zoo_keeper Posted February 17, 2019 Share Posted February 17, 2019 I apologize if this has been discussed already, but my searches both on here and google are coming up empty. Has anyone used Royal Firework Press's Michael Clay Thompson Mentor Network before? I used (and thus own print copies already) MCT's 1st 2 levels of language arts & literature curriculum. However, my job has subsequently gotten exponentially more demanding so I have started integrating more and more online courses. My older two (11 and 13) are blossoming in this environment, but my youngest is 8 and thus not taking that many. I love MCT's grammar approach so I was looking around for options that use his materials and stumbled across the newly released Mentor Network (maybe launched Fall 2018?). However, I have questions even after looking through the sites linked below. First, if anyone has used it, I'm looking for reviews and insights into your experiences. Second, if you're familiar with the program, am I interpreting the information correctly? Specifically, since I already own the books and would like the material to be graded automatically, I am considering Level 1 options without print materials but with instructors. Right now, that means I would sign up for Building Language (seat & instructor, $250), Grammar Island (seat & instructor, $250), and Practice Island (seat, $12.50). I believe that since I want instructor involvement, I would need to wait until their academic year which I assume to be 9/3/19-5/24/20. (If I didn't want access to an instructor I could start at any time and my subscription would be for one calendar year.) In Fall, my daughter would work through Grammar Island and Practice Island on her own and there'd be some type of instructor involved with Building Language. In Spring, an instructor would enter the scene somehow in Grammar Island. Is that right? Even if I have the costs right, I'm still fuzzy as to what actually I'd be buying. Is it an online interface like Khan Academy or Beast Academy that the student logs into and reads passages and then answers questions which are then automatically graded? If I don't purchase the instructor option are the answers still automatically graded? There's no real "class," right? While I'll pay that price for year-long WTMA classes, shelling out $500+ for a year-long solely online platform seems pretty dang steep. Anyway, if you've made it this far, I appreciate it and would also love to hear about people's thoughts on the offering. Thanks! https://www.rfwp.com/series/royal-fireworks-press-digital-learning https://rfolc.com/mentor/ https://rfolc.com/mentor/courses.shtml https://www.rfwp.com/pages/mct-mentor-network/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoo_keeper Posted February 23, 2019 Author Share Posted February 23, 2019 I'm sorry and embarrassed to bump my own thread, but if anyone has any experience with this platform I would really appreciate your insights! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
domestic_engineer Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 There’s someone who is using the Mentor Network in one of the MCT groups on Facebook. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BabyRuthStudent Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 (edited) I would also love to hear more about this. I've ordered the first year (Island) series for my rising 4th grader. She did Abeka Academy's Language Arts 3 last year and the video lessons were a lifesaver. I was wondering if the MCT Mentor Network might enable her to study the curriculum more independently (and thus help us stay on track). I've seen other comments on here about how the MCT curriculum is a "cuddle on the couch" curriculum, which sounds amazing. But I have several children in homeschool, twin toddlers, and a business to run so I'd love anything that can make this more "self-paced." I see that they offer online courses, but they are beyond my budget. I'm therefore considering the "online seat" in grammar ($60), vocabulary ($40), and practice ($35) (and wondering why the prices are different and whether it makes sense to get a seat in each one?). I'm also considering supplementing the MCT curriculum with workbooks from Christian Light Education (CLE). The CLE curriculum is designed to allow students to work independently and I've heard it's strong on things like spelling, mechanics, writing (things I've heard MCT is weak on). Am I crazy to consider using both curriculums? Edited June 22, 2020 by BabyRuthStudent 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.