IrresistibleGrace Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Thanks to several replies from you guys yesterday I have narrowed down my choices to MFW or SL for next year. Can anyone help me know at which level I should begin? I am curious about both programs because I want to look at the materials I will have to buy and compare prices. My oldest is 8, is an advanced reader but we have neglected history and science so she almost needs to start at the beginning. My younger is 6 and is struggling with reading but LOVES history and science (even though I haven't really 'taught' that yet, he just picks up on it naturally). I do not want language arts or math from either program. I am looking primarily at history/geography, science, bible, art, & music. For MFW do I do Adventures with both dc or 1st with 6yo and ECC with 8yo? I know my 8yo could benefit from Adventures since she has no American history thus far but I don't want to 'go backwards' with her. She will be advancing in her language arts and math (obviously), so maybe I could do Adventures and look for more advanced readers for her. On the flipside, I know she would have so much fun with ECC. I have no idea where to begin if we go with SL! :001_smile: Thanks for all your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 If you do Sonlight, are you looking to combine? If so, core B might be a good idea. You may run out of readers for your oldest before getting to core D though. Core D is US history, and I'm using it with my riding 3rd grader. We're loving it. He's on the young side for this core, but I'm not combining anyone. Core B is first half of world history. Readers aren't tied to history until core D, btw. I haven't used core B yet, but it's designed for grades 1-3, I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrresistibleGrace Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 If you do Sonlight, are you looking to combine? If so, core B might be a good idea. You may run out of readers for your oldest before getting to core D though. Core D is US history, and I'm using it with my riding 3rd grader. We're loving it. He's on the young side for this core, but I'm not combining anyone. Core B is first half of world history. Readers aren't tied to history until core D, btw. I haven't used core B yet, but it's designed for grades 1-3, I believe. Thank you! I am on the website now so I will look into this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeindeed Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Thanks to several replies from you guys yesterday I have narrowed down my choices to MFW or SL for next year. Can anyone help me know at which level I should begin? I am curious about both programs because I want to look at the materials I will have to buy and compare prices. My oldest is 8, is an advanced reader but we have neglected history and science so she almost needs to start at the beginning. My younger is 6 and is struggling with reading but LOVES history and science (even though I haven't really 'taught' that yet, he just picks up on it naturally). I do not want language arts or math from either program. I am looking primarily at history/geography, science, bible, art, & music. For MFW do I do Adventures with both dc or 1st with 6yo and ECC with 8yo? I know my 8yo could benefit from Adventures since she has no American history thus far but I don't want to 'go backwards' with her. She will be advancing in her language arts and math (obviously), so maybe I could do Adventures and look for more advanced readers for her. On the flipside, I know she would have so much fun with ECC. I have no idea where to begin if we go with SL! :001_smile: Thanks for all your help! With the descriptions you gave of each of your children, I would go with Core A in Sonlight. IMO it is geared better toward the older end of the suggested age range & would even work for an 8yo. You could always "beef" it up for your older child if you felt the need to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 For MFW, I would put them both in Adventures. Rebecca is very bright and so is Sylvia, and I don't feel like Adv. has held them back at all. It's very easy to add in extra reading, plus you can beef things up with extra subjects, like Latin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3peasinapod Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 (edited) Is your 8yo going to be a 2nd or 3rd grader? For Core A, my personal opinion is 2nd grade is the highest unless you do some supplementing. If you have a 1st and 2nd grader next year, go with A. Since your 6yo likes history, I think Core B would be good for both if you have a 1st and 3rd grader next year. We are doing Core B with a 2nd and 3rd grader, and I like to add things here and there like notebooking and extra books, but many do not add anything. As we get more into the cores, I can see myself stop that supplementing. For all of SL, you use your own level of language arts and math for each child. Edited April 10, 2012 by 3peasinapod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyfulhomeschooler Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I think adventures would be perfect. That way you can just use whatever works best for each kiddos LA & Math and they would both fit in perfectly with adventures for the rest. We did Adventures with a 7 & 5 yr old and I wish I had waited and done it this year with them instead. I think they would have gotten more from it. They did get a lot, but the would have gotten more. 8 & 6 would be perfect ages for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohmomjacquie Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I think youd be fine doing adventures with them both. It would male things simpler fir you and you are using a different la so they would be reading at their own level for that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
famof5redheads Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 If you go w/ MFW, another vote for Adventures for both children. Our family has used Adventures, ECC and Creation to Greeks right now. Adventures was a great year for us. My oldest was in 3rd grade and middle child was in 1st. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kareng Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 My one and only is 14 but we used SL for many years, Core K - 100 (which are now called very different things). I absolutely LOVED the book choices but found them to have so many good resources that 1) I didn't know what to throw out and 2) knew that I couldn't do it all. The good news is that you can always use books from SL lists with whatever curriculum you choose. This past year we broke from SL and started doing MFW, Creation to the Greeks. We are enjoying it. What I enjoy the most is that the workload is not heavy and I find the schedule to be very open-ended. You can add things or delete things or change things so that they work for you. I'm sure there are people who have done that with SL but I had such a hard time with it. But, I have used SL books this year to add to my dd's reading "basket" (I think they call it at MFW) and I feel like I am getting the best of both worlds. The books from SL are good but you don't have to do SL to use their books! :001_smile: My vote would be to go with MFW, either with Adventures or ECC. Hope that helps. Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrresistibleGrace Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 You guys are so helpful! I have decided to begin with Adventures if we do indeed go with MFW and I'll give my 8yo some extra reading. I'm still not sure about SL if we go with that. It would be for my 8yo only (I think). I was looking at the History B+C, a one year study of world history then we could move on to level D, E, F, etc. How would I place an order if what I wanted was the IG for B+C, the History B+C package, Science B, and whatever readers I need. Can I make SL work without using their LA? Yes, I will have a 3rd and 1st grader next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrresistibleGrace Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 My one and only is 14 but we used SL for many years, Core K - 100 (which are now called very different things). I absolutely LOVED the book choices but found them to have so many good resources that 1) I didn't know what to throw out and 2) knew that I couldn't do it all. The good news is that you can always use books from SL lists with whatever curriculum you choose. This past year we broke from SL and started doing MFW, Creation to the Greeks. We are enjoying it. What I enjoy the most is that the workload is not heavy and I find the schedule to be very open-ended. You can add things or delete things or change things so that they work for you. I'm sure there are people who have done that with SL but I had such a hard time with it. But, I have used SL books this year to add to my dd's reading "basket" (I think they call it at MFW) and I feel like I am getting the best of both worlds. The books from SL are good but you don't have to do SL to use their books! :001_smile: My vote would be to go with MFW, either with Adventures or ECC. Hope that helps. Karen This does help Karen, thank you! I feel like I will end up going this route. It keeps coming up and sounds good to me. I just don't want to 'give up' on the entire SL program until I've thoroughly investigated it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kareng Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I'm still not sure about SL if we go with that. It would be for my 8yo only (I think). I was looking at the History B+C, a one year study of world history then we could move on to level D, E, F, etc. How would I place an order if what I wanted was the IG for B+C, the History B+C package, Science B, and whatever readers I need. Can I make SL work without using their LA? Yes, I will have a 3rd and 1st grader next year. I believe you still can purchase what you'd like from SL. Here's the link for the Instructor's Guide (IG) for B+C $64.78: http://www.sonlight.com/homeschool-curriculum.html?type=core&core=BC&tab=ig Then you can add the readers: I'm not sure how pricey that would be. I think your best bet is to get the IG along with the readers. Use this link for that: http://www.sonlight.com/homeschool-curriculum.html?core=BC You can do 2nd grade readers for 4 or 5 days (depending on how many days you want to HAVE to do school). Or if you think those will be easy for you 8-yo, you can choose the 3rd grade readers or the 4-5th grade readers. That way the prices range from $379-459. I have always used the library system in our region to check out books to see if they would work for my dd. If you're not sure what level to get, that might help. But maybe you already know ... Here's the link for Science B: Animals, Astronomy and Physics. You again have a 4 or 5 day choice. Personally I LOVED having 4 day school. I would get the readers for the 5 day program and fit those in when I could but that left us a day to catch up, to rest, or to do something nontraditional. The schedule you get from SL has both the 4 day on one side and the 5 day on the other so you can do what works for you. AND, if you need to shift gears at one point, you can do that (switch from 5 to 4 day or vice versa. If you use the above links, just add what you want to the cart and see how it looks to you! Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrresistibleGrace Posted April 11, 2012 Author Share Posted April 11, 2012 I wouldn't do 1st for just the history and science (which would be very minimal), but I did want to add fwiw that my child who struggled with reading really took off when we started MFW 1st and became a very fluent reader that year. I now know she is dyslexic, so I am all the more impressed with how well the phonics instruction in MFW 1st worked for her. I actually just ordered the 1st grade refill to use the phonics with my own 6yo who is kind of stalling in Phonics Pathways. I know you said you didn't want to use the LA, but I wanted to give our experience with it, since you said your 6yo was struggling with reading. Thank you for adding that. I wasn't very clear, but if I choose to do MFW 1st with my son, I would use the entire program. I was speaking mainly about my 8yo when I said I didn't want to use MFW LA. But you know, the more I look at it the more I think maybe the recommended LA is not too bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 We're doing core B+C this year with my just turned 9-yo and it's great. I think you could do B (it's a bit more relaxed than the B+C in some ways, but you get more great read alouds than cramming world history into one year) and combine your 6 and 8-yos in it, and either let your oldest do the 4+5 readers (that's what we're doing), or just free read if she's advanced :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohmomjacquie Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Thank you for adding that. I wasn't very clear, but if I choose to do MFW 1st with my son, I would use the entire program. I was speaking mainly about my 8yo when I said I didn't want to use MFW LA. But you know, the more I look at it the more I think maybe the recommended LA is not too bad. Wegot the suggestes pll for third grade next year. We have started using it now since the second half is suggested for thied. I really like it so far. It covers grammar, poetry and more but in a quick and gentle manner. We are coming from a workbook method so it's a nice chamge of pace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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