We just completed our 3rd week of My Father's World Rome to the Reformation. I feel like we are finally making some progress and feeling more confident in our weekly schedule. I think this is partially due to my new planner. I am so happy to have my check list system back. It really helps me keep track of what we need to finish because we do not always do our assignments in the same order every day.
Last week I was having issues with all the reading required each day. It is still a lot for me to accomplish, but I took some advice from the MFW boards and I am now trying to complete part of the history read aloud in the morning. This has helped, but my voice is still tired by the end of the day. Several days we also have a science text for me to read to the kids. Science is not my favorite, or best, subject so this just adds to my exhaustion.
In some ways, although the week went smoothly, it was not a great week. I am realizing that I just really don't like certain aspects of the curriculum. I really despise the Latin "English from the Roots Up" program recommended. Perhaps this is because I have always hated vocabulary, but I am very bored by this curriculum and that is not a good thing. I will admit that most of our curriculum changes have been because of me, not because of the kids. My theory, as a reluctant homeschooler, is that I have to have something I can work with in order to make this a bearable proposition. I do like that we are a homeschooling family, but I am not a natural born teacher so some areas are more difficult for me. This does not mean we choose things the kids hate, but it is a compromise between all our needs.
I am also realizing that our new grammar/English Primary/Intermediate Language Lessons are a bit more writing than I had realized. I am kind of wishing we had stayed with Susan Wise Bauer's Language Lesson program. I have always liked all of her curriculum but I got the idea in my head that I should try something new. I will give our current program a bit longer, but I still have the other books if I feel I need to make the switch. I am never opposed to trying new things, which may be my downfall.
I will admit I was Internet searching alternative curriculum this week. I will definitely finish MFW for the year. I just wanted to know my options for next year. There is another similar curriculum I have been looking at for quite some time. I did not try it this year because it looked a little too advanced for what I wanted and also because of the expense. I will continue to keep an open mind with MFW, but I am not committed to one program for our whole schooling experience.
1 comment:
We are using RtR this year, too, as well as MFW1. I am finding this year a lot of reading as well. Usually I will read books from the book basket but I find I don't have the time to do that. At night is when I have been reading "The Bronze Bow." I like the book and remember reading it to our olders years ago. With my 10 year old son the chapter seem to be a little too long for him. By the way we are finishing week 4 now and plan to take next week off from formal school so you are a few weeks ahead of us. I will enjoy reading about what is coming up on your blog.
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