Choosing Materials help - switching to MP

[Sarah V]

Hello! I am not new to using MP (it's been 9 years of using selected materials), but this coming fall, I'm considering switching my three youngest to all (or almost all) MP. I need some advice in which classes to choose as we have done some, but not all.

Is it best to ask in this forum or to contact someone at MP?

My youngest three kids will be 4th, 6th and 8th this fall.


Thank you!

[momgineer]

Your best bet is to email customer service. They will work with you to personalize what you need. But feel free to ask here as we can all offer advice too!
My first questions would be what Latin have you done? Have you done any Classical Composition? Are you trying to keep kids together in any subjects? What is their background with Classical Studies and Christian Studies?
Most likely your 4th grader will want 4th New Users so that will be easy. The other two levels will need to be customized. The good news is now MP offers a customized Curriculum manual so you can get exactly what you need all in one manual!

[Sarah V]

Thank you!

I did not bog down my initial post with what we have/haven't done unless advice was offered -- thank you!

Latin:
My rising 8th grader has some introductory Latin, over the past year but has hated it. Our homeschool enrichment program (similar to a hybrid model, but not quite, but not a co-op), has offered it. The teacher has developed her own curriculum, but I am not knowledgeable enough to compare to other Latin programs.

I plan to use First Form with him. My rising 4th grader has had some Latin, and is presently signed up for a Latin course at our homeschool enrichment program, however, we may end up with Latina Christiana (which I do have, but never used with my older kids).

My 6th grader will likely struggle with Latin. So, I'm still vacillating between FF and LC for her.


Classical Comp:
My 8th grader has only gotten through Narrative Stage. I've seen what is recommended at MPOA for grade 8. My older kids also only went through Fable and Narrative stages before enrolling in private schools in high school.

My 6th grader is finishing Fable Stage. I was thinking of enrolling her in MPOA for Narrative stage.

My 4th grader will do Fable Stage.


Classical Studies:
8th grader has done Famous Men of Rome and FMMA. We were going to read Famous Men of Greece and Trojan War (which is on my self) over the summer.

6th grader: No background, although we were going to do FMMA for grade 6.

4th grader: I was planning to do Greek Myths with him for 4th. My older kids have read D’Aulaires’ Greek Myths because I do own it. In fact, my older daughter (grade 10) mentioned she remembered the stories when taking the Nat'l Latin Exam this year! lol


Christian Studies:
I haven't done MP's Christian Studies.


I pulled Geography 1 off my shelf, and the younger two are working on that this summer. We have done the States.


Literature and Sci:
We have done 75% of the lit for each grade thus far. My kids, however, tend to read the books anyway since I do own most. I have done Mammals, Insects, Birds, and Trees with my oldest two. These youngest three have had some, but not all. I am mentioning for reference since I do have these materials.


Thank you, again!

[Jen_NH]

Latin:
An 8th grader could start with Henle 1, which is customarily done over 2 years. You could slow it down a bit, thought. For the sake of making things easier for you, you could combine the 6th & 8th grader in First Form.
Latina Christiana is good for 4th.

Classical Comp:
It doesn't matter what the typical 8th grade rec is. You need to move through the program sequentially. Chreia/maxim is next. (We started classical comp later than recommended. Last year, my then 8th grade son did chreia/maxim and refutation/confirmation.)

Christian Studies:
All the levels are the same relative ease/difficulty, depending on how familiar one is with the Bible stories. 1 & 2 are Old Testament, and 3 is New. You could combine everyone, or at least the 4th & 6th grader. Christian Studies 4 is a review of levels 1-3. Your 8th grader could do that, depending on his familiarity and your goals.

Literature:
I, personally, prefer for my children to have read the books (or listened to them) before we study them. Answering questions and analyzing the meaning of things is very different from reading for pleasure. You could also include the enrichment activities and do the extra writing assignments.

[momgineer]

These are just some suggestions and insights.
Latin:
Your 8th grader could do First Form as you propose. If she did a Form a year then would do Henle 2 senior year. This is a slow, gentle pace that won’t get you as far but may have less headache. My recommendation, given her background with some scattered work in Latin, would be to do Henle 1 instead of Forms. With the new videos, Henle is easier to tackle and gets you farther, faster, with more translation practice. You would do Henle 1 over 8th and 9th grade and Henle 2 in 10th which gives you two more years after that which could get you AP Latin if you desire.
4th grader is great in Latina Christiana.
6th grader- to make it easier on you, given your concerns, maybe just do LC together with the 4th grader. Alternatively, First Form would be a decent option.
Classical Composition:
8th grader would take Chreia/Maxim and then in 9th would be ready for High School Comp II with MA.
6th grader is great to take Chreia/Maxim and then Ref/Con in 7th and Common Topic in 8th and then could move into High School Comp III in 9th or continue at a level a year.
4th grader is perfect with Fable
Classical:
8th grader would be good to go with the Book of the Ancient Greeks and Homer study. Doing Trojan war over the summer would be helpful for this. This is on grade level and she could progress on grade level in high school.
6th grader would be fine to do FMMA as per the 6th grade plans if you wish. She would benefit from reading Greek Myths, perhaps over the summer with no workbook, just read. Or she could listen in on Greek Myths with the younger.
4th grader is good to go with Greek Myths.
Christian Studies:
Depending on past Biblical exposure, your 8th grader could do Christian Studies IV which is a summary of the whole Bible or just jump in with Ancient World per the 8th grade plans.
4th grader is great to start in Christian Studies 1
6th grader could join 4th grader or just pick up with Christian Studies III per the 6th grade plans. Books 1-2 cover the OT and book 3 covers the NT. Just choose based science: on past exposure.
literature: I would just go with what is scheduled in their grade.
science: again, just do what is done in their grade. I suggest Novare Physical Science for the 8th grader to prep for high school science.
Again, these are just suggestions. Feel free to comment on what you think would work or not and I can adjust suggestions as needed.

[Sarah V]

Thank you!

I have looked at MPOA and the recommendations there, for example for 8th grade with no Latin background, MPOA suggests FF Latin. And that is where I'm comfortable with that child considering past experience with it. My older daughter is in high school, enrolled in a different program, and working through Henle. 8th grader is certainly not ready for that!

MPOA had two different suggestions for 8th grade students who hadn't finished the sequence of Classical Comp, so thank you for clarifying that Chreia/Maxim would work for both 6th and 8th.

My rising 6th grader does not like to read. My only one! So, things have been slower for her. Since getting glasses last year and vision therapy (and that was definitely part of the problem) she is gaining more confidence, which means a lot more compliance with school work. She can write comprehension questions and do oral discussion questions very well.


I appreciate the feedback and suggestions! I was going to contact MP soon, but do I contact MPOA or regular MP site? I'm also trying to decide which classes would be best for which kid at MPOA. I really do like that I can combine some of the courses at home! It has always gone better when I have been able to do that in the past, esp with my oldest two kids.

Thanks again.

[momgineer]

It would contact MP with general placement questions and MA with any specific questions you have regarding classes you wish to enroll for online classes.