faithmom wrote:Could you help me out a little with the General Science schedule? Is it something like the Singapre Math schedule? I think I read it is a 4-day schedule. Is that correct? I saw where another company has a 5-day schedule planned. I assume that just means the student is doing more each day. I don't want to overwhelm my son because he absorbs things a little slowly. Would a 5-day thing be better?
The Singapore plans and Apologia plans aren't all that much alike in my opinion to compare. I'll just describe the Apologia plans.
In General Science in the MFW plans, each module (chapter) is given 2 weeks to cover.
There are 16 modules.
So, that's 32 weeks to cover the year.
The model of 2 weeks to cover the chapter and when to stop for each day's lesson comes from the natural flow of the chapter.
Most weeks are 4 days a week in General. This includes time to study and take the test. Several options are given for how to incorporate the "quarterly tests". And one of those options means there are pairs of 5 day weeks in the plans.
You'll have time to spread out a module a little (especially that first one if needed) and not be behind. In my real life -- we spread it out a bit so that labs were written on the Friday or weekend. You could use the Fridays to review all of the things in the previous 4 days, and/or finish lab reports or check notes. Module one -- if you have a slower reader, that module might be a good one to plan to take 3 weeks to cover and study and learn how to take notes.
ok.. I looked at that other company's 5 day sample of General and compared it to MFW's General. what I noticed is the following about that other company's week 18-- Module 9.
both of these curriculum providers break up the reading and experiment and multimedia cd viewings: the same amount of time and pages and all of that. same amount of reading each day. same amount of labs, etc. hmm...... so why the 4 vs. 5 day thing? hmm.......
What is unclear as it is not shown on that company's sample is how that company handles studying for test and taking the test. It would be interesting to see that.
the other thing I noted: what that other provider calls Week 18, is the same thing that MFW has as "week 17"
I'm guessing the difference in numbering might be due to how tests and quarterly tests are handled. MFW gives a few options for that one week difference. Or possibly in how module 1 is handled from the start. That could account for one week difference as well. I honestly am grabbing at ideas since I don't have a full version of the other plans.
so, I would guess both of these companies are following the natural flow of the textbook.
Module 1 differences:
ok... the other one takes it more slowly than MFW (or the text). You can still get MFW's plans and adjust for that week via some free module 1 helps on donna young's site and plan to start General Science maybe a few days ahead of starting back the full academic year. donnayoung site has some notebooking pages for taking notes in that module.
So, based only on the samples shown... I don't think the other company's plans are designed to take the entire book slower, but just that first module.
-crystal