Has anyone here ever done MFW and weaved in suggestions for history from WTM?

[mama2cntrykids]

We're doing MFW and have for the whole time we've been HSing, but I got WTM from my library and have been flipping through it.

 

I really like MFW, but also like aspects of what WTM suggests for history. Has anyone here ever done MFW and weaved in some things from WTM? I'd be looking at doing this next year when my oldest ds would be in 7th grade.

 

Possible?

[abrightmom]

Sure. I think it is quite doable. For starters, I'd ask my student to read thru Susan's book lists for logic stage. They are listed in WTM. You could pick up a SOTW Activity Guide for the history year you are in to use in assigning encyclopedia reading or figure it out yourself based on topics studied. Write up a list of the WTM skills you want your student to learn and exercise and figure out how often you want to assign them. Reading, map work, timelines, summaries, outlining, etc. There is a lot there in WTM logic stage history and with a bit of effort I think you can layer those skills nicely according to your desires for your student.

 

I can't find a smiley button and I feel a little lost without it. So, just imagine a yellow smiley face right HERE.

[Amy M]

We're doing MFW and have for the whole time we've been HSing, but I got WTM from my library and have been flipping through it.

 

I really like MFW, but also like aspects of what WTM suggests for history. Has anyone here ever done MFW and weaved in some things from WTM? I'd be looking at doing this next year when my oldest ds would be in 7th grade.

 

Possible?

 

I picked MFW because I thought it implemented WTM ideas very well and held my hand a bit more through the process. I don't see that they would be contradictory; it seems like the same methods. WTM suggests 4-year chronological history, using SOTW, for all ages, tying in literature w/ history. MFW does all of the above, giving you the book basket list weekly for the literature choices, whereas WTM gives a more broad un-annotated list of characters/authors to study. I think MFW also includes the mapwork and timelines, correct? Then I bought the Activity guides for SOTW to help me with narration questions. You could sub in some of those AG lit suggestions for book basket suggestions if you like; many of the suggestions overlap, and MFW is very flexible about that. The AG also schedules the Kingfisher reading for you, which could mesh perfectly with MFW "book basket reading time." Then if you like an AG activity rather than MFW's activity, you could sub those as well. Seems like MFW implements WTM methods very well. :001_smile:

[Donna A.]

One of the beautiful things about MFW is its flexibility. You can use MFW as written for your "skeleton", then add WTM elements, or more nature study/CM suggestions, or textbook spines, or lapbooking, or nothing at all. How much you do is entirely up to your family size, time available, interest level, budget, educational and spiritual goals, etc.

 

Since MFW does include mapwork, timelines, the extensive Book Basket, narrations, and even outlining which is scheduled in 1850-Modern, you wouldn't really need to add a lot of WTM recs for history. The main difference I see here is outlining from an encyclopedia. Not a big deal to add on your own if you really want to do that.

 

You could get the SOTW AGs if you wanted to, but I *personally* like the maps and coloring pages in MFW's student pages better. I had bought the AG for SOTW 2 while we were doing Rome to Reformation, and I ended up not using it all. I may have gotten a couple of book recommendations out of there that weren't in MFW Book Basket, but I didn't bother to look for more than that because the MFW Book Basket is *very* full. We had PLENTY to read from just MFW recs. A LOT, in fact, and go-along videos, too. (Btw, MFW does use the AG for SOTW 4 in 1850-Modern, and schedules volumes 2-4 of SOTW itself, so that's already there for you.)

 

Science is very similar to WTM recs, too, once you're past the grammar stage. (Except that MFW takes the position of a literal 6-day Creation, whereas WTM avoid this.) MFW does take a slightly different approach in that the sciences are mostly scheduled according to where there's a big emphasis on that topic in history (i.e., Genesis for Kids is used during Creation to the Greeks, the human body is studied during the time period that scientists began making great discoveries) This actually makes more sense to me than the WTM science cycle. And many science topic books and videos are listed in Book Basket. While MFW does science "lighter" in the grammar stage years, it really begins to beef it up by about 4th grade so that the student is ready for Apologia General in 7th grade. So aside from the grammar stage, I think the rest of it is very complementary to, albeit a little different than WTM.

 

MFW's math recommendations (Singapore and Saxon) are recommended in WTM as well.

 

About outlining... As with formal grammar, MFW is more in keeping with the CM philosophy that these skills aren't formally taught until later elementary or Logic stage. However, if you're more of the WTM mindset and want to start teaching formal language arts skills, and/or Latin, Logic, etc. much younger, MFW is flexible enough that you can do that. You would just sub out their LA recommendations for your own.

 

Very doable! :)

[abrightmom]

Donna,

 

Do you know whether or not Marie makes Primary Source recommendations that tie in to the history studies? I'm thinking of 7th/8th graders when I ask that. :)

[Donna A.]

Donna,

 

Do you know whether or not Marie makes Primary Source recommendations that tie in to the history studies? I'm thinking of 7th/8th graders when I ask that. :)

 

 

Well, it depends on which year your 7th/8th graders are doing. In CTG and RTR, for example, the Bible is used as one of the main spines, and that's obviously a primary source. ;) (Unless of course you go back to the original Greek and Hebrew texts, which of course would be difficult for most of us to do.) MFW uses material by a lot of different authors with different backgrounds and perspectives, as well as encyclopedies and internet sources (not Wikipedia), and that's intentional. Many original works can be found online. That's one reason MFW uses some of the Internet-Linked Usborne books. Streams of Civilization (CTG and RTR) and Building a City on a Hill (Expl-1850) all have additional research and writing projects at the end of each chapter for older students. While those aren't usually scheduled in MFW on the weekly grid, Marie does encourage you in the teacher notes to have your older elementary students do "more" with those optional assignments.

 

The Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Bill of rights are included, in full, in the back of the American history encyclopedia that's used in 1850-Modern.

 

And again, I can't emphasize enough how many resources are suggested in Book Basket. Are they all the same resources that WTM recommends? No, but some are.

 

There are more direct Primary Source materials directly scheduled in the high school courses of MFW (vs. Book Basket). But throughout all the MFW curriculum, both elementary and high school, the student is taught to research, reference multiple sources, and have ongoing discussions with their parents. They're never left to assume that the author of such-and-such book is 100% correct. Only the Word of God is infallible. :001_smile:

 

Remember... MFW doesn't claim to be a fully "classical" curriculum, but it does have some classical elements. And MFW is flexible. What one might find lacking once they get into it is easy to plug in as time and interest allow. But it's also very easy to add TOO much and end up defeating the purpose for using MFW in the first place, kwim? Check out this thread from the MFW archives on "Classical Education and MFW": http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=428

[mama2cntrykids]

Thanks all! Yes, I am thinking towards more outlining with my 6th grader, especially when he's in 7th grade. He will be totally capable of this. I need to be more diligent in making sure it gets down though.

 

Yes, the maps are important too. Once again, I need to be more diligent in this. Part of my problem is having three kids doing school work and one toddler destroying everything or needing mama allll the time during school. It's tough!

[mama2cntrykids]

DP

[Donna A.]

And honestly, if I wanted a more classical bent to our homeschool while using MFW, I would start with subbing out the resources used for Language Arts, and then adding either Latin or Logic. I wouldn't mess with the history very much at all. Let MFW do its work in the content subjects and give it time to see the fruit. You know what Susan says about supplying mental pegs on which later information can be hung? Well, MFW (as written) does that. :001_smile:

[cbollin]

Katrina,

 

adding a touch to donna's info..... maybe I'm just remembering it wrong (too lazy to verfiy).. but I have memories of selections of primary sources being used in books like Streams, and Building a City... It's easy to add more here and there on a primary source if what mfw put in wasn't enough. high school level will have plenty of primary source. there are some autobiographies in some of the "investigate cycle programs" (aka 5 year cycle). I'd consider those kinds of book to be primary.. and then in 1850MOD with sotw's ag, I have this vague memory of some of that being part of it. I guess it's all which program you'll use those years and how much you want to use. and agreeing with Donna that bible can be considered primary source.

 

oops.. time to baste turkey again... nice break to talk for a minute... -crystal

[Donna A.]

Thanks all! Yes, I am thinking towards more outlining with my 6th grader, especially when he's in 7th grade. He will be totally capable of this. I need to be more diligent in making sure it gets down though.

 

Yes, the maps are important too. Once again, I need to be more diligent in this. Part of my problem is having three kids doing school work and one toddler destroying everything or needing mama allll the time during school. It's tough!

 

 

But see, if you're using MFW, the maps are THERE. And they're scheduled. All you have to do is follow the grid and the maps will get done. And if you're teaching all three kids together in the content subjects, each child doing their work at their own level (following the core assignments on the grid for that day), it can be a very efficient process. You would just have the older child(ren) who have more independent work do it after the group teaching is done.

 

If you want your 6th grader to do outlining, that would be part of his independent work that he does following the group teaching. Make a copy of the grid and write his independent assignments on his own copy, and then he can work from that. There's room on the grid to do that. This will help give him "ownership" of his work and lead him into being more self-responsible.

[Donna A.]

DP

[abrightmom]

Donna and Crystal,

 

Thanks for chiming and fleshing out some more ideas. Hopefully, the OP feels empowered to use WTM with MFW. B)

[mama2cntrykids]

Donna and Crystal,

 

Thanks for chiming and fleshing out some more ideas. Hopefully, the OP feels empowered to use WTM with MFW. B)

 

Yes, thanks!