60-day returns • free shipping on USA orders $129+
SCM/AO/HUFI comparison
- This topic has 12 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 11 months ago by
.
Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
- Posts
Has anyone ever created or seen a specific year-by-year comparison of different CM approaches, specifically between AO, SCM, and HUFI? I’d be curious to see where they are similar and different.
It’s possible that I’m being over analytical about it. I’m still an accountant at heart. 🙂
Thanks!
Dana
Dana, I’ve used all 3. AO and hufi are very similar. The main difference being that hufi focuses on American history in the beginning where AO for uses on British. I also think hufi is better spaced and I fprefer some of their book choices more. SCM is different in that it allows you to combine everyone in one era at their own level. It has some of the same book choices, but not all. Having used all of them, I can say SCM is the most open and go and family friendly (combining).
Next year I’m splitting my brood to three years individually bc it will work best for us For that year. My 3 school age are now all independent readers (even my 5yo) and that plus some other factors make that the best choice for next year. While hufi will be our framework, we will still tweak subbing in some books from SCM. I ESP like SCM’s elementary choices.
Honestly, all 3 are great frameworks. If I were going to be overseas, I would likely try to use as many ebooks as possible. Remeber that whatever you choose you can always change if your needs change. Also that no matter what you’re likely to tweak something.
Blessings,
Christie
Hi Dana,
I’ve never seen a comparison. If you embrace your inner-accountant and make one, be sure to let me know!
This is my experience only:
We switched to SCM from AO because there was no way for us to get the hours in the out of doors so important to us (and CM), and that was when I was only schooling one. If I’m not mistaken, back in CM’s day all the ages would be studying the same period of history at the same time in her schools so, although a 16-yr-old wasn’t reading the same book as a 7-yr-old, lively and interesting conversations were sparked when they were all together.
Warmly,
Richele
I do not have a written, or typed, comparison, but after I have spent some time looking over HUFI, I have to come back to SCM. I’m not saying I use everything suggested, just not feasible, but I use the guide/planner and plug in what is important to us. At this stage of the game I’m not interested in my dc being in different historical time periods, but that’s just me, plus we started CM late with our oldest anyway. I have taken many ideas from HUFI and continue to browse the site for info, book choices, etc. I do find it difficult (or maybe I just haven’t figured it out yet) how to look at everything at one time. For instance, I can look at Year 1, 2, 3, and so on, individually, but can’t seem to settle on just one year, therefore, I’d be taking from one, adding to another. I’m sure you get the idea! So I might as well use SCM’s guide and plug in what I want for each of my dc.
I think I am using the Bible suggestions, composition book instead of binders (not just her idea but I think I read it there first), and I’m currently having my oldest read through books that are suggested before entering high school. Also, I did print out another list of books recommended before 7th grade that my ds hasn’t read yet, or at least hasn’t read all of them. I may use her My America Book for my youngest, as well.
I hope this doesn’t sound as if I am bashing. I think if I had found her site first I would’ve used much more of her plans but I didn’t, so I can’t change that experience.
I have asked about some of the book choices here to get an idea of what others thought, and that has been very helpful to me.
Like I said in a previous thread, I think it is wonderful for those that want to do a Year (or all of them) and not have to plan it out (which is not a bad idea, I’m serious!). I think it’s wonderful that she shares so much and is so helpful.
I haven’t used all 3 programs, but I think Christy’s summary is spot on! I think the biggest difference is how they approach combining the different ages together.
HUFI uses many of the same books as SCM…I think they even use some of the SCM materials. HUFI also has some nice independent Bible studies for each grade. While we haven’t used them, I think they’d be really nice for a quiet time in the morning, which many families do. I’ve also been reading through their booklists to get ideas for independent readers. SCM and HUFI booklists both seem very appropriate, age-wise.
I tried AO when my oldest was in 1st and found the books too difficult for DD to comprehend. I especially remember Parables from Nature and thinking it would be a much better book at an older age. So much of the readings were lost on her. They do have some nice resources at AO…I’m hoping to use the Plutarch study guides if/when we get to them. Also, their poetry selections are wonderful! I have their year one poetry printed out and put in a binder. They are organized by months and my DC love reading about the current season. There are probably some other nice “finds” at the AO site.
SCM is also by far my favorite. It’s much more “efficient” with time…very important with a larger family! Like Richele mentioned, it gives us time to get outdoors (or work on handicrafts). Having everyone in different books and topics would wear me out! I also love that we are all learning together. One of my DC recently made a joke about mastabas, and I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t have been as funny to them if the others weren’t learning the same material! It’s also very “balanced”. So many homeschool materials are very heavy on history. I’ve really been enjoying how light the SCM history is…we can finally get to our other subjects!
HUFI, AO, and SCM all have nice summaries of CM’s methods. I often read through all three sites on a specific topic, like picture study or nature study. By reading all 3, I can often get more book suggestions or ideas than if I’d just read about the topic from one site. I’ll then pick and choose the books and ideas that fit our family the best…or maybe see a book we already own on the list of recommendations.
One thing I think makes SCM stand out is the focus on the Bible.
Agreeing with what the others said as well.
Dana – I’d love to see a spreadsheet comparison too! That’s my nerd heart speaking, not my accountant one. I agree with everything said so far…I use SCM as my main and add other books if needed/wanted. I can’t imagine trying to do 3 different levels of work. We just split into separate science (2 older boys and 2 younger boys) and it’s awful but necessary. But the beauty of homeschooling is that each family does what’s right for them, and that changes as the kids grow and mature, and family dynamics change. What is hard for me is easy/doable for someone else. Ideally I’d love to have the time in the day to mash them all together, do them all and STILL have time to play, garden, worship, and relax.
I’m just starting so I don’t have any experience under my belt. Does having dc in separate studies seem more feasible if there are only 2 and they are 4 years apart?
Thanks!
Dana
Dana, I do think it’s more feasible to separate them if you only have 2 kids. I have 2 kids, 3 years apart. When we did AO they were in separate years and the main history spine was too difficult for them to read on their own (around 1st and 4th at the time) so I had to read 2 separate readings from the same book to each of them. I didn’t like that. I prefer having them on the same cycle so we can discuss and do fieldtrips, watch movies of the era together, etc. However, they are older now (4th and 7th) and do a lot independently. HTH some:) Gina
We found it worked better for us to have the kids in seperate AO years. Delta and Echo are only 2 years apart, and they were in grades 3 and 1 when we tried out SCM, and another family based CM type of program – so they were doing pretty much the exact same thing – and I just saw Delta’s self-confidence crumble over that year because Echo did some things better than him. Having them in seperate years, they can’t compare easily. The other benefit to AO for me is that a lot of the books are available on audiobook. As it looks sure that Delta is dyslexic, he can’t read most of the books scheduled in any of these programs yet – but he can work independantly on most of his AO readings, and so can Echo…. and that opens up time for me to work one-on-one on things that we need to.
Dana,
I did a comparison chart for Ambleside, SCM, and Milestones academy a while ago. I’m not sure how current or complete it is, because I haven’t looked at it in a while, but it might give you a start. There is even an extra blank column where you could add in the HUFI books. I’m not sure what my plan was, exactly, to tell the truth.
Anyway, if you send me your email in a PM, I can email it. It’s set up as an OpenOffice writer file, which I believe Word will open as well.
Joanne
Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
- The topic ‘SCM/AO/HUFI comparison’ is closed to new replies.