twoblessings Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 n Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free Indeed Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 Core 3 is way more advanced, has more books and is more interesting. When we did Adventures I was constantly beefing it up- the readings are short and did not hold a though very long. We were tired of the coloring pages. We did enjoy American Pioneers and Patriots though. There really is no comparison between the 2 programs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheila in OK Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 I agree with pp. Core 3 is much more advanced. I used Adventures three years ago with a 2nd grader and a PreK'er. We enjoyed it (esp. the Pioneers & Patriots book) but had to add in readalouds (which is pretty easy to do with the booklists you are given). We started this year using SL Core 3 (5th grade and 2nd grade). I had to modify it down for the 2nd grader. In fact, we have switched to using TQ as our spine and adding in the Core 3 books we like around that to accommodate my ds. Also, Adventures has some hands-on stuff and SL has none. That doesn't bother us, but YMMV. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 just to clarify a bit on the numbers of books.... In addition to the basic and deluxe package books, MFW ADV has over 300 recommended enrichment readings in the manual. All (or nearly all) of Core 3's books are on that recommended list (if I've understood other posters correctly on this topic.) It is expected that you either buy some of the books or just use the library to get them. They are arranged by week of the program so you know when to get them and let your child read the extra books. So it is expected that you add in more reading related to the unit studies in science, history and even music appreciation, but MFW provides a pre-screened list to help you at the library. Good thing is -- you don't have to use all of those titles, nor the exact titles. The cost is lower by using library. And you have the ability to enjoy the historical fiction stories and biographies from that "book basket" time, because you glean the facts from the books in the basic package. so you can do those book basket books at your pace. Also, MFW includes read alouds in the deluxe. Lots of reading time in MFW if you use their recommendations. I haven't used Core 3 to compare. But I can talk about ADV to help you get a feel for it. ADV is written in mind for a 2nd grader who is the oldest in the family. It is not just American history. The Bible and Science in it are about understanding the names of Jesus. So, when you learn about Jesus being the light of the world, you have a science unit on stars, planets and such. Or that He is the bread of life, then you have a unit on bread/yeast, make bread together. SL and MFW are very different in approach to learning. ADV includes simple to do hands on projects to enhance the learning and retention of materials. Materials will be found in grocery store or favorite "stuff mart" store. Notebooking pages are part of appendix pages in the ADV manual. Those are scheduled when to do them so you can teach some writing and language arts related to your unit study. Some language arts is included as part of unit study with Bible and even science too. Memory work, copywork, dictation easily come from Bible time in ADV. There is an optional assignment for advanced students to do extra dictations each week (starts in about week 6).And then you add in a language arts program like Primary Language Lessons. ADV deluxe will include art and music and the read alouds that I mentioned already. It's not just a history program. Designed to be more CM in approach. Here's a link to a thread on the mfw board that helps to compare how MFW differs from lots of other programs out there. Written of course from the perspective of MFW users. It is sorted by similar kinds of programs to help you find information quicker. How does MFW compare to ??? -crystal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethben Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 We did Adventures last year with a 1st grader. We liked it well enough, but without the book basket (we read A LOT of books from the library), it's really not that much to the program. I did find the first half of the Adventures year a lot better than the second half. The hands on was more interesting. The second half was mostly an overview of the states with the most hands on being coloring pages. We did have a good year. We are in ECC this year and I have had to beef it up even with the book basket books (and with a 2nd grader at that). It's a very light program. It does the job well in that ds is really knowing his geography, but I would not call it a rigorous program. I think for those early years, it's a good program since they are still trying to cement phonics and all that. If you want hands on with sonlight, I don't think it would be that hard to add. If you don't like going to the library, Adventures may not be the program for you. Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 Since I never got to use it I always wonder which camp I would be in. ? slight hijack here.... Christina, I'm not the person you were asking, but couldn't resist. I have no clue which one you'd be in. But, maybe you'll get to find out in some ways next year when you do EX1850 with the younger sib supplement ;) The history hands on activities and readings from ADV are all part of the EX8150 in the younger supplement. And the state sheets are in there too. And all of the book basket books too. The difference is in Bible and science. Younger sibs will do the Bible and science in EX1850 instead of the stuff from ADV. I guess the biggest difference is in the pacing. In EX1850, the State Sheets aren't as quickly paced because they are spread out over EX1850 and 1850MOD. But they aren't that much to color (just the flower and the bird and the goal is to train your eye for detail, not just to color them in. My girls liked their state sheets. They'd color them in while I was reading to them.) ADV was written after my oldest was too old to use it. I bought it for my middle child not knowing about the younger supplement for EX1850. I didn't ask at the convention b/c I was rushed. So, the summer after RTR and before starting EX1850 in the fall, we ended up doing a condensed version of just the Bible and science in ADV. (we liked doing the salt and light candle. it was fun.) And then the history part we just did in the one manual. So, I never got to do ADV as a full program. I did the summer thing and then younger supplement in EX1850. -crystal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoblessings Posted October 27, 2008 Author Share Posted October 27, 2008 i Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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