Academics - Do supplements enhance or burden?

[TammyB]

Would it be too much to do CTC with MFW ADV? Would it enhance our state study or just over burden us (me, especially!)? Just wondering - thanks for your opinions.....

We are just finishing up Adventures (on week 31 now), and honestly, while it does look like fun, I don't think you will finish Adv in a year if you add it in. I looked at it, but I knew that with it in hand, I would never finish Adv in one school year, which was important to me to do.

Adv is definitely more of an overview. I think it boils down to how much time you want to devote to a states' study now.

One more note....If you do EVERYTHING in Adventures, the classical music study, the art, everything....you will have more than enough to keep yourself busy. :)

Blessings to you as you decide,
Tammy

[Jenn in NC]

I completely agree with Tammy. I think it would be way too much for you and for your kids. Just my opinion, of course. But my copy sat on the shelf. I just did not have the time, and the kids didn't have the time or the need to do any more. On the rare occasion I did pull it out I found it wasn't helpful anyway since I was already doing ECC.

[kellybell]

Agreeing.

Okay, I really shouldn't post as I've not even done Adv. However, I do know from experience that MFW programs are paced just right. If you add something to them, you will slow them down to the point of them dragging along. Nobody wants that.

Adventures is a great program, and probably the other one is too. Therefore, pick one or the other. No need to do both.

It's a good problem to have: there's just so much out there to choose from and most of it is GOOD.

[705emily]

Hello Robyn,

If you wanted something to enhance MFW Adventures--you might take a shorter 'hands-on' studies that you could pick and choose from to enhance adventures--but it would not be a whole year's worth of curriculum. I used an OT study from Amy Pak to enhance MFW 1 last year and we really enjoyed it. I did not think it was too much.

Just my 02.
Blessings

[SuzanneK]

This post came at just the right time for me! A friend borrowed this to me. But I worried that I would try to do everything and end up giving 1/2 my focus to things and not do a good job this year.. So I will give it back to her with my thanks.

This year I am REALLY going to try to do the curriculum as written and not add anything into it. :-)

[tabby]

I used MFW for my girls (7years old & 8 years old) in Kindergarten and first grade. I switched over in second grade to a textbook program, which seems like it's just to much to learn in a year-plus expensive. My son (5 years old) starts kindergarten this year and I am definatly going to use MFW with him. I am seriously thinking of going back to MFW in third grade with my girls this year.

Can somebody who is using the Adventures in My Father's World please tell me what you added if anything to this. What math curriculum did you add? What about english?

I just finished Adventures with my daughter (7) this past school year and we thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a full program in itself when you do it as explained in the TM. I chose to use MFW recommendations in math and LA with Singapore, Primary Language Lessons and Spelling by Sound and Structure.

I found that Nature notebooking (described in the TM), Dictation and having my daughter narrate back what I read in history/science (she only does a few sentences usually) was very effective. I was amazed at how often a subject like grammar structure could be gently addressed in another subject like her Nature Notebook. There seemed to be a constant integration of LA especially across a lot of the subjects. Many times she was learning without even realizing it was spelling, speech, grammar structure, etc !

My dd (and ds 4) looked forward to the science experiments each time they were planned. A lot of topics were covered and I feel a solid foundation was given in each of how/why something works, etc. These could be researched more if your child has a specific interest in something.

MFW has the student study birds throughout the year...that could really be taken beyond what is written and expanded upon if desired.

The states are studied in history and that could be expanded on too.

I am not sure if that is too helpful (or a little too wordy ) but I guess the bottom line is that Adventures is a full and awesome program when done as described in the TM and can be expanded within the topics of study if you want.

Tabatha

[KimberlyND]

We, too, finished Advs this spring. We loved it. I went with MFW recommendations for math, spelling, and english and liked those as well. It was enough. We are looking forward to starting ECC soon.

[hollybygolly]

Kathy~

I'm only a few weeks into ADV, and too, have followed MFW's recommendation for grammar and math. Just in the past few weeks, I get the feeling that without adding anything it will be full and rich year of study (I'm assuming you're adding in the Deluxe version items...not sure otherwise as we have the Deluxe?)! Very enjoyable and doable with a busy schedule. At this point, I don't plan on adding anything...I think it's a nice amount of work for 2nd and 3rd grade. Anyway, welcome! Holly

[RachelT]

Hi Kathy! We just completed Adventures in May and really enjoyed that year. It awakened an appreciation and excitement about history in my children. We have also used MFW K and 1st gr. My ds is going to be a third grader this year, too. We used most of the recommendations from MFW, including PLL for English. It has been just fine and we change some of the lessons and do them orally. We did not use the art curriculum, but I would like to do the art lessons and they were actually planned out so well in the TM that I may even go back and do them this year during ECC.

Anyway, Adventures was a great year and now we are really looking forward to ECC!

Rachel

[RBS in OH]

Adding anything to ADV (besides math and LA, of course) isn't necessary.

But for fun or gifts ideas you could add a map of the U.S. puzzle (our floor puzzle gets more use than the smaller one), binoculars, a bird identification book or tickets to see "The Nutcracker Ballet". And if either of your girls really like the bird study and seem to be hungry for more, you could add the first 6 chapters of Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day.

ADV is a really fun study--enjoy!

[hsmom]

Well, I have to agree with the others. We loved Adventures. I used Spelling Power (3rd grader), PLL and Singapore. I just love Singapore and PLL. The beauty of the MFW recommendations is that they are very economical both with time and with money. No fluffy time fillers/ endless worksheets, but they get the job done in an enjoyable way. Well, I'm not sure we could call Spelling Power enjoyable, but he didn't like the other spelling text I was using before Spelling Power either. I think he just doesn't like to spend time on spelling. Oh, and we did the deluxe, too. I think the read alouds really added to the year, I wouldn't have wanted to miss most of them.

[RJ's Momma]

We also did MFW K for my dd, then moved on to a textbook program for 2 years. There were lots of tears during those 2 years, and while she did learn, it was not without much fighting. It just wasn't a good fit for her. So for 3rd grade we came back to MFW (where we should have stayed all along:), and did Adventures. We had a great year, and while she still had a bad attitude toward school, it has over the last couple of years, faded. We are working on 5th grade in CtG now and plan to stay with MFW through High School:)

I stayed with textbook math and language about half way through her 3rd grade year before trying out MFW recommendations. I think dd would have been fine with staying with the math (though she does just fine with Singapore as well). PLL (and now ILL) and Spelling Power have been a much better fit for her, so we now use all of MFW recommendations as well:)

Shannon