CURRICULUM WE DIDN'T LOVE || Math With Confidence, Beautiful Feet, and More...

[@paulas.4537]

We're about to start our 4th year of using Math With Confidence, and I had to laugh about your explanation about all the moving parts, and you're absolutely correct! I guess the way I got around that was to prepare everything for math the evening before, and then wait to put everything away until my grandson was doing his independent work in the workbook. The thing I found most annoying was making up all kinds of index cards, lol. But, my grandson really enjoys MWC and is thriving, so we're sticking with it.

[@MindfullyLiv]

Finding a math curriculum that works for the student is ultimate goals in a homeschool 🙌 So happy to hear it's sticking for you guys!

[@LakenNix]

Gosh I'm so glad you said all that about Math with Confidence. I was feeling the same way, and couldn't really put my finger on it. I was hating it toward the end of last year, but yet feeling guilty about it because I wanted to like it! But you're so right about it.

[@MindfullyLiv]

I reeeeallly wanted to like MWC as well. I had only heard wonders about it until the responses I've received on this video. As glad as I am about not being alone in my opinion, I'm bummed it hasn't worked for so many. There's so many options out there for math that I'm okay about leaving this one behind for something else that will work for both me AND my kiddo so much better. I hope you guys find something you love and that it works for you!

[@carlidoepke5131]

​@@MindfullyLiv We have mostly enjoyed using it with my daughter and son this year, but it has on some days driven me insane with all the physical components. Like, as the toddlers and doing something crazy in the backyard, and the dog's stealing a snack off the counter, then I have to shuffle through these cards so we can play one of the games. Like I said, I've liked it, but also sometimes super annoyed with dealing with all the STUFF!

[@MindfullyLiv]

@@carlidoepke5131 totally! While using it I could see how such an enormous amount of families loved using it, and how it was really great at teaching kiddos with a certain learning style. Like you said, so much stuff, but also life throws a ton at you and sometimes it's not the easiest curriculum to juggle 😆 I'm glad you've found a math curriculum that works for your family!

[@tessacoleman888]

I’m glad you said what you did about MWC, I feel like I only ever hear people praising it. I looked at it once and knew it was too much for me. I felt the same way about Right Start. We use Math U See and it is very manageable for me and my daughter, and neither of us enjoy math.

[@MindfullyLiv]

That's great you found something that fits great for you and your kiddo! I appreciate how many options there are out there, but it can be tricky finding the right one sometimes.

[@MeganMarie1]

We’ve loved MWC in our home. It does sometimes feel chaotic making sure I have everything together, but I’ve found some ways to make it more organized. My two kiddos who have used it do so well with it and have developed such a strong foundation for math and great mental math skills. BUT, it does need to work for the student and the teacher. So nothing wrong with doing something different. There’s so many great options out there!

[@MindfullyLiv]

That's so great that it works for you guys! I hadn't seen very many reviews saying otherwise, I've heard so many positive things.

[@paulas.4537]

I think the Beautiful Feet history instructor's guides have more meat to them than the character book you tried. I agree, the recommended books for the elementary character book weren't really impactful on my 2nd grade grandson, but he loved a lot of the recommended American history books. This is a great video - very thought-provoking!

[@MindfullyLiv]

I think the history curriculums are the ones I see referenced most often, and there's gotta be a reason so many love using it. Thank you for explaining that there's more to the other guides than what I experienced in mine! That's great to know.

[@simplyjen334]

You slayed this video i loved it ❤. We just did MWC K. We liked it but i adapted it ALOT. Just ordered grade 1 we shall see. My oldest was doing MWC 2 and we had to stop half way through. I could actually see his brain about to explode with the abstract approach. He 💯 needs traditional math, pen to paper procedure. We actually went to Math Lessons for a Living Education and really loved it. Anyways great video!

[@MindfullyLiv]

That's a classic that so many people love, I hope you guys thrive with it 💛 Thank you for watching! I'm happy you enjoyed it.

[@jamesramsay3365]

That's a great description of why mwc didn't work for us either. The heavy abstract and mental math was hurting my son's head and he was totally lost! He couldn't do it. We also switched to a program that is more traditional and concrete.

[@Dreblueskies]

I have heard wonderful things about MLFLE.

[@LearnLikeAGirl]

I totally feel the same way about Math with Confidence!

[@MindfullyLiv]

I know it's a solid program and it's great that this is an option available for people but yeah, not for me 😆

[@Abelfam5]

Ah! MWC... Do I feel you. It works so well for my kiddo. But I have to read the lesson the night before so I know what to expect and I highlight all the important part so they jump out and I don't waist time during the lessons. If the lessons calls for writing something like price tags etc, I do that the night before too. I also put all the things I could possibly need in a box and started just putting a big mat on the floor. I set the mat, get the box, take the things out as we need it and don't bother putting anything back until we're done. And still some days I dread it... But I don't know what else to switch to when it's working so well for her learning style.

[@MindfullyLiv]

If it's working well then it might just be worth all the fuss 😭🙌 I felt like even when I prepped everything I'd need before the lesson began there was a ton of "dead time" still in-between transitions, but your suggestion of highlighting the important parts beforehand sounds like a really great idea. That would have been so helpful!

[@Abelfam5]

@@MindfullyLiv That's true. It may not be my favorite but it works for her and she enjoys doing the lessons. 😔... Just wish it was a little more open and go.

[@Abelfam5]

@@MindfullyLiv Definitely still a lil dead time in between setting up activities, that's true.

[@kalynhernandez5651]

I’m soooo glad I watched this before buying math with confidence. This is NOT my style. I would’ve given up on this after a month lol

[@MindfullyLiv]

It's tough to say sometimes what's going to be the right choice for each family. So many have commented on here that they love it a lot! I wish I had enjoyed it more, but it was just so many moving parts and not my cup of tea.

[@palomasandoval6806]

Great video! Were going on our 3rd year with Math with Confidence and i want to ditch it so bad 😂 im hesitant though, my daughter is a very distracted type of kid and this program keeps her excited and engaged. Its dreadful for me....

[@MindfullyLiv]

Ugh, that's an incredibly tough call. I would have a truly difficult time deciding whether or not to move on from a curriculum I despise teaching if my child is really thriving with it. Having a program that keeps your kiddo interested and participating is a hard thing to land on, and I think that's wonderful you've been able to find that with math.

[@gabswithabsxo]

I agree with you about the bfb character study. I was so excited for it, and it fell so short. The teacher guide offered no real guidance; we as a family discuss things more in depth on the norm that the guide provided. That being said, we are doing the bfb nature study this year. And we LOVE it! It seems as if it was written by a completely different company than the character one…in a good way

[@MindfullyLiv]

Oh that's great to know! I mean, the entire reason I ordered a curriculum package from BFB in the first place is because SO many families enjoy it and the mommas rave about it. I'm sure there are really wonderful picks throughout their curriculum. Maybe if we have another need for one of their options in the future I'll browse their site to see what else we could try. I'm definitely open to it.

[@clo-mn2vl]

From research people tend to love Singapore K-3, Saxon 4- calculus, then Denison for algebra on. Looking into Oak Meadow for an all in one…but more expensive. So many to choose from!

[@MindfullyLiv]

There truly are so many math options out there and it makes it difficult to choose. And then, even Singapore has 4 math curriculum options themselves, so. As overwhelming as it can be, I think it's great there's a great deal of choices so that people can find something that really works for them.

[@seasonsofwonder]

Very clear and informational! It's always so nice discovering what works and what doesn't in our homeschooling journey. Thanks for sharing! 🙌☺️

[@MindfullyLiv]

I love watching "what didn't work" videos for that same reason- it's a great alternate tool we can use in deciding what to bring into the home. Thanks for watching ☺💛

[@seasonsofwonder]

@@MindfullyLiv yes! Very helpful especially when there are so many choices 😉

[@faithfullyinfertile]

Same experience with MWC. 😅😂 I love the curriculum and think it’s awesome IF you can handle all the moving pieces and gathering all the stuff (even though its ‘things you have already in your home’ you still have to gather it!!!) and then I am homeschooling four kids. I had two kids doing MWC and then added a third and had to throw the white flag in surrender. It was just too much. My head was spinning 😵‍💫 and I just needed simplicity without all the moving pieces (that honestly were a bit confusing and distracting to my crew 🤪).

[@MindfullyLiv]

Absolutely! It's just a really busy curriculum, and if you enjoy it and can make it work, that's so great! I bet that was not easy juggling three 😆

[@anafa9946]

What did you switched to?

[@faithfullyinfertile]

@@anafa9946 we are doing Math U See and all four kids absolutely love it!

[@sarahmogus9464]

For MWC, I just got everything out the day before (after the lesson from previous day) and put it in a little basket. I pulled the basket out and had it ready for the day. Then we could just do the lesson by pulling out anything we needed and then putting it back in the basket when done. No dead space, no wait time. If there were like little slips of paper that needed to be written in for the lesson, I would get them ready for the next day and out those in the basket too. It took me maybe 5 minutes to get everything ready and having it ready for the next day was super successful for us. Just a tip in case you really wanted to do MWC in the future or just in case anyone else was detoured from what your opinion was on it and really wanted to use the curriculum. My biggest thing with MWC was that it would teach several ways to do the math (which was one of the reasons I bought it). In hindsight I thought that was gonna be awesome so my kiddo could connect with numbers in several ways and have great number sense. But he, in particular (could be different for other kids), would get confused learning so many ways. Once he understood how to do something, it was like he just wanted to stick with that way and not learn other ways because it confused him. So during second grade, I finally just let him. Less tears. More fun that way. (He did first and second grade MWC).

[@katie7748]

That's how one of mine is. It doesn't make sense this way or that way and having 50 more different ways just makes it so much worse. It's frustrating trying to figure out what will work for this one, but I'm hopeful we find something soon. Once we do, I'm not changing it unless we absolutely need to.

[@MindfullyLiv]

I'm glad you guys found a way to make it work for your family!

[@jenkurlbaum2082]

I agree with you about the the BFB primary character guide. My kids think the books are boring and unrelatable. I will say we also have Early American History, Geography and The History of Science and the teacher guides are very different and better layout. My son also loves the books for those. But yes the Building Character is a disappointment for us as well but we will finish it.

[@MindfullyLiv]

I'm gathering through the comments that this guide in particular was lacking and so it's too bad my only experience was with the character curriculum. I'm happy to hear the rest are more robust and there's more to them! I won't say never, I may look into another package at some point in the future now that I can expect differently from BFB. Thank you for the insight!

[@kawaiikawaiianimegirl4144]

I agree about what you were saying about that history curriculum I try to teach my son to never trust just one source for history and always look at more than one source. Great video. Helpful.

[@MindfullyLiv]

that's great advice, we follow that as well! I'm happy you enjoyed it :)

[@brookeally1346]

I tried math with confidence and as a parent teaching a child I hated it. It felt overwhelming at times so I decided to go with early bird Singapore with my boy and he’s loving the way they break it down for him. He’s the type that loves to know why but also wants to understand it fast. For us it works really well. I’m trying to decide if we want to use Singapore 2022 or the U.S. Edition for first grade.

[@sheralysvelez3384]

I definitely can relate with MWC! I mean….I love the curriculum but the pieces….ohh the pieces😅 I also did what others have suggested about prepping the day before and found it only helped a little. So, because I really like some of the ways they present the concepts, what I decided to do was use it as a supplement….. So I changed my kiddos to Horizons, and they thrived with it. But they also enjoyed the games in MWC, which you don’t really find in Horizons. Using MWC as a supplement was great because they learned the concepts with Horizons and basically saw other ways to do it with MWC. I skipped giving most lessons though. I skimmed the workbook and what I felt they knew I just let them do it the way they knew how. I also skimmed the lessons and discarded what I felt was just unnecessary. I feel like, if they know a concept and can, correctly, answer problems there’s just no reason to over complicate things. This next year we will be switching to BJU Math because I’m not in love with Horizon’s teacher guides and how they teach some concepts either. So most of the concepts I taught them the way I learned them. So we’ll see how it goes with BJU math and sticking with MWC as supplement. Thanks for this thorough video!! Happy homeschooling 🌟😊

[@MindfullyLiv]

Yeah like I mentioned in the video, even when I prepped the lesson or whole unit ahead of time, I still felt like transitioning from one model of learning to the next with all of its props and manipulative was such a waste of time. But I agree about the games! I actually may flip through the rest of the curriculum and pull out the games because my kiddo enjoyed them. I don't know if she learned a whole lot from the ones we got to, but they were a fun way to mix up the lessons. I'm happy you found something that worked out for your family! I've heard many love BJU Math :)

[@user-nb2sq5hy5r]

I feel the exact same way about MWC. We used it for 3 years and every year I wanted to quit and use something else. This year we are quiting MWC. I posted in the FB group explaining my struggles in even wanting to teach it and people suggested I quit teaching my almost 3rd grade spelling to give more time to teach MWC. Nope.

[@MindfullyLiv]

Oh my goodness 😅 well I hope you guys find another math curriculum you both enjoy!

[@jamesramsay3365]

I completely agree about mwc not working. I also was so excited to use it and I thought it would help my struggling math student but it made math so much worse for him😢 There were so many tears from him and me. The way this teaches a deep understanding of math is great if your child gets math but it totally did not click with my son. We made it to about week 28 before I threw in the towel. I switched to Saxon for this current school year since it is a more old school approach to teaching math and doesn't break down math to the point of confusion. I'm having him repeat the second half of math 1 this year before moving on to level 2 since he did not learn very much the second half of the school year last year. And I agree about too many moving parts. I also taught mwc k to my other son last year and that level is even worse with the index cards and moving parts. I think it can be a great program for the right type of student- my second son would have done fine with it. But it did not work for our family either. -Sarah

[@MindfullyLiv]

I'm really thankful for how many options we have these days for math curriculum! It makes being able to move onto something that fits so much better for our kiddos a little less stressful. It's a bummer MWC didn't work for you guys, but I'm glad you found something else to move onto. We have repeated portions of our years with math as well.

[@jenniferjones6228]

I almost went with MWC but I chose Apologia math… I hope we like it! Thanks for the reviews!

[@MindfullyLiv]

Apologia Math looks fantastic- I wish you guys success ☺!

[@Svargasc3]

@jenniferjones6228 How is Apologia going for you? What level are you on?

[@ErstwhileEducation]

I also put down History Quest and MWC. HQ was too much work for us, but not rich enough, if that makes sense. We are switching to Story of the World and will build my own curriculum around that. I can totally relate with MWC! I wanted to love it. My son enjoyed the games, but I hated doing the games and all the manipulatives too. I felt very disorganized with it. That being said I have level 2 as a back up 😂 though I’d skip the teacher guide and demonstrate my own way. Switching to Math U See… ✨

[@MindfullyLiv]

I hear of so many really loving Story Of The World, I hope that works better for you guys. And yes to all of the moving pieces of MWC 😵‍💫 even when I had all of my materials prepped and ready before the lesson I just felt frantic moving things around and using them without wasting time. My daughter also loveeeed the games. I similarly was over them pretty fast 😬 Hopefully Math U See is a better fit for you and your son!

[@kayegenin123]

After I looked at the history booklists for BFB, I was shocked that they are using such archaic, inaccurate representations of history. It’s a no for me😆 I’ve gone back and forth on using Singapore primary 2022 or MWC for kinder next year and every time I look at the teachers guide I think it sounds crazy. You kind of confirmed that for me. I’d rather start simple and add more hands on if needed.

[@MindfullyLiv]

Hi Kaye! There are other people in the comments who have shared that they really enjoy MWC and it works so well for their kiddo so I feel bad sometimes mentioning how much I dislike it 🙃 If it doesn't make a lot of sense for the instructor though , in my opinion, that will probably show through in lessons at some point for the kiddo and I just wanted to wrap up where we were at before using any more of it before that happened. I actually have a video coming out on Singapore Primary US edition this next week and I compare the Singapore programs a bit and do a walkthrough of the US edition we've been using for 3 years now if you are curious at all about that one. Otherwise I've heard a lot of people really have been into Primary 2022 once settled on it!

[@kuyuke]

Would you mind expanding on which bf books are inaccurate, please?

[@quaintprintsboutique]

Picking a curriculum is so hard. I cannot decide if I want to do a spiral method or mastery approach. I’m worried the mastery approach would be missing key concepts from common core and not prepare my children for college. I’m also worried the spiral method would move too quickly and not allow my child to retain anything lol. Who knew finding a curriculum would be so challenging! 😂

[@MindfullyLiv]

I totally agree. There being so many options to choose from is definitely a two-sided coin. On the one hand, so many choices, one has gotta be right and there's something out there for you! On the other hand, there's only so many curriculums you can decide on and then implement 🙃 definitely can be a challenge to find the Goldilocks pick!

[@schultesweeties]

My younger girls were not able to follow song with History Quest either. I started using it only with my 6th grader and that helped. I plan to continue that next year with her for the Middle Ages.

[@MindfullyLiv]

It does present like much more of a middle school curriculum than an elementary, especially beginning in 1st grade like they suggest. I bet it works loads better for a 6th grader!

[@schultesweeties]

I am always drawn to Charlotte Mason curriculum until I remember we also don’t love narration and copywork!

[@Micasa22]

They’re both definitely a skill to learn!-even for us adults (narrations that is). To be able to recall a reading helps retain the information, build connections, and help with higher thinking skills. We started small work both copywork and narrations and built upon it each year. A Delectable Education has a great podcast on narrations.

[@MindfullyLiv]

@@Micasa22 Totally- like I mentioned in the video, both of those modalities hold a great amount of value as a skill in learning and comprehension within the literature. I wish it hadn't been a fight every single time we went to do them, which just made my learner exhausted and uninterested in lessons. Thank you for sharing that podcast, I haven't heard of this one before and I'm going to add it to my list to check out!

[@MindfullyLiv]

Absolutely. Charlotte Mason curriculum is always so beautiful and rich and then we go to use them and I'm like, well, having to push my kiddo every single narration and copywork day does not feel beautiful and rich 🥲

[@Micasa22]

@@MindfullyLiv it’s definitely a process. When first beginning I only had him pick 1 or 2 things to narrate. I would narrate other things to show him how it works. And I’d also just say-tell me 1 or 2 things you remember or find interesting. I’ve even just had him draw something and even let him act it out 🤣 He didn’t love it at first, but now it’s a habit. We don’t use any particular curriculum, but he hates worksheets so it’s worked well…after some time 🤣

[@Micasa22]

@@MindfullyLiv yes definitely. I fully believe in connection/relationship before curriculum any day 💜

[@christinem9935]

We did TGTB Math 1 and I felt like it was too easy for my daughter. I heard so many wonderful things so we got MWC 2 for her. She hates it...she'll tolerate it and do it but she tells me all the time about how much she can't stand it haha I'm not a huge fan of teaching it but I mostly don't like teaching something my kid despises. We're more than half way through and I am pushing through it this summer because I do see value in it and she's not in tears or anything. Thinking about Apologia. Also considered Beast Academy but I've heard it's best for gifted kids and I'm not sure that my daughter is that advanced.

[@MindfullyLiv]

I've seen great things about Apologia's math recently! I'm sorry you've found yourself in a tough spot with the curriculum. I hope you guys can find something that works for you both to move onto. I also felt like in the moment, TGTB Math was very easy for my daughter. I haven't had a rough time moving onto 1st Grade work in a new curriculum, but I do feel like if we had stuck it out with TGTB then it would have been a different story.

[@blessedhomeschoolmess]

Thanks for this! I think we will likely stick with apologia I just wish it had a little more real world translation to it as well that I thought upon looking at the sample that MWC had. But we are still very early into apologia and my kiddo is now loving it and the activity is usually super short and barely any extra manipulative which is a huge plus or it’s something they have in the teachers guide. I too was disappointed with BF, but history, only because I wanted to love it, we love books, but felt the book selections were soooooo dry and so much went over my 7 year old’s head! So we are using curiosity chronicles and so far sooooo good! Very adaptable to your schedule/what works. The textbook has been very conversational so that is helpful.

[@MindfullyLiv]

I've heard great things about Curiosity Chronicles! What level math are you guys doing? I've seen some flip throughs of apologia and I think it looks really great. Hopefully with the older levels you'll have some more introduction to the real world applications you were talking about :)

[@blessedhomeschoolmess]

@@MindfullyLiv we’re level 3!

[@Svargasc3]

How is Apologia Level 3 working for you? Is it enough math instruction? I was doing Kindergarten MWC for my daughter, she has 2 weeks left of it, and I don’t like it. Too teacher intensive and doesn’t flow. Super abstract too and it was giving me a headache… I chose Apologia level 1, and it looks amazing but wasn’t sure about it. All I know is I can’t do MWC again.

[@kateperkins7963]

I see a lot of similarities between us so thank you so much for making this video! I'm about to binge a few of your others, ha! I got MWC because that is going to be how my daughter learns best but I feel like I'm going to hate it. I'm going to go watch your first grade curriculum video to see what you did pick. Anyway, thanks again!

[@MindfullyLiv]

I wound up choosing Rod and Staff 1 Arithmetic. It is working for us and we're enjoying it- it is a LOT of repetition, but I find she learns best with a mastery approach and less spiral. I am just finishing up the last bits of a lesson with me, and a review of the math curriculum that I'll be posting here shortly! And sometimes, if a curriculum is working for the kiddo, it's definitely worth giving a shot. Sometimes those annoying curriculums grow on you as a teacher..... MWC did NOT grow on me 😂 but maybe it would for some! Thanks for stopping by!

[@kateperkins7963]

Thank you!!@@MindfullyLiv

[@Dreblueskies]

This is the first video from you I’ve ever watched and really appreciate your take on Math with Confidence because I was starting to feel like I was the only one! That was exactly our experience as well. I appreciate a good manipulative especially an abacus, but we have decided to go super old-school and we are using Rod and Staff and adding in life of Fred just for fun a few times a week. What did you land on for math? Unlike you I suck at it so I know how it feels to have that be a really crappy subject.

[@MindfullyLiv]

Oh we also landed on Rod and Staff!! I need to make a video on my review, I think it's alright! I can't imagine I would enjoy a 1st grade math curriculum any more than I do R&S 😆 I'm learning the hands-on stuff is just par for the course when it comes to littles math, which I actually totally understand why. MWC Just took it to another level 🙃 What level R&S are you guys using?

[@Dreblueskies]

@@MindfullyLiv We are using first but my little one is really pushing back and now not enjoying math at all! I thought all was well, it’s pretty straight forward even though I do not love the teacher’s manual but he is loosing his love for numbers. Not sure what I will do next. The sad part is he loved MWC 🫤

[@arteagaboyzzz]

We used so much by even moore and I loved it at first because the lessons are short and simple and things moved smoothly and fast.....but the kids didn't retain anything! Nothing. Zip. We wasted so much time. It's completely busy work. Agreed!

[@MindfullyLiv]

Oh no, I'm so sorry! Evan Moore seems to be one of those curriculum that either families really love and always come back to or include, or it's something that just doesn't make a big impact for others.

[@thefrazzledlink]

Thank you so much for this. I've been debating trying MWC but know I hate many moving parts. We are using Elementary Arithmetic which is not very exciting for kiddo but feel like it's giving him such a solid foundation. Was thinking of switching to MWC to make it more enjoyable for him (and easier for me) but looks like this is not the case. What did you end up with for math?

[@MindfullyLiv]

I purchased Rod and Staff, and honestly, it's just as hands-on 😩 maybe this is the way it goes for first grade math?? I'm considering purchasing from Singapore Math Primary US Edition for 1st grade. I don't know why I didn't just go with my tried and true from the get go, I think I got swayed by new curriculum companies 😬 solid foundations are the goal!!

[@pollyswagga]

Have you tried Math Mammoth?@@MindfullyLiv

[@beccacain9489]

Ugh I've struggled with MWC. My kinder student didnt retain anything. And i dreaded teaching it. What are you using this year?

[@MindfullyLiv]

Hi Becca! I'm so sorry to hear about MWC. The retention aspect as well as the feedback from parents about not enjoying teaching it are two points I've heard a lot of from those who find this curriculum difficult to work with. I researched a LOT because I just really wanted to create a solid foundation in math for my 6 year old. I went with Rod and Staff. We're on about lesson 20 and we're taking a break from school for July but after using it for 4 weeks, I'm really impressed. It is written with a Christ-based heavy hand though, and it would be extremely difficult to leave the faith out of the teachings as they do use some scripture as number examples. etc. I knew it was a christian program but was surprised at how interwoven scripture was within lessons. So if you're looking for something secular or neutral, this one would not be it. But because the program believes teaching structured lessons at 6 aka 1st grade, they do a really great job at laying out the basics in a strong way. I hope this was helpful. If you're looking for something secular, I've used Singapore Primary US edition with my 10 year old since his 2nd grade year and it has been fantastic.

[@FourWindsHomeschool]

We’ve also used Saxon, MWC and Beautiful Feet. Saxon is top notch in the middle and high school years (or it used to be, some people don’t like the revamped version). I learned so well from it, so I enthusiastically bought Saxon K for my oldest. Oh my word, it’s horrible. We switched half way thru the first semester. MWC was my 1st grade pick. It wasn’t horrible, but it took too long to do everyday since I have 4 kids. I learned that we don’t have time to play those games every day and she didn’t learn as well as I hoped either. We switched from that one too. I LOVE Beautiful Feet, but specifically the history. The history is so amazing and thorough. She learned so much and the notebook work was the perfect amount. So we tried the character thru literature set as well. Dislike. We liked some of the picture books, but overall the lessons fell a little flat. We’ll probably just stick with history going forward.

[@MindfullyLiv]

Lots of helpful insight in the comment section that BFB definitely fills out more in other guides! Particularly the history and geography. Which is great to know. I'm bummed that our only experience is the character guide, but maybe I'll approach the curriculum again with a younger kiddo at some point. Yes absolutely to how long the lessons take with MWC. That's a point I completely forgot to touch on in the video and you're right, I have to dedicate a good amount of sit down work to get through a lesson using that curriculum and it just kind of eats at the day. Then by the time the student gets to the workbook I don't feel like it actually imparted a whole lot of knowledge anyway 🥴

[@nygal80]

Ugh, we hated Algebra with Saxon! It’s so chaotic and wordy and the problems are unnecessarily complex! I used to teach Math and couldn’t imagine using Saxon to teach 😂 We love Math U See and Jacob’s for HS math!

[@MindfullyLiv]

@@nygal80 Math U See is such a well loved and popular curriculum!

[@Hemlock66]

I started this year with Beautiful Feet middle school (5-8th grade)for history, and we hated the curriculum! The literature books were dry and very poorly written. I also wanted more non- fictional facts and books. We have since switched to notgrass, and we love it!

[@MindfullyLiv]

Notgrass Literature options have been some of our favorite historical fiction picks for kiddos!!

[@danahall1282]

So what history do you use or are going to use next year?

[@MindfullyLiv]

We have used Notgrass Our Star Spangled Story and I have a video on my channel about it if you're interested. We've finished it and have moved onto Moving Beyond The Page for my son, and he will be having history integrated into his curriculum in a unit study type approach with different literature and projects to accompany it. I've also purchased history supplemental literature sets through Memoria Press for third and fourth grade and that was a great way for us to dive into history through another avenue. I do feel like history is important in little, approachable chunks for younger/ most of elementary years, but that for substantial learning it's not something I will press with heavy significance until middle grade and higher.

[@SydneynewbornphotosAuvp]

I’m sad to hear you guys hated your literature curriculum, we’ve been using Memoria Press literature curriculums for all kids and my gifted and my dyslexic children are loving the material and workbooks. Give them a try. Christian book have scanned sample pages of the workbooks.

[@MindfullyLiv]

We definitely gave them a try! It didn't work well for us, but I'm so happy to hear you found something that fit wonderfully for your family.

[@non-gmo]

Ohhhh I hate Evan Moor 😶 it's so boring. Finally got our rhythm down this yr: *A Year of Learning Slow Down- which is Bible, Character, Science/Nature, Copy work, Poetry and Art. This is perfect for my 4th grader and I print the Kindergarten packet for my youngest. *Sonlight Core D is History. *Beauty and Truth guides with Strayer Upton Math *Logos Latin. Doubles as grammar and foreign language Pretty easy peasy :)

[@MindfullyLiv]

That sounds like a really great layout! I've never looked into Logos Latin, I'll have to check it out ☺

[@de5889]

I agree with @paulas.4537. The BF Character guide is a lot lighter than their other guides. I have it to just guide some morning reading, but the geography and Season’s Afield have much more in them.

[@MindfullyLiv]

I just checked out the Seasons Afield and immediately had the add-to-cart-itch 😆it looks lovely. That's great to know that the other guides vary in how much they offer, thank you

[@mandigibson30]

I had all intentions of the BF character curriculum as well as MWC and this video has made me really reevaluate. We do the Preschool Math at Home currently by Kate Snow and now that I think about it I really dread it for the most part as well. 🥴🫣

[@MindfullyLiv]

Flip through the rest of the comments on this page and most people have told me that the character curriculum from BF has been the least impressive but that the rest that BF has to offer is a lot better. And I'm sorry about MWC! A lot of others on here have shared that they have similar issues with it being a pain to teach 😓

[@zmommy4044]

We looove addition facts that stick. So i just ordered mwc. I hope I don't regret that. It will be our 3rd math curriculum to try. However, with the addition facts that stick, i prepped each lesson and gathered materials in file folders, which really helped be ready ahead of time. I think it's falsely labelled as open and go.

[@Svargasc3]

@@zmommy4044omg yes!!! I don’t understand how it’s labeled open and go.

[@dollhouseacademy4115]

Have you tried Right Start Math? Yes it uses manipulatives but it’s only core is the abacus. I have used A-C and love it! I hate to throw more curriculum out there to try.🫣

[@MrsPerdueArt]

Also HIGHLY recommend RightStart Math!! If you like LOE, then I think you’d like RSM!! My 3 boys are all thriving and more importantly, love math!! 🧮

[@MindfullyLiv]

lol thank you for the suggestion! I think they help everybody 😁 I have looked into Right Start Math and I definitely contemplated both it and what we're using now. So many people use and love Right Start and I'm happy to hear it works for you guys 🙌

[@davinabouldin860]

​@MrsPerdueArt what is Loe math?