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MFW, SL, HOD, TOP...help!


faiths13
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I have been researching Sonlight and I keep running into talk about Heart of Dakota, My Fathers World and Tapestry of Grace. I am so confused! It seems like they all have similarities, but Im not sure what the differences of each are. Could someone possibly help point out the main differences (or similarities) of the LA, science and history (and Bible) of each? I am very interested in a curric like these but not sure which to really look at, so it would be nice to narrow things down some. Iim looking into it for my soon to be 4 & 6 yr olds) Thanks!!

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I have been researching Sonlight and I keep running into talk about Heart of Dakota, My Fathers World and Tapestry of Grace. I am so confused! It seems like they all have similarities, but Im not sure what the differences of each are. Could someone possibly help point out the main differences (or similarities) of the LA, science and history (and Bible) of each? I am very interested in a curric like these but not sure which to really look at, so it would be nice to narrow things down some. Thanks!!

 

I've never used SL but have heard good things. I have used TOG and MFW.

 

MFW: I loved the sweetness of it and it didn't eat up loads of time. I think it is perfect for K-5 and their high school levels are wonderful. 6th through 8th, my son felt like he was doing baby history (his words). My dd has gone through all 4 years of the high school levels, and I feel she is well prepared!!

 

The LA in the younger years is more of a gentle approach which some like but I never found peace with it.

 

The science, we really found no joy in the science. Some years of it were just painful. I much prefer just purchasing Apologia elementary and high school sciences and doing them.

 

I liked their Bible. It varied a lot each year, and it was not too lengthy and enjoyed by all. We are using TOG right now, and I do miss the Bible portion of MFW. We do Bible, but I liked the layout of MFW Bible. I particularly like the Bible portion of the high school levels and it led just the way I wanted: a very missions focused, dying to self, Biblical worldview.

 

History, again, I think the 5yr cycle is a great approach for K-5, maybe k-6. I liked the book basket idea, but found myself getting busy and not getting the books. Without those books, it is a lean history program, imo. I loved the Biblical worldview that it gave. It was a sweet, fun program.

 

TOG: I use it now. I find it doable for our family because I'm able to pull all of my boys together into one program, where they would otherwise be in 3 different levels of MFW right now: 1st grade, 5year cycle, and high school level. I really like the teacher's notes and the discussion questions. They are deep, make you think, and hit the hard issues. It is a great program to take care of all levels in one program!! We really enjoy the church history but miss the Bible. I do believe the Old Testament is read in its entirety in year 1, but don't quote me on that. :)

 

The Language arts is literature, vocabulary, and Writing Aids. I do like these components and that they are just there and available to use or not. We sometimes utilize the vocabulary and sometimes we leave it off. WA is a good, solid program to cover all the components of writing, but it doesn't always offer the instruction I'd like. But writing is a weakness of mine, so...

 

I have to say that I loved both of these programs. The main reason I switched was because we found a great co-op to get all of my boys in, and the group of families has been a huge blessing for our family.

 

I really think I could say more and go deeper with my info but I have to get off here. I may come back later and add more. I think you will be pleased either way you go. If you have youngers, you might enjoy MFW more but it would also be wise to just go ahead and invest in TOG because you can use it all the way up.

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I did TOG for one quarter and we still had to do a separate LA. You can do the writing but it doesn't teach grammar at all. I couldn't make it work here. I think I maybe could have made it work if there was a co-op available.

 

I borrowed MFW ECC from a friend and wanted to use it with a then 2nd and 5th grader. I just couldn't get over the science seeming weak for my science loving son. And I was afriad that the repetition of those state sheets would drive us all insane! However, I am drawn to MFW and I look at it every year. I am going to use the Adventures program next year for my 2nd grade son, though. I hope we will enjoy it.

 

I have determined that *I* really need a spine for history. If I have a spine, I can add in extra activities, books, etc. Our favorite history curriculum of all time is MOH! It has a biblical focus, an optional book list, suggests many optional activities for multiple ages and includes worksheets, projects and quizzes if you want them. I just wish Linda would finish up volume 4 and write an American history curriculum!

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I have done both MFW and Sonlight. Both have great books. Sonlight will only be a good fit for you if your kids love reading and being read to and don't necessarily need hands-on activities (that's my kids for sure.) MFW has less intense reading and more hands-on/crafty/worksheets.

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I've used MFW from K thru 10th grade. I bought one core of SL many years ago and never did follow the IG. (Kept the books, though!) I've tried HOD a few times. So here's a (hopefully) short summation of each, IMO:

 

MFW:

 

LOVE the biblical worldview! Love, love, love it. Book Basket in the back of the TMs provides literally hundreds of options for more books (and videos) each week, as time and interest allow. You can get these from the library or purchase the the titles she recommends, buy the books you discover through the library and fall in love with, or buy books from HOD or SL to use instead. It's very flexible. MFW uses multiple resources from different publishers and at different reading/maturity levels in order to teach a "one room schoolhouse" through the elementary years. (And you only see "worksheets" in a couple of the early years, not all the way through.) The history cycle programs from CTG and up have a different feel and focus to them than the early years. High school is different still... more independent, college prep, less "projects", more writing. I could go on and on, but I said I'd keep it short. ;)

 

SL:

 

Too many books that are "required reading", too expensive, and Bible is treated as an entirely separate subject. In our family, we can't separate biblical living and principles from the rest of life (and other subjects), not to mention the historical aspects of the Bible that should be studied right along with history, so we wanted something more integrated. Also, doing SL would have required a separate core for each of my kids. $$$$$

 

HOD:

 

I've tried HOD a few times. I really WANT to love it. I do. I still like (and use) some components of it with my youngest. But I guess the shortest way to express my dislike -- and it's not even really "dislike", but that it simply doesn't work well for us -- is to say that HOD makes me feel all "boxed in". And like SL, HOD would require me to use a different core with each of my kids. (If I were doing it with all three kids, I mean.) So definitely a lot more $$$$$.

 

TOG:

 

I finally looked seriously at this about 4-5 years ago and came *thisclose* to switching from MFW to TOG. I had TOG and another program (Weaver) all spread out on my bed, literally looking at them side by side, comparing layout, content, and trying to envision myself actually using them. TOG and Weaver have some differences, but the biggest similarity between them is that they're both very teacher-intensive and require a LOT of prep work. MFW is much more efficient, and I can utilize Book Basket as much or as little as I have the time and energy to do so. We stuck with MFW. :)

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My head was in a whirl trying to figure it all out earlier this year, only my top 4 were TOG, MFW, Biblioplan, and HOD. I made a comparison/contrast chard for my top three--MFW, TOG, and BP--and I can send that to you if you like and if you think it would help. I compared price, description, what I perceived and gathered from reviews to be strengths and weaknesses of each, and my own comments and thoughts to work through it all. Then I talked to my husband about the top two I narrowed it down to (TOG and MFW), and prayed a sat on the decision for a while, and then we decided. Then I purchased several years of MFW (because we're missionaries and I am shipping it all at once.) And now, having still not seen anything but computer samples, a BP schedule that I own, and a Rome unit from TOG that I borrowed for a week, I still second-guess my decision. One blessing from all this, is that I realized how many wonderful options there are for homeschoolers now!

 

I would make a list of the important factors to you. For example,

1--HOD and SL got excluded from my "top" list mainly because of how they did the chronological world history schedule, and

2--because I could only combine 2 kids together, and I wanted to combine more children. If you just want to combine the younger 2, that may not be a big deal to you. But w/ MFW or TOG, you could even combine your older two as well, if you like having the whole family learning the same things. I like that idea. But some people feel that you shouldn't combine children of larger age gaps, because the youngers need things on their own levels. Guess it depends on your teaching style there? Don't know, I haven't BTDT yet.

 

3--Expense was also a factor, since all of these programs with living books get expensive, and I have to ship the books internationally. I thought MFW was the most flexible there, and therefore, worked out cheaper than the others. You can replace w/ TOG, but not as easily. You could cut down on TOG's costs by mainly using SOTW for the LG and even maybe UG levels, but I didn't factor that much into my decision. TOG seems to require more commitment to make the money worth it. I might like to use it in high school for those neat scripted Socratic discussions, so maybe I should have just used it all the way up; but I think I got more bang for my buck here, and love the idea and other factors of MFW. If you want to use it all the years for all of your children, might as well invest now, while the price is lower and you can get used to it.

 

As far as LA:

HOD includes strong recommendations. MFW recommends vintage lighter grammar and also chooses less costly choices like Spelling Power and Writing Strands, both recommended in TWTM. These are easily subbed with whatever you want. I wouldn't consider TOG to include LA, in fact I think they're pretty clear that they don't cover LA completely, outside of literature and their optional writing program. And SL, I've heard a lot of unhappiness expressed about their LA, so you might want to sub there too.

 

Bible:

I'm not sure how HOD does it. It's not included with TOG, except as the stories pop up in the ancient year, and stories of missionaries and early church fathers in church history. You would want to add a Bible program if you want to teach Bible as a subject and went with TOG. Bible was a draw for me to MFW. They actually have a separate, daily, thoughtful Bible program that coincides with the history well, including memory verse work. I've heard SL has Bible, but it's not connected to the history, and I haven't read many great reviews about it. I liked having that included, since I didn't have a plan for it.

 

Science:

I liked some of HOD's choices--Yesterday's Classics books and Apologia, etc. SL, I know they include some old-earth views, whereas MFW is young-earth creation. TOG doesn't include science. I liked that MFW included it with schedules and hands-on experiments. Some people critique MFW for science being too light. Having not used it, my opinion is worth diddly-squat, but looking at the books, I see they use books that are popular with homeschoolers--Apologia, Janice Van Cleave, Answers in Genesis, Usborne--so I'm not sure why it's considered light.

 

I also liked the emphasis on missions with MFW. Because I'm a missionary. :) OK, that's long enough!

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SL:

 

Too many books that are "required reading", too expensive, and Bible is treated as an entirely separate subject. In our family, we can't separate biblical living and principles from the rest of life (and other subjects), not to mention the historical aspects of the Bible that should be studied right along with history, so we wanted something more integrated. Also, doing SL would have required a separate core for each of my kids. $$$$$

 

 

 

Of the curricula the OP mentioned, I've only used SL, but I did have a few comments -

The "required reading" aspect is going to be a pro or con depending on your personality. Do you like lots of choices and find it easy to make a decision? Or do you always try to do too much and would having a set list of books to cover with your children help you to stay focused and avoid going overboard and feeling overwhelmed? (I am the latter :) ) I do add a few books to each core but still consider the core "complete" without them.

I don't use of the SL Bible program but much of it every year is "just" reading Scripture. As a family, you apply what you read in Scripture to the books you are reading. You make the connections yourself. I wouldn't say that translates to separating "biblical living and principles from the rest of life." Also, the science IGs include many notes regarding issues that might require some further thought/discussion.

Finally, if you have a good resource for used books it is possible to put together the cores for much less than buying them new.

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I have used SL and can only give our experience with them. I have researched MFW and TOG multiple times. You will know which is best for you at some point....one will click more than the others.

 

SL does 2 world history, 2 american history for the elementary set. We loved all 4 cores. We did not do the LA. So it was our Bible, History, readers and read alouds. It is a lot of reading but we loved cuddling on the couch to read(still do). I did add hands on activities 3 of those 4 years and field trips. Plenty out there to add on. But it's complete without any hands on stuff. Just depends on if your kids like to hear stories or not. We have loved most all the book and my kids have retained a lot more history than I would have expected from just reading :-) We love the library we have built.

 

I tried to do my own thing this year like SL b/c I wanted to do the 4 year rotation. It's overrated. While it makes sense my kids are bored...it's too slow and even with all the books it's just not the pace they are used to. We have the Core G IG now and will do the 2nd half next year but ds will do it normal pace for half the year and dd will do it over the year...so slower pace. So they will eventually go to Core H and get the World History over 3-4 years like I had hoped but just slowing down the SL guides to do so. Now that we have tried something else I will say that I love my history/lit guides and it allows me to be prepared come Mondays for those subjects with little effort. The TOG would have been much more work sorting out what to do and what to leave out. And cost of TOG is still an issue or I would have considered it for middle school.

 

I looked at MFW but I didn't like the science being added in. While I did SL science I could choose what level and it was more in depth/experients than the MFW science from what I could see from their website samples. I ruled out TOG for the elementary years b/c I knew it would be hard to not want to do it all and cost. I hear it's best for upper levels. I have heard great things about the MFW upper levels too and it's on my list to consider when we get there.

 

 

Sonlight has their love to learn guarantee. It's why I tried it in the first place. I was torn on the 4 year rotation but bought SL to try fully intending to send it back but we used it 4 years :-) And my attempt to copy but do it as a 4 year rotation have shown me that those guides had a lot of thought put into them. And my kids prefer a little faster pace like SL does with the World over 2 years. So SL is worth getting to try since you can send it back. It's either going to be something you all love or you don't. And yes, you can skip a book in SL and still get a lot out of it. Our last few years we have dropped a book or two so we aren't running into summer break.

 

good luck deciding. Hope you find the right thing.

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TOG:

 

I finally looked seriously at this about 4-5 years ago and came *thisclose* to switching from MFW to TOG. I had TOG and another program (Weaver) all spread out on my bed, literally looking at them side by side, comparing layout, content, and trying to envision myself actually using them. TOG and Weaver have some differences, but the biggest similarity between them is that they're both very teacher-intensive and require a LOT of prep work. MFW is much more efficient, and I can utilize Book Basket as much or as little as I have the time and energy to do so. We stuck with MFW. :)

 

I just wanted to chime in. I really don't find we have that much prep work with TOG. I always thought it would require a lot, but once I figured out how to use TOG (which was quickly), it proved to be fairly simple. The weekly prep work is minimal. I have a planning sheet that I print up, then I look over TM for the week and add the stuff we will do. It takes no more than 10 minutes. The other prep is in purchasing stuff for crafts or reading over the discussion questions, but for MFW high school, that was needed to have discussions with my dd.

 

I'm not out to argue with you, because I definitely think MFW is a good program. I just wanted to say our experience. :)

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One thing I will add for you to consider is something I just discovered this year. I do not like having science and history scheduled together. I have used MFW and HOD this year we are finally branching out on our own. I never realized how much having everything tied together stressed me out more than it helped me. I like to be able to spend more time on a topic if we want to and not feel like it is throwing the entire week off and then have to play catch-up to get back on track. But, that is just me and some people probably like having everything together. If you feel this may be an issue then Sonlight or TOG may be a better option.

 

I think all of your options have language arts suggestions, but you can substitute in your own (the exception being the current guides for Sonlight which now have integrated LA, but you could always purchase used guides).

 

As far as the combining your children (if you are only talking about the 4 & 6 year olds) that should be completely doable with any of the options you listed.

 

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I just wanted to chime in. I really don't find we have that much prep work with TOG. I always thought it would require a lot, but once I figured out how to use TOG (which was quickly), it proved to be fairly simple. The weekly prep work is minimal. I have a planning sheet that I print up, then I look over TM for the week and add the stuff we will do. It takes no more than 10 minutes.

 

Now see, that is sooooo opposite of everything I've heard and read everywhere else! *Rarely* do I hear/read of someone saying that prep work for TOG takes no more than 10 minutes, or that prep work is minimal. (In fact, this may be a first for me...) I know several people IRL using TOG, have read of this many times over the years on the boards (TOG beginners often speaking of the "fog"), and looked through the materials very closely when I was considering it (borrowed a friend's for a while), and I still contend that prep time for TOG is pretty heavy and wonder what you're doing (or not doing) if your prep time is that low. :confused1: I'm certainly not questioning that it takes YOU that little time.... but you seem to be the exception. Perhaps you're just a very efficient and organized person who enjoys the challenge. :thumbup: And that's great that TOG is so easy for you to use! Different personalities, and varying lifestyles, family size, dh's involvement (or lack thereof), etc. will determine a better fit with one curriculum over another. All of these are important factors to consider.

 

Isn't it great that we have so many choices? :001_smile:

 

The other prep is in purchasing stuff for crafts or reading over the discussion questions, but for MFW high school, that was needed to have discussions with my dd.

 

I'm not out to argue with you, because I definitely think MFW is a good program. I just wanted to say our experience. :)

 

 

I'm not sure what you mean here. Are you referring to MFW high school or TOG high school? There are no crafts in MFW high school, and there is weekly discussion time scheduled for the parent and student, as well as a Bible reading schedule for the parent to follow along and be on the same page with their student.

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Now see, that is sooooo opposite of everything I've heard and read everywhere else! *Rarely* do I hear/read of someone saying that prep work for TOG takes no more than 10 minutes, or that prep work is minimal. (In fact, this may be a first for me...) I know several people IRL using TOG, have read of this many times over the years on the boards (TOG beginners often speaking of the "fog"), and looked through the materials very closely when I was considering it (borrowed a friend's for a while), and I still contend that prep time for TOG is pretty heavy and wonder what you're doing (or not doing) if your prep time is that low. :confused1: I'm certainly not questioning that it takes YOU that little time.... but you seem to be the exception. Perhaps you're just a very efficient and organized person who enjoys the challenge. :thumbup: And that's great that TOG is so easy for you to use! Different personalities, and varying lifestyles, family size, dh's involvement (or lack thereof), etc. will determine a better fit with one curriculum over another. All of these are important factors to consider.

 

Isn't it great that we have so many choices? :001_smile:

 

 

 

I'm not sure what you mean here. Are you referring to MFW high school or TOG high school? There are no crafts in MFW high school, and there is weekly discussion time scheduled for the parent and student, as well as a Bible reading schedule for the parent to follow along and be on the same page with their student.

 

 

I've heard others say that prep isn't as involved as they thought it would be. The daunting manual is what kept me from TOG for all those years. I now look at it and wonder why it scared me so. Hearing others say that it wasn't as heavy prep is the reason I decided to go ahead and take the plunge. In the summer, I get the SAP packs, so that cuts my prep time. In a best case scenario, I print my maps ahead of time. Sometimes I get lazy and just do them weekly. I don't read every dot and tiddle of the teacher's notes, just what I need to prep for the portion that I'm responsible for for our co-op. I do read ahead on that topic so I'll be prepared. If I were only preparing for a LG or UG student, I could glance through the notes, pick a craft or not, and be ready. Then look through the Teacher's notes for information that we needed to discuss further. I just planned for our week for my Grammar kids a minute ago. I look over the pages to see what the plan/topic is, pull the books and put them on the coffee table, see what craft options there are and decide if we'll do any, put the plans on our planning sheet, and I'm done. If I need something at the store, I'll get it. I share responsibility of the D level students for co-op, so that requires less of my time.

 

My point was that my planning for the upper levels doesn't take any more time than being ready to help have discussions with MFW high school dd. I wasn't talking about crafts in the high school level, just the crafts in general in MFW. My point was it takes time to prepare for the crafts in both TOG and MFW. I don't think I explained it well, and I'm probably not explaining it well now either.

 

Let me summarize: TOG is not nearly as daunting as I thought it would be before I started it. We have a great groove going, and I'm not that organized of a person. :)

 

But to the OP, I don't think you'd go wrong with either curriculum. They are both fantastic!!

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I haven't done the other programs, but I can summarize HOD for you. Bible/Science/Art/History are all tied in together. If you read about Noah for History, you will likely have a scripture that week that will tie in, Science will be about water, you will probably do an art project dealing with colors or the rainbow, and you will have a devotion dealing with obedience or faith - you get the point. I like how they all tie in together. For phonics you can use whatever program you want. For math you can use whatever program you want, or it plans out some fun lessons for Singapore. Grammar starts in the 3rd manual. Spelling starts in the 2nd and there are word lists and I believe it starts dictation and poetry. It has read alouds with questions ready for you utilizing Bloom's Taxonomy which is very useful. Starting in 2nd grade there is also DITHOR which is a pretty comprehensive reading program that can be used if chosen.

 

My opinion is that HOD has a strong focus on character and mfw has a strong focus on missions. IMO Sonlight has books that are too harsh for a sensitive child in the younger years, whereas HOD's book selections are very age appropriate.

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I haven't done the other programs, but I can summarize HOD for you.

....

My opinion is that HOD has a strong focus on character and mfw has a strong focus on missions.

 

having done MFW from preschool through 11th grade so far...... I think MFW has a focus on both character and missions.. can't have missions without character. and both are there. agreeing that there is missions focus, but not without character too... sometimes it's hard to describe curriculum subtleties... like dance subtleties in the exercise classes I teach...

 

edit to expand my experience

MFW Kindy: learn the character of God, and to be like HIM. there is a small "missions" focus by encouraging children to share their character badges with others

MFW 1st: proverbs study is all character. not seeing the missions there

ADV: names of Jesus study... getting to know Jesus

 

ECC: missions, character with Hero Tales (not just missions aspect, but character traits). Kingdom Tales - personal with the King

CTG: hmm... the read alouds are character. less missions

RTR: some missions, more character in relating to God

EX1850: missions and character with book of James

1850MOD: character, missions, worship

 

ahl/whl worldview, church history..... . bible study

US1 - worldview, Christian Character (very introspective booklet).

US2 - spiritual disciplines.

 

yes. there's missions in focus.. but character part of it. It's not just "you have to go"...

 

hope that helps to see the unseen on that aspect.

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Character focus in MFW from my personal perspective... we've used MFW K thru 10th grade. In answer to the question "How to keep the CM style in MFW?" on another board.... (My response also helps explain the "character training" aspect of MFW.)

 

I think the principles of "I am, I can, I ought, I will" start with the Word of God. Without that, why does it matter? WHY do the right thing if not for a Higher Authority to whom every one of us (including mom and dad) are ultimately accountable, and to whom we owe everything including our very life because He first loved us? So, we start there. How specifically does MFW do it? Here are my thoughts, particularly in the elementary levels:

 

In Kindergarten, MFW teaches that everything begins with God. Everything. And while God has always existed, everything else was created by Him.

 

In 1st grade, you memorize verses throughout the year from the book of Proverbs, and who can find a better book on character training than that? :) Then as the child learns to read from and illustrate his own personal Bible reader, he's also learning that the Word of God is the foundation of everything else.

 

In Adventures, you learn the many different names and character traits of Jesus -- our ultimate role model. As you do science activities related to the names of Jesus (i.e., the Bread of Life and learning about yeast, unleavened bread, taking Communion, and serving your neighbor), you see the principles of the Bible, love for Jesus (the one who saves us), and service to one another are intertwined.

 

In ECC, you learn how many other people so very different, and yet so very similar, are out there in this world that God created, what their prayer needs might be, how it is that not everyone serves the same God we do, and how important it is that we get the Word out to them. You also see the faithfulness of many people who've gone before us to share God's Word and His love to millions of others around the world, suffered persecution because of it, but did so anyway because of Christ's love for us. (John 3:16 ~ without Christ, we can do nothing. Also, character traits of the people read about in Hero Tales are used for copywork.)

 

In CTG, you see how the faithfulness of God to His people throughout the ages points to Christ, how the law cannot save, and yet God, because of His righteousness, demands a certain amount of faithfulness back to Him because of HIS faithfulness to us. Again, His Word is the foundation. (Some of the memory work here is 2 Tim. 3:16-17 ~ go to the Word of God for all the answers in life, because we can trust it and it's complete ~ the Ten Commandments which is the ultimate "trainer" of moral character, Psalm 1, and others.... )

 

In RTR, you again see God's faithfulness as He brought the Messiah "in the fullness of time". You see the Apostle Paul's faithfulness and diligence as he traveled the known world to spread the gospel and faced persecution, but, like the missionaries we read of in ECC, did so because of Christ's love for us. (Among some of the Bible passages memorized are Romans 12 and 1 Cor. 13.)

 

In EX1850, you study and memorize the book of James which could really be defined as "a book of service" (lots of character training there!), while also reading about faithful men and women of God that He used to help establish and grow this country in which we're blessed to live... but not neglecting what was simultaneously done in the rest of the world, either. This year is what I'd call "discipleship-focused".... beginning to focus a bit more on the practical, our attitudes, and what all those prior years of "Bible study" are for.

 

And then in 1850MOD, the Logic stage student is doing a personal discipleship study, continuing to read about others in the world who've had to suffer persecution for Christ's sake, and making connections to God's faithfulness even in modern times as wars and rumors of wars abound.

 

How does all of this translate academically to a Charlotte Mason education? Well, I think the short lessons, particularly when using quality literature, Scripture passages, and other meaningful sources (i.e., not twaddle) that help a student really focus on a lesson and do it *well* rather than trying to hurry through just to get it finished. I've often said to my one dd that "copywork should never have a mistake." This promotes diligence and attention to detail, even when she doesn't feel like it or she thinks she "can't" do it because it's "hard". (That's character training.) Miss Mason liked for a child to be challenged whenever possible, and I think MFW does this in little ways (age-appropriate, purposeful, and incremental lessons) that build upon each other over time.

 

Nature study, which is scheduled in all of MFW's programs, brings attention back to God's Creation as we first learned way back in Kindergarten. It also promotes attention to detail and patience.

 

Copywork, narrations, dictation... if you've read CM's writings, you know how she intended that these should work, but these skills are included throughout all of MFW's programs both as extra assignments in the weekly lesson plans, and through the use of CM-style resources such as PLL, ILL, and even the Bible itself. MFW has also chosen quality literature, not twaddle, which accustoms the child to truly good and effective communication. Having a variety of types of resources teaches a student that no one author has all the answers, but are useful tools for research, and that only the Word of God is infallible.

 

My interpretation of Miss Mason's quote, "I am, I can, I ought, I will.":

 

I am.... loved and chosen by my Creator, the God of the universe.

I can.... learn skills that previously were difficult for me, which I can then use for service to God and others.

I ought... to do all things for the glory of God.

I will.... give my life for the One who gave His for me.

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