Talk to me about MFW ECC

[strange_girl]

I've been researching curriculum for next year (3rd grade), and I'm thinking about Exploring Countries and Cultures. Yes, I'm really an HOD girl at heart, but I'm keeping an open mind :D

 

Rather than do two years of American history with HOD (Beyond and Bigger) I thought it might be more fun to do Beyond this year, MFW ECC next year, and then HOD Preparing for an overview of world history right after that. What do you think?

 

Have any of you used ECC (and enjoyed it) with a young 3rd grader? DD is advanced and loves history. She's just about to turn 6 and is really enjoying Beyond.

 

With a third grader, do you use all the missionary biographies, or are those more aimed at the older student?

 

What was your favorite part of ECC?

 

Your least favorite part?

 

I am hoping to use MCT Island for LA and Math Mammoth for math, adding in simple art and music. Does this sound like a good plan? Just looking for experienced advice :)

[cbollin]

I'm doing ECC for the third time.  But if you like HOD....you might not like mfw stuff... that's ok too.. 

 

First time I did ECC my oldest was in 2nd grade. Second time we did ECC she was 7th grade.  (she's 12th grade now.. so it's youngest kiddo in ecc. time flies)  At the time when my oldest was in 2nd grade MFW had not yet written Adventures.... so we started with ECC.  I liked that it wasn't overkill.  I liked the feeling of learning how to use reference materials to glean information and look up stuff, and do cross references.   We liked the music in ECC to dance around.  The crafts were fun for us.  My oldest still remembers some tomato soup recipe from a book basket book from the first time we did it.  She was asking to do that soup again today because we were getting ready for our end of Mexico unit party.  I tell ya.. there's nothing like having 2 high schoolers sit with their youngest sister making the paper flowers.....   awww.. I'm having one of those happy moments in homeschooling where I'm really glad for sticking with mfw all this time and going through high school...

 

but I disgress...  my least favorite part was when I felt like I was being too repetitive, so I turned that into a positive.   I changed it up.  moved the furniture around to pretend we were in a "new hotel" each time we "entered" a country.  We ordered breakfast (pretending we are in hotel lobby) for the country and played.  So, even when it felt repetitive, it was fun to change it up.

 

you asked on missionary biographies.... my oldest was fine with the one from "deluxe" package when she was 2nd grade.  I modified slightly in some places.    I wouldn't use the "jr. high biographies" at that age.

 

you can use whatever you prefer for LA and Math.  that's good.

 

We liked making the crafts and flags and decorating.  oh oh oh.. I have pictures from the 2nd time...: this is my simplified sand art and paper quilt

http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=164&start=25#p39584

 

here here.. .this is my terrarium and how we made carnival costumes

http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=161&start=50#p65898

 

ok.. yes, I like to scale back and just have fun...

 

I know the normal pitfalls in ECC with 3rd grader:

teacher has a learning curve with a multiage textbook with Prop of  Ecosystems.   It doesn't have to be read aloud word for word.

you can get bogged down in worksheets if you're not careful

 

 

I like that it wasn't overwhelming in my day and wasn't a long day to get it done and still have time for life, interests etc.  felt full year even if some days weren't super demanding 8-5 pm school.  which it shouldn't be at this age in my opinion, I"m just using hyperbole

 

 

we had fun with the geography game.  I liked learning the history in Hero Tales.   Remember... the history in ECC is "geography and biography" based and not chronological.

 

I'm modifiying it a lot for my youngest (she has autism and well... )   I found it flexible when I had 7th and 4th grader in it.   book basket was fun.   I liked playing travel agent and passport taker.

 

 

 

[strange_girl]

I'm doing ECC for the third time. But if you like HOD....you might not like mfw stuff... that's ok too..

 

 

Hey, I'm willing to give it a try :)

 

Thank you for your detailed response; very helpful. It was good to hear that some of the materials I saw were not really for 2-3 graders.

 

Now, in response to the biographies, which ones were considered 'jr. high' level?

 

I understand that the history portion is biographical rather than chronological, and I liked that aspect, especially in a geography course. I am interested in the course because it looks like a nice break from American history, and also because my daughter has not really been exposed to geography, but she is very curious about it.

[strange_girl]

Another question: is the basic package plus the animal book considered enough for the younger grades, or is it still worth getting the deluxe package?

[cbollin]

The biographies I was fine using in elementary years are from  the deluxe package:

Cam Townsend (although parts of this one were not super adventure.  I was ok summarizing those parts.  I think it's important to have that Bible translation history)

Nate Saint - and although that has a tragic ending to his life, the ECC teacher manual helps prepare for it and point out what happened because of it

Amy Carmichael  (I remember chaning the word temple prostitute to temple slave, the first time I read it out loud, but not after)

G. Muller

David Livingstone

G. Aylward (and for younger children, the teacher manual does give you heads up warning on the paragraphs that have a rough incident on the train.  so, when reading these biographies, as much as we all like reading ahead or just one more chapter...  do read your teacher notes on these books for those little things and take the 10 minutes to scan for it.  that way you can handle it in your family the way you want)

 

 

jr. high level biographies are from the "jr. high package" which you don't need and work better at older ages from my experience.....

• Bruchko
• The Narrow Road
• I Dared to Call Him Father
• Peace Child

 

I would get the deluxe package - has the biographies, and Kingdom Tales.  Oh.. We liked Kingdom Tales.  some people are not comfortable with the first chapter. I toned down the intensity a little for my middle gal who was and still is sensititve, but she loved the story and allegory.

deluxe has inflatable globe

and it has animal search and origami kit

 

Optional?  the Complete Book of Animals.  I like using that for basic reading comprehension for grades 1-2.  If your child still likes animal themes.. get it.  It won't be hard and it won't take tons of time.  But it's nice to be able to pull out information from text and answer very basics on it.

 

there's been a recent substitute in the basic package - a book called Illustrated World Atlas went out of print, and MFW worked with a new publisher (Master Books) to get Children's Atlas of God's World

published.  I hear the first printing of that book had some proofreading errors (according to reviews on amazon).   But I haven't used that replacement. 

 

But, you asked is basic plus animal book enough for younger grades?  yes. (but you still need a globe either from deluxe or your own).   I'm not sure which animal book (complete book of animals, or great animal search), but if you didn't do any of the biographies, or didn't do Kingdom Tales, and found origami paper at hobby lobby instead, you're fine.

 

hopefully, others will less than happy happy happy experiences will chime in and balance out my experience. giggle.   You might like it.  you're right... might be fun to try something new.

 

 

[Amy M]

Well, it sounds like I'm similar in an opposite way to you. :) HOD and MFW are similar, but I was opposite in that I chose MFW over HOD because I wanted to combine more children and get into the 4-year cycle sooner, and one of the reasons choosing MFW was hard for me was their ECC program, making the 4-year cycle into an awkward 5-year. But anyway, we are missionaries, and I am now very excited about using ECC (haven't used it yet) after the reviews I've read from others. We will be using it with a younger 3rd grader, and plan to use everything except the junior high supplement.

 

I have a feeling we won't be crazy about the art and music from that year...we'll see.

 

Don't know if this will help, but here are articles I wrote about MFW and how I chose it; they reference ECC a bit.

 

Why I Chose MFW

My Father's World History Comparison

[mommyto4QT]

We are starting week 7 with MFW ECC.  I have to say that so far we are loving it a lot LESS than MFW Adventures.  I feel like the guide is very disjointed in how you introduce country information.  You have to rely very heavily on the book basket books to give country-specific info.  And, we just started Canada and my library and the other nearby library system only had 1 of the recommended books about Canada.  

 

 

[gratitude]

We have done MFWK, MFW1, ADV, and this fall the first 11 weeks of ECC.

 

I originally wrote a review.  I came though to the conclusion that 'my attempts' at ECC this fall aren't enough time in the program to give it a review.  

[cbollin]

 

Crystal though has finished it 3 times so my thoughts are only based on 6 weeks which is only 1/5 of ECC. She would have the full picture of ECC that I don't

 

 

sounds like I"ve mistyped something on some thread. sorry for confusion.  I've finished ECC twice.  And am currently in the third time using it. This time is modified for my youngest and doing only basic with her. interesting in her case.... one fiction and one non ficition library book is enough.  amazing the difference from first time to last.  LOL LOL and she's totally surprised me that she likes using the cross referencing for maps/atlas to do one worksheet a day with World Geography.  everyone is so different.....

[Meadowlark]

This thread is interesting to me. If not, MFW ECC, then what for an introduction to world geography? I really want to do a year of this eventually but am finding negative reviews about ECC and my other contender, Winter promise. Thoughts?

[cbollin]

Amysue,

 

just remember.. every program will have positives and negatives.  When I bought MFW's ECC in 2003, I bought it on first sight at a convention without reading one review out there.  I just knew from seeing it.

 

For the ages you have listed, ECC would probably not work until your oldest is age 8 or so - even when they are advanced in some skills with reading and all of that it is just going to make more sense when that oldest child is a little older.  Youngers sibs can join in the fun with family. And I know I did ok with the original version of ECC from 2003 that was only for grades 2-6.  Given how it's been updated...  I can see why to wait.

 

I found MFW very open and go and even though it won't fit everyone, it fit my teaching style on introducing topics, and we liked the reference books and having fun with passport play, and music.  I liked the feel of knowing the people of the world.  I liked how we could use reference books to learn to glean information.  I know I'm not the only positive on ECC.  I know it doesn't fit everyone either.  But it was a blessing to my family to use it and was answer to prayer.  

 

 

[Mom2TheTeam]

This thread is interesting to me. If not, MFW ECC, then what for an introduction to world geography? I really want to do a year of this eventually but am finding negative reviews about ECC and my other contender, Winter promise. Thoughts?

 

Beautiful Feet Geography?  It looks....beautiful to me.  LOL!!

[Meadowlark]

Thanks for the reminder. Hopefully I will get a chance to someday look at it at a convention in a few years. We're so busy with just the 3 R's right now, but I dream of the day I can expand their world a bit with a study of other cultures. That will be the fun part of homeschooling for me!

[gratitude]

I decided my 4 weeks this fall in ECC were not enough time to review it; so I deleted my original review.  ;)

 

 

 

[HeartatHome]

Good thread... I'm interested in ECC myself but using it alongside HOD.

I've just started with HOD so I don't know exactly how this is done but from what I understand geography is studied along side of history in most of the guides so you are not actually waiting to do geography only in high school. As we progress and I find we need more I plan to use either ECC or Galloping the Globe once a week. Perhaps having Friday as our geography day once the guides hit 4 days. We'll see though because life can be unpredictable but that's my goal for now. Lol

[strange_girl]

Thank you, everyone, for all the good advice :). I am as yet undecided. While I like the look of ECC...there are a few things that you ladies have mentioned that I just don't think my daughter would be ready for, and even some I don't feel would be appropriate for her. She will/would be 7 if we use it.

 

I too have thought about using ECC alongside HOD...just pulling the parts that I like from both...but that also sounds a bit expensive and more complicated than both programs are meant to be. I will keep thinking about it.