Reviews for Build Your Library

[Kjirstyn]

This is a new one for me and I'm flipping through her website trying to decide what to think. It has its appealing points, to be sure.  :-)  Could I get some reviews from those who have used it?

[historically accurate]

I've used several levels: 3, 4, 7 & 8. I've also used all of the Harry Potter unit studies (there are 4 so far), WWII unit study and the Evolution unit study. I will most likely use levels 10 (just came out this week) and level 11 for my oldest's 11th and 12th grade years. 

 

Book choices: with very few exceptions, my kids have all liked them. 

 

Science: it's a mixed bag. I don't like Elemental Science, so I skipped that. I used level 8 with a 9th grader, so the science portion [Milestones in Science & something else] had to be scrapped in exchange for a credit worthy high school science (although that isn't really a con, since I was using it up). The science in 3 & 4 was all right, but not lab- or demonstration- heavy. 

 

Poetry & Art: love that poetry and art are right in the schedule as these are the things I tend to throw out first or forget to get around to. 

 

Discussion/Copywork/Narration/Dictation: these could all stand to be beefed up. I would not consider this a full writing program for any of the levels I have done. I supplemented writing always. The discussion questions are only on the read-aloud, and they tend toward "What happened after...?" or "How did So-and-so do this?" rather than a deeper why. I changed the narration to be telling me what happened, and then one book a YEAR was the other project - type activities for narration - I couldn't spend the amount of time doing a puppet show every week (and I have 2 kids who hates arts and crafts). I've settled on my kids doing 1 old-school book report, 1 chapter-by-chapter written narration, and 1 project on their readers a year. 

 

The sample week is a pretty good idea of what the level is like. Level 7 was my favorite full program (seriously, it's awesome!); level 9's topic wasn't interesting to me or to my dd. Also, I wanted only a one year elementary US history, so we skipped levels 5&6. I'm writing my own US history using several different booklists including BYL. WWII is a really good introduction, and I built off of it to make a half credit for my 9th grader last year. Harry Potter is my younger two kids' favorite parts of the last couple of years' school. Evolution was just meh, in my experience. 

Edited August 7, 2017 by beckyjo

[TheAttachedMama]

I think it is a GREAT value for the price.   I was really impressed by how much you get in the package and how much work she has put into the program.   They remind me a lot of Sonlight.  (I am a former Sonlight user, and honestly, I feel like Sonlight is going to have a hard time competing with companies like BYL!   Sonlight charges a LOT more for their IGs.   And while their guides may look a little more professional, you really get a lot more value for your money with BYL.)

 

I also feel like the writing portion of BYL is weak.   That is the one area I would either replace completely or beef up.    (But I also felt that the language arts portion of Sonlight was weak too.)    I like that BYL is more Charlotte Mason inspired than Sonlight.  I also feel like BYL would appeal to a creative child.   There are lot of non-traditional narration ideas included:  drawing, build with legos, act out, etc.

 

I also agree with what beckyjo wrote about the discussion questions.    The questions felt sort of superficial.    BYL is very similar to sonlight:   a lot of books, but not a lot of depth....you know?    We ended up switching to memoria press literature, and I know see that the two approaches are night and day.  Memoria press has a lot fewer books scheduled.   You read at a lot slower pace (sometimes even re-reading harder book chapters twice in fact!)---and the questions are a lot deeper.    

 

However, I would recommend BYL to just about anyone.   There are a few cons...but there are cons to just about any curriculum.  You know?

[SilverMoon]

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Edited August 31, 2023 by SilverMoon

[bwdiaz]

I've used and liked BYL in the past. We did grades 1 and 2 in mashup with History Odyssey and we've done several unit studies (sharks was our favorite). I'm doing BYL 1 again with my next first grader while I'm switching to solely History Odyssey with Mosdos lit for my older daughter. I do hope to use years 7 & 8 since I always see such good teviews of them.

 

The lit is really the star of the show in BYL in my opinion. I like that history has good support but the lit is really the best part.