Choosing MFW high school - Family togetherness?

[Julie in MN]

We have decided to go ahead and do both in the US History to 1877, although I'm a bit nervous about the decision. My husband made the final decision. It has been a prayerful decision over the past few weeks. So, following his leading, I'm going to give it a go.....

Going to pray for wisdom to teach to them both, and to be able to juggle schedules to make it work.

Oh, yes, prayer will help it fall into place. I'll add a prayer for peace as your plan unfolds.

Glad you've made a decision for your family. After reading thru the thread, it seems like the best decision for you. Not what I'd say to many folks, but for you. First of all, you've kind of eliminated the usual avenues to togetherness in electives - the outside activities, maybe science, even foreign language that I might suggest families do together - since those all seem on separate tracks at your house and not really moveable at this point. Plus, your son has just read the entire Bible, which is my favorite thing to do as a family, but he's probably ready to move on to the Worldviews study in 11th rather than having your family read thru the Bible as a "together" subject.

The fact that your dd is a strong student, and that she's already had a worldviews background in SP, may put her ahead of where most 9th graders would be on the US1 Bible (and Bible is always my favorite subject ). Also the fact that your ds is battling depression is not to be taken lightly, and his tactic of recreating some of his happy moments from the past can be a very successful technique, at least from my own experience.

I think that your experience with AHL and WHL will help you in knowing the flow of the program, and identifying where you might adjust for your particular family needs. I know at my house, I've read certain books aloud in AHL and WHL, and we've done a couple on audiobook, plus I've done some subbing for my son's book club, so I know there is flex there if you need it. (Don't ask about how much harder it is to pull together a transcript when you've subbed, tho, LOL!) And some things will be easy enough to do together with each student at their own level, such as the public speaking component in US2 -- something we've always enjoyed doing at a family at our house.

Blessings as you make a plan,
Julie

[ilovemy4kids]

Placed my order! Julie and Crystal, thanks so much for all of your help and encouragement. You have no idea how much your kindness and willingness to talk me through the process have blessed me. Prayers are definitely answered through this board sometimes! The kids are very excited about beginning to work together again, and I do have a peace about it at this time, for the most part. The little bit of worried me is mostly about Emmy having time to do her Rod and Staff English! I need to let it go....

Saw Crystal's advice to someone about maybe doing the first portion of the AHL lit and comp guide with a student over the summer before 9th and 1oth grade for another person who was considering starting with US1. I have that already so I may do that as well.....

Anyway, the order has been placed, and I can't wait till the box arrives! I ordered the extra recommended items, plus an extra BJU text and an extra Govt text to make their lives easier. The Literature will be aloud so no need for two copies there.

Just for the record, for most people, I would strongly suggest following the MFW sequence in order at the right levels. However, for us and our unique situation (resulting from many things in life that I won't post here in addition to school) combining is the option my husband feels the Lord has guided him too.

Blessings
Sandra

[cbollin]

agreeing with your husband. I have a sense of peace that for your family, this is a good path to do. I'd probably not suggest it as the general answer. but people are unique

with the summer school thing from some other unique situation... that was with the writing of essay. The first 70 or so pages of the AHL lit/comp guide give the structure of essay writing, and a lot of grammar review in the context of improving previously written essays. depending on her skills, she might want to do just the first essay to get an idea of the structure. then adjust along the way in US 1.

((hugs)) and hi-fives
-crystal

[cbollin]

I am concerned about it being too much for a family with 7 children. I'll be coordinating other things for her 6 siblings and I would be sad we'll all not be studying the same time period anymore. I also have a preschooler with special needs so I want to focus on his needs more too. Crystal, I think you may have commented somewhere else about your organizational skills and that is an issue for me So I that's why I say it may be too much for her and me. But really it may free me up more for the others too.... Any thoughts?
JFG

I found that it turned out just fine to not have my children lined up together in history subject. When my oldest was in 9th and in AHL, my middle gal was in 6th and in RTR. youngest, who has autism, was in her own stuff with special needs. My oldest wasn't banned from being part of what we were doing, and she enjoyed being more on her own for a lot of school work. She still came in and helped with science and projects and felt connected to us that way. Other families it might pan out very differently. Then in 10th, in WHL and 7th in EX1850... I was very surprised to find out that 2nd semester, the girls were reading about same history topics without even trying to make it happen in the 2nd semester. and they would both read the same current events info...

In my family, the connections shifted from history, to life, church, family stuff. Oldest, because she wanted to, was welcomed to help with a science project or cooking project, or just the two of them goof off together. I think in her case part of it was that she had to learn to connect to her high school friends in way that have nothing to do with school. Many of her friends at church attend public and private schools and they somehow are connected without talk about history and homeschool. One of her best friends homeschools with different curriculum... but they talk (facebook chat too) about free reading books all the time....

They do grow up on us, don't they?

I only have 3 children, and have to juggle 3 sets of needs in school. I've been glad that mfw plans are written for high school student to do more while mommy isn't as available right now..... I have appreciated that starting in jr. high.. we began the process of transitioning from all subject together... and then by high school it was easier. I know in some families the dynamics work out very different from my family and it doesn't go the same.

What programs will the other children be doing? Maybe there are ways to connect high schooler to their stuff while still meeting high school needs in high school program without taking a lot of time on your part? for example.. if you happen to be doing ECC with the rest of them.... the high schooler could begin to play the geography game with them. And during the free reading time in AHL, you could use the jr. high missionary biographies from ECC to read. That might even help with the concern about too much godlessness. And have an additional benefit of building toward high school geography credit.
I'm saying too much at once of course... but on the geography credit... in high school. MFW has 1/4 credit in WHL, 1/4 credit in US2. some people need another 1/2 credit for various reasons and using selected parts of ECC can build toward that. more info on that is on the high school page under the "course of study" (if you can't find the link if you need that information, ask )

so.. there are ways to keep connected to the family even when oldest is in high school programs to meet graduation needs.

-crystal

[Missy OH]

O.K., dumb question: Could you just repeat the five year (ECC-1850-Mod) cycle during high school, adding additional writing/research papers and literature?

Why or why not? ...

No, I wouldn't. An older child needs more than what the family cycle offers. They need books that will allow them a deeper understanding and to work out those analysis and logical thinking skills. They are ready for a deeper study of God's word and how to apply it to their lives. They need more serious and "private" conversations with mom and dad that is difficult to have with younger dc. So in a nutshell: the family cycle is too easy for high school. They would not be challenged enough and would become bored or unmotivated. (my opinion).

Thank you for your thoughts, Missy.

[DS4home]

I agree with Missy on this one. It is good to transition the high schoolers into reading their history from a text book that is written at their level of thinking. And to write out answers to the reading questions - the days of narrating are over!

High school takes the path through history at a different pace than the lower grades do as well. They cover different aspects that were glossed over in the lower grades. Their brains have developed and are at a place now where they will read and understand history and Bible through more mature lenses than they did before.

It is good to begin fostering independent learning. I know how tempting it is to want to keep them with the family "because we've always done school together". I had these same feelings with my first high schooler. But it will be OK! They are growing and are ready to step into that next phase of life whether we think so or not! We let go in baby steps, and once you take this step with them you will be so thankful. To watch our children develop into adulthood (step by step), is a rewarding process to a parent. You'll be proud of them when it's all said and done! But it has to start now, in 9th grade.

Sorry about the ramble, that may be more than you were ready to read. &)

Dawn

[Poohbee]

Thank you so much for your perspectives, Missy and Dawn. With my firstborn starting high school next year, I am quite uncertain about it all, and I like to hear from those who have gone before, so to speak. Even though I haven't experienced high school with mine yet, I'm afraid I was heading too far into the throwing my dd into the deep end to swim on her own as I was planning her courses for 9th grade. I was thinking that high school has to be completely independent. But, I like what you said, Dawn, about "letting go in baby steps." I recently came to the realization that my high schooler can still do some things with us next year. She already does so much of her work independently, and she's very good at that. But, next year, I think I could work out a family Bible time that all 3 of my kids could participate in together, and I think my girls will be learning about and practicing some digital photography together. So, I guess it is about finding balance, right? In letting them go a bit, but not expecting complete independence right away after learning together as a family for so long. I find that I have a hard time remembering that! Thanks for sharing, Dawn and Missy!

[MelissaB]

Thank you so much Dawn, and you, too, Jen. Those are helpful as well!

[DS4home]

Your idea of doing some photography together is great. I had a dd get very into photography also.
I would offer some caution on the combined Bible though. In the first two years of high school your student will be on a reading plan that will take them all the way through the Bible, cover to cover. The daily reading for their high school credit can be a lot. It all depends on your student and how much more they can handle.

Just remember for each of the MFW high school credits (Bible, History, and English)(for that matter: Math and Science as well) your student will be doing approximately an hour of work each day for each subject. So I guess I'm just saying after an hour of reading the Bible on her own, will she want to participate in another Bible study with everyone else? That's something the two of you will have to think through. A high schooler's day is longer by nature, so use caution when considering adding to their load.

...Just had another thought. I remembered that Fridays are typically very light in high school - following the pattern Marie began in the younger cycle years. So maybe once a week, on Fridays your student could join the family during Bible time and it wouldn't be an increase in her work load on that one day.

Fridays are a fun day to be able to add in something that the whole family can do together!

Just brainstorming a bit for ya!

Dawn

[Poohbee]

Thank you, Dawn, for the cautions and reminders about not adding too much to my high schooler's day. I'm sure it will be a bit of a learning curve for us as we start out next year. I do so appreciate your messages. Thank you!