MFW Adventures for 4th Grader?

[Carolinagirl1]

I keep reading that MFW Adventures is only for students up through 3rd grade. Why? Is there a reason I shouldn't use it for my 2nd and 4th graders together?

[cbollin]

I'm a major fan of MFW.

The Bible and Science would be rather light for the average 4th grader in the ADV program.

If you wanted to do it with both of them, be prepared to add more in expectations and content for Bible. 

You'll need more science in some fashion for 4th grader. That could mean 4th grader is setting up everything and cleaning it up, and writing a lot of lab reports and having to find more to read on the topic. Or it could mean supplement with other science.

 

The history will be probably be fine especially with book basket.  But even then, I'd think you'd need to do a little more in notebooking with oldest student.

 

art/music are electives and probably not a problem if they used those.

 

math and language arts are always done at level. 

 

you'd need to have some other reading....

 

Another reason ?  if you're into the chronological history approach and cycles of learning, you need to look ahead at where your 4th grader will go from in 5th-8th in history.

 

If you stick with MFW, and do their stuff.... all of the history in ADV gets repeated in EX1850 and 1850MOD.

 

When my oldest (who starts college this fall) was in 2nd grade, MFW had not yet written Adventures and so we started in ECC.   I added in light US history via Schoolhouse Rock videos, and Liberty's Kids, and field trips.

 

hope some of those thoughts help as you decide how you want to work it in your family. 

[Carolinagirl1]

Thanks! I will be using BJU for science and we do Community Bible Study which is pretty in-depth, so I have those areas covered. We will also be doing a separate reading curriculum (CLE). I'm mainly wanting MFW for the history. It is nice to have art and music added in as well. So I should be fine if I supplement those areas and utilize the book basket with the 4th grader? After Adventures, my plan is to continue with the rest of the MFW sequence. That would put us finishing the sequence in 9th grade - Is that ok? I really feel like both of my girls need American history this year, plus we are planning on doing CC which is on cycle to do U.S. History. 

[cbollin]

If you're adding all of that, (CC, CBS, and another science), you should be just fine using ADV in the mix.     and the book basket list is geared toward 2nd-3rd levels, so if that's light for older child, it's ok given the big picture of the whole school year with other stuff.  You're fine on that.

 

Having had a couple of kids in homeschool high school (and one who graduated now) I do not think 1850MOD would be "high school credit" in 9th grade for average or higher student.  (my youngest who is delayed academically with autism..  ok. maybe she'll use it in high school.) 

 

When you get to 8th grade, a common route for planning for those who miss out on 1850MOD as full program would be to plan along the lines of :

in EX1850, starting around week 31 when the state history is started, to have 8th grader also start to read SOTW vol 4 on the side and finish in summer as needed. glance through encyclopedia stuff for modern.   Some of the books from deluxe they can read on their own so that the students gets some modern history in that learning stage.

 

Then in 9th grade, start high school materials with ancients.

 

I'd also add current events each year at their level.  MFW suggests a magazine approach on that.. look on their language arts page for info.

[Carolinagirl1]

If you're adding all of that, (CC, CBS, and another science), you should be just fine using ADV in the mix.     and the book basket list is geared toward 2nd-3rd levels, so if that's light for older child, it's ok given the big picture of the whole school year with other stuff.  You're fine on that.

 

Having had a couple of kids in homeschool high school (and one who graduated now) I do not think 1850MOD would be "high school credit" in 9th grade for average or higher student.  (my youngest who is delayed academically with autism..  ok. maybe she'll use it in high school.) 

 

When you get to 8th grade, a common route for planning for those who miss out on 1850MOD as full program would be to plan along the lines of :

in EX1850, starting around week 31 when the state history is started, to have 8th grader also start to read SOTW vol 4 on the side and finish in summer as needed. glance through encyclopedia stuff for modern.   Some of the books from deluxe they can read on their own so that the students gets some modern history in that learning stage.

 

Then in 9th grade, start high school materials with ancients.

 

I'd also add current events each year at their level.  MFW suggests a magazine approach on that.. look on their language arts page for info.

 

Thank you! That is really helpful. I didn't even think about high school credit, being so far away from it yet! That sounds like a good plan. Also, maybe we could accelerate through Adventures and get back on track at some point?

 

[cbollin]

That could happen but, I wouldn't be surprised if it is EX1850 that you accelerate through since you plan do a lot of early US history this year with ADV and CC.    These things do seem to somehow work out over the years. don't worry too much on that future 8th grade year.  When I started with MFW, they hadn't written past CTG just yet, and had no plans to write high school. Everything fell into place - one year at a time.  oh no. I sound old now.  LOL.  I need to go laugh at myself.

[Carolinagirl1]

Ok, I have been thinking (too much probably) about this for the last 2 days and I'm not trying to beat a dead horse, but here's the situation. My (rising) 4th grader does not know enough American history for my personal comfort. She thought Christopher Columbus made the first flag. I just think that she needs a basic overview. When I looked at MFW Adventures, I thought it would be perfect. Plus, I love the literature selections - so fun for her and her younger sister's ages. Then I started looking at the progression of MFW and how if we started with ECC then we would be finished with the last part of the series after 8th grade. (I suppose I could do as suggested and use SOTW in place of it though, and that is still an option). I called and emailed MFW and got the response that they do not recommend Adventures for my 4th grader, but should instead start with ECC since they will get the same material from Adv in the later parts of the curriculum - but if we do that, my 4th grader won't get American Hx until 7th grade! Again, we are doing American Hx in CC and I feel like we should probably have our history curriculum line up with that (maybe? or not?). At least a good overview of it with some literature and field trips included. Plus, I hate for them to miss the good elementary literature selections with Adventures. Considering all of this, what is the route I should take - Adventures or ECC? I'm so torn!

[MyLittleBears]

Go with your gut. I made the mistake years ago of going with ECC because it was recommended to start there. I really wanted to start with ancients that year. We had a miserable year because our hearts were not in it or at least mine was not and my dc picked up on that. Nothing really to do with the curriculum. Starting with ECC is just a recommendation. Your children will not be permanently altered if you don't do it this time around and it will be really easy to beef up adventures for your 4th grader with WTM recommendations.

[vonfirmath]

Ok, I have been thinking (too much probably) about this for the last 2 days and I'm not trying to beat a dead horse, but here's the situation. My (rising) 4th grader does not know enough American history for my personal comfort. She thought Christopher Columbus made the first flag. I just think that she needs a basic overview. When I looked at MFW Adventures, I thought it would be perfect. Plus, I love the literature selections - so fun for her and her younger sister's ages. Then I started looking at the progression of MFW and how if we started with ECC then we would be finished with the last part of the series after 8th grade. (I suppose I could do as suggested and use SOTW in place of it though, and that is still an option). I called and emailed MFW and got the response that they do not recommend Adventures for my 4th grader, but should instead start with ECC since they will get the same material from Adv in the later parts of the curriculum - but if we do that, my 4th grader won't get American Hx until 7th grade! Again, we are doing American Hx in CC and I feel like we should probably have our history curriculum line up with that (maybe? or not?). At least a good overview of it with some literature and field trips included. Plus, I hate for them to miss the good elementary literature selections with Adventures. Considering all of this, what is the route I should take - Adventures or ECC? I'm so torn!

 

How about starting with the American History year and then proceeding through from there, following year after year? (So Exploration to 1850 followed by 1850 to Modern Times followed by Exploring Countries & Culture --> Creation to the Greeks --> Rome to the Reformation)

 

 

Some kids, after all, in families doing MFW don't start immediately at the beginning.

[Carolinagirl1]

Ok, I am gonna go with my gut. I'm going to do Adventures. Plus, I've been reading reviews where the parent says that they themselves learned a lot from it, so surely it should be fine for a 4th grader. Thanks everyone!!

 

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

I started Adventures halfway through my oldest dd's 3rd grade year and finished it halfway through 4th grade.  The book basket adds a lot to the study.  I also had her do extra/longer notebook pages and picked out longer chapter books from other places, like Sonlight.

[cbollin]

Ok, I am gonna go with my gut. I'm going to do Adventures. Plus, I've been reading reviews where the parent says that they themselves learned a lot from it, so surely it should be fine for a 4th grader. Thanks everyone!!

 

Given that you are doing a co-op that is all about US history... you'll be fine if you want to use ADV for just history since you are doing other stuff with  Bible and Science anyway.

 

Another option to confuse or consider is ECC, then EX1850 1850MOD, CTG, RTR... (or well, now you see it gets all timey whimey.....  my oldest did CTG in 8th and AHL in 9th and it was fine, but I don't think that route fits your overall big picture). While that's a good route to consider, it doesn't feel like the better fit for your situation.

 

No, I don't recommend you use EX1850 as your first mfw program with those ages.  That would be too much in the day and week.  no. ..  I don't recommend that based on big picture of what you've share.

 

I understand MFW's recommendation:  it presumes that your using their product as the main options and using the full program.  Then it makes total sense not to do ADV with 4th grader because it would be light, and the long term picture of what to do for the whole cycle........  But you're adding in  CC co-op, and another Bible and another Science.... so using parts of MFW with ADV will be fine toward meeting your goal.  Don't sweat it too much on when you get to end of 8th grade.  If you're in EX1850 that year... in week 31, the program shifts to doing State History report,  and you will be able to let the oldest read SOTW during that time.

 

yes. go with your gut because you're blending materials and that's ok.

 

LIke I said a few days ago.... when my oldest was in 2nd grade, we used ECC because ADV had not been written. I wanted to have some light US history.   We did Liberty's Kids (it was on TV in those days).  School House Rock America rocks.  and library books on major holidays.  field trips.   But we were not in any intense co-op thing like CC at the time either. 

 

 

just affirming your decision.

[Amy M]

I think you've made the best decision. ADV history would be fine for a 4th grader, if you add other reading and writing. You're already adding CC history, extra science and Bible. So it should be fine, if not more than enough.

 

A couple of extra considerations though...

I like vonfirmath's suggestions above for how to possible rearrange the schedule. Don't be afraid to rearrange MFW's course if you need to for your family. I am potentially going to put ECC at the end of the cycle instead of at the beginning for a few reasons.

 

CC is another issue. Are you going to stick with that? Because if you're going to keep trying to match your history to CC, they're on a different cycle than most other curricula, so eventually you may have to just study different time periods and let the kids "make the connections" between their CC memory work and their (unrelated) history studies. Therefore, if you resign yourself to that possibility, you may feel more freedom this year to do ECC.

 

I also wouldn't want to wait until 7th grade for US history. So one final option if you did want to do the full MFW cycle starting with ECC this year would be to just have her read a basic US history book for book basket time or in the summer or as a read-aloud. You'll have to decide which curriculum to start with in your considerations--MFW or CC?

[shan.non]

I did Adventures for second grade in one semester. We didn't intend to but my daughter always wanted to hear more of the read alouds so I would often double or triple up days. We also only did the history portion. We didn't stay with MFW because reading snippets of books wasn't working for us and I don't want to pay a lot for a curric that I have to modify so much. But it was a very sweet semester that we really enjoyed. I feel she gained a real feel for how different children lived not very long ago.