Math. We originally planned to use the math in MFW and supplement if needed. I guess I'm not quite as Charlotte Mason as I'd hoped when it comes to teaching certain subjects because I just wasn't satisfied with how integrated/scattered throughout the curriculum math was. After a few more duds, we finally gave Horizons a try and are not looking back. We love it! It gives me the structure I was lacking and helps me feel like I'm doing things right. It is simple and straightforward and the worksheets are laid out nicely without being overkill on the color/pictures like some programs. I also really like the spiral method at this age. Kids learn so many things at so many different paces so I love the little bit of review in each lesson. I like knowing that even if they didn't grasp everything 100% the first time, they'll be exposed to it again and be able to get it on their own pace while still being able to move forward in other areas. And Selah (4) is actually able to keep up with the worksheets as well which is really nice. I'm sure I'll have to slow her down at some point, but for now it's nice to be able to do math with them together. We still do the math worksheets from MFW but I don't teach it from there at all.
Phonics. We started out using LA K and My Father's World to teach Solomon to read. As a newbie, LA K was confusing for me so we dropped that. And then just like with the math, we weren't loving the phonics approach. Solomon was ready to go but it seemed that the blend ladder was confusing him it felt kind of scattered like the math did. So I picked up The Reading Lesson and within a week he was blending. We have since thrown in some Bob books and flash cards and he is doing great. I also started using it with Selah recently, not expecting much, and to my surprise she is moving right along! I couldn't believe it when she started blending!
Handwriting. We gave Handwriting Without Tears a try and both kids struggled with it. They really prefer the lines over the boxes, and I like the more straightforward approach (clearly I've narrowed down my teaching style!) that we have found in A Reason for Handwriting. Both kids do these workbooks as well and enjoy them.
As for everything else, we have dropped the IG for SL P 4/5 and many of the books. It just wasn't getting done and it felt a bit disjointed. That being said, I still love Sonlight and still plan on using it next year! Despite dropping the phonics and math instruction, we still use MFW K for the bible, the science topic, and student sheets. The kids LOVE those student sheets!
Our long term plans have changed a bit too. I had originally planned to stretch this year out over 18 months but we will finish this summer and move on in the Fall. More on that later.
We have made a lot of changes but we are finally finding our groove and hopefully things will continue working for a long time to come. Feel free to ask any questions if you want to know more about the choices we have made!
