What are some curriculum trends you’ve noticed over the years?

[mellifera33]

I love how Miquon looks. I can almost smell the mimeograph ink. 😄 Very nostalgia-inducing, and great for my kid who always wanted to figure everything out himself. Miquon to BA was a good trajectory for him. 
 

I love MEP too. Printing doesn’t bother me, and I like the scripted lessons, even if I usually end up explaining things differently to my kiddo who has dyscalculia. In the middle grades it takes a bit of work to provide enough review, but they have extra problem sets and it’s not hard to come up with some extra practice on topics that need it.

I was enticed by some of the instagram-worthy programs, but wasn’t able to implement them well. I’m just not organized enough for that sort of thing. And yes, doing math with rocks by the creek was one that I tried. Lol Next year everyone is using BYL and supplementing with their special interests. All of my kids like to read and be read to, so lit-based is our best bet. 

 

 

[Not_a_Number]

1 minute ago, mellifera33 said:

And yes, doing math with rocks by the creek was one that I tried.

How did it go? 🙂 

[mellifera33]

1 minute ago, Not_a_Number said:

How did it go? 🙂 

Great for the two or three lessons I managed. There’s a reason we left the stone age. 😄

[daijobu]

18 hours ago, stripe said:

Also I think there were sooooo many options and paths with BFSU that it led to choice fatigue. Should you do A1 and then A2 or maybe switch to B1? Then should you do C1 or B2? Or go back to A2? Then what about D? 

So true.  I had DH take my young dd's to visit the inlaws out of state, and I stayed home that weekend just to read through the flow chart and get my plan in place.  I was an unpopular DIL that year, but I did get myself set up for BFSU after that.  

[daijobu]

On 5/14/2021 at 2:51 PM, knitgrl said:

MCT looks great, but it's intimidating, with all the parts and all the $$$.

Agreed.  And there is so much redundancy between the student book and the teacher book that is really unnecessary.  They could slim the teacher manual down and probably save a lot of money.  

I also picture MCT being shown options for paper quality and leaping for the thickest most expensive paper on the planet.  Why?  I used the books with 2 kids and they still looked brand new.  

Also, IIRC at the bottom of every page there was a weird warning to not photocopy the pages as it would violate copyright.  So finger-wagging and so weird.  If you are going to copy a page or two, a printed warning at the bottom isn't going to dissuade you.  And if you plan to photocopy the entire book, well, that's a risk taken by every other publisher of anything ever printed since the 1970s.  

[lewelma]

Has anyone mentioned KISS grammar and Ambleside? There was quite a lot of chat about them about 10-15 years ago. More for Ambleside.  For KISS, people got frustrated with the confusion of the KISS site (the professor makes awesome content, but really needs a web designer), and Ambleside started to hack people off when they became really really strict that there were NO substitutions allowed. Obviously, some of us did, but we couldn't join their chat group and chat about it.

[lewelma]

The other big one was a self-published, complete program K-12 in language arts based on the Progymnasmata.  But boy I can't remember its name.  It was just so overwhelming.  

[mellifera33]

36 minutes ago, lewelma said:

The other big one was a self-published, complete program K-12 in language arts based on the Progymnasmata.  But boy I can't remember its name.  It was just so overwhelming.  

Was that Classical Writing? Each level was named after an ancient whose writing the student was to emulate—Aesop, Homer, Diogenes, etc?

[lewelma]

1 hour ago, mellifera33 said:

Was that Classical Writing? Each level was named after an ancient whose writing the student was to emulate—Aesop, Homer, Diogenes, etc?

yup. that is it!  Boy was it popular for a while. 

[stripe]

I found a binder the other day of KISS stuff that I printed out and never used with my high school aged son! Ha

Ambleside is indeed very strict and very FIRM. They used to (and probably still do!) have a warning on the website that you have to do everything just as they say. I mean, do we have to sleep with the windows open in the winter and air out our pajamas just because that was in vogue during CM’s lifetime?

[HomeAgain]

1 hour ago, mellifera33 said:

Was that Classical Writing? Each level was named after an ancient whose writing the student was to emulate—Aesop, Homer, Diogenes, etc?

Oh, gosh, we failed SO HARD with this!  Oldest used Writing Tales, and CW was what they suggested for a follow on.  Writing Tales was just right, and we loved it, but CW?  Drowned in a week! 
We took a year off after that with a lighter program and MBTP units. He did Writing With Skill after that and thrived, but Classical Writing scarred us.

Funny enough, he did enjoy the grammar component - Harvey's Elementary Grammar.  We kept that and threw out the rest after a month or so.

[Not_a_Number]

2 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:

Oh, gosh, we failed SO HARD with this!  Oldest used Writing Tales, and CW was what they suggested for a follow on.  Writing Tales was just right, and we loved it, but CW?  Drowned in a week! 
We took a year off after that with a lighter program and MBTP units. He did Writing With Skill after that and thrived, but Classical Writing scarred us.

Funny enough, he did enjoy the grammar component - Harvey's Elementary Grammar.  We kept that and threw out the rest after a month or so.

What was wrong with it, out of pure curiosity? 😄 

[HomeAgain]

8 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

What was wrong with it, out of pure curiosity? 😄 

Us. 😄

Honestly, I can't put my finger on it, but a lot of it was us.  Ds was not a natural writer, and I was still at the point of not understanding how someone didn't know how to write. The other program, Writing Tales, held his hand and was very gentle and kind.  We loved it.  It had an easy to follow 2-week format, hands on activities, and short-ish lessons.  Nothing was hard, but he was progressing well.  But, there are only 2 levels.  After that, we needed to move on and we took their suggestion.  CW did not have any of the elements we loved about Writing Tales and only kept the parts that were meh.  There was more to juggle, the teacher's guide wasn't as clear...it felt like a sad let down after a good program. 😄 DS quickly became overwhelmed and by the time we dropped it I had sworn off progym-style writing for forever.  Okay, not forever, because it is a good set up, but CW was not a good fit for this family.

[Not_a_Number]

Just now, HomeAgain said:

DS quickly became overwhelmed and by the time we dropped it I had sworn off progym-style writing for forever. 

Since I'm totally, utterly clueless.... what are those like? What's the set-up? (Feel free to tell me to Google, lol. I probably deserve it.)

[HomeAgain]

5 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

Since I'm totally, utterly clueless.... what are those like? What's the set-up? (Feel free to tell me to Google, lol. I probably deserve it.)

I'll link you: Progymnasmata steps

They really are a nice, step by step way to approach writing.  Kids start out just retelling a story (narration) in the first step after/during copywork and slowly progress through descriptions, points of view, comparison..

I have yet to have a kid work sufficiently through the steps on someone else's time table, especially if they need more time than a program allows.  Youngest ds does best in a cyclical approach, starting from a similar point each year and moving forward with similar exercises over and over.  It's why I'm moving him to IEW next year, I think.  He needs success on his terms.

[Not_a_Number]

16 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:

I have yet to have a kid work sufficiently through the steps on someone else's time table, especially if they need more time than a program allows.

I think that's a pretty common experience... 

I've kind of visualized our progress through the academic skills as a growing tree. I never actually know what branch is going to grow next, lol -- I know it's not going to grow somewhere out of thin air, so it'll be attached to something, but I never know which piece of the tree it'll sprout from. And I've had very good luck just letting whatever is growing keep growing and not redirecting it... 

[stripe]

23 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:

I'll link you: Progymnasmata steps

Wow, though, vituperation!

[GoodnightMoogle]

On 5/16/2021 at 6:44 PM, goldenecho said:

I not only was loosing my identity as a homeschool mom, but I felt like a "failed homeschool mom"   (or was afraid that I was, even though I was doing what I thought was right for my child).  Looking back, I know I wasn't.   But dang, it hit me hard at the time.

 

Your comments hit me so hard. I’m afraid of letting my identity get too wrapped up in being a “homeschool mom.” I’m not one yet, but I’m more then planning on it; I’m leaning on it, dreaming on it. I spend my free time looking at curricula and researching educational methods and grappling with my own educational philosophy and hanging out in forums like this one because I am so, so afraid of failing.

I was the honor student. The kid in too many AP classes. The girl with the high ACT score. Everyone had “great expectations” for my future. I went to college and got my Masters in education. And then....I became a stay at home mom.

At first, it was okay. It was seen as “great” that I was staying home with my newborn. Then the months rolled by. “When are you going back to work?” People ask, even near strangers. I feel more and more sheepish every time I say that I’m staying home with my little one. As he gets older, the judgment seems become more pronounced. It’s mostly in my head, I think. My own insecurities. But still, I feel it. 

My mom (isn’t it always our own family who cuts us so deep?) is the first one who used the word I most dreaded hearing: waste. “Aren’t you ‘wasting’ your education? Aren’t you ‘wasting’ your degree?” (The silent question: aren’t you wasting your life)?

When asked what you dream of doing, it isn’t cool to say “homemaker” or “stay-at-home mom.” But really, that’s all I want. I want to homeschool my son, I really do. I’m incredibly passionate about it. But I can feel my identity leaning on the idea. I feel this pressure for it to be successful, to “prove” that I have the “right” to stay at home. That my education wasn’t a waste. And maybe even that it somehow proves I’m a good mom.

None of that is healthy! I know that, and I try not to think that way. But it creeps in all the time.

 

Edited May 18, 2021 by GoodnightMoogle

[Not_a_Number]

1 minute ago, GoodnightMoogle said:

Your comments hit me so hard. I’m afraid of letting my identity get too wrapped up in being a “homeschool mom.” I’m not one yet, but I’m more then planning on it; I’m leaning on it, dreaming on it. I spend my free time looking at curricula and researching educational methods and grappling with my own educational philosophy and hanging out in forums like this one because I am so, so afraid of failing.

I was the honor student. The kid in too many AP classes. The girl with the high ACT score. Everyone had “great expectations” for my future. I went to college and got my Masters in education. And then....I became a stay at home mom.

At first, it was okay. It was seen as “great” that I was staying home with my newborn. Then the months rolled by. “When are you going back to work?” People ask, even near strangers. I feel more and more sheepish every time I say that I’m staying home with my little one. As he gets older, the judgment seems become more pronounced. It’s mostly in my head, I think. My own insecurities. But still, I feel it. 

My mom (isn’t it always our own family who cuts us so deep?) is the first one who used the word I most dreaded hearing: waste. “Aren’t you ‘wasting’ your education? Aren’t you ‘wasting’ your degree?” (The silent question: aren’t you wasting your life)?

When asked what you dream of doing, it isn’t cool to say “homemaker” or “stay-at-home mom.” But really, that’s all I want. I want to homeschool my son, I really do. I’m incredibly passionate about it. But I can feel my identity leaning on the idea. I feel this pressure for it to be successful, to “prove” that I have the “right” to stay at home. That my education wasn’t a waste. And maybe even that it somehow proves I’m a good mom.

None of that is healthy! I know that, and I try not to think that way. But it creeps in all the time.

Yeah, I'm also "wasting" my education 😉 . I have a math Ph.D and all sorts of fancy accomplishments and I'm staying home with my kids. It can be tough on my ego. 

I've definitely gotten pretty wrapped up in the success of this endeavor, so I don't have any advice here. Maybe the only thing I'll say is that one ought to have a definition of success that depends on your actual child. The outside world will almost certainly not get it. 

I'll also say that I've gotten a fair amount of satisfaction out of working part-time. I know that doesn't work for everyone, but totally abandoning all paid work would have done a number on my self-esteem. 

[lewelma]

3 hours ago, stripe said:

I found a binder the other day of KISS stuff that I printed out and never used with my high school aged son! Ha

I used KISS with my older and it was GREAT! Best program ever once you could figure out what to print and what order to do it all in.  Once you were off the website with printed materials, it was awesome. And it Still exists, I checked. And updated in 2021 so the prof is maintaining it. 

 

[lewelma]

3 hours ago, Not_a_Number said:

What was wrong with it, out of pure curiosity? 😄 

It was too complicated to implement. The people who spent the time to get their head around it, loved it. And I was very impressed that it was a *complete* program. An actual complete LA program for K-12. Spelling, grammar, dictation, rhetoric, arrangement, style, literature. ALL of it. All rolled into one and just so beautifully complex and interwove n because the woman who wrote it was just so structured in her thinking and had actually taught her own kids before writing the program. The problem was that it was just too complicated to implement without serious study by the parent as to all the pieces fit together. 

[lewelma]

I loved miquon. It was all about exploration, and learning primary school math in an investigative way. I bought a bunch of their materials and studied up on how to implement them. This was back in the day when my older was about 4-5, and I was doing all this research on how to teach primary school maths. I even made all the montessori manipulatives including the golden beads (which took 3 of us 10 hours to string!!!). All this preparation, only to find that by the time my son was around 5.5, he knew it all already -- like all of primary school math it seemed.. I had no idea when he was little that he was any more than just a regular above-average kid like me. 🙂  So I donated all my manipulatives and miquon to the homeschool library.  All that work for no purpose. haha.

[Not_a_Number]

38 minutes ago, lewelma said:

All this preparation, only to find that by the time my son was around 5.5, he knew it all already -- like all of primary school math it seemed.. 

Did he know fractions by then, too?? That's impressive. 

My kids do not self-teach like that, lol. And they are way above average themselves! 

[Clarita]

3 hours ago, Not_a_Number said:

Yeah, I'm also "wasting" my education 😉 . I have a math Ph.D and all sorts of fancy accomplishments and I'm staying home with my kids.

I HATE when people say things like someone "wasted" their talents because they decided to become a stay at home parent. I for one did all that because I wanted to be a stay at home parent. 

3 hours ago, GoodnightMoogle said:

I feel more and more sheepish every time I say that I’m staying home with my little one.

Don't feel sheepish. I mean how many people get to do their dream job. I always say that sentence as "I'm so lucky I get to be a stay at home mom. It's what I've always wanted to be." 

[lewelma]

4 hours ago, Not_a_Number said:

Did he know fractions by then, too?? That's impressive. 

A bit off topic, but.....

Honestly, I have no idea. When I pulled out miquon and my cuisenaire rods and told him what to do, my ds just looked at me like I was nuts. It was very clear that he did not need to explore 21+18. Back then, like 15 years ago, I did not have this board, and I did not know any homeschool parents. I really didn't have the knowledge to know what to do with this child, and I had no one to ask or anyone to advise me. But I could tell that Miquon was way way too easy. I didn't really check that he knew fractions -- it didn't occur to me. You've heard me say that he invented algebra at the age of 6, but what I may not have said is that he actually invented the algorithm, which was what was so weird and startling, especially because at that point we had only been doing oral math -- playing shop and doing oral word problems. It was this event that motivated me to actually give him a math book. Before this point, I had really never put anything on paper. That day I gave him one problem he could do in his head 2x+1=9. Easy. So I gave him one that he couldn't do in his head 2x-8=-9x+7 or something like it. It took him all of 10 seconds to say "well, you add 9x to the left and add the 8. Then you divide by 11. to get 15/11ths." All in his head and exactly that fast, having never done math on paper or ever been told about algebra at all. It was the algorithmic nature of his solution that was so very odd. I still remember sitting back in my chair feeling very bewildered and at a loss. So being the clueless but dedicated homeschool mom, I got him Singapore maths, and he buzzed through the 'intensive practice' 4th and 5th grade maths books which have NO instruction and only answers not solutions. I have often said I have no idea how he learned fractions. He had no books that taught it. No solution manual. And he would accept NO help from me, as in NONE. Any instruction, written or oral, was cheating.  When I say he was self taught, I'm not kidding. But not self taught from resources, rather self taught through some sort of invention and discovery in his mind as I never saw any written exploration. He learned to +,-,x,/ fractions through unguided discovery, I do not know when or how. I did not teach this child math. He was like Athena-- he sprouted from the head of Zeus fully formed. 

Edited May 18, 2021 by lewelma

[stripe]

I took a look at Ambleside and was AGOG at how many modern books they use now. Wowweee.

Story of the World! Poetry study of Langston Hughes! Lois Lowry and Jane Yolen books!

But perhaps my favorite thing about Ambleside is the sheer list of subjects. Here’s what’s on offer for tenth grade:
BIBLE AND CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY

HISTORY

HISTORY SUPPLEMENTS/SPEECHES

BIOGRAPHIES

GEOGRAPHY

GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMICS

CITIZENSHIP

CURRENT EVENTS

WORLDVIEW

LITERATURE

SHORT STORIES

ESSAYS

POETRY

GRAMMAR AND COMPOSITION

RECITATION

COPYWORK

DICTATION

MATH

SCIENCE

NATURE STUDY

LOGIC

ART

MUSIC (songs of Stephen Foster!)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

HEALTH

LIFE AND WORK SKILLS

FREE READING

EXAMS

[LauraClark]

9 hours ago, GoodnightMoogle said:

Your comments hit me so hard. I’m afraid of letting my identity get too wrapped up in being a “homeschool mom.” I’m not one yet, but I’m more then planning on it; I’m leaning on it, dreaming on it. I spend my free time looking at curricula and researching educational methods and grappling with my own educational philosophy and hanging out in forums like this one because I am so, so afraid of failing.

I was the honor student. The kid in too many AP classes. The girl with the high ACT score. Everyone had “great expectations” for my future. I went to college and got my Masters in education. And then....I became a stay at home mom.

At first, it was okay. It was seen as “great” that I was staying home with my newborn. Then the months rolled by. “When are you going back to work?” People ask, even near strangers. I feel more and more sheepish every time I say that I’m staying home with my little one. As he gets older, the judgment seems become more pronounced. It’s mostly in my head, I think. My own insecurities. But still, I feel it. 

My mom (isn’t it always our own family who cuts us so deep?) is the first one who used the word I most dreaded hearing: waste. “Aren’t you ‘wasting’ your education? Aren’t you ‘wasting’ your degree?” (The silent question: aren’t you wasting your life)?

When asked what you dream of doing, it isn’t cool to say “homemaker” or “stay-at-home mom.” But really, that’s all I want. I want to homeschool my son, I really do. I’m incredibly passionate about it. But I can feel my identity leaning on the idea. I feel this pressure for it to be successful, to “prove” that I have the “right” to stay at home. That my education wasn’t a waste. And maybe even that it somehow proves I’m a good mom.

None of that is healthy! I know that, and I try not to think that way. But it creeps in all the time.

 

Oh, I'm sorry. I think that's something we all experience. But, even if I had chosen to keep working or chosen to not have children there would be regret. I think partly that's just my personality. But, I have discovered that my education is used in numerous ways in my present circumstance. Even the thing that I majored in for a couple of years before switching majors has popped up as useful in random places. It was not a waste-even the part before I switched majors. It all comes back and is useful. Especially with a masters in education I imagine you will be surprised often how useful and not wasteful your past was. (Hugs)

[Not_a_Number]

4 hours ago, lewelma said:

When I say he was self taught, I'm not kidding. But not self taught from resources, rather self taught through some sort of invention and discovery in his mind as I never saw any written exploration. He learned to +,-,x,/ fractions through unguided discovery, I do not know when or how. I did not teach this child math. He was like Athena-- he sprouted from the head of Zeus fully formed. 

I wish kids remembered this stuff better so you could ask him about it!! I’d be super curious. It sounds like he thought about it in his head a lot, maybe, but he certainly doesn’t remember any of it by now!! 

It’s a fascinating story. I know many, many mathy kids and I’ve never heard anything like it except from you. 

[knitgrl]

2 hours ago, stripe said:

I took a look at Ambleside and was AGOG at how many modern books they use now. Wowweee.

Story of the World! Poetry study of Langston Hughes! Lois Lowry and Jane Yolen books!

But perhaps my favorite thing about Ambleside is the sheer list of subjects. Here’s what’s on offer for tenth grade:
BIBLE AND CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY

HISTORY

HISTORY SUPPLEMENTS/SPEECHES

BIOGRAPHIES

GEOGRAPHY

GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMICS

CITIZENSHIP

CURRENT EVENTS

WORLDVIEW

LITERATURE

SHORT STORIES

ESSAYS

POETRY

GRAMMAR AND COMPOSITION

RECITATION

COPYWORK

DICTATION

MATH

SCIENCE

NATURE STUDY

LOGIC

ART

MUSIC (songs of Stephen Foster!)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

HEALTH

LIFE AND WORK SKILLS

FREE READING

EXAMS

I know it's supposed to be a feast, but it looks like indigestion to me.

[Goldcrest]

8 hours ago, Clarita said:

I HATE when people say things like someone "wasted" their talents because they decided to become a stay at home parent. I for one did all that because I wanted to be a stay at home parent. 

Don't feel sheepish. I mean how many people get to do their dream job. I always say that sentence as "I'm so lucky I get to be a stay at home mom. It's what I've always wanted to be." 

I agree with this.
 

@GoodnightMoogle do not feel sheepish. Feel proud that you are so dedicated to your child. This isn’t a time that will ever provide a second chance, so loving your family well is nothing to be sheepish about. 
 

Also, do not feel the need to justify staying home by saying things about any degrees or career you might have had as justification that you have those, therefore it is “okay” for you to stay home. It is “okay” for any parent to stay home and care for their children. No degree or career notations required. People are free to assume what they will, and it is generally better to let them than ever try and justify a decision. No one can take away this time you are pouring into your child. Do not feel like you owe anyone justifications on your decision. Let them make their assumptions and pass by. There is peace in that. 

[mellifera33]

On 5/18/2021 at 1:34 AM, lewelma said:

And he would accept NO help from me, as in NONE. Any instruction, written or oral, was cheating.  

ARGGHH, my middle kid is like this. I don't know how many conversations we've had about the fact that nobody is born knowing things and that everybody has to learn and practice. Anyway, Miquon is perfect for this kind of kid. 🙂 He's a little better now--he started by accepting instruction from the little monsters in Beast Academy, and he had to grudgingly accept that maybe I knew what I was talking about when I showed him the standard algorithms for multiplication and long division. lol

On 5/18/2021 at 6:02 AM, knitgrl said:

I know it's supposed to be a feast, but it looks like indigestion to me.

Ah, binge-learning. Not quite as relaxing as binge-watching.

[lewelma]

3 hours ago, seemesew said:

A trend I see now are a lot of parent made units studies with beautiful artwork!

 

That made me think of Lapbooks!  They use to be all the rage. 

[AnneGG]

3 hours ago, seemesew said:

A trend I see now are a lot of parent made units studies with beautiful artwork! I bought a few but honestly haven't used them like I thought I would.

 

I just bought a Paddington Bear unit study made by lady on IG.
 

I’m weak. 

[Not_a_Number]

24 minutes ago, AnneGG said:

I just bought a Paddington Bear unit study made by lady on IG.
 

I’m weak. 

So what appealed about it?? 😄 Just general cuteness? 

[AnneGG]

1 hour ago, Not_a_Number said:

So what appealed about it?? 😄 Just general cuteness? 

I wanted something simple for the summer. I liked the craft and recipe suggestions and all the cute printables. My son is really into Paddington, so that was a factor too. It would have taken me several hours to plan something like that  out, so it was worth the $15 too. 
 

[Clarita]

2 hours ago, AnneGG said:

I just bought a Paddington Bear unit study made by lady on IG.
 

I’m weak. 

I have a Peter Rabbit one in my etsy cart just wondering if I'll ever really print it out to use.

1 hour ago, Not_a_Number said:

So what appealed about it?? 😄 Just general cuteness? 

It's adorable when your 4 year old and 2 year old take out the story board and act out a story. Then you get to hear your MIL and husband gush about what a wonderful homeschool mom you are. 

[Not_a_Number]

15 minutes ago, Clarita said:

Then you get to hear your MIL and husband gush about what a wonderful homeschool mom you are. 

Hahahaha, DH is already on board, and my MIL can't even be convinced by my 8-year-old doing high school math 😂. She tries to hold her tongue but really wishes that DD8 and DD5 were at school. 

[AnneGG]

2 minutes ago, Ordinary Shoes said:

I used to know all of this so I feel silly asking...but what is "MB?" I googled but I doubt you guys are discussing homeschooling in Manitoba Canada. 🙂 

 

Masterbooks

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

48 minutes ago, AnneGG said:

Masterbooks

I am so unimpressed with MB.  I see the appeal, but they are not academically rigorous in the least.  

[Lawyer&Mom]

1 hour ago, Ordinary Shoes said:

I used to know all of this so I feel silly asking...but what is "MB?" I googled but I doubt you guys are discussing homeschooling in Manitoba Canada. 🙂 

 

I’d never heard of them before this thread.  

[Not_a_Number]

34 minutes ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle said:

I am so unimpressed with MB.  I see the appeal, but they are not academically rigorous in the least.  

What's the appeal? 

[GoodnightMoogle]

59 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

What's the appeal? 

I think the appeal is that they look really nice and complete. All the graphics are nice and look modern. On a surface level, it makes you look like you are getting a nice “package.” An easy one-shop stop.

I hate to admit it, but as someone who leans classical/Charlotte Mason-ish, Memoria Press packages were one of the first to appeal to me for the very same reasons. At least I like the content of those though! Masterbooks seems...shallow to me. I haven’t used them though so I can’t really comment on their content. 

edit: They are also heavily YEC Christian so that appeals to a certain homeschool demographic 

Edited May 20, 2021 by GoodnightMoogle

[GoodnightMoogle]

8 hours ago, seemesew said:

A trend I see now are a lot of parent made units studies with beautiful artwork! I bought a few but honestly haven't used them like I thought I would.

This made me think of Gentle + Classical. I was looking at her preschool materials a long time ago and now I think she has a program for older kids too. Honestly, the beautiful art people make for these curricula reaaaally appeal to me. It’s those Beatrix Potter illustration vibes. They know how to get us. 

[Not_a_Number]

Oh, do MasterBooks do "Math Lessons for a Living Education"? I've interacted with that program and was terribly unimpressed. 

[GoodnightMoogle]

38 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

Oh, do MasterBooks do "Math Lessons for a Living Education"? I've interacted with that program and was terribly unimpressed. 

Yes they do 

[Brittany1116]

1 hour ago, Not_a_Number said:

What's the appeal? 

They tout gentle, CM style approach, having removed "friction points" that make teaching difficult. They shout, "no drill and kill!". They are inexpensive. The books come with a lesson schedule in the front and lessons are to be brief.

 

Oh boy, are they. A day of second grade math about 6 weeks in had my child tracing the numbers 20-29 or some very similar nonsense. Another would have 3 two-digit subtraction problems as the entire lesson. He had placed into MLFLE 2 right out of Abeka K5 in a private school and was immediately bored to tears. I switched his math for the rest of that first grade year and retested him for MLFLE... he placed into their math 5. Where do you even go with a path like that? 

[Not_a_Number]

28 minutes ago, Brittany1116 said:

Oh boy, are they. A day of second grade math about 6 weeks in had my child tracing the numbers 20-29 or some very similar nonsense. Another would have 3 two-digit subtraction problems as the entire lesson. He had placed into MLFLE 2 right out of Abeka K5 in a private school and was immediately bored to tears. I switched his math for the rest of that first grade year and retested him for MLFLE... he placed into their math 5. Where do you even go with a path like that? 

I was just looking at their placement tests. Eep. Those are the easiest tests I've ever seen. 

[sweet2ndchance]

7 hours ago, lewelma said:

 

That made me think of Lapbooks!  They use to be all the rage. 

They just changed name and form a little bit. Now they are "interactive notebooks" lol! But even those are starting to fall out of style too. Guess everyone has caught on how much work they are to create. 😛 

[Clarita]

3 hours ago, GoodnightMoogle said:

Honestly, the beautiful art people make for these curricula reaaaally appeal to me. It’s those Beatrix Potter illustration vibes. They know how to get us. 

It was absolutely the reason I bought Gentle and Classical for my kids. This is the curriculum that got me hooked on to all the pretty unit study stuff. 

[knitgrl]

9 hours ago, GoodnightMoogle said:

This made me think of Gentle + Classical. I was looking at her preschool materials a long time ago and now I think she has a program for older kids too. Honestly, the beautiful art people make for these curricula reaaaally appeal to me. It’s those Beatrix Potter illustration vibes. They know how to get us. 

This is also something that has changed in homeschooling. I've seen older curricula, stuff that was created 15+ years ago, and it is not very pretty. At all. The content might be great, but it's full of clip art and just, yech. I'm ok with curriculum that looks boring, but it at least has to look kind of professional. I would prefer if it had some style. Which is silly, I know. But there you go.