Tell me why you love Memoria Press curriculums!

[Kami]

The Bad & The Ugly, Turned Good

Sarah - Amen to that!

Courtney - We had the same problem with RightStart. I loved the program initially, but oh the confusion it wrought a couple of years later!

Cindy,
I gradually started with Memoria, first implementing Latin for my eldest. That went well so I started my younger two on First Start Reading, partly b/c one of them was complaining about the phonics program we were using and FSR just looked so nice! (I usually don't cave so easily to complaining). Then I decided to purchase part of the 6th grade core for my eldest. (I think I skipped the math, which I later implemented, and the Grammar). It has been a struggle! The poor child had me grilling grammar on him for years (which he never did get until we started Latin). Anyway he had experienced a couple of lax years of homeschooling, so when we started him with MP, it was tough to get the work done. I've since taken my younger two through Kinder, 1st & 2nd. They do pretty well. My eldest is doing well now also, it's just that the transition was a tough (and loooong) one for him. Though he won't admit it, I really think he's starting to like MP. There also seems to be so much clarity coming into our homeschool now, and I'm sure that's due in part to the systematic and orderly structure in MP, the focus on Phonics-Latin-Grammar (in that order), Memorization/Drill work, etc. Thanks to the Classical Teacher I'm starting to understand what I'm doing and why I'm trying to do it.

As far as 'unschooling' as a school model - it has to be the most incredibly foolish educational model ever. Most of the folks I've met who implement it, appear to be lacking self-discipline themselves. That's not helpful to myself or my children. (I am disorganized and undisciplined by nature. I don't like it and it has been a tremendous struggle to change). I (We) love the order, the rigor, the high expectations that we have found with MP.

The one huge bummer, for me, with MP is that I'd really like meet some of these others MP educator-Moms.

Blessings!
Kami

As far as some of the comments other moms have made - I agree. Even my husband is thrilled that I am no longer seeking out 'next year's' curricula.

[Enigma]

Cherry Blossom: Thank you. I would love to read your review.

Courtney: Your 8 year old sounds like mine. A tough cookie! I have fallen for the idea that some curriculum is too hard for him and so we switch. Now he thinks that all he has to do is shed a tear and I'll switch curricula. I have definately contributed to his being behind.

I fell into this trap with my older two boys. The good news is: YOU CAN CATCH UP! and MP makes that possible and easy.

MP is nothing short of the best homeschooling has to offer in terms of rigor, simplicity, flexibility, support, customer service, materials.... you name it, they top the list!

My olders, as I said above, have been all over the place as I tried method after method, curriculum after curriculum trying to find rigor with depth that would not overwhelm us or bankrupt us in a package that was doable. MP fits that perfectly.

I, too would love to meet other MP Moms. My local Moms group is nice but none are classical.

I also agree that unschooling/child-led is the biggest bunch of hogwash ever. I could, but won't say more as it isn't Christian.

[pickandgrin]

To those of you who dumped Rightstart...advice?

Courtney and Kami,
I'd love to hear how far you got into RightStart before you saw it break down. We are close to finishing levels D and C and have loved it but your comments have me wondering if trouble may be ahead? When you have the time could you private message me on this? I don't want to derail this thread which is so delightful! I am starting a Kindergartener next year and your comments have me rethinking my press-on-with-RS assumption.
We love our MP and I am so thankful to have it to order our days and learning adventure!

[cindydanleo]

Wow...I love this thread that I started. Thank you everyone for taking the time to comment and tell your experiences.

I ordered MP 1st grade and jr. Kindy yesterday. I cant wait to get it all in the mail. I'm debating whether or not to take a summer break as we are so far behind. Do you follow the school schedules or go year round? I find that if I take extended breaks...it is a nightmare to get back in our groove. What works best? 3 months on...1 month off year round. 6 weeks on...1 week off year round. Summers off. Or something else?

I also wish I could meet other MP moms. Does any one hail from Phoenix, AZ?

[Kami]

We school year round

Cindy,

For now we school year-round. That is due, in part, to living in a rental so we just don't have the lawn care that ownership would provide. My eldest could use that. Anyway, because we had gotten behind and we can't be out mowing, gardening and building forts, we do school year-round. However, I do take it a bit easier in summer. This summer I'm planning to take one day a week to meet with friends at the lake/park. I'd like to take a second day to go to the zoo or take some bike rides with the family. That would leave us with 2-3 days for schoolwork. Once we finish the curriculum guides that we are on, we'll probably just work on flashcards (Latin & Math) and reading books, and then try to move my elder two ahead in their Math classes. The two who are on schedule, I will give a break (if we finish their guides before September) from official schoolwork. But if something comes up - we are off to have fun, or maybe even move!

Blessings!
Kami

[Courtney]

I find it impossible to school during the summer when they want to be outside. I really prefer them to be outside all day in the summer anyway. I think we are going to have to do math this year though. For me, this time of year gets pressing up until September - gardening, freezing, canning- it is a lot of work and I don't want to do schoolwork on top of it. We are only on week 22 right now and it seems like we have a long way to go. I really need to fit spring cleaning in somehow too! Such is life I guess.

[CherryBlossomMJ]

Cherry Blossom: Thank you. I would love to read your review.

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Here's the tag with several linked posts. http://creativemadnessmama.com/blog/tag/memoria-press-junior-kindergarten/

Sorry it took me a while. My website was having issues but seems to be back now.

[pickandgrin]

Our schedule

Cindy,
We take a full-on summer break from roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day. We are about to take a two-week spring break (one for spring cleaning and one for traveling and visiting friends) then we have four weeks to wrap up our lesson plans for the year. I find that *I* really need a true summer...books to read, adventures/retreats/conferences to go on, breaths to take! The fatigue of preparing and running school in addition to simply being a wife/mom is something I overlook until I pause and then wow, I realize how much it requires!

I also love the kids to have a full stop to their studies for the year. Of course, I'm covertly educating them all the time. I find great mothering inspiration from the writings of Charlotte Mason and try to use her method as my default way of relating to my kids educationally outside of our curriculum/school. We hike, read (aloud, silently, tons of books on CDs), visit with family and friends, and generally try to enjoy the leisure that a break provides.

Just so you get the full picture, we usually start around Labor Day, take a week for thanksgiving, then take two weeks for Christmas/New Years, then take one or two weeks in the spring whenever the weather gets awesome or we just get fatigued or a fun opportunity arises. That gets us done usually by Memorial Day. TN requires 180 days, btw.

Hope this helps and I agree--enjoying this thread!