles of homeschooling.

Edited June 17, 2011 by Carol in Cal.

[robsiew]

I strayed from WWE to explore Classical Writing. That was a huge mistake. My ds started to hate writing and so did I. We did Aesop and I had gotten Homer to look through. It just seemed way too complicated and took up too much of my time to figure things out and his time to write.

 

We went back to WWE and never looked back! He's now completed the entire WWE series and I have seen so much improvement in his writing! And the best part is... it got done! ;)

[kimsclan]

MFW- I've been HS for 3 years and our 1st year with MFWK and Adventures was the best year we had. I can't wait to get back!