Posted by 2.5lilreds in NC on 17:17 Jul 4
In Reply to: sonlight vs. my father's world posted by Jennifer
One major difference between Sonlight and MFW that I've heard in different discussions here, is that MFW includes crafty activities and Sonlight doesn't. So, if crafts and activities don't appeal to you or your son, Sonlight might be worth a look.
I am a fairly new homeschooler too, and that's what led me to MFW - everything planned out for me. Really, there is very little prep. You would want to take a look at your week ahead of time, I think, because sometimes there are certain things you might need that could be hard to come up with on the spur of the moment (like when you're supposed to make lentil stew), but for the most part, it's pick-up-and-go.
This year we've only done the math & LA, because with my little one in K, we've done the K Bible and science, as the Hazells recommended when combining the two years. I have, however, been going through and making up a weekly plan for each week, and the 1st grade Bible and science look like they are going to be a lot of fun. I know my girls will really enjoy them.
The *only* thing I have struggled with is teaching the math. I would have been much more comfortable with a more structured program with clues for me as the teacher about what to do if my student didn't understand something. My dd has done just fine with the math, but if I had it to do over, I would definitely choose a separate math program. In fact, my younger dd will be in MFW 1 next year, and we *will* be using separate math. I need to get something for my older dd anyway, so I will put them both into the same program. Lots of people love the math, though, so don't just take my word for it.
I *love* the LA in this program! The phonics portion is excellent; my dd was already reading well, but we've used it as a basic spelling program and it's been wonderful. Also, the narration and story summaries are have been so good for my dd. Very challenging.
If you want to ask questions, there is a MFW Yahoo group at groups.yahoo.com/MFWFamilies. The ladies there have a lot more experience than I do.