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jawgee
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This fall will be my first year homeschooling full-time. This year I am homeschooling my 5YO with CHC and supplementing with Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons and a few other games and activities. It's worked out fine. He's not a super-enthusiastic learner and we've been able to work with the program so that he is making steady progress and not getting overwhelmed.
My older child (9 1/2), though, is very studious and has a passion for learning. He's in advanced reading and math groups in his current school. I don't think CHC would suit him as well - if we did CHC I think we'd have to put him up two grades. I've considered Seton or Kolbe, but was looking for some feedback from people familiar with those programs. I don't want him to burn out, but I also don't want him to be bored.
Ideas or suggestions?
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kristinannie
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I am planning on enrolling with Kolbe starting in 1st grade. They have a very good program. I like how you can substitute your own stuff for some of theirs. I am definitely doing my own science, math and history. They are easy to work with which means a lot to me!
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kristacecilia
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I was using CHC and found myself in the same boat- I was going to have to start subbing things that were two grades above their main grade.... the thought of essentially having to design my own curriculum actually is what pushed me towards designing my own CM curriculum tailored to my kids' needs. I just found that with my type A personality and the interconnectedness of the CHC materials (how the spelling words are part of the reading and handwriting, etc) it was too limiting. You might consider designing your own program for your older child, something that really plays into his passion for learning and any other interests he might have. There is TONS of information here on various materials for every subject under the sun.
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mamaslearning
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Ambleside Online and Mater Amabilis have some great ideas in keeping with the Charlotte Mason (real learning) method. Ambleside is advanced in it's reading materials, and there are lots of math programs out there such as Saxon, Singapore, Math Mammoth, Life of Fred, Horizons, Math-U-See, Rightstart, etc.
I hope that gives you some starting places to search. Welcome and I hope you enjoy your first full year! 
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Grace&Chaos
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We used Kolbe our first three years of hs and they are wonderful to work with. They are very flexible with the materials you choose to substitute. We started the fall of her second grade year and she fit right into their second grade curriculum. (one of the reasons we decided to hs, at the time, was because we didn't think she was being challenged enough for her potential). We actually had her one whole grade ahead in the language arts and history sections of their curriculum.
 Kolbe served our needs well.
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time4tea
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I had two of my oldest dc follow CHC Middle Grades years ago (the one is just graduating high school this year, the other is in 10th), and yes, years ago, the middle school years with CHC were fairly light and we did supplement with a lot of other things. I just received their 6th grade plans for my dd, and while I have not posted a full review yet to that thread, I would encourage you to give their newly re-vamped middle grades plans a second look before moving on. There is actually quite a bit more to them than what was in the older Middle Grades Lesson Plans Guide. I also happen to have recent lesson plans from Kolbe 6th grade in addition to the CHC 6th grade plans and I have taught Mother of Divine Grace 6th Grade twice, and as far as workload, there is virtually no difference between the three when considering the newer CHC 6th grade plans. In order to add in extra, Kolbe suggests utilizing their Lit. program, and MODG suggests encouraging extra reading, and CHC does the same thing. I guess what I am trying to say here is based on my study of the newer CHC plans, vs. the Kolbe plans, vs. MODG the workload is the same when all is said and done, and kids who pick up concepts more quickly are encouraged to do extra reading and/or research on topics within the scope of that year's course of study, regardless of which program you are looking at between the three. The biggest difference is that Kolbe and CHC will let you decide which subjects you would like to "add in" as electives (such as Latin, for e.g.) while MODG pretty much lays out the core and extras in the syllabus, and leaves it to you to "trim back" what you think is too much (Seton does this also, btw.).
Finally, I just wanted to add that with an accelerated learner, you will always need to supplement, regardless of the curriculum, and we have tried them all here - Seton (fully enrolled and just enrolled in individual courses), Kolbe (enrolled), MODG (enrolled and unenrolled), CHC and OLVS (satellite), as well as mixing in some Mater Amabilis at times. If you have a student who is a voracious learner, you will always have to be prepared to offer them more. The programs out there will all make suggestions of what you can add (specific books, topics for research, etc.). The only caveat I would give is with Seton, which does tend to inundate with extra workbooks and similar work that some families like a lot, other families like up to a certain point, and other families do not like at all and consider it to be "busy work".
Hope this helps!
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elynnmom
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Yeah! I am so excited to find this forum and this thread in particular. I am trying to decide which curriculum to go with, too and am really stuck. I homeschooled my eldest 4 years ago and burned myself out trying to piece together the "perfect" curriculum for her. So, now we are about to homeschool again (6th grade, 3rd grade, and two in pre-K/K), and I know that for my sanity, I need to go with a pre-packaged plan this time. I would love more input from Time4tea because you've used the curriculums I am looking at: CHC and MODG and Kolbe. I also really like aspects of Oak Meadow, but from what I've seen, it's not layed out as clearly as CHC (who has an amazing website!). So my questions are: between the three, which is the most comprehensive and easiest to follow (especially for mom). I know that I won't be able to help myself and will be adding/subtracting parts of the curriculum, but I would like to have a strong base that I can use on its own if need be. I love the CM & classical approach, dislike worksheets, and want to make sure my 6th grader is challenged (I appreciated the previous suggestions of just reading more...), but am really drawn to CHC's level of planning in their syllabus. Is MODG like that as well (their website isn't as clear)? Thanks so much to all for this amazing forum!
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time4tea
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MODG is a little harder to jump into in the middle grades, imho. Once you get to 5th, and most definitely 6th grade, the course load increases and becomes rather varied. Honestly, the middle grades for MODG (grades 6 and 7, 8th grade to a lesser extent) are my least favorite of all. I found them "awkward" and the materials used did not seem to articulate together quite as seamlessly as they did in the younger grades K-4 and as they do once again in the MODG high school courses. Does that help? Let me know if I can answer more specifically about anything. We used MODG as both an enrolled family and unenrolled and just following the syllabi. At this point, we have used every grade they offer, K-12, at least once, and many 2 or even 3 times.
Kolbe's new lesson plans are very clear cut and nicely laid out. The one big drawback with Kolbe that I would foresee based on what you said your preferences are is that Kolbe does tend to be more of a traditional approach to schooling, while MODG has more of a CM flair to it.
CHC is, in my opinion, somewhere in between the traditional method and the CM/eclectic approach. There is enough traditional work (the grammar/comp book, the readers, etc.) to ensure that the dc always has something that they can do on their own while you tend to another dc, fold laundry, make lunch, etc., but also offers tons of options for the kinds of things that those of us who appreciate CM love, like a whole variety of narration ideas and projects that draw the student beyond the books to a deeper level of learning that they actively participate in (like the Human Body project in Behold and See 4th grade science, for e.g.). That is what I think I like best about CHC at this point. It blends the "practical" with the more creative, and it does it without being intimidating.
Hope this helps! Please let me know if I can answer any other questions
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elynnmom
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Tea,
Thanks so much for your insight! I would like to ask a few more questions, if I may, regarding individual components of the CHC curriculum. What do you think of Science(The Universe in My Hands looks interesting, but unusual- are experiments involved?), grammar, and history in the 6th (and 3rd) grades - especially in comparison with MODG. And if you have any other thoughts regarding CHC, please feel free to share!
Thanks so much.
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time4tea
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Elynnmom,
I do not care for The universe in My Hands. I purchased it from CHC several years ago now when one of my older dc was using the older CHC Middle Grades Lesson Plan Guide. Simply put, I did not find Universe in My Hands easy to implement in a homeschool setting. CHC is actually going to be replacing The Universe in My Hands with Behold and See 6, which will be released later this summer, I believe.
Grammar and history for 6th and 3rd grades - CHC uses Language of God for grammar through the 8th grade. MODG uses Primary Language Lessons for 3rd grade, and Intermediate Language Lessons in 4th and 5th, and then for 6th moves on to either Easy Grammar or Voyages in English paired with Elementary Diagramming Worktext and also uses Editor-in-Chief, regardless of whether the student is using VIE or Easy Grammar.
Here is my opinion based on my experience with these materials - I really, really like both Primary and Intermediate Language Lessons a lot. I have used these books on 4 of my dc so far. First of all, it's important to know why Laura Berquist chose these particular books for this stage of formation in the first place. According to her interpretation of the classical philosophy, she prefers a lower key approach to language arts instruction at the 3rd-5th grade level, and does not introduce formal grammar instruction per se until 6th grade (which is when the heavier grammar instruction begins for MODG).
Both Primary and Intermediate Language Lessons offer more of a "total language arts" approach to language instruction, and a variety of skills are introduced and practiced including basic grammar, creative writing, picture study, poetry, dictation and memorization. I would say it is "light" on actual grammar instruction, but Laura Berquist is not looking for heavy grammar instruction at this phase of formation, so it works well with her philosophy there.
I love these books because I happen to agree with Laura Berquist's philosophy and prefer the more "holistic" approach to language arts that these books offer. However, I do think that kids in 3rd-5th grades can probably handle a bit more grammar instruction than what PLL/ILL offer, and if you live in a state where standardized tests, etc., are required for homeschoolers, they will need to know some of the basic parts of speech, etc., that are not covered in a very in-depth way in either PLL or ILL. I tried using Seton English workbooks to bridge this gap, but they were truly way beyond and above what I believe is necessary. This is where CHC's Language of God books fit in so nicely. They are, imho, "just right" to complement both PLL and ILL, because they provide just the right amount of grammar instruction for each stage without being overwhelming. If you are using the entire CHC curriculum, the other CHC books used in language arts, religion, science and history will provide plenty of opportunity for delving into the other areas that PLL/ILL do so well, such as creative writing, dictation, memorization, and even picture study, but you certainly could substitute some of the CHC activities for some of the same activities inPLL/ILL if you wanted to.
Voyages in English is a solid English book, but I have found it to be difficult to use in a homeschool setting unless you have the accompanying workbook (Exercises in English, available from Our Lady of Victory School) or you have the student do A LOT of copying of sentences. Two of my dc are dyslexic, so having them do that much copying would take the entire year  , so I prefer something that is either in worktext format OR has a reasonable amount of copy work to it. While you could certainly do some of the VIE exercises orally, when you are talking about 6th grade and there are maybe 50 sentences in one exercise and the student needs to locate multiple parts of speech in each one, it can get really tedious.
Science - I do not like MODG's science curriculum for the most part, with the exception of high school which I think is quite good. The science curriculum is the weakest part of MODG, imho, and I often ended up using something else in place of what they recommended.
I have liked what I have seen so far of CHC's science. The first Behold and See 3 was a really well written book, and they are now following on to it with 4th grade (which is really My Temple of the Holy Spirit) and Catholic Boys and Girls Health) and a new book for both 5th and 6th, all of which are now titled "Behold and See". I have not seen the newer, lower grades Behold and See books, but my little one is just in Pre-K, so she isn't there yet.
History - definitely MODG's strong suit, Laura Berquist has wonderful book lists for all grades, K-12. These books can be used regardless of curriculum, but some of the titles are out of print and may require tracking them down from a swap board or used book dealer.
CHC has strengthened its history program with the introduction of the new Catholic Textbook Project history books, as well as the CHC study guides that accompany each book in the CHC lesson plans (you can see samples at the CHC website). You can easily use the book suggestions from Design Your Own Classical Curriculum alongside CHC (or any) history program. MODG uses the older history texts, Our Pioneers and Patriots and The Old World and America by Father Furlong. These books are excellent, but their great weakness is that they were written in the 1940's and so do not cover any history beyond WWII. Almost 70 years has passed since WWII, so I think it is important for students to also learn about those developments since WWII and the impact they have had/are having on our world, and the Catholic Textbook Project books fill that need. While not an absolute necessity, the CTP books are also very well laid out with lots of maps and illustrations that help keep the interest of students in upper elementary and the middle grades.
I think I said it in one other post, but the MODG middle grades are my least favorite, esp. grades 6 and 7. I did not find for our family that the materials as a whole articulated as well as in other years, and the history is a bit too drawn out for my taste. For example, the entire 6th grade year is spent on studying Ancient Egypt in MODG 6th. While I think Ancient Egypt was an incredibly important civilization, imho, an entire year devoted exclusively to that is probably a bit much.
I hope this answers some of your questions. Please let me know if you have any others!
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~Tea
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sunny
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Wow, Tea, Thx for the in-depth reviews!! I have been using CHC. I am so happy with it in many ways. I love how easy it is to add in and supplement. Also, I love that each subject is integrated. I don't believe each subject exists in a vacuum. However it is true that there is problem if you have an accelerated learner. One small example is ds used 2nd grade lesson plans and books this year but he will not make his FHC until next year so it would have been nice to do that part of CHC next year instead. well nothing is perfect and instead of driving myself crazy with searching all available curricula, I intend to use your review and keep on with CHC (and supplementing of course!)
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Dove
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Do you have to follow the CHC grades exactly because of the way it is integrated?
I always had kids who were multiple grades depending on the skills needed so I'm wondering about this program since I have seen a lot to like in it.
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Ann Seeton
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guitarnan
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Ann, I supposed it depends on how much money you want to spend. I only purchased CHC lesson plans one year and we used them mainly for science - but I have used their spelling, grammar, science, etc. materials for many years and loved them all. I found for us (two children, several years apart) it was easier to use the materials without the lesson plans, and to cover the same topics in social studies, science, foreign language and art at developmentally-appropriate levels (so, for example, we studied ancient Egypt when my son was 13 and my daughter was 7).
If you have children who are at different grade levels in different subjects, you could just use the appropriate materials for each subject, but you would have to do a bit more planning and, perhaps, test creation on your own. (I didn't mind - it worked for us because both of my children have specialized interests and I used those interests - history and biology - to tie each child's studies together.)
I did not follow grade levels exactly - especially for my daughter. When she finished a spelling book or Language of God book, I just ordered the next one and kept going.
I did find it interesting that she asked for more penmanship work after 5th grade. She didn't enjoy CHC's penmanship exercises, but she could see for herself that her handwriting was clearer when she actively practiced. The spelling books for older grades incorporate cursive writing, which I really like.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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sunny
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Dove wrote:
Do you have to follow the CHC grades exactly because of the way it is integrated?
I always had kids who were multiple grades depending on the skills needed so I'm wondering about this program since I have seen a lot to like in it.
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No you do not have to use it exactly because of the way it is integrated. In fact, I think the integration exists across grade levels. For instance, my dd used grade 1 this year and ds used grade 2. It worked out that when one child was doing something in a workbook at their level, it reinforced what another had been doing or was about to do at their level. One naturally reinforced the other.
time4tea wrote:
| Finally, I just wanted to add that with an accelerated learner, you will always need to supplement, regardless of the curriculum, and we have tried them all here |
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This is true and is why I was considering searching for a better, “perfect” fit. But as elynnmom said,
elynnmom wrote:
| ...and burned myself out trying to piece together the "perfect" curriculum for her. |
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For me, I actually enjoy supplementing and tweaking to make it my own when I stop worrying about finding the “perfect” fit. The perfect fit doesn’t exist. Tea’s insights helped to remind me of this. I guess my point was that I agree with Tea’s review and I like the overall of CHC. IMO, it is easier to be creative when I have a solid base. Also I know that when I feel tired and overwhelmed, I have that solid base to rely upon.
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Dove
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Thank you. I'll be keeping CHC on my short list as a program to seek out at a curriculum fair.
I mostly keep things loose and much of our learning happens unschool and unit study style so I have been asking myself the question of if I ever want to buy a program for this youngest child.
I used Kolbe at one point, and Seton for several years, and Our Lady of the Rosary materials at another point, and there were things to like about them all.
But the majority of our educational success was in the unit studies we wrote up from the kid's self directed learning.
I find myself torn between a desire to see them learn latin and a desire that they self propel their own learning.
It is a puzzle for me.
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Ann Seeton
hg2au.com
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time4tea
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I wanted to add that it is quite common to mix and match grade levels in a homeschool situation. In fact, it IS done in the public/private schools as well, they just don't call it that! Instead, they say that "Johnny is in Level 1 for Math, Level 3 for Reading, Level 2 for Science", and so on. The majority of kids in public/private schools in any given grade are doing some work at grade level as well as some work above or just below grade level, and homeschooling is no different. So no, you do not have to use everything suggested for each grade, you can feel free to tweak!
If you look at any of the curriculum providers out there, they will all tell you to choose the level of work that best suits the child, even if that means mixing and matching grade levels or adding in extras to make the work more challenging, etc. With CHC, you can just substitute the material in the grade level that works best for your dc. Many of the appendices in the CHC lesson plans are non-consumable, meaning they don't get written in, so you can use them for multiple students over the years. As for the plans themselves, I use them like a planner, and simply add in what I am using in place of what is printed in the plans. For example, my dd uses Teaching Textbooks for math instead of Saxon, so I will just blot out Saxon and write in TT instead. I think the plans, if you choose to purchase them, make a nice record of what the dc worked on during the year, even if you substitute your own books or swap levels for some things. I know many people like to type their plans into a computer, but I prefer the old-fashioned method - I like to have them right in my hands, in hard copy format
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time4tea
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sunny wrote:
| One small example is ds used 2nd grade lesson plans and books this year but he will not make his FHC until next year so it would have been nice to do that part of CHC next year instead |
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Sunny,
You could review Penance/FHC next year using the New St. Joseph's First Communion Catechism next year as a refresher. CHC sells it, as does Seton and Emmanuel Books, etc. MODG and Seton both use it for Penance/FHC prep, and it is a lovely little catechism with colorful pictures and simple, straightforward text that makes them really pleasant to use. And it is very inexpensive another plus!
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~Tea
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Help me choose a curriculum
