Dassah Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I know I'm not comparing apples to apples here but I need to make my plan for 9th and I'd like to pick one of these and stick with it for the 4 year cycle. I have a child with some specific (and time consuming) academic interests. I'd like to choose a college prep, engaging, yet least time consuming option. Both MFW and Biblioplan include Literature and History (and nothing more, I think). So, compare just HOD's Lit and History with the others, please. I'm just too unfamiliar with the titles to make a decision. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Out of the items listed, I've only done mfw's ahl. Done it twice. It's very hard to talk about just the "literature and history part" of AHL because the Bible part is very much part of history, and the composition is part of literature. Not trying to sound nit picky on that, but rather explain my answer will include those elements and I'll call it English. (ok.. so I'm picky on it.) Oldest was a quicker worker than middle gal: she was taking about 2-2.5 hours on most days to do a good job in Bible, History and English. then she had her other classes (science, math, etc) and had plenty of time for friends, and other stuff. (she's in college now, used mfw whole way, and is doing fine in college with double major in elec. engineer and comp sci) Middle gal: used more audio helps, and we worked together more, and she's just slower. that part of her day was closer to 2.5-3 hours a day on those 3 parts of school. I worked more with her on composition than I did with oldest. and she is very detailed minded regarding her time line project. school is about 7 hours a day for her for all subjects and breaks. We're not doing school in the evening, etc. Those are ballpark figures for us as we never clocked it. MFW AHL includes Bible and HIstory (which are quite connected), English (literature, composition, time for "free reading of classics"). 3 credits worth of material and time. Some students will of course work faster like my oldest who skimmed stuff I think and rushed her work. Middle gal: I worked with her as needed, used audio books, let her answer the Notgrass and Bible stuff out loud. hopefully those details will help you compare as others shared their experiences in the other programs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dassah Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 Cbollin, that helps! I know that reading through the OT is part of the plan in AHL. Did you find that at least some of the Bible readings are integrated with the stage in history being covered or is it a stand-alone piece? In my mind, the more integrated I can get subjects, the less actual time spent to cover the needed subjects. Is that even possible? :) I'm just trying to figure how to still use an all-in-one curriculum with a child who probably needs a program more catered to her. I just don't have the confidence to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I think parts of their Bible study can be stand alone, or subbed out as needed. I think it works well keeping it together. There are going to be parts where you're studying something in history that wasn't part of Old Testament (obviously). But overall, I felt it was integrated in ancients as much as possible and I would have a hard time splitting it out. And with the English part as well so that some of the essay topics have that across the curriculum feel to it with you read Homer, and you're reading Proverbs/Psalms, and then you're asked to make connections in how people lived and thought and what it means to you. There's comparison of literature of two cultures (Psalms for Israel, and Homer in Greece). This isn't explaining it well but it was like that. Even at the end of the year, I can remember my head tilting a bit "why does mfw include bio on Eric Liddell in ancients?" but it was done while studying ancient China so that parts of the bio made sense, and also with the history of Greece and olympics.. so even that was connected. along with the overall "bible/worldview" theme/challenge of how will you put your faith in action. Then in other years in MFW, I felt like Bible could be pulled out easier. in WHL a little less so, but last 2 years, I didn't feel it was as connected to other subjects the same level as it did in AHL. It was still there and tied in so it didn't feel like it wasn't connected at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 oh, and I felt like each of my daughters so far have used MFW in different ways that met their needs. I'm not that great of a homeschooler to pull it off. It's weird how it happens even with similar materials. Oldest finished biology (wile, 2nd edition) and rolled her eyes "there. it's done. yeah". Middle gal "oh, that's the end? oh.. this was the best class I've taken in my life. I loved this". oldest didn't care with microscope slides (still made her do them). middle gal made this nice notebook from them. bible: oldest shared lessons from the books in MFW in her youth group middle? completely different person. LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.