Literature in curriculum like MFW, TOG, or Biblioplan

[LAmom]

I am starting my debate on whether to use MFW again (I have in past), try out Biblioplan (we like SOTW but need a little more) or finally try out TOG which I have been drooling over for years (but am not sure if I can handle the planning--on top of trying to squeeze in science, basics, etc). My oldest will be in 5th grade, but I will still have little ones running around.

 

My main question is I noticed TOG has really nice literature analysis sheets in the SAPs. Does MFW have this (looking at RtR)? Or are the books just read alouds? I will more than likely not get to reading the MFW books aloud and have my oldest just read them but would like some discussion questions.

 

Does Biblioplan have this? Is reading enough or does there need to be some kind of study of literature more in depth?

 

If you use MFW do you add something?

[morningcoffee]

:bigear:

[cbollin]

I've done MFW all along (from time oldest was in 2nd). We didn't successfully add formal literature study until 7th grade and then used Progeny Press guides for that. Before that, it was narration and discussion time together.

 

I never found it too hard to get the read alouds done in MFW. We did some on weekends at times. Or in evenings. It was seldom that I did read aloud during "school day". More of afternoon or evening. Then, we could talk together as we went along and discuss. It was informal. Even the year where I had a terrible reaction to some dental work and couldn't talk for more than 15 minutes at a time without resting... we still go read aloud done in MFW. It wasn't tons of it. that helped. For the books in RTR, you could consider something like Progeny Press guide for Bronze Bow, but it might be advanced for 5th grade to use that specific guide. There is an online version of the read aloud for Dangerous Journey - scroll all the way down to the bottom of this link for that read aloud option.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/kids/videos

 

 

other skills in literature in mfw that we were doing came from PLL and ILL, and even Writing Strands (in a sense because to write a story, we learned about lit. terms and then looked for that stuff while reading other things)

 

I know with my oldest, I tried in 5th grade to add more literature analysis. It kinda began to kill her enjoyment of the books. I waited until 7th, like mfw suggests, and she wasn't bothered by it. My middle daughter, was in speech and language therapy for years... We added a simple $3 workbook on reading comprehension skills for her. That book took paragraphs and passages, not stories or novels, and had the student identify things like main idea, inferences, etc. that way she worked on skill in small ways. Even with her, I waited until jr. high to do Progeny Press guides.

 

something worked with oldest. She got a 30 or 31 on reading subscore of ACT this year.

[LAmom]

So MFW has no literature guides/helps/worksheets until 7th grade? Anyone else have input on TOG vs MFW in the area of literature. Does Biblioplan have literature guides or questions/answers? I guess I have to decide if I need it or not.

[happyhomemaker]

This is my first year using Biblioplan. They don't have literature questions or worksheets. They do have the Cool History sheets, but that is more for history questions, not the lit selections. BP schedules read alouds which we discuss while reading. They also schedule a book per week for each age group. I had to pair down this list because it was more than dd could do. Then out of the books I chose for her to read, I just asked WTM questions for our discussion. Easy peasy. Next year if we stick with BP, I think I will go more in depth with a few selections and get a guide from VP or MP to do.

[Amy M]

So MFW has no literature guides/helps/worksheets until 7th grade? Anyone else have input on TOG vs MFW in the area of literature. Does Biblioplan have literature guides or questions/answers? I guess I have to decide if I need it or not.

 

 

No, MFW doesn't have lit helps for elementary, and neither does BP. I also thought that was a plus to TOG, though I thought I read someone on here with a negative review of TOG's lit sheets on the LG/UG levels. In the end, I also had to decide whether that was a make-it or break-it deal for me for MFW. I have thought that if I get to that stage and decide I need them that I will just get some Progeny Press guides for the 4-6th grade levels, like MFW does for the junior high levels. The Homeschool Buyers Co-op sometimes has them on sale. Or I've thought of getting DITHOR from HOD just for 4-6th grades if I don't feel that it's enough. First, I'm going to try the suggestions in WTM. :)