Anyone use Illuminations from Bright Idea's Press with Mystery of History

[michaeljenn]

I really like the looks of Illuminations, but have yet to truly find many people using this program.  Would LOVE to hear some reviews.  We are using Sonlight Core D right now, but I really like MOH and am wondering how Illumination compares to Sonlight.  Help!

[michaeljenn]

anyone??? LOL

[MerryAtHope]

I've never used it because some of the additional included subjects didn't fit what we needed/wanted, but I have used their booklists to round out what we did (we did a Sonlight/MOH combo over 3 years for one child and 4 years for the other, so I had room for extra books). We enjoyed many of their book selections. 

 

Sorry I can't be more help! I wonder if they have a forum or FB page where you could get feedback?

[mamamoose]

Yes, I am using it. My kids are on the young side (6, 8, 10) and I like the concept but really wish the actual schedule was easier to manipulate. For instance, we aren't going to finish the first quarter because we started in January, and next fall I want to add their science, but I can't put science in at the stage we are in for history. Same with geography. I would like to maybe alternate geography and science, weekly, and it doesn't allow that flexibility at all, which is really a bummer. I probably won't be buying the next year of it because of this problem. I love MOH, and will continue, but this has been a deal breaker. I don't even use it anymore, really.

[michaeljenn]

Yes, I am using it. My kids are on the young side (6, 8, 10) and I like the concept but really wish the actual schedule was easier to manipulate. For instance, we aren't going to finish the first quarter because we started in January, and next fall I want to add their science, but I can't put science in at the stage we are in for history. Same with geography. I would like to maybe alternate geography and science, weekly, and it doesn't allow that flexibility at all, which is really a bummer. I probably won't be buying the next year of it because of this problem. I love MOH, and will continue, but this has been a deal breaker. I don't even use it anymore, really.

 

Thanks for replying!  Do you find the literature guides worthwhile?

[MerryAtHope]

Thanks for replying!  Do you find the literature guides worthwhile?

 

I've only used one guide but liked it. (I got it as a sample I think...trying to remember now how I got it!)

 

I thought I remembered an option to buy lit guides separately--it says this in their FAQ page (quoted below), but when I click the link, it says it's down for maintenance and then the home page comes up. You may want to email them to see about getting a sample lit guide or to see if you can purchase them separately to try them out.

 

From their FAQ: "you can purchase separately many of the Literature Study Guides used in Illuminations here!"

[mamamoose]

Thanks for replying! Do you find the literature guides worthwhile?

I've had a hard time finding the books. Our local libraries don't have most of them, but we are pretty rural so bigger libraries may have them. I actually ended up using a combination of their books and TOG.

[mamamoose]

But yes, the guides are helpful, for the books I've found successfully!