Mommie_Jen Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 (edited) Paging Crystal! (and others who use MFW or BP) This may get long. Feel free to refresh your beverage.:001_smile: We are beginning kindergarten homeschoolers now. I love MFW, but we aren't using it for K, it was just not a good fit for this year. We are doing our own thing (side note: I love what I pieced together!) and looking forward to MFW in the future. However, the more I study first grade, the more I wonder if it will be a good fit for us since it's mainly what we are doing in K now. I am considering starting MFW in second grade, (Adv and I would do MFW K that year with my little one who would be 4-turning 5 in Sept) but possibly still first grade if you all convince me. My plan is to use our own math/handwriting/science and use MFW for history/lit/arts/whatever else. So then I started wondering if it was worth it and researched BP. Sometimes I think it may be a better fit if I am still wanting to use additional math/science/LA. I also seem to like BP, but I do wonder about using it in the early years. I do realize that plans can change, and that is fine. But I seem to need a plan to work with for the next few years. Any thoughts on MFW this way or using BP in the early years? Edited June 23, 2012 by Mommie_Jen formatting errors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 well.. how odd.. I almost didn't look on this forum this morning. ok.. coffee refill. flip a coin... some of the thinking points here. 1. mfw first grade... you sound like you're happy with build your own program for oldest. I would keep doing that if you're happy with it. It might be the case that MFW k and 1st works easier for you with next child when you are teaching two children. I like it. I used it with two children who were ahead of the curve in phonics. nice year with 3 R's and "ancient history" flavor introduction. 2. 2nd and 3rd grade.. well... think on the topics a bit. Do you want to study US history overview and 50 state geography, and then world geography before launching into 4 year chron. history study? if so... go with MFW. During Adv, you will have time to add to the science with what you want to add. I'd encourage you to do ADV Bible/history/science and arts musics, etc. The Bible and science are connected that year. It is designed as 2-3 days a week for 15 minutes on those days. add in nature walk. It will be a fun science and still leave you time to do your own science. BP doesn't have a year like ECC. and I don't see a one year intro to us history or intro to local history.... When my oldest was in 2nd grade, Adventures had not yet been written. We did ECC. On "light and independent Fridays" I was also doing intro to US history, geography, overview.. I did it in very light and fun ways. Local and state field trips. School House Rock America Rocks. Liberty's Kids. and some literature in there. So, basically, I wish Adventures had been there back in the early days of MFW, but it all turned out just fine and dandy. 3. then... revisit the MFW vs. BP question when oldest is in 4th grade. Then you'd be comparing CTG to BP year 1 which would be harder decision. But then you'll have more years experience as a teacher to know what works in your family and all of that. CTG science is the one that I'm the oddball and am apparently the only person on forums who liked the science (well, the 2nd time I liked it, the first time I poo poo'd it). so... even if you like MFW overall more than BP approach, you can sub the science that year with no problem. hope some of that helps. blessings -crystal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommie_Jen Posted June 23, 2012 Author Share Posted June 23, 2012 Thank you, Crystal. That makes perfect sense to me. It's nice to kow that there is still plenty of time for my own science with MFW. I like most everything about MFW, it's just that I like BP too. And you're right, I am planning on using MFW K with my youngest. I just need to quit looking at other things! Your point #2 resonated with me. That is how I want to teach history and geography. We are covering geography very very lightly this year and I enjoy it. I went to our local convention last month and spent hours at the MFW displays. I liked chatting with the people. However, I was NOT impressed with a certain speaker...ahem. Way to brash! If I didn't know from reading here to expect that, it would have turned me off of MFW completely. I will shelf any BP thoughts for now and possibly consider them later. You have been so helpful to me! (because I have totally stalked all your MFW posts) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 stalking me? No wonder you knew I'd need more to drink.. by the way is it too early for Mike's lemonade this morning? the coffee pot is empty.. trying to decide... liquor or tap water? decisions. You're welcome. I'm glad that my many posts were helpful to learn on something. but then again, I've had people who stalk (research really) my posts and then email or PM me and tell me I'm "secular and taint the mfw forum", or that I'm the reason they will never use MFW because I'm not good enough Christian for them... and one lady wrote me a 10 page essay on my sins. just never know how people will hear or react to stuff... I"m glad the thinking points were helpful to you. -crystal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommie_Jen Posted June 23, 2012 Author Share Posted June 23, 2012 stalking me? No wonder you knew I'd need more to drink.. by the way is it too early for Mike's lemonade this morning? the coffee pot is empty.. trying to decide... liquor or tap water? decisions. You're welcome. I'm glad that my many posts were helpful to learn on something. but then again, I've had people who stalk (research really) my posts and then email or PM me and tell me I'm "secular and taint the mfw forum", or that I'm the reason they will never use MFW because I'm not good enough Christian for them... and one lady wrote me a 10 page essay on my sins. just never know how people will hear or react to stuff... I"m glad the thinking points were helpful to you. -crystal Wow, I'm so sorry about all that. I am glad you have thick skin! While I like MFW for sure, I certainly haven't drank the koolaid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 (edited) I'm not so sure I am thick skinned.... I usually cry and hurt a lot from stuff like that and then erase tons of my posts... go into cyber hiding. not very thick skinned at all. but, I hear ya on not liking the convention people. I have a lot of those experiences too. very weird.... not just the one speaker you're probably talking about, but several of the women who speak for them irk me as well. by the way.. I decided on tap water... :lol: saving the Mike's for hanging out on the general board. or at least until after yard chores today. ;) oh well.. hopefully the BP experienced people will chime in with how BP worked in early years for them. it might change your mind on what will work for your situation. ps... edit to add after amber's comment.. she's speaking figuratively (not literally) on that spokesperson thing... just in case anyone doesn't know that . -crystal Edited June 24, 2012 by cbollin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 stalking me? No wonder you knew I'd need more to drink.. by the way is it too early for Mike's lemonade this morning? the coffee pot is empty.. trying to decide... liquor or tap water? decisions. You're welcome. I'm glad that my many posts were helpful to learn on something. but then again, I've had people who stalk (research really) my posts and then email or PM me and tell me I'm "secular and taint the mfw forum", or that I'm the reason they will never use MFW because I'm not good enough Christian for them... and one lady wrote me a 10 page essay on my sins. just never know how people will hear or react to stuff... I"m glad the thinking points were helpful to you. -crystal WOW. That's awful. You're one of MFW's best spokespeople. That's too bad to hear about some of their convention reps. I've never been to one, so the curriculum is what "speaks" to me. Ooops, you probably think I'm stalking you too! :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momma_Bear Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 Just wanted to say, I really enjoy your MFW posts too cbollin! I've been considering it and drooling over their website daily. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy M Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 Wow, this sounds a lot like me. I have a K5er and we're using ABeka. I'm doing my own math (not Singapore as MFW suggests), and I'm going to start using MFW in 2nd grade with Adventures. We're missionaries, and I just went through a 3-month research session! Ended up with MFW. I'm in the process of buying several years at once to bring back with us next year. I really hope I like it, since I'm putting all my eggs in one basket. But I have a BP schedule for year 1, and SOTW 1, so I'm going to do that for history in 1st grade, and maybe SCM 106 days of Creation for science for a gentler 1st grade. Then get into MFW 2nd grade and up. I do plan on using MFW for everything, even the science, but if I don't love the science, I may just use Apologia for some of the years, etc. I wondered with my husband--if I'm going to substitute some of the stuff from MFW anyway, why don't I just go with BP? It has a digital option, which is nice for missionaries, and I love their cool histories. But after some research, and some comments by Crystal :D, I went with MFW, because their Bible seemed stronger for all of the years, and I liked the arts and music and most of the science. Plus, my husband said, why buy BP for the firstborn for the first 4 years, and then switch to MFW for say, 5th-8th, if then all the other kids would just be with MFW. Seems like a waste to buy the BP. We also love the idea of ECC. So it was a hard decision, but we did it that way. I do have in the back of my mind though, that I could maybe just get BP's maps or timelines if I like them better, or their questions to go along with SOTW, since MFW also uses SOTW. You'll get it all figured out. :) We are beginning kindergarten homeschoolers now. I love MFW, but we aren't using it for K, it was just not a good fit for this year. We are doing our own thing (side note: I love what I pieced together!) and looking forward to MFW in the future. However, the more I study first grade, the more I wonder if it will be a good fit for us since it's mainly what we are doing in K now. I am considering starting MFW in second grade, (Adv and I would do MFW K that year with my little one who would be 4-turning 5 in Sept) but possibly still first grade if you all convince me. My plan is to use our own math/handwriting/science and use MFW for history/lit/arts/whatever else. So then I started wondering if it was worth it and researched BP. Sometimes I think it may be a better fit if I am still wanting to use additional math/science/LA. I also seem to like BP, but I do wonder about using it in the early years. I do realize that plans can change, and that is fine. But I seem to need a plan to work with for the next few years. Any thoughts on MFW this way or using BP in the early years? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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