MFW K for PreK and Memoria Press for K?

[AmyEliz]

I have spoken with a lot of parents who say that the MFW K was perfect for their child, but they did it for "PreK" or wish they had because it was slow moving, heavy in science and art, like it should be for a very young child!

 

So I want to know if going into Memoria Press K curriculum will be too monotonous for a child after doing MFW K? I don't want to jump right into MFW 1st because I have seen that it jumps too quickly into long vowels, etc. Memoria Press also has much more practice with handwriting, etc, so I think that next year of really drilling handwriting and basic phonics will be good.... but perhaps I just need to know where my son is at and if he's reading very well, we probably don't need to do Memoria Press? I am just a planner and like to be organized beforehand :)

 

(I want to go back to MFW for 1st and beyond because I love how they incorporate social studies and the Bible.)

 

Thanks for any help and/or suggestions! My main question is where does MP K end? Do they go into long vowels? How fast does it move?

 

THANKS!!!!!:)

[AmyEliz]

I have done MP K and 1st (plus parts of 5th and 6th). Kinder ends with long vowels and some blends. It assumes the child knows all 26 letter sounds cold prior to K but the JrK does not focus on that. I will not use it again. If my younger boys had not been reading on their own a bit before we started, I do not feel it would have been enough to teach mine to read. As it is, I am having to go back to reteach phonics at a 1st grade level with another program.

 

It assumes a level of compentancy at the end of K/beginning of 1st (past Little Bear) that I do not feel is supported by the level of instruction in K or early 1st grade phonics work. CP is just dead boring and SRA felt like useless busywork. Mine loved the Phonics Reader sets (the expensive red and blue ones from EPS Books) and the CLP Nature Reader (used as read, narrate, draw science). Explode the Code and OPGTR with the Phonics Readers would be a better choice, IMO.

 

Thank you!! May I ask what CP stands for and OPGTR? (new to this :) ) I think I'll stick with MFW K and go to 1, but add some type of phonics between and during 1 because I've heard it moves so fast, that way 1 can be a year and a half or so. I like the progression of the Christian Liberty Publications readers, so I think I will order all 6 from the publisher too. What phonics is the best to supplement MFW 1? THANKS :) :)

[AmyEliz]

Also, do you have the link to the CLP Nature Reader? I am interested in that! I think I want to have more handwriting practice than just reading, you know?

[PeterPan]

Just as a suggestion, I would solve your problem for this year and solve next year when it comes. :) I'm using the MFW K5 with my ds, and it really is as adorable as it seems. Look at the samples, and if they look like stuff you want to do with your dc right now, get it. You have no promise the reading aspect will take off, just because you're using a curriculum that includes it. My ds is a month shy of 4 and has speech problems, phonemic awareness problems, etc., so I don't expect his actual reading to take off at all. It's totally adorable at whatever level you use it. If it looks like a good fit and makes your life easy, go for it. I think it's utterly adorable, and it's making it so easy to have happy memories together.

 

BTW, when we finish, to me a logical next step (if it's before 1st grade age) is a year of FIAR or reading surveys of american and world history (CHOW, Eggleston, D'Aulaires, etc.). So it's not like you're without good options. :)

[gratitude]

I haven't used MP, which is your main question.

 

I can tell you though that I used MFWK this past spring for the second time for the end of Pre-K, as a way of easing into school for my second and third children. Tomorrow I will be starting about a 1/3 into MFWK with dd5 and then she will go straight into MFW1 around March or so. This puts a summer break part way into MFW1. It will be my third time having a break part way into MFW1. My oldest had it around day 60, my second after day 80, and my third will have it around day 60 or so. The advantage is that I find they get just enough MFW1 before summer that they are learning to read well, then during the break major amounts of assimilation tends to happen, and then the rest goes very smoothly. This has been true for the summer break from MFWK as well. My dd5 read a sign yesterday, while driving around, from having done the first 1/3 of MFWK for the end of Pre-K.

 

This is my experience; everyones will vary. I thought I would share it in case it is at all helpful.

 

I guess in summary I am saying that the transition from MFWK to MFW1 has gone well twice now, and I am assuming will again the 3rd time. By the middle of MFW1 I find they can read very well and by the end chapter books. It has worked well for us.

[WIS0320]

I've been using MP K with an accelerated 4 year old. We've had no problems and he has enjoyed the phonics work. It is structured and "academic" for that age group, more than I've seen in other programs. It has been a perfect fit for my son but my 7 year old DD would have been miserable at age 5 with the program. So, I think it depends on the kid.

 

HTH!

[AmyEliz]

Thanks everyone! I think we will just go with MFW K and then plan on MFW 1, but know that I may need some phonics, reading supplement depending on his level. Thanks, Paradox for all the acronym help :)