Anybody leave/quit using MFW?

I am not planning on using MFW. 🙂 I just can’t handle an all-in-one curriculum. I want to be able to choose things for myself.

You can check my blog to see what we use. It is just a big ‘ol mix of things 🙂

 

Oh, Amanda!  I’ve had to try most of them so I have thoroughly made sure there was no way I could have missed an “all-in-one” that might work.  I just don’t work that way either, and I have had to learn it the hard way.

We are currently using their Rome to Reformation plan. Overall, I’ve been pretty happy with MFW. This is our third year. We were SL users before that. While I’ve enjoyed many aspects of MFW and we have a great MFW co-op here in town, I’m planning to do my own planning next year. I love the SCM Organizer and I would much prefer to have that then the MFW Teacher’s Manual. (same price really) Plus there were always books I wasn’t thrilled with, and wished I had bought others.

That’s a good point, JennNC. I think I saw some of that this year, even in R to R.  My older two have enjoyed the history/stories, but my younger two simply endured. I actually moved them on to other activities for most of our history readings. I think it was encouraging their tendency to not give attention to my reading. They did sit in on the historical fiction(Bronze Bow, Twice Freed, Door in the Wall) but much of it went over their heads.

I’ve looked through the plan for Exploration to 1850 and see several books down in the 2-3rd supplement that my younger ones will enjoy.  I’ll check PaperbackSwap for those, buy George Washington’s World/The World of William Penn, and pull some of the Beautiful Feet books we have on our shelves already. 

I see more and more that while I like many of their “Deluxe” suggestions, there’s too much in the “Basic” package that I want to weed out/substitute. Having said that, I’ll admit that if I had not found this site/the Organizer, I most likely would have bought the MFW all-in-one again.  Mainly for the security that I felt having a TM on my shelf, I guess.

Sheila,

Does your son like experiments?  My son has LOVED Science in the Beginning and is now using Science in the Ancient world.  He has optional experiments daily that I rarely have to help him with.  This is the first time he has truly been engaged and excited about science.

As for the rest of “what to do”, only you can decide what is best.  I used HOD for almost 2 years (I actually dropped it both years lol). If you go through the forum on the HOD website, the author was inspired by CM but deviated towards her own preferences in education too.  She moves away from CM where language arts is concerned and also a lot of busy work.  Perhaps your son likes that but???  HOD has 1 week samples for the guide so you can get a general feel of what each day will look like.  HOD also moves away from CM in the “feast” area.  You do not study artists and composers every year, handiwork is not included, etc.

Have you looked at the SCM history guides?  It is scheduled more slowly than the 4 yr cycle HOD and MFW has but also allows your child more time for the feast and for free exploration.

Sheila,

If you go to any guide on the HOD website and scroll about 1/3 of the way down, there are 3 links that you can choose from to see samples.

Can you explain ” I checked SCM and I afraid is the contrary. I have to understand it better.”

I have a 3rd, 6th and 8th grader this year and we have used MFW off and on for 8years. I keep hating it, quitting, missing it and going back. We have used K, 1st, Adventures, ECC, Creation to the Greeks, and Rome to the Reformation, planning on Exploration to 1850 next year. What I hate about it is the TM, what I love about it is the TM…. I know, I am a nut. I hate being totally on my own and also hate being chained to a daily plan. I finally realized I am in charge, not the TM! Once I gave up paying attention to the days of the week printed across the top life got good. We take it day by day, sometimes we take 3 or more days to do one day in the TM. We utilize the library lists in the back, watch extra videos, etc and move on when we feel like it. Other times I do two days at once. I feel like the framework is very helpful to me, but we like to take it slower. I ignore the LA and math and often the science suggestions and do my own thing. Yes it takes at least two years for a guide in our house but its worth it to really enjoy the learning. We do the 3Rs and read alouds daily and history and science is slower and more enjoyable. The cost is a bit high new, but I buy all the components used throughout the year for the following year so I never have to shell out $500 in one pop.

Why was ECC the worst year?  And what makes the other years better?  Trying to decide between SCM and MFW ECC for this year and really struggling.  Would you say SCM is better for auditory?  I don’t have many of those around here, and that’s my worry.