MFW K or 1st, SL, LHTH, R&S, TOG, BJU, or Weaver for K???

[MitchellMom]

ETA: More people have voted for SL than any other curriculum, yet the people who have posted here have said not to do SL. For those of you who voted for SL, will you please, please tell me your reasons? Thanks!

 

I have been trying to decide which curriculum to buy for my dd for when she is officially 5. I have heard wonderful things about MFW K and especially like the idea of a curriculum that teaches Bible and character training. However, my dd does not need phonics instruction. I have looked at the MFW 1st grade curriculum and I know she can read those books, but I also know that the rest of the curriculum might be inappropriate for her. So, which do I buy? I could use the MFW K to reinforce the alphabet with my son (though I really prefer a constant review of all letters rather than a week-by-week approach to teaching one letter at a time) yet wouldn't that create more work for me, having to tweak it to fit two children? I do not mind buying two curriculums if I must - K for him and 1st for dd. Unless, of course, this is inapproptiate age-wise.

 

I also have considered the following curriculums, in no particular order - MFW is not in first place; I don't have a first place choice right now, which is why I desperately need the advice of you more experienced mothers! Please let me share with you: I prefer a curriculum that basically is open and go because sadly, I do not have time for planning (I work from home so must spend a great deal of time working when I'm not teaching). Also, I am very aware that I should not push my children too hard, so please let me know if I need to change my ideas. My daughter loves geography and does not mind seatwork for a few minutes at a time; my son, if I should include him, is one wiggly guy so I rarely attempt seatwork with him!

 

I prefer Living Books (no blah texts) and, if it applies, I prefer starting with the ancients in history and moving forward as suggested in TWTM.

 

1. Sonlight K (not 4/5) - Love the idea of SL but quite a few mothers have said that some of the reading is inappropriate for a kindergartener and that they don't like the stop and go reading approach.

 

2. Little Hands to Heaven - I have heard so little about them on this forum, which makes me wonder if they are not as strong in their curriculum as some of the others?

 

3. Rod & Staff - Can anyone share advice with regards to them?

 

4. TOG - Is this an entire curriculum? Their site confuses me. :001_huh:

 

5. BJU - Don't know much about them but thought I would include them in case anyone has positive words to share.

 

6. Weaver - REMOVE from the list :tongue_smilie:

 

We're doing FIAR books right now and I do not want to repeat it next year.

 

I'm going to post a poll for those of you who would be willing to share your opinion but do not necessarily feel like typing anything. :) Thanks so much in advance!

Edited January 3, 2009 by MitchellMom

[FriedClams]

We did Sonlight K for a lot of the reasons you listed. Most of the books were great - but I am having my kids reread them at 6 and 7 since they were lost on a 5 year old. The history was terribly disjointed for me. We did like the science. TOG would be complete overkill, IMHO. I tried it this year with a 1st and 2nd and it was too much. I am using the LG books with a 1nd and 2nd (both veyr advanced readers) and that part of TOG is a good fit now, the rest is still overkill. Rod and Staff at that age is busy workbooks. I love things about them in higher grades, but the K is busywork (awesome if you need that to distract, but not a full plan). I love MFW - but we started in 2nd. I've heard such great things about the K and 1st program that I would likely lean that way, and add in the age appropriate readers from Sonlight and the 1000 Great Books list (classical Christian home ed website).

[MitchellMom]

We did Sonlight K for a lot of the reasons you listed. Most of the books were great - but I am having my kids reread them at 6 and 7 since they were lost on a 5 year old. The history was terribly disjointed for me. We did like the science. TOG would be complete overkill, IMHO. I tried it this year with a 1st and 2nd and it was too much. I am using the LG books with a 1nd and 2nd (both veyr advanced readers) and that part of TOG is a good fit now, the rest is still overkill. Rod and Staff at that age is busy workbooks. I love things about them in higher grades, but the K is busywork (awesome if you need that to distract, but not a full plan). I love MFW - but we started in 2nd. I've heard such great things about the K and 1st program that I would likely lean that way, and add in the age appropriate readers from Sonlight and the 1000 Great Books list (classical Christian home ed website).

 

Thank you! So your vote would be for MFW? For the K or 1st for my dd? Thanks!

[sandra in va]

What about a combination of SL books and a geography program like Galloping the Globe, esp. since your dd loves geography? It would give a little more variety to your reading (missionary bios, nonfiction, and some picture books to the SL books) and some hands-on activities. You could focus on learning about their world before jumping into a history program in 1st or 2nd. GTG can even be spread over several years, or just do what you want in one year.

 

I just re-read your post and saw that you want something that is open and go - I think this would require a bit more planning. GTG would give you a good structure, but you would have to select the books and activities to do. I think if GTG is too much planning, SL K gets my vote for ease of use and great reading. We have used this and enjoyed the books very much.

 

Hope this is even a little helpful. :)

Edited January 2, 2009 by sandra in va

[FriedClams]

Thank you! So your vote would be for MFW? For the K or 1st for my dd? Thanks!

 

I have not used the K or 1st - but I would call MFW. If it were me I would use their 1st program with DD (or what they recommend), and read a ton to both of them. The character parts would be required for DS for his "school", but that's about it. I would add in living lessons on letters, sounds, etc. and let him watch the leap frog phonics videos and slowly work on teaching him reading with DD doing K at her pace. At 5 we really focused on reading and slowly added math. The rest (history, science, etc.) was gravy and often didn't happen. We do read a ton and the kids read a ton, so that's been our emphasis in K-2. So, my vote is MFW for a little structure to your day and LOTS of books. :) HTH!!

[Tonia]

You've got a wide range of things listed - and some of them are so far from others that it is hard to see what you really want to do - do you want to just do a few workbooks (Rod and Staff K), or start a full history program (TOG), or Sonlight K (lots of wonderful books to read), or unit study style (MFW K)? The things you've listed are all over the map and don't share too much in common.

 

I'd suggest that the first thing you should do is sit down and figure out your goals. What do you want your child to learn in regards to reading? math? readiness skills? Does your child want workbooks? What happens if she decides that she hates workbooks in six months (which happens a lot! Some children think workbooks are fun and then suddenly they don't want to touch them! :) )Are you planning to follow WTM? Then the suggestions they offer for K are phonics, math and handrwriting with a few science experiments for fun and lots of read alouds. I'd also add a geography/culture study if you are planning to start the history cycle in first grade. There really isn't much to plan if you go that route.

 

I think you would have a better handle on what you would like to do after you sit down and really decide what your goals are.

[MitchellMom]

You've got a wide range of things listed - and some of them are so far from others that it is hard to see what you really want to do - do you want to just do a few workbooks (Rod and Staff K), or start a full history program (TOG), or Sonlight K (lots of wonderful books to read), or unit study style (MFW K)? The things you've listed are all over the map and don't share too much in common.

 

I'd suggest that the first thing you should do is sit down and figure out your goals. What do you want your child to learn in regards to reading? math? readiness skills? Does your child want workbooks? What happens if she decides that she hates workbooks in six months (which happens a lot! Some children think workbooks are fun and then suddenly they don't want to touch them! :) )Are you planning to follow WTM? Then the suggestions they offer for K are phonics, math and handrwriting with a few science experiments for fun and lots of read alouds. I'd also add a geography/culture study if you are planning to start the history cycle in first grade. There really isn't much to plan if you go that route.

 

I think you would have a better handle on what you would like to do after you sit down and really decide what your goals are.

 

Hi and thanks for posting!

 

The reason I posted this thread was so I could get different people's outlooks. I know I want a full curriculum, I know I want living books, and I know I want everything laid out for me. :) I have read lots about these different curriculums but have to admit my mind is still swirling. I originally thought SL was perfect because it included all subjects and allowed me to choose items for each subject based on my daughter's skills. However, I've read negative comments about SL so I wondered if maybe I should take a different approach.

 

I apologize if I seem to be all over the board but again, that's the reason I posted this thread - I need advice on how to figure out what is best for me. I thought I had shared enough about my preferences in the initial post; I apologize if I did not.

[Dawn E]

My vote would be to go for MFW 1st for dd. I think she would be way too bored in K. Does ds really need a full curriculum? Maybe he could join in for some of the fun--dd could read the Bible reader aloud to him--but you could focus on reading and writing with him using other materials.

 

I used the MFW 1st Bible materials--stories from the teacher's guide, Bible reader and student Bible notebook--when my dd was five. I had purchased it way early--I'm getting better about that--and then changed my mind about using it. I had pieced together a course of study for her--BJU Math 1, WTM science plans for 1st grade, Primary Phonics, copywork, etc. I could never find a Bible program that I liked, so I pulled MFW off the shelf and looked at it. I added it in and it was the highlight of our year.

 

I would consider adding a math, though, if your dd is doing any simple math already. I wasn't impressed with the math portion, which is what deterred me from using it in the first place. It really would have been fine for us to just use it with the addition of a math, but I had already gotten us into another routine, so we just added in the Bible/history parts. The Bible history is a great pre-cursor to Ancients. Here is a blog post I wrote about using the parts we did. The author does a fantastic job with the Bible stories--not dumbing them down or leaving out important points. The process, as I say in the post, of hearing, reading, drawing, writing is fantastic.

Edited January 2, 2009 by Dawn E

[LoveBaby]

I would say K for your DD and your son can go along for the ride. Something to remember, is even though your daughter may be capable of doing the older work she might not be ready for the more mature subject matters in the older grades. If you move her ahead too quickly, then you'll be trying to figure out what to do with her when the material is not necessarily academically more difficult, but emotionally more difficult, KWIM? I would bet that if you called MFW they would suggest keeping her in the K program, letting your son sit in and then use the pre-school toys for exploration time with him. They have a great booklet they send along w/ the Pre-school set that has great ideas for exploring/learning time w/ the little ones.

 

I've done MFW K and 1st and R&S 1st. Don't ask me what in the world I was thinking when I switched from MFW 1st (which I used w/ my DD) to R&S 1st with my son. R&S is good, the phonics/reading instruction is solid, but it is a lot of busy work. The worksheets are cool if your child likes cutting and pasting, but for my son it drives him nuts! My daughter who was a struggling reader probably would have benefited from the extra work in R&S 1st, but my son who is picking it up so quickly is getting bogged down and I think I'll switch him to MFW 1st. I *love* MFW 1st grade. Absolutely adore it. The phonics moves much more quickly, the bible is awesome. Lots of cute hands-on activites that make it neat for the children. The artist study and music study are really great, too.

 

Now, why I would stick w/ the K program. There is a lot of writing instruction w/ 1st. By lesson 38 (or around there) you are having your children write a narration of the bible story for that day. It may be too much for a 5yo. if handwriting is difficult for them. Plus, the character study, animal study is soooo great in K I would hate to miss it. We still have our badges hanging up w/ our MFW alphabet and go over the memory verses from K. It's just such a sweet, gentle and awesome program for the younger child.

 

If you go to the boards at mfw they will be more than willing to answer any more questions you have. board.mfwbooks.com

[Dawn E]

Now, why I would stick w/ the K program. There is a lot of writing instruction w/ 1st. By lesson 38 (or around there) you are having your children write a narration of the bible story for that day. It may be too much for a 5yo. if handwriting is difficult for them. Plus, the character study, animal study is soooo great in K I would hate to miss it. We still have our badges hanging up w/ our MFW alphabet and go over the memory verses from K. It's just such a sweet, gentle and awesome program for the younger child.

 

If you go to the boards at mfw they will be more than willing to answer any more questions you have. board.mfwbooks.com

 

This is wise advice... If your dd is not writing well it will be difficult to start with 1st. I have heard great things about K and the fun people had using it, so dd and ds could probably have a wonderful time working through it together. You could add in anything you might think dd is lacking or needs challenging in.

[phathui5]

We use Rod and Staff K for dd and I have been very pleased with it. The cost was defiantely a factor (only $19 for everything). She has liked doing the books and even asks for them on days we're "off."

[Cornerstone Classical]

I don't know anything about MFW K, but I have done extensive research on whether to do MFW 1st for my dd for next year. She is already reading CVC words and is starting to work on blended words.

 

MFW 1st has character lessons, bible, bible memory verses, math, science, composition, and for the phonics the child should have learned letter sounds and CVC words in K. In MFW 1st, it starts with a couple of weeks of reviewing material from K, the it begins from there with new instuction.

 

By the end of MFW 1st, your child will be brought up to 1st grade level in the 3 R's. Even though a child is above grade level in one area , say in reading, this program will get your child to the end of first grade in ALL areas. This program has the book basket componant, so this is where you would bring in books on her reading level.

 

I know you were asking about MFW K too. But I hope the above information will help you in your decision. Your dd is still young. It sounds like MFW 1st would be a good fit for next year. Good Luck on finding a great program for this year!:)

 

My child was advanced in reading (and other areas), just like your child. But I've learned the hard way to not top him out in subject areas, but to reign him in and keep him at a level that meets his needs as a total person. Academically, emotionally, and physically.

 

I've learned to keep him on a level that meets his physical and emotional needs, and challenge him academically with enrichment.

 

HTH

[lovetobehome]

I am embarrassed to say I have used ALL of the programs you have listed! LOL! I would say MFW 1st and some of the SL books added in from the library, or Little Hands to Heaven, which is very much open and go. Wish I had more time, baby is crying!

[MitchellMom]

I would say K for your DD and your son can go along for the ride. Something to remember, is even though your daughter may be capable of doing the older work she might not be ready for the more mature subject matters in the older grades. If you move her ahead too quickly, then you'll be trying to figure out what to do with her when the material is not necessarily academically more difficult, but emotionally more difficult, KWIM? I would bet that if you called MFW they would suggest keeping her in the K program, letting your son sit in and then use the pre-school toys for exploration time with him. They have a great booklet they send along w/ the Pre-school set that has great ideas for exploring/learning time w/ the little ones.

 

I've done MFW K and 1st and R&S 1st. Don't ask me what in the world I was thinking when I switched from MFW 1st (which I used w/ my DD) to R&S 1st with my son. R&S is good, the phonics/reading instruction is solid, but it is a lot of busy work. The worksheets are cool if your child likes cutting and pasting, but for my son it drives him nuts! My daughter who was a struggling reader probably would have benefited from the extra work in R&S 1st, but my son who is picking it up so quickly is getting bogged down and I think I'll switch him to MFW 1st. I *love* MFW 1st grade. Absolutely adore it. The phonics moves much more quickly, the bible is awesome. Lots of cute hands-on activites that make it neat for the children. The artist study and music study are really great, too.

 

Now, why I would stick w/ the K program. There is a lot of writing instruction w/ 1st. By lesson 38 (or around there) you are having your children write a narration of the bible story for that day. It may be too much for a 5yo. if handwriting is difficult for them. Plus, the character study, animal study is soooo great in K I would hate to miss it. We still have our badges hanging up w/ our MFW alphabet and go over the memory verses from K. It's just such a sweet, gentle and awesome program for the younger child.

 

If you go to the boards at mfw they will be more than willing to answer any more questions you have. board.mfwbooks.com

 

Thanks - I will check out this board!

 

 

I don't know anything about MFW K, but I have done extensive research on whether to do MFW 1st for my dd for next year. She is already reading CVC words and is starting to work on blended words.

 

MFW 1st has character lessons, bible, bible memory verses, math, science, composition, and for the phonics the child should have learned letter sounds and CVC words in K. In MFW 1st, it starts with a couple of weeks of reviewing material from K, the it begins from there with new instuction.

 

By the end of MFW 1st, your child will be brought up to 1st grade level in the 3 R's. Even though a child is above grade level in one area , say in reading, this program will get your child to the end of first grade in ALL areas. This program has the book basket componant, so this is where you would bring in books on her reading level.

 

I know you were asking about MFW K too. But I hope the above information will help you in your decision. Your dd is still young. It sounds like MFW 1st would be a good fit for next year. Good Luck on finding a great program for this year!:)

 

My child was advanced in reading (and other areas), just like your child. But I've learned the hard way to not top him out in subject areas, but to reign him in and keep him at a level that meets his needs as a total person. Academically, emotionally, and physically.

 

I've learned to keep him on a level that meets his physical and emotional needs, and challenge him academically with enrichment.

 

HTH

 

 

Thank you for the excellent information! So would you recommend K or 1st?...

 

 

To those of you who posted such nice comments, I really appreciate your kindness! :grouphug:

[Tonia]

I know I want a full curriculum, I know I want living books, and I know I want everything laid out for me.

 

If those are your criteria then I would go with Sonlight - it meets all of your criteria.

 

My second choice would be MFW K - It's a full curriculum and it is laid out for you. It isn't a living books curriculum, though. You would have to modify the phonics portion because of your daughter's reading level.

 

Of the other programs, here's what I think:

 

Little Hands to Heaven - preschool program that teaches the letters of the alphabet - might be a good fit for your son next year but not your daughter.

 

Rod and Staff - are you looking at the ABC program? These are nice supplements for a child that likes cut and paste, coloring, etc. I keep them around for dd to work on when she feels like it.

 

MFW 1st - too much writing for a K'er. I wouldn't consider this.

 

TOG - too much for a K'er

 

BJU - doesn't meet your criteria

[Cornerstone Classical]

Sorry about the subject line typo! Should read "another thought" although it is a mother's thought too! :lol:

 

If it were me, I would do K level material and "enrich" in reading if that is her strong point.

 

What about FIAR or Before FRIAR?

 

Here is a quote describing FIAR:

 

"You'll teach a different subject each day beginning with social studies on Monday. You'll find history lessons, geography lessons, discussions on foreign culture taken directly from the story you've just read. On Tuesday you'll examine the author's use of language, learning about punctuation, vocabulary, literary devices, creative writing and more. Wednesday you'll discover a comprehensive art curriculum as you explore the illustrator's techniques, style and use of materials with lots of hands-on art lessons for early learners. Thursday your children will explore applied mathematics as they learn about counting, grouping, measurements, simple geometric shapes, etc. Finally, on Friday you'll explore science together with activities to learn more about weather, astronomy, biology, physics, chemistry and more."

 

Bible-Read "Leading Little Ones to God"

 

Penmanship- A Reason For Writing K

(the hands-on aspect of FIAR would help further development with motor skills that lead to development of writing well)

 

Continue with 100 Easy Lessons, with ETC, independant reading with library books from "first reader series" and continue with upper levels of Bob Books, also, you might find some used A Beka or BJU readers to buy.

 

And I'd supplement FIAR math with Singapore Early Bird series for K.

 

IMO, this should perpare her well for all subject matter for 1st.

Edited January 2, 2009 by Cornerstone Classical

[lovetobehome]

I would also say to take a close look at MFW K and 1st samples on their site. They recommended K for us, and I bought it, but I found it very easy for my kiddos. It was fun, but halfway through we switched to first because it just wasn't enough meat for us. We would be doing most of the week's work in one day. I actually would consider their K to be more like a preK IMO. With the 1st grade, you can always slow it down a bit if you think it is too much. I found it perfect for both of my kiddos levels at that age. But, of course it really depends on your child. If she can already read a little, I would think you'd find K a little slow moving.

[Cornerstone Classical]

Thank you for the excellent information! So would you recommend K or 1st?...

 

I love MFW, I would take other's advice and call MFW, just to be on the safe side. I think MFW 1st be a great consideration for you for next year, after K.

Edited January 2, 2009 by Cornerstone Classical

[dhudson]

I used MFWK with all three of my children who could all read by the time we did K. I just supplemented other reading but MFWK did several things for my kids:

 

 

• Gave them a fantastic character and Biblical foundation
  
• Taught them that school and learning was fun
  
• Grounded them in phonics and practical math
  
• Gave them a love of science
  

I loved MFWK, I'm almost sad I don't have any more children to go through it with. My kids still remember lessons they learned in K and as I have a 6th grader and twin 3rd graders, I consider that pretty amazing.

[Cornerstone Classical]

My vote would be to go for MFW 1st for dd. I think she would be way too bored in K. Does ds really need a full curriculum? Maybe he could join in for some of the fun--dd could read the Bible reader aloud to him--but you could focus on reading and writing with him using other materials.

 

I used the MFW 1st Bible materials--stories from the teacher's guide, Bible reader and student Bible notebook--when my dd was five. I had purchased it way early--I'm getting better about that--and then changed my mind about using it. I had pieced together a course of study for her--BJU Math 1, WTM science plans for 1st grade, Primary Phonics, copywork, etc. I could never find a Bible program that I liked, so I pulled MFW off the shelf and looked at it. I added it in and it was the highlight of our year.

 

I would consider adding a math, though, if your dd is doing any simple math already. I wasn't impressed with the math portion, which is what deterred me from using it in the first place. It really would have been fine for us to just use it with the addition of a math, but I had already gotten us into another routine, so we just added in the Bible/history parts. The Bible history is a great pre-cursor to Ancients. Here is a blog post I wrote about using the parts we did. The author does a fantastic job with the Bible stories--not dumbing them down or leaving out important points. The process, as I say in the post, of hearing, reading, drawing, writing is fantastic.

 

Great blog post, Dawn E!:)

[Tonia]

Just to add some confusion :D - have you considered Winterpromise? It is a literature-based complete program that is completely scheduled for you. It might be something to consider.

[Cornerstone Classical]

Have you read this thread? Might help further.

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70630&page=2

[MitchellMom]

If those are your criteria then I would go with Sonlight - it meets all of your criteria.

 

My second choice would be MFW K - It's a full curriculum and it is laid out for you. It isn't a living books curriculum, though. You would have to modify the phonics portion because of your daughter's reading level.

 

Of the other programs, here's what I think:

 

Little Hands to Heaven - preschool program that teaches the letters of the alphabet - might be a good fit for your son next year but not your daughter.

 

Rod and Staff - are you looking at the ABC program? These are nice supplements for a child that likes cut and paste, coloring, etc. I keep them around for dd to work on when she feels like it.

 

MFW 1st - too much writing for a K'er. I wouldn't consider this.

 

TOG - too much for a K'er

 

BJU - doesn't meet your criteria

 

Thank you for this information!

 

I would also say to take a close look at MFW K and 1st samples on their site. They recommended K for us, and I bought it, but I found it very easy for my kiddos. It was fun, but halfway through we switched to first because it just wasn't enough meat for us. We would be doing most of the week's work in one day. I actually would consider their K to be more like a preK IMO. With the 1st grade, you can always slow it down a bit if you think it is too much. I found it perfect for both of my kiddos levels at that age. But, of course it really depends on your child. If she can already read a little, I would think you'd find K a little slow moving.

 

Oh no ... I was just leaning toward K! :tongue_smilie: But I don't want to order it if it will be too easy....

 

I love MFW, I would take other's advice and call MFW, just to be on the safe side. I think MFW 1st be a great consideration for you for next year, after K.

 

I looked at the MFW board and one of the authors wrote: "As one of the authors of the curriculum and a father of 6 children, one who was very advanced in reading (reading Chronicles of Narnia on her 5th birthday), I would start K now and not rush through it. Do First Grade when she is at first grade age. Our youngest who was reading an adult Bible at 5 simply was not ready for the abstract learning and 3.5 hour time commitment required for ECC and the 4 history years. Reading is only one aspect of a child's learning. Often children who are advanced in reading still need more time to develop fine motor (handwriting) and other skills. They also are usually not ready for too many hours of formal teaching and may not be ready to understand abstract concepts. If you push a child along too fast and too soon, at some point in the future it will probably back-fire. The child will lose interest in learning, or will "hit a wall" and not understand why school is suddenly so hard."

 

Yet many people are saying MFW K is really more of a pre-K program. What to do??? Buy MFW K for now?

 

The other creators of MFW also are on there recommending MFW K instead of 1st. :banghead: (headbanging in frustration, not anger)

 

 

Just to add some confusion :D - have you considered Winterpromise? It is a literature-based complete program that is completely scheduled for you. It might be something to consider.

 

I have heard of WP ... whew, I do not need to add another suggestion to the mix!

[HappyCrazyMama]

I was torn between SL and Little Hands to Heaven. I voted for Little Hands to Heaven, though I would actually do the next book, Little Hearts for His Glory. Little Hands would be to light IMO, it is more preK in my mind. Little Hearts is also a chronological history though in the Ancients they focus more on Biblical History. It is open and go and all-in-one. It is also less expensive. I think SL K is better for 1st grade.

 

I am in your spot and was turned off my MFW for the same reason, having a Kindergartner that didn't need phonics instruction.

 

This is mostly based on research, not experience, as I am going through a similar thought process now, although for 1st but we never did much K. Also did some FIAR and want something else.

 

I am accually planning on finishing up the year with Little Hands and SL preK 4/5 and starting next year with Little Hearts for His Glory and SL K. Then after that I will likely drop the Heart of Dakota materials and use SL during the grammar stage or so I think today.:tongue_smilie:

 

Just to clarify, I am using both programs so I have something for both little girls and I don't do everything everyday.

 

Deanna

Wife to Rob

Mom to the fab five - :001_unsure:

Alyshia 17; TOG year 3

Randy 15; TOG year 3

Miriam 6; FIAR, SSWR, SL preK 3/4, Liberty Mathmatics

Elizabeth 4; Little Hands to Heaven; SL preK 3/4

and

Micheal 2; Tag-a-Long

Edited January 2, 2009 by Happyhomemama
typos galore, clarification, add siggy

[lovetobehome]

I am sure MFW will recommend K, I talked to them extensively...to David.

I think there are plans for using K and 1st together for 2 kiddos your kiddos' ages...and spreading it out more. THat might work really, really well!

I still don't think using MFW 1st is RUSHING a kiddo that age like he is talking about in the post. Now doing ECC would be rushing! In MFW 1st, the narrations on the Bible story can be as simple or as long as you want....or you can even skip them. I skipped them for DS, but have DD doing them because she finds writing easier at taht age than DS did. Basically, they are a sentence. And the Bible stories start at around lesson 38 and are every few days for a long while, before they get to daily, so it is not a huge jump....

 

When you look at the wkbk samples online, does MFW 1st look like too much? Can your DD write at all? If she doesn't write at all, I would say don't use first. If she likes writing some, that might work out.

Another idea is to buy them used...if you find whatever used curric you buy doesnt meet your needs, you can resell for about the same price. I would buy K and 1st used if I was really torn, and look in detail at them in the comfort of my home and at length. But, that is just me--I always buy buy buy, and then sell sell sell! :lol: I don't mind, because I can resell easily. For me, I can never decide without having my hands on it! LOL. Which brings me to my own predicament.....I better get back to the For Sale board and stalk wht I am looking for!!!

[Cornerstone Classical]

 

The other creators of MFW also are on there recommending MFW K instead of 1st. :banghead: (headbanging in frustration, not anger)

 

 

:grouphug::grouphug: It's going to be OK! I've been in the :banghead: mode myself the last two day trying to start planning for my ds for next year!!:confused:

 

First of all, take a deep breath, go do something else for awhile, and try not to think about it. Then PRAY that the Lord will impress upon you what to do.

 

It sounds like you are leaning to MFW. It is a awesome bible immersed program. If you want a planned out curriculum that is heavily bible based you can't get any better than MFW.

 

I will say this, I would rather have a program that I could beef up and enrich, than be stuck in one that had to be scaled down, I would be always second guessing myself.

 

If you decide to do MFW K, I would recommend getting it and go thru it, and see what it would be like.

 

Tonia at the Sunny Patch blog, has done an impressive job with tweaking the phonic/reading part of the program. She even has home made planning sheets and a post that takes you step by step on how she plans. Maybe you could take a look over at her blog and see if that is something that you think you could do. If I ended up using her planning methods, no one says I have to sit down and preplan for the whole year. Plan it on a weekly bases (I do this and I have a routine of planning a week ahead first thing every Saturday morning, then I go to the library after that). Or you could sit down and preplan every two weeks or quarterly.

Edited January 2, 2009 by Cornerstone Classical

[LoveBaby]

Thank you for this information!

 

Oh no ... I was just leaning toward K! :tongue_smilie: But I don't want to order it if it will be too easy....

 

I looked at the MFW board and one of the authors wrote: "As one of the authors of the curriculum and a father of 6 children, one who was very advanced in reading (reading Chronicles of Narnia on her 5th birthday), I would start K now and not rush through it. Do First Grade when she is at first grade age. Our youngest who was reading an adult Bible at 5 simply was not ready for the abstract learning and 3.5 hour time commitment required for ECC and the 4 history years. Reading is only one aspect of a child's learning. Often children who are advanced in reading still need more time to develop fine motor (handwriting) and other skills. They also are usually not ready for too many hours of formal teaching and may not be ready to understand abstract concepts. If you push a child along too fast and too soon, at some point in the future it will probably back-fire. The child will lose interest in learning, or will "hit a wall" and not understand why school is suddenly so hard."

 

Yet many people are saying MFW K is really more of a pre-K program. What to do??? Buy MFW K for now?

 

The other creators of MFW also are on there recommending MFW K instead of 1st. :banghead: (headbanging in frustration, not anger)

 

I have heard of WP ... whew, I do not need to add another suggestion to the mix!

 

The people who are saying MFW K is more of a pre-K program may have a different philosophy/idea of what they want or expect from their children's education at a certain age. You need to decide for yourself what your focus and expectations are for *your* family. We used MFW K for my DS K year when he was 5 (almost 6) and MFW 1st for my DD when she was in 1st grade. I suppose they probably could have done the work sooner, but in our home academics at a young age aren't the focus. We feel that there will be time enough for all of that when they are a little older. Goodness knows they grow up so fast and will never have an opportunity in their lives to just *be* again. MFW has a philosophy of letting children learn through exploring, being exposed to the world around them in a quiet gentle way. I guess they hold more to a better late than early philosophy, altough the experiences my children have gained from using MFW K & 1st certaily don't feel like they were lacking or holding them back in any way.

[Cornerstone Classical]

The people who are saying MFW K is more of a pre-K program may have a different philosophy/idea of what they want or expect from their children's education at a certain age. You need to decide for yourself what your focus and expectations are for *your* family. We used MFW K for my DS K year when he was 5 (almost 6) and MFW 1st for my DD when she was in 1st grade. I suppose they probably could have done the work sooner, but in our home academics at a young age aren't the focus. We feel that there will be time enough for all of that when they are a little older. Goodness knows they grow up so fast and will never have an opportunity in their lives to just *be* again. MFW has a philosophy of letting children learn through exploring, being exposed to the world around them in a quiet gentle way. I guess they hold more to a better late than early philosophy, altough the experiences my children have gained from using MFW K & 1st certaily don't feel like they were lacking or holding them back in any way.

 

This post, and the whole thread is really helping me as well. Thank you for reminding me of this. It reminds me of the books I've read about Charlotte Mason and "For the Children's Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School" by Susan Shaeffer Macaulay.

[Dawn E]

This post, and the whole thread is really helping me as well. Thank you for reminding me of this. It reminds me of the books I've read about Charlotte Mason and "For the Children's Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School" by Susan Shaeffer Macaulay.

 

:iagree: Thanks, LoveBaby, for the reminder. It is hard as a first time homeschooler, particularly with an academically advanced child, not to push. You worry about failing your children academically--which is a big fear of being in charge of their education. It takes time, practice, experience and wisdom to learn to pace yourself and not push too hard. I'm not there yet myself, and so I appreciate the reminders to slow down. There is a balance...I hope to find it. :001_smile:

[Mama2Three]

If you are leaning towards MFW but are having trouble deciding between K and 1st, here's some great perspective from MFW's forums on this exact issue. Responses lean heavily towards doing K and waiting until 6 for 1st grade.

 

http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?t=543

 

As I have mentioned in a pm to you, I'm going with MFW K for my reading DD. I agree with what another poster said in regards to thinking about the priorities for your family. I want learning to be fun for my DD, and I love all the fun activities that are laid out so helpfully in MFW's K TM. And the character building will be good for our entire family. :) Because DD is reading, I plan to skip most of the phonics instruction and supplement with separate curriculum that she is already using (ETC and some PP). Same with math, she can do a little more, so I'll make it available to her, but it'll be her option, not a must-do (just like I do now). For handwriting, I'll use the HWT pages in the order that MFW covers the letters. DD is doing well with handwriting, so I'll probably have her also copy the saying for the week. Of course, we haven't BTDT so take this FWIW (don't you love the acronyms?). Now if I can just wait until she turns 5, lol! :tongue_smilie:

[Cornerstone Classical]

:iagree: Thanks, LoveBaby, for the reminder. It is hard as a first time homeschooler, particularly with an academically advanced child, not to push. You worry about failing your children academically--which is a big fear of being in charge of their education. It takes time, practice, experience and wisdom to learn to pace yourself and not push too hard. I'm not there yet myself, and so I appreciate the reminders to slow down. There is a balance...I hope to find it. :001_smile:

 

I'm right there with you DawnE. I learned my lesson the hard way this year. Sad to say, at the expense of my dd. I've been trying to combine her with ds(advanced) in non content areas. This year her academic self esteem has suffered. She says that ds always knows the anwers to everything and she is "stupid." :crying: She is a grade level ahead in reading, but K on everything else. I think doing MFW 1st with her "on her own" where she can be "engaged" on her on level and pace will be the thing she needs.

 

Before Christmas DS(technically 1st grade) finished FLL 2, Saxon 2, and SWO C. If this keeps up I see him doing Saxon 5/4 as a young 8 year old, and I know he is not going to be ready physically or emotionally for that. I could already notice problems with him after Thanksgiving. I know without a doubt he can do the work, I just don't want to rob him of his childhood, and being free to be a little boy. I'm planning on doing enrichment with him for the rest of the year. We'll start 3rd grade in the fall.

Edited January 2, 2009 by Cornerstone Classical

[coffeefreak]

I vote OTHER (hahaha) I don't like MFW. I felt too bound by the schedule, not enough flexability. Since you have a little one, that's something to think about. Sonlight is FABULOUS, but I do not like their K year at all. I would do one of their pre-K programs but it's too expensive IMO. Rod and Staff and BJU would be too textbooky. Sooooo (drum roll please) we use Five in a Row for Kinder. I LOVE it, it's inexpensive, and it has a ton of living books.

 

Blessings!

[MitchellMom]

:iagree: Thanks, LoveBaby, for the reminder. It is hard as a first time homeschooler, particularly with an academically advanced child, not to push. You worry about failing your children academically--which is a big fear of being in charge of their education. It takes time, practice, experience and wisdom to learn to pace yourself and not push too hard. I'm not there yet myself, and so I appreciate the reminders to slow down. There is a balance...I hope to find it. :001_smile:

 

YES! Exactly! Thank you for saying this.

 

If you are leaning towards MFW but are having trouble deciding between K and 1st, here's some great perspective from MFW's forums on this exact issue. Responses lean heavily towards doing K and waiting until 6 for 1st grade.

 

http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?t=543

 

As I have mentioned in a pm to you, I'm going with MFW K for my reading DD. I agree with what another poster said in regards to thinking about the priorities for your family. I want learning to be fun for my DD, and I love all the fun activities that are laid out so helpfully in MFW's K TM. And the character building will be good for our entire family. :) Because DD is reading, I plan to skip most of the phonics instruction and supplement with separate curriculum that she is already using (ETC and some PP). Same with math, she can do a little more, so I'll make it available to her, but it'll be her option, not a must-do (just like I do now). For handwriting, I'll use the HWT pages in the order that MFW covers the letters. DD is doing well with handwriting, so I'll probably have her also copy the saying for the week. Of course, we haven't BTDT so take this FWIW (don't you love the acronyms?). Now if I can just wait until she turns 5, lol! :tongue_smilie:

 

Excellent point. I had read over this thread and can see the benefits.

 

Now if only I can decide b/w MFW K and Sonlight K...

[Tonia]

Now if only I can decide b/w MFW K and Sonlight K...

 

Can I make a suggestion with this? Why not continue using whatever you're using for teaching reading, pick a math program and a handwriting program. All of those can be the simple, open-and-go type programs that you are looking for. This will cover your basics - reading, math and handwriting.

 

Then, since your dd doesn't need the reading lessons in MFW, just get the teacher's manual and use it for the unit themes and the corresponding activities - your son can be involved in this part and you can use each theme as a way to introduce his letters (I think I'd get Alphabet Art as well if you want some other alphabet activities). This should take you only a few minutes a week to plan (I plan about six themes at a time so I can add things to my shopping list and reserve library books) And, as for Sonlight, just buy the books that appeal to you from the pre-k and k lists and use them as read-alouds.

 

There! Now your planning is done! :D

[In the Rain]

Sorry for hijacking the thread, but I have a question.

 

 

Then, since your dd doesn't need the reading lessons in MFW, just get the teacher's manual and use it for the unit themes and the corresponding activities -

 

Where can you buy just the teacher manual? I didn't see that option on the website. I love the way MFWK blends Bible, character and science. I'm just not interested in the phonics aspect.

[Cornerstone Classical]

Sorry for hijacking the thread, but I have a question.

 

 

 

Where can you buy just the teacher manual? I didn't see that option on the website. I love the way MFWK blends Bible, character and science. I'm just not interested in the phonics aspect.

 

You would have to by the TM used. You could look on the WTM Resale Board, EBay, or I think Cadam said that there is a MFW yahoo swap group.

[lovetobehome]

You can find them used pretty readily...most people sell the MFW K manual alone because they have used the consumable sheets.

[MitchellMom]

Can I make a suggestion with this? Why not continue using whatever you're using for teaching reading, pick a math program and a handwriting program. All of those can be the simple, open-and-go type programs that you are looking for. This will cover your basics - reading, math and handwriting.

 

Then, since your dd doesn't need the reading lessons in MFW, just get the teacher's manual and use it for the unit themes and the corresponding activities - your son can be involved in this part and you can use each theme as a way to introduce his letters (I think I'd get Alphabet Art as well if you want some other alphabet activities). This should take you only a few minutes a week to plan (I plan about six themes at a time so I can add things to my shopping list and reserve library books) And, as for Sonlight, just buy the books that appeal to you from the pre-k and k lists and use them as read-alouds.

 

There! Now your planning is done! :D

 

Great suggestions - thanks!

 

You would have to by the TM used. You could look on the WTM Resale Board, EBay, or I think Cadam said that there is a MFW yahoo swap group.

 

Where is the MFW swap group?! Can I join? :D

[Sarita]

Someone already suggested this, but it may have gotten lost in the shuffle... I used Galloping the Globe with my oldest daughter when she was in K, and we loved it! We did that along with MUS and OPGTR. I'd love to tell you more about it if you're intersted...just ask! :)

 

Sarita

[siloam]

4. TOG - Is this an entire curriculum? Their site confuses me. :001_huh:

 

 

 

Yes, and it is very meaty. Unless you like to teak and make choices, save it till later.

 

It includes: History, Bible/church history/missionary history (depending on what year you are on), literature, art history, music history, scientist biographies/history, timeline work, mapping work, activities, government, philosophy...and I could go on. It is a full history program for K-12th grade. While there are those of us who love it and use it with younger kids, the majority probably appreciate it more once they have more experience and older kids.

 

I didn't vote, but I would lean towards MFW or Winter Promise if I just had littles again. I am one of the mother's who love the books in Core K and find the history and science fine for K, but I find the read alouds have topics that are a bit mature and I save them for 1st grade or later.

 

Heather

 

[MitchellMom]

Someone already suggested this, but it may have gotten lost in the shuffle... I used Galloping the Globe with my oldest daughter when she was in K, and we loved it! We did that along with MUS and OPGTR. I'd love to tell you more about it if you're intersted...just ask! :)

 

Sarita

 

 

Sure, I would love to learn more about these! My dd already knows how to read so I would not need OPGTR but I would love to learn more about GTG and MUS (if it can be used with Singapore). I was under the impression that GTG was for first grade and up?...

[Pata]

I didn't read all the other replies, but I chose Sonlight because it's what we used and my dd loved it. Although the readings were short and somewhat choppy to me, my dd thought they were great. For us, it was a gentle introduction to school. (My dd was 5yo when we began Core K) Hope that helps!

[Omma]

This wasn't one of your options, but we combined SL K with MFW K and had a wonderful year (we used SL LA K and ETC instead of MFW K phonics). I rationalized this in my head as being okay because we had 2 dc and one does better with SL and the other with MFW... but we loved using both with both dc! :D

 

Brenda

[MitchellMom]

This wasn't one of your options, but we combined SL K with MFW K and had a wonderful year (we used SL LA K and ETC instead of MFW K phonics). I rationalized this in my head as being okay because we had 2 dc and one does better with SL and the other with MFW... but we loved using both with both dc! :D

 

Brenda

 

 

Wow ... didn't you spend almost all day doing schoolwork that way?...

[MitchellMom]

We've loved Little Hands to Heaven with 2 of our dc and will be using it again with our third soon. I did want to mention that from what you said Little Hearts for His Glory may be a better fit for your ds (that is the guide following LHTH). It would be worth your time to check out the HOD website:

http://www.heartofdakota.com/board3/

It shows the first week of plans for each of the guides' date=' and it has a handy placement chart that has been very accurate (plus easy to use) for placing each of our dc:

http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php[/quote']

 

Thank you - I have their catalog and liked them but it seemed like they did not have a lot of reading ... am I wrong?...

[MitchellMom]

We've loved Little Hands to Heaven with 2 of our dc and will be using it again with our third soon. I did want to mention that from what you said Little Hearts for His Glory may be a better fit for your ds (that is the guide following LHTH). It would be worth your time to check out the HOD website:

http://www.heartofdakota.com/board3/

It shows the first week of plans for each of the guides' date=' and it has a handy placement chart that has been very accurate (plus easy to use) for placing each of our dc:

http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php[/quote']

 

 

According to their placement chart, my daughter would need Little Hands to Heaven because of her age. She will be 5 in 3.5 months. But in this curriculum they are only just starting to teach letters and letter sounds.

Edited January 4, 2009 by MitchellMom

[jewel7123]

Age is just one factor to look at, but Little Hearts starts with age 5, so it should be fine for your daughter? I plan on using it myself for K, as I am doing LHTH right now for PreK. Leaving her age out of it, where does she place using the placement chart?

 

I would check out the Heart of Dakota message board....the ladies there are very friendly and more than willing to help you figure out the perfect placement for your child. Carrie, the author, might even chime in herself, or you can email her directly any questions you have!

Edited January 4, 2009 by jewel7123

[kindermommy]

According to their placement chart, my daughter would need Little Hands to Heaven because of her age. She will be 5 in 3.5 months. But in this curriculum they are only just starting to teach letters and letter sounds.

 

If your daughter is advanced in reading, I think it is going to be very hard to find ONE curriculum that you will use in it's entirety. I never found a "K" level curriculum that would have suited my DD's needs (also advanced) in phonics. So my advice is to separate your phonics instruction and then skip the phonics portion and use the rest of a "program" for everything else.

 

I LOVE Sonlight. I haven't used it yet, but it was the first thing I fell in love with at a homeschool convention and I've drooled over it and researched it like mad ever since. I hope to use it at some point in our HS career. But we weren't ready for it now. I wasn't crazy in love with some of the P4/5 titles (we checked them out from the library to preview) and I also feel strongly about starting with American History (and then following/beginning the classical cycle in 4th or 5th grade, which means we will only cycle through completely two times) I also felt SL K was a bit too much - the topics are a bit "heavy", IMHO. My daughter is very "mature" and she will be 6 next week and I would only consider SL K for her 1st grade year. But only you know what types of topics your child can handle. Look at the book list and find some summaries of the books online. Also, keep in mind that SL K is alot of read-aloud time from books with NO pictures - is she ready to sit still and really listen for that long?

 

I also love TOG, but again, it goes against my "American History first" motto, so I will save it for later (plus, it's a bit more intense than I was ready to attempt at this point)

 

So don't be afraid to just choose a program based on everything but the phonics portion and then plug in your own phonics (I personally love the WRTR , but it takes a bit of studying to "get" - but it's not rocket science either).

 

If she's advanced in Math, plug in your own math program too, but honestly at age 4.5 - 5, I wouldn't feel *any* pressure to advance her in that area - I'm sure she should be perfectly happy just having FUN with math until she's older and ready to deal with more abstract concepts. Reading, for us, is what I wanted to focus on and make sure I had it "right" for her - because once they are independent readers, they can handle everything sooooo much more easily.

 

So my vote on a specific curriculum? Check out heart of dakota a bit more, if you truly want open and go. She may even be ready for "beyond" - so read the sample week of lessons there. It allows you to plug in your own phonics program and address the rdg level independently (and she has some great programs she wrote or that she recommends) It's very gentle in Science and History. Of course, I am partial to HOD b/c they follow the American History first motto too :) :)

 

I've heard GREAT things about MFW - and it's open and go as well, but just choose the level based on everything but phonics and find a more personalized on-level phonics program for her :) :) That may make your "K vs 1st" dilemma easier as well.

 

HTH

[kindermommy]

P.S. Galloping the Globe was too much prep work for me :) Great program - very cute, but I sincerely tried and gave up because I just couldn't get to it - by the time I "planned" Reading and Math, I had no "planning" time for anything else! LOL So I decided to just find very easy or open and go stuff for everything but Reading/Math. :)

[momsquared]

Well for what its worth - and my DD is the same age as yours, but does need phonics instruction - I am going with MFW K. However, here is my plan for the next year or so. Currently we are doing Saxon K math and ETC primers. We will continue through those until they are done - no timeline at this point, but lets say June at the latest (for ETC, probably not Saxon). Then I will start working with her on MFW K. She will still be short of 5, but I think she will be in good shape to start it then. Plus, as a teacher I will be off all summer and will have time to dedicate to getting it started strong. I have no anticipated finish date for that, but I assume I will reassess once that time nears.

 

Again, I am in no hurry. There is a chance DD will be starting a private school for 1st so I am not rushing since we have a couple of years. I want her to relax and enjoy herself. She needs to catch up her fine motor with the rest of her skills. The beauty of homeschooling is she can without any pressure.

 

Good luck.