Anyone leave MFW to come here to HOD?

[blessedx5]

I would love to hear from you. We have used MFW's for 2 years now and love it but there are things about HOD I like more..

Why did you chose HOD over MFW? What level HOD will you be using?


Debbie

[Ruth in FL]

Debbie,
I used MFW for three years. We enjoyed ECC, Adventures and Creation to Greeks.What brought me to HOD were the books chosen to teach with.
I enjoyed MFW very much, but I liked the approach of learning history through the people who were part of it rather than just the facts.

Another reason I chose BIGGER is that I wanted to do American History again. I did Adventures with my girls, but I like the books used in HOD better.

Ruth

[Melanie]

Hi Debbie! I can't remember if I "met" you yet, so welcome to HOD! (I'm known far and wide for my memory...my dh often says it's a good thing....if I ever develop alzeheimer's, nobody will be able to tell the difference! )

There are many of us here who have left MFW for various reasons. The reason I left is that they really frown on combining your kids in K or 1st. I have 3 kids 15 months apart, so combining is pretty much a given for us. Then, after they get past 2nd grade, they want you to combine, but cater to the oldest and just let the youngers tag along.

HOD encourages combining whenever possible AND you cater to the youngest with the olders doing the extension packages. This just makes way more sense to me.

Now, both curriculums are focused on Bible and I do like the focus MFW has on missions, but HOD makes our Chistian walk in this world the focus of everything and glory is given to God with each reading and activity. It is woven together so beautifully and it makes it very natural to discuss the topics with your children. It doesn't feel like the Bible was tacked on or that you had to really stretch to find an application.

Many of the books used in the programs are the same, but some of the books I was concerned about with MFW are not used in HOD. Carrie is very super persnickity about her books and only uses the best.

Let us know if you think of any other questions.
Mel

[Tiffini]

Hi, Debbie! I did switch over after using MFW for 1st, ADV, and ECC. I really did enjoy MFW very much, but, like you, have found an even better fit with HOD. You can read my original post with some great answers given by the ladies here at:
http://www.heartofdakota.com/board/view ... highlight=

Hopefully this will help!

[Homeschooling6]

I wouldn't say that MFW really frowns on combining in the early age. They are encouraging you to treat each child as if they were your first with Phonics (teaching your child to read). MFW actually has a Sticky post on how to combine your K & 1st grader but I won't go into that. I just wanted to clarify.

As for me and switching; I plan to switch all four of my younger one because like Melanie mentioned MFW does have your younger ones "tag" along (because they will eventually do the cycle again) but I would prefer my younger ones have something more age appropriate for them.

I'm still going back & forth with switching my two older ones to Preparing this Fall.

The guides from HOD look so much more doable and that is a big plus. I also like that I don't have to count on my library. HOD's LA's is IMHO more CM too with a textbookish twist that I like. It's combining the best of the best (for me).

I can't wait to receive my Preparing Guide to I can make my final decision. It would be a no brainer but I already purchased CtG a few months ago.

Blessings,

[netpea]

I would love to hear from you. We have used MFW's for 2 years now and love it but there are things about HOD I like more..

Why did you chose HOD over MFW? What level HOD will you be using?


Debbie

If you use the search function to search for MFW, you will see where it has come up many times. Here are a few that I saw where switching from MFW to HOD was in the subject line.

http://www.heartofdakota.com/board/view ... hlight=mfw
http://www.heartofdakota.com/board/view ... hlight=mfw
http://www.heartofdakota.com/board/view ... hlight=mfw
http://www.heartofdakota.com/board/view ... hlight=mfw
http://www.heartofdakota.com/board/view ... hlight=mfw

We started with HOD, switched to MFW, then came back to HOD. HOD fits our family to a "T".

[Melanie]

Homeschooling6 - thanks for pointing that out, but that was not their opinion for several years, and that sticky you mentioned is only about a week old. (I just popped over there to see it, I didn't read it.) It's great if they are starting to lean that way, but for years they have been very strict about each child having their own "special" year....which is great, if you don't have twins and your kiddos are spaced fairly far apart. I'm glad they are "loosening up" on that though.

Thanks for setting me straight!
Mel

[Homeschooling6]

Homeschooling6 - thanks for pointing that out, but that was not their opinion for several years, and that sticky you mentioned is only about a week old. (I just popped over there to see it, I didn't read it.) It's great if they are starting to lean that way, but for years they have been very strict about each child having their own "special" year....which is great, if you don't have twins and your kiddos are spaced fairly far apart. I'm glad they are "loosening up" on that though.

Thanks for setting me straight!
Mel

Sorry Melanie, I'm not here to set you straight. I didn't mean for it to come about that way. It's been a sticky post since 2004 under the archives not the main board (it's posted in two different places) , but it doesn't matter anyway it's not what blessedx5 was asking. Sorry to have brought it up.

If you have any questions please p.m. me

Again I apologize.

[blessedx5]

I am pretty sure I will have my upcoming 1st grader switch from MFW to HOD...my upcoming 5th grader I am not so sure....I am apprehensive because we would have to begin in HOD with the most recent level (Bigger??). I am a bit nervous about switching and then possibly switching BACK to MFW. I know there are future levels being discussed but without them actually in place right now it makes me a bit nervous about switching.

**Right now if I stayed with MFW with my oldest (who will be 10 in July) then he would finish up with the history cycle at the end of 8th grade. If I skip out on MFW for 5th grade and then wind up going back he would miss out on one of the levels**.

For those who are going to be using the newest level (Bigger?) what are your thoughts?

Debbie

[Homeschooling6]

I am pretty sure I will have my upcoming 1st grader switch from MFW to HOD...my upcoming 5th grader I am not so sure....I am apprehensive because we would have to begin in HOD with the most recent level (Bigger??). I am a bit nervous about switching and then possibly switching BACK to MFW. I know there are future levels being discussed but without them actually in place right now it makes me a bit nervous about switching.

**Right now if I stayed with MFW with my oldest (who will be 10 in July) then he would finish up with the history cycle at the end of 8th grade. If I skip out on MFW for 5th grade and then wind up going back he would miss out on one of the levels**.

For those who are going to be using the newest level (Bigger?) what are your thoughts?

Debbie

Debbie,
Thant's one of my main concerns too with my soon to be 5th grader. If we go with HOD and a future guide is not on time than I would have to switch back to MFW and the 5yr. cycle would be off

Maybe I'm just thinking too much into the future

[tawbur]

I just switched from seriously considering MFW to purchasing HOD.

I actually only found out about HOD 1 week before the homeschool bookfair in my area last month. Up until then, I was set on MFW, after having browsing their materials for the last 2-3 years, planning on starting with their Adventures at this time. I briefly looked into Winter Promise a few months ago, but settled back with MFW, until I found HOD.

I went to my bookfair intending to compare the 2, as they were both there. I spent all day back and forth between both booths.

I like both, but I sensed more cohesiveness with HOD. I especially liked that HOD has specific readers for early readers ("emerging readers" she calls it) using "real" books, gradually increasing in difficulty, with the level listed. Plus, the author wrote the Drawn Into the Heart of Reading, so she incorporates some of that, preparing for adding that in with independent readers, which adds a literature aspect that MFW doesn't seem to have.

In HOD, the Bible aspect seems more integrated throughout. The books she has chosen for read-alouds, and others, are just great! She seems very careful with the books they use that there wouldn't be anything questionable for your kids. HOD uses books with a creation-early earth view.

On the day-to-day schedule, HOD adds in blocks of time for specific LA and Math instructions, some of which I just plan to overlook, because I'll be using something different for those aspects, but that will be easy to do, and is not part of the reason I chose HOD anyway. I would have done the same thing with MFW.

HOD has a bit more of the Charlotte Mason philosophy than MFW, as MFW mixas CM and classical. Both HOD and MFW have some hands-on aspects.

With MFW, Bible seemed more of an "add-on" than integrated. In Adv, it seemed quite a brief overview of early Amer history along with learning about bits of all the states (flags and such), whereas in HOD the "Beyond" program covers just the early Amer Hist and then the next program covers Amer history through biographies. It's just a bit more in depth, it seems, overall, and just felt more cohesive to me.

I really compared, and probably am not remembering everything, but I had real peace to go with HOD, for the overall aspects of Bible/Christian focus, great books, and a literature focus. In fact, Carrie Austin, the author of HOD, told me that HOD is a very Charlotte Mason literature-based curriculum. I think that she personally had used Sonlight some, and even considered MFW for her own kids, but was led to write her own materials.

The only CMish thing that HOD doesn't include is picture narration, as MFW does, but that's easy to add with even the same picture books that MFW uses.

Hth,
Teresa

[blessedx5]

it's actually PREPARING....

Debbie

[lovetobehome]

Hello Debbie! Welcome! I have not been terribly active on the board, as I am seriously trying to limit my online time lately. But I wanted to comment on your post, since I have used MFW and Sonlight, and looked at or tried or reviewed dozens of curricula options. This turned out to be a lot longer than I had imagined, so pull up a chair!

I used MFW K, 1st grade, Adventures. I also purchased ECC, CTG, and RTR and reviewed them extensively, and ultimately resold them. I also have used SL pre K, K, and Level 1, and bought ahead several years there too (all now on ebay!). I I like to review future years before I make a decision on a curriculum, to know where we are going, how that meshes with my philosophy and style, and make my decision from there. I have purchased HOD LHFHG, Bigger and Beyond. Yes, I am thorough in my curriculum evaluation and decision making! TOO thorough!

Before finding HOD a couple months ago, I had thought I would use SL for the coming year. Mainly because I love their literature and because I feel confident that it is a strong curriculum, and because a close friend is using it, but I find Bible completely tacked on which saddened me greatly. I also was very dismayed by the history books they use, not God-honoring in my opinion, and a lot of focus on things I would rather my children not focus on. God had been nudging me though, and I felt convicted that the reason I am homeschooling is to help my children understand and have relationship with the Lord in a way that I never had, to bring their hearts before Him, to help them learn who He is, to love Him more, to seek to honor and glorify Him. THIS is the reason I really homeschool. And when I was honest about evaluating curriculum against that goal, nothing was measuring up for me. Especially not SL. I am not meaning to bash at all, I think it is a fabulous curriculum, but did not meet my goal. So, I thought about going back to MFW and bought ECC and CTG to review. Again, I was left feeling like it just did not measure up (and I also had this nagging feeling that academically it just wasn't what I had hoped, and was rather disjointed and public school like, with subjects not relating very well) . I had no desire to look at other curricula, I am pretty burnt out and also felt convicted that I was obsessing over it, and that I would never find the 'perfect' curriculum.

I happened across HOD when into my path came a woman I had purchased some used materials from in the past. I knew she and I had both used SL and MFW, so I asked what she was up to these days, and she told me to look into HOD! I would never have considered it otherwise, I always thought it was just a preschool/k curriculum. When I looked in detail at the samples, and the readings, and the books, and read on the forum, I knew I had found something that FINALLY measured up to my goal. I prayed about it repeatedly, and God gave me complete peace that indeed I had found something that was a treasure, something that first and foremost met my goal....to train up my childrens hearts for Him, and to lead all of us, together, closer to Him. I also wanted an approach that was unified, bringing relation between the subjects we were studying and into their proper context with the purpose of knowing God. And, I wanted the option of having lots of wonderful literature, as we love love love to read in our family.

We have now used BIGGER for 4 weeks ( I should note that I thought it might be too easy for my son, but I was wrong! It is so great how you can tailor it with all the choices/levels she has planned for in there). I grow more pleased with it each passing day, with the depth of study, the depth of meaning, and the way everything we learn, from historical characters to studying nature and poetry, truly brings honor to the Lord and understanding His care for us and His creation. I find many times through the week in talking with my children or correcting a problem, that I am able to say "remember what we learned this week/last week God says about XYZ " - actually APPLYING God's Word in our everyday life. This is huge to me. That just wasn't happening with SL and MFW. We are studying character through God's word, and it is something we implement in a tangible way, that is changing our hearts toward one another, and especially toward Him. I could tell you the nuts and bolts of MFW and HOD, but for me, it is not even a close comparison. HOD is changing our lives, turning our hearts toward the Lord in very real ways. I am sure everyone has different needs for their schooling, but if you find that your goal is similar to mine, I would encourage you to evaluate based on that goal, and pray for a peace from the Lord.

I have to share this story....my husband and I talked at length about SL vs. MFW vs HOD, and when we decided on HOD, I told him I felt peace each night as I prayed He would help me know for certain what to use. I told my DH I felt that peace, and I also told him I knew God would give confirmation of the decision. We had been using HOD for a week or so, and we went to church the next morning. In HOD we were studying a poem by Longfellow, and that morning, our priest mentioned Longfellow during the sermon, which was just startling and unusual! My son turned around and looked right at me, grinning ear to ear that Father Dan had spoken of Longfellow, who we had been studying, and I looked at my DH and said "And there is that confirmation!" He smiled back and me and winked. (This is my DH who really never has been much involved in curriculum selection). I knew God had answered my prayer, and I feel such peace, I really do, which is very unusual for me. So, I just urge you to pray, and God will lead you where He wants you to go, be that MFW or HOD or somewhere entirely different.

I personally would not worry about switching back to MFW and the whole cycle thing. I know it is hard not to, but God will guide you no matter what. I have planned out our entire k-12 education a zillion times, and each time I do, it gets changed anyway, so I have given that up. I won't be the same person tomorrow, and neither will my children, but God will be, and He will always lead us where He would have us go. If He leads you to HOD today, and back to MFW tomorrow then it would be for a reason. One day's trouble is enough, and we have no idea what is in store for us tomorrow, but if we are faithful to follow Him this day, He will never lead us astray, so we can be sure we are right where we belong, in His will!

Lastly, nuts and bolts. I always found MFW very choppy, disjointed, and well, unrefined? I find HOD seamless, integrated, holistic. I find the books used in HOD to be just wonderfully perfect for us....wholesome, God-honoring, enjoyable, interesting, varied. If you are avid readers, add in as many as you can from the various book packages (from Bigger, we have most of the girl interest, boy interest AND classic)---this satisfies my craving from SL, to read tons!. In MFW I found the science dreadful and could never bring myself to follow through with it, even though I am a wildlife biologist and DH is a conservation forester. I have no reason why, I just never could do it. But in HOD, I find the science meaningful, related, and enjoyable. The history in MFW is much different than in HOD. HOD seems to be focused more on character (leading you to evaluate (not judge) character traits, both strengths and weaknesses, in historical figures, and then extrapolate that to our own choices of how we would act in our daily life to bring honor to the Lord). Also, I love that the books I have seen used in HOD do not contain material I find objectionable. I believe Carrie has chosen the books very wisely, with incredible discernment.

Needless to say, I am very satisfied with HOD.Delighted, actually! MFW is a nice curriculum, but for us, HOD is just a whole lot nicer. I feel blessed to have stumbled upon it, and thankful that Carrie has done such a beautiful job serving the Lord in this manner. It is what I would have written, had I been so gifted! (I am not, especially in the way she has integrated God's word through it all in a meaningful, natural way. There is just a depth there that is missing everywhere else I have looked.) I am so glad Carrie was obedient to do it for the benefit of many! I hope this helps, and now I have spent WAY too much time online for the evening! But I felt urged to write a response.

[Marty D]

lovetobehome! What a great post!

[Melanie]

Homeschooling6 - Oh no, you didn't come across in a bad way at all! I do need to know that info, as this is a question that comes up on this board a lot. I did check, and you were way more right than I , it was posted in April of 2005, but for some reason I don't remember it being there when I was using the K program (05-06). I really do appreciate knowing that they have changed their views. I would never want to say something that wasn't true.

lovetobeathome - that was a great comparison!

blessedx5 - if you do a search, you'll see this has come up many times. I do understand your concerns about the future guides. Carrie has been very successful at getting out one a year, and fully intends to continue doing so...but no one can predict the future. I say, go for it!