Anyone using MFW ECC this year?

[mommyto4QT]

We start tomorrow with MFW ECC along with MFW 1st.  I was curious who else was doing MFW ECC this year?  It might be fun for us to get ideas from each other and be able to support each other throughout the year!  This is my 2nd year homeschooling, so I could definitely use any tips/advice!!

 

 

[teeniebeenie6]

There's an awesome ECC facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/272390429444213/ I'm using parts of ECC this year.

[Mommy22alyns]

I used it last year and have a bunch of pics of projects.  It was great!  Also recommend the FB group.

[cbollin]

I'm starting week 3 tomorrow.   it's my 3rd time in ECC.  This time with just my youngest.  did 1st edition twice (one time in jr. high )  another place for ideas, etc...  actually doing "2nd edition" this time, or trying at least. we'll see.. 

http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewforum.php?f=15

 

I had fun in the first two weeks with map distortion concept...    my youngest, although she's 11 y.o, is developmental delayed with autism.  So this might sound young..  but when teaching the concept that maps distort, I pretended to lift the pictures from the globe and "splat" them onto the wall map (which in my case is a plastic shower curtain)....   "splat!"  oops!   too much splat and now greenland is sliding down... oops..   oh well. 

 

she thought it was funny.   I don't know if it helped on the concept or not.  

 

and we're definitely not reading Prop of Eco word for word out loud.    using it to teach concepts from.  not word for word reading.

[Donna A.]

We are. :) 

 

My biggest all-time MFW tip is to READ THE MANUAL.  Besides all the teaching instruction at the front of the manual, those notes following the grid each week are the key to success.  Well, one of the keys, anyway. ;)  Marie will often point out things like a particular assignment being intended for older children, so you may want to do this or that instead with a younger child.  Or she'll say "You might want to skip the comments referencing evolution", or things like that. 

 

If you get stuck or have difficulty with a particular lesson or book, remember that help is just a phone call (or fingertips) away.  The folks in the MFW office, the forums (Archives and Ideas), and of course right here are great places to ask questions or work through a problem. 

 

So how did your first two days go?

[gratitude]

:seeya: Everyone!

 

I started last Thursday with my three oldest.  It is going great so far.  I am now doing one day at a time, but I started last week with a few activities in the introduction section to get a jump start on them.  So we made the World Cake last Friday.  On Saturday my DH had to work and we hunted for worms.  Normally this area would be great for worms, but we have had the driest summer I have seen in a very long time.  So all the worms are in hiding.  I looked it up and worm farms are fairly inexpensive if you run into that problem.  We had a fun hike in the woods though at our local park digging around for them.  My kids of course loved the cake.  The Map Book and WoTW introduction went well.  The Bible verses have gone well.  It is such a relief to finally have a program I am using for all 3!  I am reading POE ahead so I can use it to teach concepts as well without having to read it word for word.  

 

Thank you for starting the thread.

[Mom2OandE]

We just started week 3. So far, so good. We are supplementing a few things as I found a few of the books not to my liking. I have a older set though. Overall, I'm really excited about the year.

[cbollin]

oh, we had one worm under a stepping stone in the mulch....   but if all else fails?   if you have a store with live bait, those will work too.  I've bought them from walmart fishing section of the stores around here.   few tips? I had heard enough stories over the last 5 years of ECC 2nd edition (where the Prop of Eco instructions seemed off ) ....   so on wormy?

We left out the oats, and instead just put some dry leaves in.   potting soil, a bit of sand, soil, sand.  couple of leaves.   We covered the jar with a screen. (make sure you have holes in lid).   and just wrapped a dark kitchen towel round that jar.  we could see tunnels and yes, that critter took that leaf down.... .

 

 

[Donna A.]

We found our worms underneath a wood pile way out by the back fence.  This experiment went better for us than when I did it with my older two a few years ago.  It was the same time of year, but we're in a different house with a different yard.... Anyway, we enjoyed it. :) 
 
For anyone who hasn't started yet, or is still in Week 1, I found a video at the library called "Maps & Globes" by Schlessinger Media that was *really* good.  It explains everything so simply and clearly, with a fun twist to it.  We all enjoyed it... even my older girls had to peek in on it. ;)
 
So don't forget Book Basket! :001_smile: