Name: Thrive! NCHE Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-05-22T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-05-24T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

Tagged: MFW, My Father's World

This topic has 33 replies, 15 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 9 months ago by greenebalts.

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Posts
March 9, 2011 at 12:08 am
amandajhilburn
Participant
Kathi,
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 🙂
http://teachthemdiligently-amanda.blogspot.com/
March 9, 2011 at 1:15 am
Cindie2dds
Member
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.
March 9, 2011 at 1:31 am
baileymom
Member
csmamma – my DD, almost 14 will be doing MFW’s 1st year of high school this coming fall…Ancient History and Literature…we printed the ‘sample’ off for her…and she’s super excited (good sample!)
March 9, 2011 at 2:04 am
knitnspinner
Member
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.
March 9, 2011 at 12:14 pm
JennNC
Participant
We were very long time MFW users. We left because as we got toward the end of the 5 year cycle, there were less and less engaging living books on the listening level of the majority of my children. My oldest would have been fine with it, but I have many more kids than just my oldest to think about and plan for…
March 9, 2011 at 2:34 pm
knitnspinner
Member
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.
April 13, 2018 at 12:29 pm
sheila aguilo
Participant
Hi I know this post is very old, but I’m in the same page now with MFW, I’m doing ECC and I think its time to change next year, but I’m confused. 5 years using MFW! I want to work with the same theme next year (creation to greeks) but I need something more. I’m thinking of heart os Dakota, but I’m not convinced yet. I don’t know what to do. My son love science, history and Bible, I want more for him. (Obviously I’m looking for CM philosophy).
What do you think after all this years? Answer for Genesis is a good source for science? I don’t like textbooks but I need a good a complete resource for science, I’m not good at, so I need much to help my son in his favorite subject. I hope you or someone can help!
April 13, 2018 at 3:04 pm
Tamara Bell
Moderator
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.
April 13, 2018 at 3:30 pm
sheila aguilo
Participant
Thank you a lot! The reason I want to move from MFW is that something is missing, too light. When I see the books that MFW offer for Creation to Greek I think will happen the same. And I see that the main source for history and science are text books. Sure I’m afraid to take the wrong choice, I cant not afford bye two curriculums, I have to stick with my choice.
My son do love experiments, but I don’t :-/ .
English is our second language, so this is a challenge, specially for me. I checked SCM and I afraid is the contrary. I have to understand it better.
Its hard to change, I always thought I will use MFW forever :-p
Can you tell me where I can find the 1 week sample?
thanks for you time!
April 13, 2018 at 5:45 pm
Tamara Bell
Moderator
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.”

April 13, 2018 at 6:01 pm
sheila aguilo
Participant
***Tamara Bell, I’m sorry (thinking I’m Spanish). I was viewing SCM history option, but I don’t know yet how to adapt it to the whole school program. Intimidated me! (The contrary to my complain about my current curriculum that is too light). ***
April 13, 2018 at 6:48 pm
CrystalN
Participant
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.
April 13, 2018 at 6:49 pm
CrystalN
Participant
Oh and in my opinion ECC it eh WORST year. I will never do that year again.
July 12, 2018 at 1:15 pm
ashley
Participant
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.
July 15, 2018 at 10:49 am
greenebalts
Participant
I have used MFW K and 1st grade, as well as the Ancient and World high school levels, but not the five in between levels. I have owned them all at some point, but didn’t use them. MFW is a very solid program and I do recommend it for those needing a schedule or wanting pre-made lesson plans with a literature approach. We have also used Sonlight, but I much prefer the MFW instructor guides over SL.
We stopped using MFW because I wanted to build my own program. I like planning, actually better than teaching 🙁 At that time, my younger kids moved into the TruthQuest guides mixed with some Beautiful Feet and my older high school daughter moved into a combination of things, including Beautiful Feet, which is my favorite of all history programs. She much preferred the BF books over MFW. She also said the BF study guide questions were more “thought provoking” than MFW. The upper levels of MFW are based on a textbook spine with less lit and living books. My kids all prefer the living book approach.
I have never used SCM as written, however, I did build a program from the Ancient level when my kids were very young. I think the major benefit of SCM is that it’s most easily adaptable for large families or families with kids multiple ages. I know MFW and HOD have add on programs, but SCM has it all in one guide. SCM is also much more cost effective. One con may be that it would only be a history/bible guide. You would still have to add science, which is included in MFW. On the other hand, there is not much in the way of formal science necessary in the elementary years.
Again, I think any one of these programs mentioned is going to be solid academically. It’s more a matter of whether you want to build your own and are looking for an all in one vs. parting out each subject. And, whether or not you’re teaching a large family or have kids with a large age gap that you want to keep together. Budget could be another factor. MFW is pricey IMHO. Be sure to look at second hand options.