Help Me Decide- HOD or MFW- 6 and 8 yo together or Seperate

[RealLifeMama]

I want something all laid out.
I am trying to decide between Adventures in MFW for both kids, doing Primary Language Lessons with DD and her own math, and doing Reading Lesson with DS, and his own math.

OR

Doing HOD LHFHG with DS and Bigger Hearts with DD.
We did LHFHG with DD two years ago. We followed it loosley, but it was our guide. DS was 4 then, so he only listened to the stories occasionally.

Or, I could do BLHFHG, the blue book, but I think that would be too much for DS and not enough for DD.

I have read a few things on the website forum for HOD about keeping children together or seperate. I can't decide.

I like HOD a lot. The way it is laid out is so much better for me, I think. But, if I have two seperate ones to do, I am afraid we won't get much done. I rarely got to DS's Kindergarten stuff this year, thinking "well, it is only kindergarten."

I don't know too much about Adventures, but it looks good. :shrug The idea of doing science, history, and Bible together is appealing, so we can really delve in as a family. At the same time, having my 6yo do the same thing as my 8yo may or may not be a good thing. On a positve note, we don't do school on co-op days, once a week, so the MFW four day schedule, with the fifth day being extra light, might work out really well.
Help!

[The Tickle Momster]

I don't know about HOD. We are doing ADV and 1st right now. It's doable. I am very loosey-goosey in K and 1st. so we are just doing phonics and simplified bible in 1st.

ADV is very open & go. As the kids get older they will do more together adn have separate language arts adn math.

[IslandMama]

I would totally do MWF! Keeping them together is easier for you, and just fine for the kids... The 8 yo could still read books on his own. We almost did MWF, but I decided to just do my own thing and use the money for something else. What is Reading Lesson? I'm using PLL with my 8 yo...

[twinmomma]

I debated between the 2 forever.....I'm going to try Beyond. I can't even come up with why. Are you leaning one way?

[Singingmom]

I have loved doing just about everything together for my boys. I feel like it makes things so much easier. You can always require more of your older one within the lesson. For me it's perfect because my older ds moves more slowly and my younger is quick. :)

[kiloyd]

no help. But I'll be doing Bigger HFHG and LHTH. Not sure how it will work, it will be my first year with 2 in school.

[RealLifeMama]

no help. But I'll be doing Bigger HFHG and LHTH. Not sure how it will work, it will be my first year with 2 in school.


See, I think that would work out easily because Bigger will have independant work, and LHTH has such short lessons.


Keeping my kids together with Beyond would not meet either of their needs.
Or maybe it would....I dunno....my 6 yo has not had much in the way of formal lessons. My 8 yo is a reluctant learner, and really still is an "emerging reader" and falls about halfway down the list of HOD's Emergent Reader book schedule. I don't think she'd need more than Adventures would provide.


I don't know about HOD. We are doing ADV and 1st right now. It's doable. I am very loosey-goosey in K and 1st. so we are just doing phonics and simplified bible in 1st.

ADV is very open & go. As the kids get older they will do more together adn have separate language arts adn math.

Are you using MFW 1st? It is nice to hear that Adventures is fairly open and go. Could you tell me more about what it is like/how it looks for your family when you get the chance?

Island Mama, The Reading Lesson is a phonics reading program.

[The Tickle Momster]

We are using MFW1st. :yes I unschool math for 1st. A few worksheets here & there cause the kids like them. They pick up so much just from life.

For Adv, we start the morning with bible and just work our way down the list. There is a weekly grid with each subject & what/how much to cover. It is easy to adapt for your child's needs. So, if you have a reluctant writer, you can do stuff orally, let him write some & you write some, etc.

I am really likiing the study of Jesus names. The memory verses are great. :tu MFW has a real focus on missions so they include activities that help move you that way, like putting "Jesus is the living water" on water bottles to give away. This week we are also singing O Come O Come, Emmanuel.

There is tons more. We do American songs like America the Beautiful. Early American history. A study of the states and their flowers & birds. If you go with the deluxe extras, you will study The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and one other ballet.

Keep asking questions. Maybe check out their message boards mfwbooks.com/boards