daveliz meaghon pericles
Coleman John
After really looking through all these materials I really feel anyone of them would work well and a combination might work well too. Some days I feel overwhelmed and other days I feel blessed that there are so many excellent choices available!
We use a little of both. We use VP's self-paced history and pick from their literature & history choices for our assigned reading. We love their history & bible cards and their memory songs. I would describe VP as "a lot." A lot of reading, a lot of writing, a lot of everything.
We mostly use MP for other subjects: Latin, Bible, States & Capitals, Astronomy. I would describe MP as methodical and thorough. They teach way less material, but use the time to thoroughly dig into it. For example, in the Greek Myths guide you memorize the main figures, then you learn all new vocabulary in the week's reading selection, then you answer the comp questions, then you analyze the pictures and interpret what each part of the picture represents, and then there may be further analysis of the passage or an additional reading that ties into the topic.
However, we don't use either for first grade. My first grader reads a lot (used ETC until he read well), does GWG1 (will move to R&S in 2nd grade), All About Spelling, HWT cursive, Singapore math, and tags along on his older brother's history, science, and Bible. We move into MP and VP in 2nd grade for bible, science, and history.
I read on Memoria Press's forum that they decided R&S grammar was too much for students already doing spelling, Latin, phonics and grammar recitations. Then in 3rd grade they do MP Grammar for the Grammar stage.
I agree that those are the big differences as well. The simplicity of MP really calls to me, I know that we'll get it done. Then I get a panicky feeling about how we won't be doing enough and my children will be missing out and how I love VP history. So I think VP is the right choice. Then I get a panicky feeling about how we will NEVER get it all done and I'll constantly feel like we're failing. So I think MP is the right choice. And around and around it goes. I am thinking about combining my favorite parts from each. I just had this crazy notion that I would be able to choose.
And to think when I first started on this homeschooling path one of my biggest worries was how I was going to find materials to use to teach them! I had no idea how many options were out there!:blink:
I love the MP guides and own K-2, but they just are not a good fit for my kids. My dc thrive on the "extras" of science and history, and need additional tailored work on the 3Rs due to LDs. If I spent all day working on the basics in only their problem areas, and gave them nothing content-wise to demonstrate their talents, I think there would be a revolt!! So, while I love the concept of MP, it just doesn't work for every child.
Right now we are using the library, although they are titled "talking books" in the library catalog rather than audiobooks. At our library we have found that the download catalog stinks right now (hopefully that will improve as the library gets more on board with technology) so we are just using CD versions.
For websites, we have checked out audible.com, but we go through a lot more audiobooks than 1 per month (ds is dyslexic and gets most of his language right now by listening). We also like audiobooks.com, which is a set fee of $25 per month for unlimited audiobook downloads. If you get an LD diagnosis, you can qualify for Bookshare, which is free, or Learning Ally, which is a yearly fee. Hope that gives you some options!
Do you plan on using it completely as is? No tweaking? Do you think it's something we could do and then once a week add in a 'fun' day with science experiements or something like that? As I said before, I love how simple MP is and how it sticks with the most important things. My concern then is that the 'fun' things (according to my children) are usually connected to history and science. Which we won't do much with in MP. With what we have done in the past I don't think they're really getting much out of those subjects, but they enjoy the crafts or experiments.
The MP curriculum comes from Highlands Latin School and they have classes 4 days a week. If you don't mind tweaking the schedule a bit, I think you would find it easy to get everything done in 4 days and leave yourself the 5th day for more hands on activities.
We are also using K this year and plan on using 1st grade next year as written. I have found the lesson plans efficient enough that there is plenty of time to add in additional reading or crafts and experiments.
I also wanted to mention that there is a big difference between MP's K-2 and 3rd grade and up packages. K-2 are focused on basic math, reading, and writing with supplemental read-alouds, art, science, etc. Starting in 3rd grade they add in Christian Studies, Classical Studies, Geography, and Science in a more formal way. With four kids to juggle, I think this is a great use of time.
We are still using R&S English for grades 2 and up, mainly to emphasize usage rules such as apostrophes, commas, and quotation marks. I'm not comfortable enough to give these up yet. Maybe in a year or two...
Thank you for mentioning that, it made me take a longer look at their higher grade packages. Things get much more intensive! It's good to remember that eventually I'll have one in K, 3rd and 4th and time will be more scarce. Thank you everyone for your comments, I'm feeling more and more comfortable with MP. I think the tentative plan will be to go with their package (except for the math) and add in a little more science or a small history unit when the schedule allows, but not to make that the focus. I think we'll be better off if I have to add instead of stressing because we're not getting the list all done.
I begin my post by admitting that I am a box checker. That said, I bought every single VP book for year 1. I was swamped. It was way too much. Why didn't I just buy what they said was most needed? I just can't. I can't stand knowing there is more! And for us it was also too much too early. I think for the younger years it is so much overkill. It was several years ago. I knew nothing of MP and haven't looked at it yet, but it sounds like I'd prefer it. I do love the VP suggestions for art reading and such. We have kept those and enjoy them.
This was also my dilemma except that I also wanted to keep all the CC recommendations too and of course it was too much. Since CC has become front and center this year I wanted to only choose that which would fit for us around that. I chose to make the books and resources produced by VP the priority rather than everything they sell. That includes mainly The Phonics Museum, Legends and Leagues, their history and Bible and the literature guides. There is a lot of overlap in VP and CC so here is what we are using from VP or plan to use soon:
I think VP's history and Bible fit better with CC cycles stretched to 6 years by adding A Child's History of the World with A Child's Story Bible. I also feel that their literature guides are more fun. My daughter likes VP's much better than the one she did from MP. I think MP's Famous Men and living book suggestions and geography books, etc. will definitely be worth owning no matter which way you go. They are great selections and resources. I LOVE the simplicity of their guides and all their curricula but it just seemed to me that VP was a better fit for us with CC and so that is the way we are going to go. Also, I've heard sooo many positive comments about self-paced history that I know we will love it too. The kids will be able to do that independently and that will take something off my shoulders.
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