squirtymomma Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 So, my girl that will be in Kinder is finishing up AAR pre-level now. She will be ready to start learning to read in the Fall. I had planned to move up to AAR1 plus do Singapore EM, HWT K, and add on Wee Folk Art's weekly books and activities. But I was looking at MFW K again, and there are some things that are appealing about it. It looks like the phonics in AAR1 and in MFWK are pretty similar. Has anyone seen/used both that would be able to compare and contrast those? I like that it does some calendar, 100 chart, and some extra math stuff, though I would still use Singapore. I might still do HWT K in addition to the handwriting in MFW. I'm also trying to decide whether we'd prefer the books/activities in MFW or in WFA. My one big concern with MFW is the character stuff. We are Christian, but it seems that their stuff can be a bit heavy handed. I tend to prefer Bible stories and good literature, with any "morals" discussed only at the right moment and rarely. I feel like character is mostly modeled, not preached, especially at this age. But the science activities still look fun, and I could take what I like of the character lessons and leave the rest. I guess what's most appealing about MFW is the weekly/daily schedule, the book list, and having most everything in one place. The activities in WFA look really neat, but I'm not as sure that they'll get done. TIA for any help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedheadedMomma Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I am not familiar with the other programs you mention, but my 5 yr old is just finishing up the MFW K program and she loves it. She is learning so much and she enjoys school every day. In fact, we planned to follow a 6wk on 2wk off schedule, but we have not taken a break since Christmas because when we break, she cannot wait for the holiday to be over so she can get back to her school work. My sister is teaching K in a public school this year and my daughter is participating in an online 'advanced' program through her. She flies through these 'advanced' activities. One of my favorite things about MFW is that instead of asking you to buy every single book you need, they recommend a reliance on your local library. That allows you to customize what you focus on based on your preference as well as the child's interests. I am planning to supplement the math with Math-U-See Alpha for 1st grade, but otherwise we are sticking with MFW program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heidip2p Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I am using AAR1 and MFW K together. We just started and it is going really well. I couldn't decide between the two so I went with both. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirtymomma Posted March 8, 2012 Author Share Posted March 8, 2012 I am not familiar with the other programs you mention, but my 5 yr old is just finishing up the MFW K program and she loves it. She is learning so much and she enjoys school every day. In fact, we planned to follow a 6wk on 2wk off schedule, but we have not taken a break since Christmas because when we break, she cannot wait for the holiday to be over so she can get back to her school work. My sister is teaching K in a public school this year and my daughter is participating in an online 'advanced' program through her. She flies through these 'advanced' activities. One of my favorite things about MFW is that instead of asking you to buy every single book you need, they recommend a reliance on your local library. That allows you to customize what you focus on based on your preference as well as the child's interests. I am planning to supplement the math with Math-U-See Alpha for 1st grade, but otherwise we are sticking with MFW program. Thanks for sharing your experience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirtymomma Posted March 8, 2012 Author Share Posted March 8, 2012 I am using AAR1 and MFW K together. We just started and it is going really well. I couldn't decide between the two so I went with both. :) You're the perfect person to compare them for me! Do you not find the phonics redundant? From the samples, it looks like the phonics activity sheets are very similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heidip2p Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 You're the perfect person to compare them for me! Do you not find the phonics redundant? From the samples, it looks like the phonics activity sheets are very similar. Our little guy loves workbooks and worksheets. So the more worksheets the better for him. I think the worksheets are different enough that he doesn't feel like he is redoing something. I love the heartof MFW but I also like having someone hold my hand when teaching reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirtymomma Posted March 8, 2012 Author Share Posted March 8, 2012 Can anyone else compare MFW K phonics and AAR 1 phonics? Do they have approximately the same scope and sequence? I guess I also need to consider what would come next... would we want to continue on with MFW 1st or AAR 2... and then there's the production schedule for AAR 2... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heidip2p Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Can anyone else compare MFW K phonics and AAR 1 phonics? Do they have approximately the same scope and sequence? I guess I also need to consider what would come next... would we want to continue on with MFW 1st or AAR 2... and then there's the production schedule for AAR 2... Could you go on to AAS after AAR2? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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