Schedule - Begin MFW 1st mid-year? Year-round schedules?

[Joy1139]

Would it be too late to change over to MFW 1 and use their phonics program? Maybe start later into it?

What is a typical day of reading/writing/phonics/spelling in the 1st grade program? Is there any spelling?
Thanks.

Yes, we did!

When we switched to MFW First Grade, it was truly a miracle for us. I know that sounds like an overstatement but it really was. MFW First Grade is so easy to teach and very effective. I highly suggest you make the change as soon as you can after giving your child a break.

I choose not to skip any of it even though my son was reading a little when we started it.

A typical day has the child learning a new sound, identifying it in words, printing a few words from previous day's lessons, copying a Bible verse (they don't do this everyday), reading a Bible story from their own reader, writing a short summary statement into their own Bible notebook, and illustrating the notebook. Very simple, streamlined, and clear. Spelling is covered as they progress through the phonograms. It teaches everything that a first grader needs to know, the lessons are short, and there is no busy work. We loved it and I can't wait to do it again with my next son.

[henryteachers]

Oh, you give me such hope that I can teach my child to read/write in a clear, enjoyable, and easy way. You've convinced me! :) Thank you so much! One question, do you think it would be too much to add more readers in with the MFW 1 program? Thanks.

[Tracey in ME]

We just switched to MFW 1st last week and I am SOOOOO glad I did! We are loving it so far! And there aren't SO MANY things to do like in other programs...oiy!

[henryteachers]

Thanks a ton! It is so wonderful to talk to those who've experienced what I'm going through now. It makes it easier. You've all been so helpful! I already ordered today and selling my other program!

[Mom2theteam]

Well it happened.... my teacher's manual arrived today and after reading through it, realized that I don't want to wait until next September to start!!! I want to start right after Christmas (DS will be 5.5, definitely capable, is already reading, already on grade 1 math etc...).

Would it be a problem to start in January, go through until end of June, and then break for 10 weeks for the summer, and then finish up? We'd be breaking around week 26 (around day 125-130). We'd finish up around Christmas next year.

I don't see any problem with it at all. There aren't any time/season sensitive days or lessons that I have come across yet. We are on day 67ish. We have also taken large breaks during our programs for different reasons without any issues. If you feel you and he are ready, go for it. Enjoy!

[Julie in MN]

We have often started a MFW curriculum at the end of January, which is our semester break. My son didn't necessarily even know that. So, it went just fine.

Glad Heather chimed in as someone who's taught 1st, because it sounds like that works in 1st grade, too. Also here's more that seems to show it works fine to continue 1st into the next year: http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10905

I might put a big reminder in my manual that there are games in the manual for review, since some review is often needed after summer break. Maybe the first week of next fall will have lots of games

Julie

[mshanson3121]

I might put a big reminder in my manual that there are games in the manual for review, since some review is often needed after summer break. Maybe the first week of next fall will have lots of games

That's a great idea! Thank you, to just do review over the summer!

[Mom2theteam]

I'm just curious if anyone uses MFW year round and how. I had originally planned on starting first grade as soon as I receive it in April, but I probably won't finish by Sept. When looking through the old first grade manual that I came across, it looks like the science projects are scheduled around the seasons somewhat, such as the worm activity. Is Adventures the same way?? Is it going to mess up the science experiments or any other projects/topics if I wait till Oct or Nov to start Adventures?? Then we would prob complete Adventures before the next Sept 2014 and start on schedule with ECC. We didn't start 1st in the fall because my son wasn't quite ready for it. He is ready now, but I am holding off because of the new edition.

I do. We are only doing 1st, but we just start and stop whenever. So far, we haven't been completely "off." We started 1st in early July. But, I really haven't seen anything that is essential to do that is really season specific. You don't have to do the worm thing, you can pick another science activity to do. Nothing else I've come across is like that, maybe a few things here and there that I didn't notice, but it definitely is not a season specific science program. We are starting the water book now in the middle of Jan. It doesn't matter the season. And, personally, I don't mind adapting if I need to because I like schooling year round.

I've seen this question around the board several times and the general consensus is that you can do it year round without a problem, which has been my experience for K (which I did start in the winter and then put away for 6 months the first time) and now 1st. In Adventures, I know there is a unit for Thanksgiving, but my understanding is it is a stand alone unit and can be done at any point throughout the program. So, no matter where you are when Thanksgiving comes, you just do the Thanksgiving unit then. We will be continuing with year round and continuing with MFW indefinitely at this point. I'll just adapt if I need to, but I don't expect to need to much.

[Ohmomjacquie]

We are using adventures year round. Started in july, three weeks on, one off. All of december off. We will finish mid may. It hadn't caused any issues. The science projects can be done any time of year. There are some christmas related things but there weren't re wally any issues with that either.

[lovehomeschooling]

Thanks for the input. I think I will go ahead and start first in April, work through until we finish and then start Adventures late fall or after Christmas.

[lea_lpz]

We are at day 96 of First (previous edition). Yet we have completed 147 days of school, out of our state's required 180. This is because we have been counting co-op days each week, and we also count the days we assist in the Second Harvest food Ministry at our church. Sometimes we have taken trips that were educational in nature and I counted those, such as when she banded wood ducks at the wildlife refuge or when went to the living history farm and she was dressed like Mary Ingalls in bonnet and all. That sort of awesomely fun thing!

Since we only have 33 days remaining, it seems that day 125 will be a natural stopping point for us. We are using the previous edition of First, in which many activities cease at this point (such as phonics and number of day and so on). It's also when the Bible accounts change to New Testament. Of course the curriculum continues on with suggestions for daily reading activities, the Bible reader and notebook, science, etc.

I know we will continue doing the Bible reader and notebook. even though we would be officially "done" with school, since Gail would be aghast at the thought of not finishing these and she enjoys them immensely. We will not continue the science (which would be Science With Plants) because we will be doing our own science with plants in the garden. And of course we will continue to read daily (probably from Pathway Readers and library books at her level). Her reading is greatly improving with practice, and she enjoys the Pathway Readers.

We will probably spend some time playing in her outdoor playhouse, where she has a "store" with register and checkout counter and also a "restaurant," called "Gail's Place," in which she cooks and serves plastic food to order. Doing this, we can keep up with math and counting money while still having fun. It has been too cold until now to spend much time in the unheated playhouse, but in April and May and early June it is just perfect in there.

But other than that, school will be ending in mid April, to resume in June or early July with Adventures! We prefer to make the pleasant months of late April and all of May and early June our vacation instead of the swelteringly humid Tennessee summers. Does that sound like a workable plan?

I don't see why not as long as you finish the Bible reader / notebook that sounds perfect (and even perhaps what mfw has in mind). I get you. It is really too hot where we live to get much time outdoors during winter (often very wet and cold) and summer (95-105 mid-June to Mid-August) so spring is the time of year you just want to get out and enjoy nature and being active, as well as well as early fall (it's lovely). Summer is actually a good time of year to school because it's so hot the whole town is dead and we don't see anyone outdoors between around 10 am - 4 pm. We try to do a mommy and me exercise class in the morning at local parks and then swim lessons in the afternoon. We usually let the children play outdoors all evening until it gets dark because that is when it's cool enough to be out. It's like everyone is outside from around 5:30 to about 8:30. We'll probably try to get stuff done early so we can do more outdoors during spring and do a once a week field trip day for the next 3 months . Lucky for us we're approaching some outdoorsy units for the rest of the year (we're starting unit 19, Rr Rock Monday).

[lea_lpz]

You know, you can always kind of plan to make spring a time of year you have a long break vs summer

[asheslawson]

Sounds like you've had a wonderful full school year and she's enjoyed a great 'buffet' of enrichment and learning activities! Enjoyed reading about all the things you did. I think I forget to count co-op, field trips, and service oriented activities as a part of our education - when in fact they are part of raising my child and learning what they need to become an adult - I just always think of school as the core subjects....so reading your post reminded me to not forget to minimize those things for my children!

[gratitude]

I love hearing about your progress in MFW1 ! I am glad it has gone so well for you; just like MFWK did!

It sounds like you have had a wonderful school year. Rich and full and rewarding and meaningful.

It sounds like a great plan. I would just say to make sure you finish the Bible reader and note book. It is well worth finishing. It sounds like she will want to, but I know how things can get side tracked over breaks and with the starting of new curriculum. If you haven't finished it by early July as planned I would take the time to finish the Bible reader and note book first and then start ADV whenever it is done.

My kids love the Pathway readers too. Enjoy!

[Yodergoat]

Thanks for the responses!

We will definitely finish the Bible Reader and Notebook... they have been so great and the notebook is turning into a precious keepsake.

I feel like this plan is going to work for us. It was a successful year, although for a while there I was really nervous about her reading. She still isn't a "good reader" by any stretch of the imagination, but she can read... and is gaining confidence and getting better with practice. It is starting to click.

Again, thank you for the responses and for those who have helped make First such a great year for us! Not long now...

[yvonneh]

or when went to the living history farm and she was dressed like Mary Ingalls in bonnet and all. That sort of awesomely fun thing!

Wow, I am jealous! Would LOVE to do that. Where do you live (in general terms). We might have to plan a trip there.

We live in northwest TN, and the living history farm we visit (about once every year or two) is in the Land Between the Lakes natural area which borders TN and KY, a strip of land between two lakes (Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley). LBL is a large natural area with a few interesting things to do... a small planetarium, nature/wildlife center, hiking trails, lots of lakeshore stuff, camping, horse-riding trails, bison and elk range, etc.

The living history farm (known as "The Homeplace") is not a very big one, but it features several buildings you can explore, animals, plantings, special events like mock weddings and interpretive workers in 1850s attire. Lots of fun! The whole area is quite scenic. We're thankful to live so relatively near this resource.

Nice! I'll look it up. I don't think that will be too far of a drive for us.

[mshanson3121]

We just finished hod lhfhg and are mid way through the school year. Due to family situations we didn't finish last year for first so just picked up this year where we left off in the summer.

I am now looking for curriculum to finish up our year of second grade. Ds is 7, almost 8, and is somewhere between first -second grade level, but improving rapidly! We did well this past semester so I'm hesitant to change curriculum but I really loved mfw k. I am thinking about possible using mfw 1st but at a faster speed for the rest of the year (finished by mid June) would this even be possible? We school five days a week and three days a week in the summer with a two week break in July. I also want to keep using all about reading with him, as he is doing so well with the program and asks to do reading work can I use 1st with out the phonics portion?

I don't quite think he's ready just yet for adventures, as we are working on listening skills and handwriting but hope to be there by fall. Any advice? Thanks!

Your post is so similar to mine that I just posted! So, you're doing grade 2 right now, right, and are considering doing MFW 1, to finish out the year? I'm not really sure how to shorten it, especially if you want to use their math? But, if you did it as written, maybe doing 5 days a week this summer (maybe just do MFW as written for the Bible, Science etc... and just do Math & Phonics 3 days a week) with your 2 week break, you would finish early October, as MFW 1 is only a 34 week program. So if you finished and then started your next curric (also 34) weeks, say the middle of October, you'd finish up right around the end of June, and that allows for another 2 weeks of breaks. So you could actually have a summer off, or just go ahead and start your next program, going half speed over the summer and be right back on track again.

[lea_lpz]

You could start in week 12 when the Bible reader starts as you completed half of 1st grade and that would cut it back to 22 weeks, which working through summer you could probably finish by the end of summer but you'd miss the first 1/3 so don't know if you want to spend the $ when you already have a curriculum for 1st. You could always go back to mfw come next fall for ADV.

[Julie in MN]

I am thinking about possible using mfw 1st but as a faster speed for the rest of the year (finished by mid June) would this even be possible? We school five days a week and three days a week in the summer with a two week break in July. I also want to keep using all about reading with him, as he is doing so well with the program and asks to do reading work can I use 1st with out the phonics portion?

I like to think anything is possible, and I like to brainstorm, so I'll throw in two more cents in the pot.

I have been using MFW K and 1st as "afterschooling" with my grandson, so I can say that definitely, these programs can be enjoyed even when shortened way up. We aren't in the same situation, since you are homeschooling your core subjects and want to make sure those are in place, but still it sounds like your child will be getting some of the phonics elsewhere.

I might start with Marie's post here, to give you an idea of what can be cut back for various situations, even if they don't exactly match yours:
http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=191
There also may be some posts in the 1st archives, such as combining MFW 1st and another program:
http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewforum.php?f=3

I agree with lea that skipping ahead to week 12 would help shorten things, especially since you don't plan to go through the phonics. You can also look through the entire program easily to decide whether you will skip science, whether you'll spend fewer days on each math topic, or how you will condense. To me, having the daily lesson plans all laid out for me (to easily pick and choose), and having the Bible lessons so perfectly matched to a 1st grader's understanding, and having my grandson show so much fruit from our time, make buying MFW-1st worth every penny and more, even though we use so much less than homeschool families will use.

HTH,
Julie