Schedule - Kindergarten can be spread 2 years, BUT many wait

[kellybell]

I think my dd is ready for the k program material, but not ready for 90 minutes of lessons 5 days a week. I am looking at next year, but I still think that's a bit much for a 4 year old. I also know that I won't really know what it's like, until I order. I had in mind something more like half the time (per week) that is described. I am just not sure if stretching it out over 2 years is a good idea, since you cover a letter with each lesson.

She knows her letters and most sounds (but she doesn't really get the concept of blending them into a word), she counts objects reliably to 10 and recognizes those numbers. She can count objects "mostly" reliably to 20. She knows how to write some letters and a few numbers. She already has some lacing cards and she has a great time with them.

How much of the lessons are sitting down seatwork, vs. something you should just try to do that day (ie. nature walk, crafts, watching the ants, or tracing letters in a salt tray?)

Any thoughts??????

Yes, it's doable and many of us have done MFWK with younger than K children (especially girls). Do take your time though. Your plan sounds good. Be aware that their 1st grade and beyond programs fit better for kids that are "the right ages."

There is some seatwork (ie. learning to correctly write letters and cut and glue sheets) but a lot of the curriculum is reading library books and doing interesting projects. It's not very workbook-oriented at all, more "hands on."

Younger kids often have a tough time with the handwriting sheets, since it's hard for their little hands to hold pencils and get the pencils to do the right things. So, if your dd is having a tough time with the handwriting, put it aside for a year or so. Until then, try writing letters in a tray of salt (we kept salt in a 2-cup flat Rubbermaid container, closing it with a lid between uses) or a piece of waxed paper with pudding on it (or finger paint -- but the pudding does taste better).

Go for it.

[cbollin]

welcome to the board.
If you do K at a slower pace, that's ok.
Here's some basic FAQ about the K program. hth ---crystal
---------------
For placement of any of MFW’s programs, please be encouraged to telephone the MFW office. We welcome the opportunity to serve our customers in this way.

Here are some things to consider for determining readiness for kindergarten.

Age: Most children do best if they are 5. Some children are ready at 4 but many boys are NOT. We encourage you NOT TO RUSH into K. Kids who are pushed too early may be seem successful for a few years, but they can reach a "burn-out" point later. Let's keep the joy and adventure in learning.

Wiggle Factor: Can your child sit still for about 15 minutes to do a pencil-paper task? K does expect a child to complete one worksheet a day (maybe 15 minutes) but most of the program is active.

Fine motor: Does your child like to sit and write with a pencil, even if it is scribbles?

Desire: Is your child asking to do school?

We have a preschool package that focuses on skills needed for kindergarten. Each "toy" in the package is actually developing an important skill such as fine motor skills, following directions, completing an assigned task, etc.

What is the Scope and sequence for K?

Phonics covers letter names and sounds (consonant and short vowels), sound blending and handwriting. Before the end of the year students are reading simple stories. The students make their own phonics readers from the student workbook included in the program.

Math: All typical kindergarten goals are taught including counting objects, writing numerals, preparing and understanding charts and graphs, comparing, classifying, sequencing, ordinal numbers, fractions (whole/half), clocks, coins, and an introduction to addition and subtraction.

Bible, Character Development, Science and Creative Thinking are integrated into the 26 thematic unit studies. Overall the theme is God created the world and everything in it.

How long does the program take on a typical day? How many subjects are covered in that time?

The Kindergarten program is designed for about 60-90 minutes, and includes math, phonics, science, Bible character lessons.

Is MFW’s Kindergarten a 6 day program? Does that mean I’ll be teaching Monday through Saturday?

MFW K is not a 6 day school program. There are 166 scheduled days in the program. The first 10 days are a special unit study to introduce “school time” and a Creation Unit Study. Then there are 26 unit studies, one for each alphabet letter. Each unit has 6 days worth of material to cover phonics, Bible, science, etc. But it is not expected that you do school on Saturday – just plan to cover each unit in 6 days (slightly more than a week).

---------------------
Maybe some of the preschool info would be helpful too.

What is the Preschool program like on an average day?
http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?p=15162#15162

--crystal

[snickelfritz]

Thanks ladies!!

I'm convinced. Based on the info provided, and since she already loves writing with a pencil, I think she'll be ready for K by next year at age 4.

I had been considering (and probably will) buying both the preschool and the K program. That way, I can slow the K down.....and just add in extra time with the manipulatives and I will know she's getting exposure to the concepts. Since I have another dd 2 years behind her, the pre-school wouldn't be a waste.

[jlcoubles]

I need advice. My ds has just turned 4 and he knows all letter sounds. He is showing a great interest in reading. For example, he will often sound out ( or try to ) the words around him in every day life.

Should I go ahead and help him learn to read? I'm planning to start MFW K with him in the fall. If I put him off with reading, am I missing an opportunity with him? Or If he learns to read early, will I be able to adjust the MFW program to fit him? Thanks for your insights. (-:

Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 12:42 pm

If your finances allow, I would suggest buying the MFWK right away, and starting just the phonics section with him before the fall. Then, you can start doing the entire curriculum in September, or whenever you were going to start anyway. My son knew all of his letter sounds at 4 years old also, and the MFWK has worked out great for him! He can now read c-v-c words and is becoming very confident and excited to read!

[cbollin]

Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 1:33 pm

If you start now, rather than in the fall, a couple of little things to keep in mind.

*watch for his fine motor and writing skills
* don't feel like you have to finish in one academic year (you can take 1.5 years --- or just do the phonics now and full set in the fall like was already suggested)
* watch his cues --- he may or may not want to go at the pace in the teacher's manual.
*if you start sooner, you can still take some breaks, don't feel like you have to do school every week at this age.
*enjoy reading out loud to him.

I've heard MFW say that some children are ready to learn to read when they are 4 y.o., but the concern is what to do in between K and 1st if the child is not ready for all the writing that is in the first grade program. But take that road when you get there.

--crystal

[blessed2bamommy]

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 2:03 pm

I asked David Hazell about this at convention in July. My 3yo knows all of his letters and sounds, can count to 30, knows all colors, shapes etc... David said the earliest he recommends K is 4.5.

[Lucy]

Hi ladies! I have absolutely loved going through MFW1 with my dd this year. We are excited about Adventures next year.

My son will be 5 in August and I had always thought we'd just start K when he turns 6. Looking over the K curriculum and reading the message boards, it seems like we could draw it out over a year's time and he could start 1st as a 7 year old.

Has anyone done this? Any thoughts, suggestions would be appreciated. My son can sit still for about 30 min to color, doodle, etc... loves to be read to, knows most letter sounds and names and is really interested in the science that his older sister does. His hand-eye coordination is lacking though.
Thanks!
~Rose

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 8:50 pm
Yes it would be fine to use K over 2 years. This is really the only year that this is recommened in MFW and is usually only if a child needs to move more slowly through the material.

MFW K is so gentle you may find that he progresses well and will be ready for MFW 1 by age 6. You are wise to choose to err on the side of slowing it down though instead of speeding through it too quickly.

I am sure others who have actually done this can give you some more tips and let you know how it went for them.
Lucy

[momof3nKS]

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 11:00 pm

My 4.5 yo dd kept asking to do school. Soon thereafter, I found MFW and thought it would be perfect to spread MFWK over 2 years, especially since K spends 6 days on each letter. I thought 2 weeks for each letter (Mon-Wed-Fri)...make it light. I mean, she was not even 5 yet.

My problem came when she wanted to do school EVERYday and we finished MFWK in a year instead of 2. We have since done MFW1st, Adv, and nearing the end of ECC. She is 8 now and seems to be doing okay through it all. She is the first born, so I'm glad I there is Adventures (and glad I got talked into doing it).
_________________
Cathy

[HSmommi2mine]

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 10:22 am

K may or may not take you 2 years. Why don't you just do at whatever pace is good for him. Whenever that is finished pick up 1st which it sounds like you already have from your dd. The wonderful thing about homeschooling is that you can go at whatever pace works for your child.

[niki]

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:49 pm

OK, here's my 2 cents...

I'm getting started with my third child (I'm a slow learner) who has just turned five and has been showing reading readiness and the ability to start the K program probably this entire school year. She just turned five and will be starting the K program this fall. I've chosen to wait and savor this program with start of her "K" school year.

Please note: I've pushed ahead with two starting K early (they seemed ready and I was excited about starting). One did great and the other struggled with reading for about 2 years - it was a sad learning process for both of us, and let me tell you, I've learned a lot!!! But God is gracious and I have 3 more to teach to read after what I felt was a total failure on my part!!

Anyway, so we don't get ahead of ourselves as we move through the cycle, I have found other alternatives to starting the K program early:

I use the primers workbooks. She has loved using those.

I also have her "read" to me. Any book on the shelf...she tells her version of the story.

Quite some time ago I purchased a phonics program with games. The TM has other ideas to make things to reinforce what is being learned (she sees it as playing with mom, not schooling).

We are using ADV this year with my older two and she joins in at times, especially the state coloring book and science projects, and we are waiting on K.

Well, that was probably more than two cents, I hope someone will find this helpful in your decision to start or hold on the K program. The phonics part may just be reinforcement and hopefully will be easy to her. K program is great, and that's why it's so hard to wait!!! :) But I'm really glad that I am waiting.

[Joy1139]

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 6:36 pm

My son started K right after the first of the new year. He will be five in May. We are now on lessons three and four. He absolutely loves it. I am also using Adventures with my 2nd grader. Because I am doing both, and I try to do everything, it's looking like our K lessons will take us around two weeks to complete the six days. I am going at our pace. For two weeks, he did practically none of his MFW K stuff.

I always let him decide what he feels up to. If he doesn't want to do school, he can play while I work with my oldest son. Most days, he does want to do school... on those days, he will sometimes do MFW. Other days, he will do something else... he is also using a few other preschool workbooks. It is not too much because I let him decide what he wants to do and we do it together.

It is all working together very well. MFW K would be very easy to stretch out. I would just suggest taking it at your child's pace and enjoying the process. It is a fun program and not at all stressful. Nothing falls apart if you put it aside and do other things. You can just pick right back up where you left off and it falls together just fine.

[StarrMama]

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007 12:16 am

Ladies, thanks for sharing and adding your two cents! I really appreciate the time you took to reply and your advice. My husband and I will pray about it and just see where our son seems to be at the end of the summer. I know that no matter what we do, we can tweak it if necessary. That's what I have really loved about MFW...a schedule all laid out-easy to follow, but open to tweaking...going faster or slower depending on the child, taking time off if needed, ect... :)

Joy1139- My son seems similar to yours...some days really pumped, others not so much. I'm glad to hear it is easy to stretch out (if that's what he wants). I'll be doing Adventures too, so taking it easy with K would be nice!

Happy Spring To All!
~Rose

[Mom2MnS]

Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 1:55 pm

Whatever you choose, I hope that you have a wonderful, wonderful year!

I want to share a bit of a different opinion. My dd was 4.5 last year when we began MFWK. We had an absolute ball all year long! We both loved every minute of it (even the topics I thought she'd "ewwww" - haha!), and we learned a lot. Some of it was a breeze for her and some of it was a challenge, but she really enjoyed every bit and was able to keep up and do the work. And now we are both counting the days until we begin MFW1 on Sept 4 :)

If I had it to do over, I would wait until this year. Why? Because I could have! The more I read and the more I pray about this, the more I am convinced that there is no reason to rush :)

My daughter was utterly ready for school last year, but I could have done a "special 4.5 school" for her. She would have loved whatever I decided school should be.

I think the moving ahead quickly can wait for later years, when dc are showing a desire for acceleration. For the early years, I think taking time is key. If they can fly through K at 5.5 - that is great! Use the extra time to train in life skills, play, adventure walk, project - build their interest in subjects, their love of learning, their love of family, etc...

Bottom line, I want to encourage you mightily to follow the Father's leading and do for your sweetie what He is leading you to do. HTH!

[shera]

Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 10:06 am

Since they encourage use of the library you could get more books on the subjects. I've even found books that have activities in them you could add some of those. Hopefully someone will chime in with some more ideas.
HTH
Sarah

[Cyndi (AZ)]

Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 2:14 pm

IMHO, having been there, I would work on your child's dexterity. Your dd is probably all ready to sit still and work on a page, etc., which is necessary for K, but being so young, she may not be physically able to write upper and lowercase letters on the lines. My dd tried to do that in the workbooks, but it didn't look anything like her actual K work in neatness. While she is young, you might want to try a lot of dot-to-dot books and mazes and tracing, etc. Those things really helped my dd be able to learn to write properly.

If you decide to start MFWK, I know you'll love teaching it, but instead of stretching it out over 2 years, my personal suggestion is to teach it twice. You could be guilt-free about skipping over a few things the first year, then get a new Student Workbook for next year and go much further in depth in the unit studies. By then she will be able to read all the library books out loud to you. We added a bunch of extra chapter books and a math book for K, too.

And if we had done K when my dd was that young, we would only have worked 1-3 days per week max, and gone at her pace for doing the activities. (Not to mention that I held my breath every time she used safety scissors at that age!) It's just an awesome program, and so easy to mold to fit, that I would have loved to have it earlier instead of trying to come up with challenging things on my own. It's a good road map.

That is completely my opinion, but it's what I would have done if I had known about MFWK a year earlier. I was going to skip K altogether because of how well my dd could read, but talking to David Hazell really helped me decide, and I'm so thankful we did MFWK. Calling the office might really help you decide what to do, too.

HTH -- if not, just consider it my rambling . . . :-)

[Heidi]

Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 10:47 am

My now 4 3/4 child began MFW-K in March - he was 4 1/4 then. I hemmed and hawed because he was young, has motor delays - but, beginning to read. I had really done tons of of the MFW-pre-K stuff with him.

So, I after much prayer and reading posts in here - we began. I am going at his pace - he does about 2-3 lessons each week. I call it doing MFW-K at a pre-school pace. We just finished "W" - so he is doing great. He loves doing school with his big brother and sister - which played a part in my decision as well. On the 6th day - we have that letter "celebration" day - and simply read and do a special activity regarding the new learned letter. This week, for "W" - he took a bath with his bathing suit - to play in the water with his water wheel.

I still use all the MFW-pre-K stuff to continue to work on his fine motor - but, he now is able to do them independently as I work with the other two.

[BHelf]

I was originally thinking I would order kindergarten this next year. But my daughter loves to do school and from what little I can tell from the website it might be that she could start now. She is 4 1/2. My big question is does this program teach her to read? I was about to order another phonics for her after it was recommended to me that she could start now with that and is a really good program. Do I need a separate phonics program like that or will she gets what she needs in this program? She has wanted to learn to read for a long time now:) She knows her letters and sounds.

The other question is how much does she need to know how to write to use the kindergarten program? She is learning to write but doesn't know all of her letters and numbers yet. We are using Handwriting without Tears PreK now. I have been impressed with that and thought I would still be using it for all her handwriting. Could I still use that with this program? Or again would it be an overlap and too much?

So I guess after writing such a long post my question is basically should I start kindergarten now and not worry about a separate phonics or for the rest of the year just keep on with our HWOT, start the phonics program so she can start learning to read which she wants so bad, and start at the beginning of the school year next year with kindergarten. Thanks for any help/opinions:)

As far as what to do with your younger one--I can only tell you what I'm attempting to do. I bought MFW K because my 4yo is ready to learn---HUNGRY to learn these things. However, he isn't ready for much of the handwriting. So, I am using the K program over 2 years for his PreK and K years of school. This year (PreK) we haven't done too much because I've been concentrating more on my 3rd grader and I just had a baby and didn't feel good while I was pregnant. But we are getting back into the swing of things and I'm trying to get back to doing both programs. But doing MFWK over 2 years with your 4 year old is an option. You would just have to be willing to maybe only do 2-3 days of school/week. Or do like we do and only school the PreK'er for 20 minutes a day because that's all the attention span that I am given by my 4 year old on some days. LOL!! Also, I have a 3 year old as well that I thought would want to participate a lot more than she does. I bought extra student sheets for her and have only used a few of them.

On Handwriting Without Tears--I have just begun using that for my kids-mainly my 3rd grader. (She needed some real help with handwriting.) It's very doable with MFW K. Just use HWT's method for learning to write the letters when you get to a handwriting worksheet in MFW. When MFW teaches S or M or whatever, you can write them the way HWT teaches it if that's the program you want to use for the long haul. Cause it can be a little different.

If this post sounds all over the place and jumbled, I'm sorry! I have about 5 seconds free time to type this! haha!
Brooke

[Poohbee]

Welcome to MFW!

As far as using MFW K, my dds were both 5 when they started K, but as others have said, you certainly could do it only 2 or 3 days a week, and just adapt the activities a bit as needed for your dd. Your child will learn to read with MFW K. You don't need a separate phonics program. We have completed through lesson 8, and my dd has learned the letters s, m, l, n, a, t, u, and d. With those letters, she can now read words such as sun, nut, man, dad, and, add, Sam, Dan, etc. I have a number of sets of BOB books, and my dd has already read the first 4 books in Set 1 of the BOB books. She is so excited to be reading, and reading actual books. The handwriting is a challenge for my dd. Lately, she has struggled with writing a and d. But, I don't expect perfection, and I just tell her to do her best. She will be practicing the letters over and over throughout the year, and eventually, she will be able to write each letter well.

I wouldn't rush into formal, structured learning too soon. However, if you are looking to work on reading and writing with your 4 1/2 year old now and you are considering doing MFW eventually anyway, I'd say just start with MFW K now rather than buying a separate program, and you can take it at whatever pace best suits your child. Your child will learn to read and write with MFW K, and she will have so much fun doing it! The science and Bible are integrated, the activities are so much fun, and the character lessons are wonderful!

[kidswife]

Welcome!
I started the Kindy program when my dd was 4 years and 4 months old. She could already read. (I did another phonics with her) So I totally skipped the phonics lessons for the most part. It made for a quick school day. Sometimes, just 10 minutes... total! However, at times, I would dabble in them because she loves doing things she's good at. And from what I saw... it would have been a MUCH more fun way to learn to read. I'm totally confident that a child would do well learning to read using just what the MFW-Kindy program has. Same goes for handwriting. Although, I used a bit of Italic... again, it wouldn't be necessary with what MFW already provides. I'll be doing the Kindy program again and again.... and again, and I'm confident I'll have readers and writers by the time it's over without the need for any extras.

And you're right... it's WONDERFUL being able to weave the Bible through all of it. We're doing 1st grade now and love it!!
Enjoy!!

[BHelf]

I have a little boy who will be 4 1/2 this fall. We are not officially putting him in kindergarten until the following year. Yet I am wanting to begin preschool with him. He also has a 3 1/2 little sister. He LOVES to learn and is drawn to books, phonics, etc. I am trying to decide if I should do MFW K this year or next. I think I will use another program for phonics. At least that is what I am thinking.

Would you recommend this program for preschool or kindergarten? It sounds like a sweet program for kindergarten but I don't him to be too old for it. Also, is the math sufficient enough for kindergarten? What has been your experience with MFW in general even 1st grade? Any thoughts would be helpful.

I think you know your child best but here is what I've been doing. I am using MFW K over a period of 2 years for my son's PreK and K year. We have just slowed the lessons down this year and will probably pick up the pace a little during his K year.
I think K phonics is a great intro into reading.

And, yes I think K math is plenty but you could always add worksheets or workbooks if your child wants more. But the beauty of the math in K and 1st is all the hand-on, real life experiences with math. It makes it real to the child and helps them to see how math is actually used and how it will benefit them in life instead of math just being a bunch of "useless" (that's how it can seem to the child) worksheets.

So, my point is (lol) if you wanted to go ahead and start MFW K with your child for preK, you could go ahead and do that and continue with it into your child's K year. Just be prepared to slow down where needed. Even though your child is eager and ready now, at some point he might hit a time or area that he needs to be given more time to be ready to learn the concepts.


Brooke

[MuzzaBunny]

I'm with Brooke. DD was just over 4 when we began using K in her PreK year. I divided the year in half (units Intro-12 for this year and 13-26 for next year) and we school on Tues and Thurs one week, then Mon Wed Fri the next. It's worked beautifully for us. Great intro to homeschooling for both of us. DD is bright and could probably have done the full year now. I didn't want to get her too advanced and hit a wall later. She responded super well to this pace. We're in unit 10 and she's reading simple words and loving the learning process. We just were gifted with a Math Mastermind K set, so we add that to our math class because DD really enjoys it. Prior to that, we did a simple PreK/K workbook from WalMart. The science has been terrific and DD remembers nearly everything we've done so far. DD is also an avid reader, so I always choose 15-20 books from our library that pertain to the unit. (Some fiction, some non.) We read 3 or 4 of those at the end of class with her snuggled up on my lap. Awesome memories.

[erin.kate]

Last year I taught MFWK to my oldest, in one year, and this upcoming year I'll again teach it to my two middle children, over one year. One of those children is adopted and if he's not quite ready for MFWK full speed, I will teach him with it for two years instead.

My youngest (is only 2 right now) but he has such a late birthday that it makes starting Kindergarten SO far off and that can be good or not-so-good for him. So, we plan on doing the very same thing. I anticipate that we will do two years of true preschool and then two years of MFWK.

It is so flexible and there is so much that you can bring to the curriculum to enrich it while not trumping its beauty and simplicity and effectiveness.

Best to you!

[beaglemamma2008]

We also use MFW K over 2 years.

We used MFW K for our oldest dd's K year, but she had already learned to read with another program at the time, so we just continued with what was already working for her. As for the K math, we used it and loved it! It really does teach them a lot, just in a gentle way. Between that and the 1st grade math, they'll be in good shape!

With our youngest dd (just turned 5 in Feb), we started using the MFW K phonics and math this year for her preschool. We will continue the program for her K year, using the Bible and science. (To me, the Bible and science is the true beauty of the K program!) The Lord has given the Hazells words and activities that bring these priceless truths to life for little ones ... HOWEVER, my personal opinion is that a 5yo is going to be able to get those truths a little bit deeper than a 4yo will, so we choose to wait for that part of it. But that's just us!

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.

Jennifer, So you are going to wait on the Bible and Science until your child is officially in Kindergarten? And use the phonics and math in prek this year? Is that correct?

Laura

Yep, that's the plan! And I can't wait for next year because (here I go beating a dead horse!) those science and Bible lessons are ridiculously wonderful!!!

[erin.kate]

My ds7 will be doing ADV for 2nd grade and my ds6 will be doing MFW 1 for 1st grade. This seems like enough for mom! However, for the following questions by Marie Hazel my dd4 has the following answers:
Is my child ready for Kindergarten:
*Yes, she does already sit down and do 20 - 30 minutes of written work daily during the boys school time.
*Yes, she begged for a 'K' handwriting book to do handwriting with them, and is learning to write her letters. She is doing a great job with it.
*Yes, she is already taking time to sit down and draw and color
*Yes, she is excited to start school. For example, this morning at 8 a.m. she found her pencil and said, "Can I do my handwriting, please?" (I would love it if my boys did this!)

I started my oldest at age 6, and despite academic readiness it was too early for his maturity. My middle was academically and emotionally (maturity) ready right on ps timing at 5 1/2. My dd4 is ready early (she turned 4 this past January). Should I start her early? I can not imagine making her wait another 1 1/2 years.

So my concerns:
3 programs in one year. Who knows though, maybe we would enjoy all 3; my having already done 2 of the programs would help me, since I do well with the familiar.
Her ability to do MFW 1 at 5 1/2 or 6 (if I stretched K to her January Birthday during her K year).

Any thoughts?

Hi Carin!
I don't think it will be too much to do K, 1st, and Adv ... but that's me speaking from zero experience doing three at once. lol. I just always feel like MFW is so well designed that Marie has you in mind and you are only led to what is perfect for you and your children.

If you want to whittle some of it down, though, you might think about K for your wee one, Adv for your 2nd grader, and the phonics + Bible, math, and handwriting for your 1st grader from MFW1, but include that child in on Adv science ... even the K'er might have fun participating in the science. I'm in the same boat as you for next year.

While your 2nd grader is working (somewhat) independently you can work with your K'er and your 1st grader can be doing maybe the Proverb copywork, math, book basket, drawing/illustrating the Bible notebook. While the 1st grader is illustrating the Bible notebook you could be doing the activity with the K'er and the 2nd grader might be working on a notebook page.

You can all come together for Bible (K and/or Adv), science, and read aloud time.

YOU are so good at what you do that you will get into a groove and find that it was always meant to be since your heart is in it. Even on days when it seems to unravel ... just start fresh the next day and rework the schedule or the time or whatever. It's a fluid process, and that's part of (for me) what makes MFW so adaptable.

[Dusenkids]

All I can tell you is that I decided to wait with my K. He was ready at four. I was teaching at the time and he was my “guinea pig” for new lessons. Poor kid . He turns 6 in Aug. We just started K adding lots of read-a-louds and activities. We did some workbook things (when he asked) last year, lots of time exploring the woods/farm around us, and reading, reading, reading. Even though it wasn’t “school” he learned a lot.

So my thought is maybe continue doing the workbook things you are already doing and letting her join in on the other fun things your kids are doing for school. Then the following year you would have two doing ECC and one doing K. Still just 2 programs. Just some thoughts. I think either would work for you. Have fun praying, planning, praying about it.