swellmomma Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 I love the looks of mosdos literature. I have thought about buying it for 2 years now but it is so expensive. Previously we had used sonlight so I didn't worry about it, and this past year the kids did online great books lit classes. The online format did not work well with both boys, and dd just doesn't care in what form she studies it. So I was back to looking at mosdos but am put off by the price. Is there a program that is comparable to mosdos in the genres included and the activities done but without the big price tag? Although we could just follow WTM lit suggestions and discuss them, I will be running a home daycare and won't have time necessarily to preread everything and sit down for socratic discussion, and need a program that has all questions etc included. It has to have more than short stories as well. That's part of why I like the looks of mosdos is that it includes poetry, short stories, essays, a novel etc. So there is variety in the genres covered. So comparable programs? Do you know of any? or am I going to just have to suck it up and order mosdos? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 I'll be listening - I really really like Mosdos.... I'm talking myself out of it because maybe it would be over DDs head with her LDs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted June 13, 2013 Author Share Posted June 13, 2013 I'll be listening - I really really like Mosdos.... I'm talking myself out of it because maybe it would be over DDs head with her LDs! my boys have LDs too, I am just going with a lower level for them, because I think it will still be plenty rigorous for them due to their LDs if I do so. So for oldest I am looking at Pearl which is listed as a 6th grade program but I think with his issues it will still challenge him. I just wish it either was cheaper, or was sold from one of the companies I could do purchase orders with so I wouldn't have to worry about paying so much out of pocket for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 Can you shop from RR? They have it. It has been to long since I have heard the list of places.... that sounds so stalker like, but I tend to remember stuff like that for some reason! :p I think I will put it on the list for DD for next year/a Jan-Feb start. I'll know more after my planning session in a few weeks. THere is a good chance she won't progress much past where she is academically - so I figure I need a bunch of choices for the next 6+ years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted June 13, 2013 Author Share Posted June 13, 2013 Can you shop from RR? They have it. It has been to long since I have heard the list of places.... that sounds so stalker like, but I tend to remember stuff like that for some reason! :p I think I will put it on the list for DD for next year/a Jan-Feb start. I'll know more after my planning session in a few weeks. THere is a good chance she won't progress much past where she is academically - so I figure I need a bunch of choices for the next 6+ years! Yeah RR sell it, but they don't do purchase orders from my school board (stinking cross border shopping),and I will likely order from them if I don't hear of a comparable but cheaper program. Just not sure yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 We used Mosdos Pearl last year and I was not terribly impressed - I think it is overpriced. We gave it a whirl because the charter school paid for it (we have since left that school). The TMs contain a lot of good info (too much actually so you need to wade through them - they provide massive amounts of information) and the student workbook pages would drive you crazy if you did them all -- they provide too much and it seems like such a waste. Three or four separate workbook assignments for a 4-page short story? We did use some of the student pages to turn in to the charter school. On a positive note the text itself is beautiful - colorful, interesting, and very nicely done. If we were to use it again I would just buy the student textbook and nothing else. If you buy directly from the company they might have a few "scratch and dent" copies available for a reduced price. We get a lot more out of Sonlight book selections, with or without the IG. If Mosdos materials were to cost one third or one half what they charge, I would consider buying again (maybe). Sorry to be so negative. I had high hopes for Mosdos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted June 13, 2013 Author Share Posted June 13, 2013 I am glad you put in your review. I have only seen postive ones so I am glad for the balanced information. Hmmm I suppose I could still do the SL literature if I get a used core. I don't want to do their history, but do need the scripted questions etc. I don't want to waste a bunch of money on a program that will be over kill for our needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 Check out these free Glencoe literature guides. They're only for novels, but you could pick up their literature anthologies for short stories and poetry. There are lots of used copies for less that $5 shipped on Amazon. http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/litlibrary/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyndiLJ Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 We have used Mosdos with wonderful success, and we have used them with LD learners. Yes, there are numerous workbook pages and questions in the textbook itself. I personally liked having a variety of pages to select from, and we never used them all but we definitely used all the rich vocabulary practice pages, and the organizational ones as well to help with logic. The teachers guide is filled with great questions to ask so my brain doesn't have to work so ahrd orbe quite as attentive to all the details, and the ltierary analysis development is far beyond anything else we ever found for variety and depth. What I like most though, was the moral and character development in each story without itbeing "preachy" or Christian. That made it possible for us touse with our charter school yet not leave out the character development pieces I think are so excellently illustrated in great literature. We found with all 5 of our kids that having an anthology helped them discover far more authors than they might otehrwise have considered, and it definitely led to reading whole novels by their favorites, which is what i had hoped for. We used the textbook and did 3 or 4 additional novel studies throughout the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted June 14, 2013 Author Share Posted June 14, 2013 Cyndi do you find them rigorous enough that a LD learner doing a few grade levels lower won't find them too young? I like reading your review too. The problem is I still can't decide if it is worth the price lol, just for 2 levels including 2 student books for 1 of the levels and only 1 for teh other I am still looking at almost $300 plus shipping to Canada. That is a lot. Then again it is comparable with what the online classes cost, but I didn't have to pay for those out of pocket, my funding took care of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarynB Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 Cyndi do you find them rigorous enough that a LD learner doing a few grade levels lower won't find them too young? I like reading your review too. The problem is I still can't decide if it is worth the price lol, just for 2 levels including 2 student books for 1 of the levels and only 1 for teh other I am still looking at almost $300 plus shipping to Canada. That is a lot. Then again it is comparable with what the online classes cost, but I didn't have to pay for those out of pocket, my funding took care of it. Swellmomma, do you have Barnes & Noble bookstores in Canada? I bought my latest Mosdos at Barnes & Noble online in the U.S. at far less than the normal retail price. I've also seen used copies on Amazon. Sorry, I'm rather ignorant of what your options might be, just trying to think of other source options for you to find Mosdos if you want to try it. My DS loves Mosdos too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted June 14, 2013 Author Share Posted June 14, 2013 Swellmomma, do you have Barnes & Noble bookstores in Canada? I bought my latest Mosdos at Barnes & Noble online in the U.S. at far less than the normal retail price. I've also seen used copies on Amazon. Sorry, I'm rather ignorant of what your options might be, just trying to think of other source options for you to find Mosdos if you want to try it. My DS loves Mosdos too. no we don't, but I should check if chapters/indigo does. I did not think of checking amazon, I'll check there too and see if I can find it cheaper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3andme Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 A few options: K12 texts with workbooks. You don't really need the online portion. CLE Reading supplemented with novels for other 1/2 the year. BJU Reading Daybook of Critical Reading Scott Foresman "America Reads" Series(grade 6 +). Very solid anthology series that includes at least one novel/novella each year. Excellent graduated coverage of literary concepts. This series is out-of-print but can be found used in both student and annotated teacher's editions. 6th grade, 7th grade, 8th grade. Jamestown' Best series - (5th - 12th) - separate texts by genre (e.g. short stories, plays, novels). Hewitt has a syllabus for this at the Jr. High level. Reader's Journey worktext (6th - 8th). explaining series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 I've got Reader's Journey 6 for Geezle for next year. I bought the worktext and the Teacher's Differentiated Instruction from Amazon. I liked the idea that they have novels at different levels so that both Geezle and Trinqueta could do the novel study at the same time, but with appropriate materials for both. My library doesn't have all of them, but it does have enough that I won't have to buy much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 [*]Reader's Journey worktext (6th - 8th). explaining series. I've got Reader's Journey 6 for Geezle for next year. I bought the worktext and the Teacher's Differentiated Instruction from Amazon. I liked the idea that they have novels at different levels so that both Geezle and Trinqueta could do the novel study at the same time, but with appropriate materials for both. My library doesn't have all of them, but it does have enough that I won't have to buy much. Wow! This looks really impressive! Thanks for mentioning it. Love the use of whole books! I have actually read and enjoyed many books by Harvey Daniels. How interesting that he is a co-author here. Promising! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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