Jump to content

Menu

Is anyone using Memoria Press full curriculum packages?


Mommyfaithe
 Share

Recommended Posts

I am about to order MP 1st grade. I'm trying to decide what to do with my 3rd grade, very smart but weak reader. I'm thinking maybe MP 2nd grade but with the science and geography from 3rd. But then again I like MCT and Phonetic Zoo for her so I don't know if it would be worth it. But I like the phonics that still happens in 2nd...I think it would be good for my struggler. She never did phonics and so does so much guessing it makes comprehension hard for her. Any thoughts from MP users?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have the 4th grade package and your post hasn't discouraged me:001_smile:

 

...

 

Having said that, your opinion is valuable. I like reading pros as well as cons before deciding to buy any curriculum. I tried HOD 3 times based on all the great reviews it gets, but I just can NOT use it. It was a relief to read negative reviews from other people who felt the same as I did about it.

 

I'm glad my post has not discouraged you.

 

For the most part, I like "drill" programs, too. We use and love R&S English, R&S Arithmetic, and we do lots of memory work. We're using MP Greek Myths, FMOR, and FMOG this year, too.

 

Thinking about this some more, I realize that maybe it's not the "drill, drill, drill" aspect that bothers me as much as the fact that in some subjects, that's really ALL there is to it. I'd like drill as well as skill. When I considered which SKILLS I wanted ds to learn this year, as well as what raw knowledge we wanted to drill, I decided to look elsewhere.

 

I appreciate your feedback Medieval Mom...Does anyone else have a similar view?

 

Also, I wondered what things you found that are prioritized that are just not worth it...

 

While thinking about my post this morning, I guess the items that bothered me most were the lit guides and the geography. The MP geography consists mostly of having the child write the names and capitals of countries thrice each, two countries at a time. I decided to go with R&S Homelands, because I wanted our geography studies to include other skills/knowledge. R&S has the child learning geographical terms, geographical concepts, map drawing, culture study, etc. When I saw the lovely hardcover texts (in color!) for about the same price as the MP workbooks, I decided to go with R&S instead. I looked at what I wanted ds to *learn* this year in geography, and determined that the map drawing, background knowledge of climates and peoples, etc. was more what *I* was after. We'll cover the "drill and kill" of countries and capital--- but in a more enjoyable fashion-- with Sheppard Software.

 

Unfortunately, the MP lit. guides reminded me of everything I didn't like about public school English class. I couldn't readily see what ds would learn throughout the year. In comparison, I could readily see the skills taught in McGuffey's 4th Reader (elocution, articulation, vocabulary, syllabification, as well as written response to questions-- I just liked McGuffey's questions better than the MP questions) as well as CLE Reading (literary terms, poetry study, character/ethics, etc.) I'd be missing all that with MP lit. guides, and spending QUITE a bit more money.

 

(I'm also a bit of a perfectionist. I don't like it when my TM's declare the child should copy a passage, paying close attention to spelling and punctuation and then finding misspellings and incorrect punctuation in the TM's copywork passage. Of course it's not really a big deal-- one can look up the passage in the book. But for the cost of the MP products, I expected better editing/proofreading.)

 

Again, I wish MP all the best. As it is, we'll still be using quite a few of their programs. I was just hoping to go with a complete boxed curriculum this year (as I have never done this and thought it'd be easier on me). In the end, it wasn't the right decision *for us*.

Edited by Medieval Mom
Link to comment
Share on other sites

While thinking about my post this morning, I guess the items that bothered me most were the lit guides and the geography. The MP geography consists mostly of having the child write the names and capitals of countries thrice each, two countries at a time.

 

Thank you for posting - I had the exact same feelings. I love their Latin and am looking forward to the Classical & Christian studies - I probably won't do all the writing, but we will do the recitations. I actually liked the look of their science. It uses a living book, and I like the way (in the sample) they drew out the facts and had places to sketch. We might do some orally, but that's okay with me.

 

But I look at the geography and ... it looks dull. I love to learn and I was bored. I was thinking of either using A Child's Geography: Explore the Holy Land (and adding something for Europe) or doing Mapping the World with Art over 2 years. And I love mapping as in the Core, so we'll do that even with the first option.

 

I bought 2 of the lit guides to try out. One for each of the oldest boys. I can tell it's not going to be my thing. I'll keep the books, but we won't do the writing. Instead we'll do CM narrations, dictation/copywork, and good old discussions. I'm planning to buy Teaching the Classics when I can, and I think it will be better for literature discussion.

 

If anyone wants a wonderful book to add to the 3rd grade astronomy, H. A. Rey's Find the Constellations is wonderful. There are several low-cost copies on Amazon's marketplace. (Disclaimer: I couldn't afford MP's astronomy set, so I'm not saying if it's good or bad. But I really like Rey's book on the constellations.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thinking about this some more, I realize that maybe it's not the "drill, drill, drill" aspect that bothers me as much as the fact that in some subjects, that's really ALL there is to it. I'd like drill as well as skill. When I considered which SKILLS I wanted ds to learn this year, as well as what raw knowledge we wanted to drill, I decided to look elsewhere.

 

 

While thinking about my post this morning, I guess the items that bothered me most were the lit guides and the geography. The MP geography consists mostly of having the child write the names and capitals of countries thrice each, two countries at a time. I decided to go with R&S Homelands, because I wanted our geography studies to include other skills/knowledge. R&S has the child learning geographical terms, geographical concepts, map drawing, culture study, etc. When I saw the lovely hardcover texts (in color!) for about the same price as the MP workbooks, I decided to go with R&S instead. I looked at what I wanted ds to *learn* this year in geography, and determined that the map drawing, background knowledge of climates and peoples, etc. was more what *I* was after.

 

Again, I wish MP all the best. As it is, we'll still be using quite a few of their programs. I was just hoping to go with a complete boxed curriculum this year (as I have never done this and thought it'd be easier on me). In the end, it wasn't the right decision *for us*.

 

:iagree:This is one of the main reasons we have gone away from the MP lesson plans. I like the K guide, but starting in first there is way too much verbal and written drill, the exact opposite of my dc's learning style.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for posting - I had the exact same feelings. I love their Latin and am looking forward to the Classical & Christian studies - I probably won't do all the writing, but we will do the recitations. I actually liked the look of their science. It uses a living book, and I like the way (in the sample) they drew out the facts and had places to sketch. We might do some orally, but that's okay with me.

 

But I look at the geography and ... it looks dull. I love to learn and I was bored. I was thinking of either using A Child's Geography: Explore the Holy Land (and adding something for Europe) or doing Mapping the World with Art over 2 years. And I love mapping as in the Core, so we'll do that even with the first option.

 

I bought 2 of the lit guides to try out. One for each of the oldest boys. I can tell it's not going to be my thing. I'll keep the books, but we won't do the writing. Instead we'll do CM narrations, dictation/copywork, and good old discussions. I'm planning to buy Teaching the Classics when I can, and I think it will be better for literature discussion.

 

If anyone wants a wonderful book to add to the 3rd grade astronomy, H. A. Rey's Find the Constellations is wonderful. There are several low-cost copies on Amazon's marketplace. (Disclaimer: I couldn't afford MP's astronomy set, so I'm not saying if it's good or bad. But I really like Rey's book on the constellations.)

 

 

Good to hear from you, Mt. Cougar. We just got H.A. Rey's Find the Constellations from the library and really like it! I DID buy the MP Astronomy set (and kept it for some future use... sometime??), but much prefer Rey's book. (Ds learned the 15 brightest stars and their constellations, which seems the whole point of the MP Astronomy from what I can gather. We just stuck it in our memory work.)

 

I love the idea of mapping using the Core method. We did this last year for U.S. geography, along with the Dover U.S. States coloring book. Ds also memorized the states and their capitals. It was a fun, inexpensive semester for geography! We may go back to the Core's method next year. Ds really loved tracing/drawing maps!

 

I'll look into Teaching the Classics book. Thanks! Now's the fun time of the year, when the $$ for this school year is spent, and I can begin scoping out materials for the ethereal future (which costs nothing but time). :lol:

Edited by Medieval Mom
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We use/have used MP for several subjects.

 

My older dd really loves the First Form Latin series. We have Henle too but she likes the extra practice and having the grammar broken down into manageable pieces as it is in the First Form series.

 

We have Latina Chrisitana for my younger dd, but we both find it a little dry. We added Our Roman Roots (catholic based) to add some fun to our latin study.

 

My older dd used Introduction to Classical Studies for our study of D'Aulaire's Greek Myths and The Golden Children's Bible. My younger dd is using the same guide for the same books this year. I have written on my blog before about my conflicting thoughts on this guide. Deep down, I know that I could make the study of these two books richer, but I'm so stretched for time right now.

 

We also tried the student guide for the Book of the Ancient World by Dorothy Mills. Both older dd and I did not like this guide. I'm creating my own guide to go along with Renaissance and Reformation Times and this is working much better for us. I do intend to make guides for Book of the Ancient Greeks (this one next), Book of the Ancient Romans and The Middle Ages too.

 

I haven't used their literature guides, but I've seen the samples. I'm making our own guides for our literature too. It's just better for us this way.:lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...