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New grade guide/sequence for Beautiful Feet is so much better

BatmansWife

By BatmansWife,
in K-8 Curriculum Board

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BatmansWife

BatmansWife

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I have always found the sequence guide to BF to be confusing (and maybe it's just me):

 

Primary K-3rd Grade
Early American History (K-3rd grade)
Teaching Character/Primary (K-3rd grade)
History of the Horse (3nd-6th grade)  
History of Science (3rd-6th grade) 
Geography through Literature (3rd-7th grades)

4th Grade
Early American History (Primary or Intermediate) 
Ancient History/Intermediate (4th-8th grade) 
History of the Horse (3nd-6th grade) 
History of Science (3rd-6th grade) 
Geography through Literature (3rd-7th grade) 
History of Classical Music (4th-8th grade) 
History of California (4th-6th grade) Semester program 
Teaching Character Through Literature/Intermediate (4th-6th grade) 
The History of Western Expansion (4th-7th grade) Semester program 

5th-6th Grade 
Early American History Intermediate (5th-6th grade) 
Modern American & World (5th-8th grade)
Ancient History/Intermediate (4th-8th grade)
Medieval History (5th-8th grade)
History of the Horse (3nd-6th grade)
History of Science (3rd-6th grade)
Geography through Literature (3rd-7th grade)
History of Classical Music (4th-8th grade)
History of California (4th-6th grade) Semester program
Teaching Character Through Literature/Intermediate (4th-6th grade)
The History of Western Expansion (4th-7th grade) Semester program

Junior High 7th-8th Grade
Modern American & World (5th-8th grade)
Early American and World History (7th-9th grade) 
Ancient History Jr. High (4th-8th grade) 
Medieval History (5th-8th grade) 
History of Classical Music (4th-8th grade)
The History of Western Expansion (4th-7th grade) Semester program

Senior High 9th-12th Grade
Early American and World History (7th-9th grade) 
Ancient History (9th-12th grade) 
Medieval History Sr. High (10th-12th grade) 
Modern U.S. and World History (11th-12th grade

 

  

I've tried taking this sequence and figuring out a plan...what we'd use for each grade.  I was always unsure if I had it right.  

 

Well, I don't know when they re-did their Get Started page (maybe it's not even new, but I've never seen this grade list before).  Check out the new sequence now:

 

A recommended Study Sequence for grades 1-12

 

 

This is EXACTLY what I've hoped they would have done years ago...just make it plain and simple and tell me what to use for each grade (and yes, I know...you can tweak things and use something differently...but the other sequence made me think too hard :lol: ).

 

 Anyway....just thought maybe this would be new, and helpful, to someone else too.  BTW, the new video is nice too.  

Edited by BatmansWife
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Wow, they changed it!  I still don't understand why they took 2 years of US History and turned it into one (and it's with a modern focus).  I was very interested in the 2 year program.  Now, it looks like it jumps straight from Medieval to Modern US History (which is weird!).

 

We are seriously planning to buy History of the Horse for the 11 year-old soon.

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KeriJ

KeriJ

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Wow, they changed it! I still don't understand why they took 2 years of US History and turned it into one (and it's with a modern focus). I was very interested in the 2 year program. Now, it looks like it jumps straight from Medieval to Modern US History (which is weird!).

 

We are seriously planning to buy History of the Horse for the 11 year-old soon.

Technically, they do Early American, Ancient, Medieval and then Modern, so it's just separated.

The original 2 year one (I have the guide) was still just Modern.

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I'm glad they did this, too, but I do think the high school sequence is odd.  I don't want to split American like that.  I hope they are able to address that soon.  Thanks for posting this!

 

Kathy

 

Yeah, I think it's strange, too!   :tongue_smilie:  Also, their Ancients and Medieval look so wonderful...and the Early American almost looks like they didn't put much effort into it.

 

Edited to add:  I keep my eye on that curriculum, because I think it would be a great fit for Kid #3 as she approaches high school.

Edited by Evanthe
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jer2911mom

jer2911mom

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Yeah, I think it's strange, too!   :tongue_smilie:  Also, their Ancients and Medieval look so wonderful...and the Early American almost looks like they didn't put much effort into it.

 

Edited to add:  I keep my eye on that curriculum, because I think it would be a great fit for Kid #3 as she approaches high school.

 

The thing I'm confused about is that it looks like the same spines are used in both the intermediate/jr. high and high school levels of ancients and medieval.  Are the kids really supposed to cover the same material twice like that?  Anyone know?

 

Thanks,

Kathy

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Heather in VA

Heather in VA

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The thing I'm confused about is that it looks like the same spines are used in both the intermediate/jr. high and high school levels of ancients and medieval.  Are the kids really supposed to cover the same material twice like that?  Anyone know?

 

Thanks,

Kathy

 

I haven't used them but this is what i've been told because I was wondering the same thing. The Medieval guides have been redone so they have different spines. Int/Jr. high uses the European World and High school uses National Geography Medieval World. Ancients hasn't been redone so it has a lot more of the same stuff.

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jer2911mom

jer2911mom

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I haven't used them but this is what i've been told because I was wondering the same thing. The Medieval guides have been redone so they have different spines. Int/Jr. high uses the European World and High school uses National Geography Medieval World. Ancients hasn't been redone so it has a lot more of the same stuff.

 

Thanks, that's good to know.  I was just looking at Medieval again and it looks like there are still quite a few of the same or similar books - Columbus and Sons, The Magna Charta, Arabian Nights, Beowulf, Joan of Arc, Canterbury Tales.  I guess I'm surprised there isn't more variety between the two levels.  It almost seems like they are trying to keep it very similar in case you have a child in each level.

 

Kathy

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BatmansWife

BatmansWife

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I'm glad they did this, too, but I do think the high school sequence is odd.  I don't want to split American like that.  I hope they are able to address that soon.  Thanks for posting this!

 

Kathy

 

This concerns me too.  I was thinking of possibly switching from BkSk back to BF...because BkSk is almost too many books for us right now.  But, if we would jump in now and follow the new sequence starting at 7th grade Ancient, then when we do 10th grade Ancient it looks like half the books are repeats from the 7th grade Ancient history.  That's odd.  I don't know why it wouldn't be completely different books.

 

For Medieval...the 8th grade pack has a lot of books.  Unlike the Senior level Ancient which added more books, the 11th grade Medieval has less books...but almost all of them are repeats from 8th grade Medieval.  

 

Hmm...now I'm disappointed again.  The only way that really makes sense at this point would be for us to wait and maybe do the 4 high school levels...then we wouldn't repeat the Ancient and Medieval (but I like the middle grade Medieval books better).  

Edited by BatmansWife
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jer2911mom

jer2911mom

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This concerns me too.  I was thinking of possibly switching from BkSk back to BF...because BkSk is almost too many books for us right now.  But, if we would jump in now and follow the new sequence starting at 7th grade Ancient, then when we do 10th grade Ancient it looks like half the books are repeats from the 7th grade Ancient history.  That's odd.  I don't know why it wouldn't be completely different books.

 

For Medieval...the 8th grade pack has a lot of books.  Unlike the Senior level Ancient which added more books, the 11th grade Medieval has less books...but almost all of them are repeats from 8th grade Medieval.  

 

Hmm...now I'm disappointed again.  The only way that really makes sense at this point would be for us to wait and maybe do the 4 high school levels...then we wouldn't repeat the Ancient and Medieval (but I like the middle grade Medieval books better).  

 

I agree, Sonlight/Bookshark seems like too many books, and Beautiful Feet doesn't seem like enough.  I wonder if a call/email into Beautiful Feet would provide more insight on the ancients years and if they plan to address that anytime soon.  I'd like to know their thoughts on why they wrote the medieval the way they did, too, since they apparently just updated that one.

 

I don't want to wait until high school to use BF, either.  I really don't want to be starting a new curriculum at that point.  But I think it would be discouraging to use the same or similar materials twice like that.

 

Another question I have is whether or not the workload is a full week's worth.  I believe if I'm remembering right, even if you only have 2-3 lessons per week, it still takes a week?  Do any of you know?  I remember seeing lesson counts that were in the 90s and wondering if it was truly a full credit.  Does each lesson take more than a day?  It made me wonder about high school credits when I was reading the descriptions.

 

Thanks,

Kathy

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AdventuresinHomeschooling

AdventuresinHomeschooling

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I am thinking about using some of the same books they have for Ancients in sixth grade next year. Do you all know what the flavor is for that one? The American was very providential. I understand Ancients would have more biblical history woven in, but is it still providential? Also, how much have they moved away from the Principle Approach toward CM framework in this one?

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