Name: CHEC Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-06-12T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-06-14T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Denver, CO

This topic has 6 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 5 months ago by 2Corin57.

Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

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December 18, 2016 at 8:22 am
2Corin57
Participant
Why did you choose SCM as opposed to say Ambleside Online or other options?
December 18, 2016 at 10:48 am
HollyS
Participant
We’ve used a few CM curriculum options. I think most programs are solid choices and I could add lots of Pros to each list, but I’m focusing on why we didn’t stick with these.
AO
- I felt the Year 1 readings were too advanced for a 6yo
- I prefer a mix of public domain and modern books, while AO focuses more on public domain books. Since I like physical copies of books, I think it would get pretty pricey for us!
- I prefer combining my DC as much as possible
Heart of Dakota
- Too expensive, looking ahead to upper levels
- My DC were taking too much time on the lessons
- Art projects were too school-like for their tastes–they were more “follow the directions” than creative.
- Not much room for adding you own materials and studies
Why we use SCM:
- Combining everyone for family studies and lower level science
- Wonderful booklists, quality over quantity.
- Flexibility of subbing in our own books and choosing our own topics each term
- Not a huge amount of time spent on history, which isn’t a favorite subject of my DC. SCM seems more balanced than most literature based programs.
- Love SCM materials! They are simple, yet effective. Many books are used over multiple years, which makes them a good investment. Pretty much everything is re-usable or re-printable for younger DC.
My only complaint about SCM is that I would love more materials for the upper grades. Hint, hint. 😉
December 18, 2016 at 11:59 am
totheskydear
Participant
What HollyS said! I love that all grades will be combined for history and geography. I’m expecting my 4th child in a month and can’t imagine trying to keep 4 of everything going and straight without losing my mind. 😉 Thanks Sonya for keeping my hair from greying prematurely!
December 18, 2016 at 12:46 pm
totheskydear
Participant
4 of every subject, that is.
December 18, 2016 at 3:01 pm
Sandra Wade
Participant
After one year of Sonlight, I knew that we needed a change. I was able to attend Sonya’s sessions at Teach Them Diligently. Her presentations were such an encouragement. I found the materials produced by SCM to be exactly what I was looking for. The team at SCM seems to have put together a well balanced curriculum. So, what do I like about SCM?
- Living books
- Short but powerful lessons
- Affordable guides
- The CM Organizer!!!!!!
- The blog
- Combining all children for many of the subjects
- Shakespeare in Three Steps
December 18, 2016 at 9:10 pm
Karen
Participant
I first switched our history from Story of the World to SCM because I was getting confused with SotW’s presentation. SCM seemed so much simpler, and I have a much better grasp of world and American history after 4 years with SCM history guides and suggested books.
Then I bought the artist study portfolios. ? them! We would do NO artist study if it wasn’t for those portfolios! Just pull them out, hang them up, and talk a bit about them.
This year, we’ve added the Visits to…to our geography. We sort of fell off the wagon a couple months ago, but we’re getting back in the swing of it. I like those, too, and will use more in the future.
December 19, 2016 at 5:49 am
2Corin57
Participant
Holly – you nailed the concerns I had with those two programs. I’ve been scouring different programs this past week: HOD, MFW, AO etc… and nothing seems to fit as well as SCM, or be as flexible. AO especially seemed quite honestly, a bit insane to me, lol. The workload was so heavy, and as you said, the readings way over their head. Not only that, I honestly, despise having a bunch of different literature choices on the go at one time. I don’t mind having something for science, geography, history etc… But to have 2 or 3 different literature novels going – no thanks, that would drive us up the wall 🙂 Likewise, the workload in HOD was intense, a good 10 subjects every day, and they weren’t quick things either.