Share your "Bests!"

[KF2000]

Hi folks!

I have a request to make. I am finishing up a project with MP, and knew I would ask for input for this last part. I know there are many new families, and those of us who have been around a while. I would love to hear your "bests..." things that have helped you the most while starting to use the MP curriculum. This could take the form of things you wish you had known, things that you figured out, tips you have received, or even just general suggestions for using the curriculum.

Not only will this help me, but it will be a great way to get a lot of new inspiration out there for a new school year. Thanks, in advance!
AMDG,
Sarah

[Katie]

This Forum!!

When researching MP, this forum and the helpful advice from the amazing members, is what sealed the deal! Although we are just beginning, I am confident this will be a great year. This forum has been such a blessing!

[Miah]

When researching MP, this forum and the helpful advice from the amazing members, is what sealed the deal! Although we are just beginning, I am confident this will be a great year. This forum has been such a blessing!

I second this. Memoria Press has the most amazing customer service of any company I've ever dealt with in my life. Not just here (and it is amazing the level of feedback asked for by MP and given by MP), but the phone service is also great.

[pickandgrin]

Sarah,
I may think of others, but I did want to add these while they are on my mind.

1) MP doesn't use the popular 4 year history cycle. This was hard to figure out at first for me since it seemed 'everyone else' did, but has really set my family free to study on many different levels without the need for me be teaching everyone together a certain epoch. We sort of "dwell" together in all sorts of times and places and see the connections between them without having to strictly limit ourselves to one. This has freed them to do much work independently and for us to enjoy many areas of study with focused intensity, not merely history.

2) MP has a rhythm to it. It takes our family a few weeks to get into it every year. However, once the rhythm is established our school runs like a train on rails...everyone knows where we are headed and what work is expected. Mom has her lesson plan and the kids have it to look at and work from. There aren't any surprises to manage and there is no long time spent on weekends figuring out what we'll do for the coming week. A great blessing for my family has been (me) realizing that I can give my kids the lesson plan book so they can work from it. I had been making them a duplicate for the first year and a half. This sharing has been a great improvement!!

3) It helps me to have a bin for each child to store all their study guides and books in. I keep all the teacher's guides on my desk on a bookshelf.

4) I heartily agree with the comments on helpful, kind, and patient customer service by phone and email, as well as unrivaled wisdom and support on the forum.

5) Latin really is the center of the curriculum and it truly enhances all the other areas of study. At first you have to trust it to be true, but then you see the evidence mount as you go along. As Andrew Pudewa often says, "Latin is what you do after phonics." Your children are never too old to start Latin--many of us parents are starting it as adults!

6) Please, please, please: don't rush to catch up. Take you time and place your child in the materials that are best suited to where you are diving into with classical education. For many, this will mean working at a grade level below their normal level. This is completely fine and very common. MP is very advanced on grade level. Placement help can be found on the forum or is often best found for these specific instances by phone or email with the MP staff.

7) The old adage: You must inspect what you expect. One bonus with MP is that children who can read well can do much of their work independently. The downside to this is if mom gets lazy (ahem, never!) and doesn't inspect work as it's done day by day. The student can fall behind or start to be sloppy or incomplete with their work. At the end of each day's work, it's helpful to look over it together to assess how we've done and what needs to be corrected or completed.

8) MP uses literature study to go deep with a few books each year rather than run quick-paced through too many. At first this may seem shallow or not enough, but it's a beautiful way to learn to enjoy good books and become a wonderful reader. It's as much about the training of how to read and enjoy any book as it is to read and enjoy any specific book. There are separate titles recommended with each grade to enjoy aloud as a family. These are books everyone should hear and enjoy in a lifetime and which aren't bound by any age-limits.

9) Most of us seeking to educate our children classically did not have the benefit of such an education ourselves. This is an opportunity for us to take the posture of a learner along with our children and uncover the treasures we missed. I always held an inner desire to return to school but in teaching my children using MP I've realized that I do not need to return to school to continue my education. In fact, I get the tremendous blessing of spending much of my day learning along with my children from the best that's ever been said, thought, done, painted, sung. This is also much cheaper than graduate school.

This is a start down my stream of consciousness...more may follow as I have time to think. Great question, Sarah.

[KF2000]

Great responses....thanks for being so detailed P&G!
AMDG,
Sarah

[Kargo]

Sarah,

I'm still here, but just haven't posted in a while. I thought I would respond to your questions (although P&G did a great job). As a background, we have used MP's full curriculum for 1st-4th grades (we are still in the middle of 4th grade since we homeschool year round) but just one grade level at a time since we have twins.

1. The teaching guidelines in the lesson plans are invaluable. Highlight the main points of each subject in the lesson plans and reread them every month or so to see if you are missing something or can improve the way a particular subject is moving forward.

2. Don't underestimate how much your kids can memorize and how important it is.

3. Your kids are learning even if you don't check off everything everyday in the lesson plans.

4. It is best not to do housework (or anything else) and homeschool at the same time. The more you are actively present with your child during their lessons, the more they learn and are focused. This is very hard for multitasking, homeschooling moms.

5. It is okay to complete some lessons orally without guilt.

6. You will be amazed at how much YOU are learning with your children.

7. Your children will thrive on the routine of MP daily subjects. Routine gives your child security and confidence that they can complete all lessons successfully. MP's materials seem to be designed for sucessful learning without fear of failure.

I'm sure there is much more to be said, but this is what came to my mind immediately.

[pickandgrin]

Kargo,
Great responses (and a few great reminders for me in there as well)!
Thanks,

[anastasia5]

My "Best" MP advice

My sister and I have both utilized MP complete core curriculum to educate our respective families over the last two school years. We have discussed that through trial and error, we have learned to trust and really rely on the pacing in the lesson plans. It is important to follow them without "over-reaching" and adding more in the name of thoroughness. Conversely, they are so valuable as a measure of accountability in the ever present quest to balance life and education amidst the other necessities of family living. Memoria Press lesson plans are an invaluable resource that self-reliant homeschool parents might be tempted to tweak unnecessarily. My peace of mind has been greatly enhanced by surrendering to this amazing tool.

Anastasia

daughter - rising 7
son - rising 3
son - rising 1
daughter - rising PreK
son - 2yo