Why I QUIT Masterbooks EXPLAINED w/ Flip Through || NEW Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2021

[@tashawillett6450]

MB is a whole different approach to learning. It’s developmentally appropriate and doesn’t push things on kids too fast. It gives them time to learn at their own pace and process the information. There is absolutely no busy work and they give kids the most important information so it’s easier for them to learn concepts. The younger grades are more for exposure of concepts and then each year they build on them. There is review built in the books but grammar is something that is studied every single year. It’s not supposed to be mastered in one year. We are on our second year with all Masterbooks and it has been amazing! My kids are learning and thriving! I realize not every curriculum is going to work for everyone but I feel like your review of MB is a little harsh (saying it’s so bad you’re just going to throw it in the dumpster) because it does work for so many families ours included.

[@linda2022]

Tasha!! I'm also in my second year of homeschooling and MB has been amazing for our family. I love the approach they have to learning. I felt like her review was a little harsh too. I was feeling werid while I was reading all the comments , and feeling like I was alone in my journey.

[@tashawillett6450]

@@linda2022 we love the approach too!! I feel like most people who say they don’t like MB have either never used it or they only use it for a few weeks and then ditch it because “it’s too easy” without realizing that they are doing all review in the beginning and haven’t reached the new concepts yet. We haven’t had to supplement at all and my son learns so much. He even tells my 8th grader stuff he has learned that he hasn’t. It just seems there is so much hate for MB sometimes and I just don’t get it. Have you joined the Moms of Masterbooks Facebook group? You will love it there!!

[@larissaalcorn3406]

I don't hear harshness. I hear frustration. The curriculum needs to not just fit her kids, but also her teaching style. That being said, Masterbooks does have a preview of each book that shows quite a few lessons along with the entire scope and sequence. Much of her disappointment and surprise about the curriculum could have been avoided by simply downloading that preview and looking it over thoroughly before purchasing.

[@leighriley4176]

I loooove masterbooks ...its a different approach and its beautiful ....Praise God for masterbooks xxx

[@linda2022]

@@tashawillett6450 I believe I have joined the Facebook MB group

[@larissaalcorn3406]

I appreciate your honest reflection. The great thing about homeschooling is being able to decide what works best for each of our children. For anyone feeling the need to defend Masterbooks, please stop and consider that this is one person's opinion on what works and doesn't work for her family. We love Masterbooks and will continue to use it until it doesn't fit our needs anymore.

[@sarahsmith5077]

Totally agree! Masterbooks I did when I first started homeschooling and my children got so behind. It was sooo slow. My children were so bored! It just didn’t work for us! But, others love it. So, whatever works for your family go for it.

[@tracyteaches]

With homeschooling you are never behind. They are where they need to be as long as you continue to progress.

[@EverydayBlessings]

Supplementing that much to fill in a curriculum is just too much. Awesome job changing mid year. I wish more people felt comfortable doing this.

[@mylittlehomeschoolinthewoods]

I really like MB. But it doesn't work for some of my kids, so they use other stuff. The beauty of homeschooling is that we get to find what works for our family.

[@LivingWithEve]

Could not of said it better myself!

[@OurSmallTownLife]

Math is the main MB product that we use but I always suggest to people that if you feel like your child is a little ahead to go up a "grade level". I definitely feel that my children who were previously in public school are a little ahead of where that level is in MB. We still use it but supplement with other online math programs as well.

[@aewharekuko8]

Thank you momma for sharing and being honest and getting rid of what is not working for you. Continue to take control of your kiddos learning and doing what you think is best for them. I've learned to do what is best for my kiddos and if it don't work toss and get what works for them and me. Because like you said, it has to be a good fit for you as a teacher so you can be excited conveying the information and it has to be a good fit for your homeschooler. I really loved this video.

[@LivingWithEve]

Thank you !

[@PenniesAndSalt]

I love what you’re doing Leilani and I think you will find it super effective! The “one room schoolhouse” mentality truly is an effective model. I’m not sure why our education system ever thought it was a good idea to move to grade levels.

[@LivingWithEve]

So true!

[@callsign.Noctra]

MB was great for our first year of homeschooling, especially since I jumped in so quickly the school year after the pandemic started. We have since moved on though because it did feel too slow for my child. The only subject we still use from them is their science. Adventures in Creation was my sons favorite subject. He’s currently working through Adventures in the Physical World and it’s revisiting things he learned in the first book, most of which he still remembers!

[@leighriley4176]

Masterbooks has review cards in the back to review grammar etc ...its a whole different approach start gentle and build up as they grow ..i think masterbooks is beautiful ...

[@ourthriftyhomeschool]

It's so refreshing to chuck the stuff that doesn't work isn't it?! I have always heard great things about truthquest. Family learning is the best!

[@LifeintheMundane]

Love that your not afraid to switch it up

[@DanaK817]

What you were showing with the MB Language Arts is exactly how my 3rd grader's virtual learning was. I was shocked and my eyes were opened to why my girl struggles at school (she's dyslexic)....I pulled her out and am now homeschooling. I picked Christian Light for Languange Arts and it is working fabulous for her. She is retaining knowledge like never before. I just need a writing supplement.

[@sheliaporter6795]

I am loving the comparisons between the different curriculums. I am on the hunt for new curriculum for my daughter. She is ADHD, SPD, high functioning autistic and OCD. She can't handle being in a classroom or similar situations, so we have been homeschool for 2 years. Finding a curriculum to fit her learning style is a crazy process.

[@dragonof10jc63]

I love how real and to the point you are. Thank you for this review. We love teaching textbooks and IEW as well.

[@marlenebaron3880]

Hi Leilani! Rachel did the IEW Ancient history in 7th gr at CS and loved it. I loved it because it introduced her to a variety of history on a timeline. LOVE your videos . Great job!

[@sarahs.4995]

I didn’t realize LA was an issue until I saw your video ! I would get so frustrated at my child for not retaining it and even I had to turn back weeks back to even find where it was taught. It’s just too much you’re so right there’s no consistency so that they can retain!

[@xanthiamc9469]

Yes!!!! You put it out there what I have been stressing about! We are getting rid of our Masterbooks Language Arts ughh the 1st and 3rd grade books are not working for my kids! We love Science but the LA was so not working for us at all. I just recently bought a Spelling workbook for them but was looking for writing and grammar. So glad I found your video!

[@silmarawilliams8404]

The IEW....recommended to my daughter the ALL ABOUT READING and ALL ABOUT SPELLING....yes....and....this helps us so much!!! Me and my family are very grateful to IEW for indicate...OTHER CURRICULUM for help my daughter...the IEW prefer blessing us and not focus in the money!!! This is wonderful!!! For me .... this company is a really good company !!! G-d bless the IEW !!!

[@mommininalaska4911]

Yay!! Finally someone going through the same thing! I personally felt like there wasn't any repetition to help my son master anything. I also felt like he needed so much more work. We would read the page, he would fill in the two blank lines, and that was it. I have been stressing out about trying to find things to supplement with and overwhelming myself trying to piece together my own curriculum. I just ordered abeka. $$$$$ we will see how that goes but I will save this video if I need another curriculum to try in tbe future :)

[@lifejourney1136]

My little one and bigger one loved Masterbooks. We actually use it as a supplement not curriculum along with From Phonics to Reading and Fix-It-Grammer and all that together is a wonderful powerhouse. The Masterbooks has extra neat teachings that I haven't seen in other curriculums.

[@JoyfulNoiseLearning]

I had the similar concerns about LLFALE. You just confirmed my worries 😬

[@catherineknight317]

Have you heard of The Robinson Curriculum? That TOTALLY changed my perspective on homeschooling!! That was a God-send for us!!

[@LivingWithEve]

No, I haven't. I will have to check it out.

[@marlenebaron3880]

That curriculum has been around since the pioneer days of homeschooling. I looked at it in the late 90s when we started homeschooling. It did look like a great curr but didn’t fit our family at the time.

[@ninilovenana]

Yes same I love it soooo much!!! I can’t believe the confidence I gained. I used to switch curriculum often and second guess myself and feel behind but I just don’t anymore. It’s such a great way to homeschool.

[@catherineknight317]

@@ninilovenana same experience here! Are you on the Robinson Facebook group?

[@ninilovenana]

@@catherineknight317 no I wish I no longer have fb.

[@ceifaci]

I love Masterbooks science:Adventures in Creation. All the experiments that are in the book are very easy to do for K&1st grader.

[@LivingWithEve]

Love their science too.

[@HerChildrenCallHerBlessed]

My kids have fun with LLFLE. But I also found I added spelling, then grammer, then writing. Then thought, why am I doing MB still! However, we do love the biblical aspect. So now we do LLFLE when life gets busy. It's a good supplement. Like right now we are moving, so they can just grab out that book and do a few lessons a day while I am able to pack and such. But once we are settled again we will be back to IEW. For $30 it's nice to have on hand.

[@skagenphotography9204]

Hey!! We switched from teaching textbooks to masterbooks middle of last year. We love how much easier it is.. but I can definitely relate to them not retaining, I feel like they have to go back into their lessons and look again , (but it clicks after reading the first page of the lesson) however they had to do that with teaching textbooks also, just took them a lot longer each day doing their math work. So it’s been working really well for us. I have been using language lessons for today since grade 2 (my fathers world) and I love the ease of it, it’s Charlotte mason approach also. My oldest daughter just completed LLFT 5 and I switched her to grammar and Bible through masterbooks and I love the Bible portion. We don’t do a spelling program on any of them, however my 9yo could definitely use something lol! We do reading with science through masterbooks together as a family and we do story of the world reading together as a family also. They all 3 do copywork daily also. We tried fix it grammar for a while and I didn’t love it. But I can see trying it back again when LLFT stops working for us. My kids Also have to read everyday!

[@LivingWithEve]

This is what i love about homeschooling, everyone is so unique and we're able to find what is right for our kids. Thank you for sharing your experience from a different perspective.

[@dwellinglogs6860]

I just love your truth. 💕🥳 Thanks for putting yourself out there and saying it how it is! 🙌

[@mommyonthemove25]

As someone who did Masterbooks, it worked for a season. My first year of homeschooling. But then I realized it just wasn't challenging enough and I was supplementing alot. I had to let it go. 🤷‍♀️

[@JustKristie4]

That’s where I’m at now. First year down and I need something else. Considering Abeka.

[@denisejohnson4037]

@@JustKristie4 Abeka is so good I love their spiral approach. You should also try the good and the beautiful.

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Compared to other curriculum that I’ve used, MLFLE and LLFLE feel about a year behind, which is why I hoped they would work for Sophie. But the bouncing around from topic to topic that they do was a real problem for her. I’m glad you found something that works for you.

[@HomeSweetHomeschoolLife]

That’s why I like Gather around. We spend one unit on a grammar topic.

[@samanthawoods615]

Man I wish so bad that it worked for my son. I think if they had the Ready To Read stuff out when we started it would have worked so much better. I LOVE how she lays out their handwriting too. Maybe next year we will give it another go

[@tamiivory7406]

I think Gather round is way easier than MB. Definitely not enough for high school.

[@A_Anitmated_Idiot]

Really? I felt the opposite of Gather Round. I wanted so badly for it to work because it was a nifty idea that would save time for big families but it was too good to be true. I felt the grammar so incredibly light and while that was fine for my first grader, even the upper elementary was really light for my 4th grader. And the history was so random. I do think it worked okay for geography and science but it was too pricey (especially after buying activities, games, etc.. to make the units more fun) to only cover two subjects.

[@jennyo82]

This was the same for us. Which is why we switched to The Good & The Beautiful. Such a thorough curriculum, without overwhelming the kids! And I don’t have to supplement anything!!

[@inalaska1208]

Loving it too!!

[@LaceyBarnwell]

Same!!!

[@taxgirlee]

We LOVE TGTB!!😍

[@lisagriffin3739]

Be careful with The Good and the Beautiful. It is created by a Mormon and Mormons are not Christian.

[@kerilynenglis6429]

@@lisagriffin3739 Actually, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka Mormons) are Christians. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in his Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. 😃

[@HeavensKitchen777]

Generation Genius is amazing for Math and Science! :) Fun and great retention through competitive quizzes! : )

[@mycupoverflows7811]

Masterbooks is not Charlotte Mason at all. They use her name to lure people. I dislike how they moderate their FB group. We used one thing of theirs. The books were amazing, the Teachers Guide was awful. My kids who, love and chose the subjects they were studying, were in frustrated tears every day (this was one of the Jr High Science program). Extremely poor curriculum. Absolutely love IEW. I used it as a private school teacher,and it's absolutely amazing.

[@morningstar5660]

Thanks for your video. We are using Simply Charlotte Mason for Language Arts🥰

[@jenniferchristopherson]

This is SO CRAZY. I thought the same thing about MB Lang Arts!! I started all about spelling and they LOVE it!! I'm looking into IEW for Grammar too!

[@AtHomeWithJill]

I’m loving the ease of masterbooks but I don’t feel like my kids are getting any smarter from it 😩

[@Americanlynn1]

I tried their math and it put my son soooo much farther behind than he already was. Definitely a mistake 😔

[@samanthagraveswalters8443]

Thats kinda how i feel

[@bdoolin1603]

I wasn't a fan of some of the elementary courses, but I think the upper middle school and high school classes are very good. They work well with independent learners and also have many classes offered through their academy for extremely reasonable prices.

[@nataliecrowe2122]

Love Truthquest. Such a good resource. All in one LA sounds like a good idea(everything in 1 book) but just never works for us. Usually the topics are all over the place and are not challenging enough in some areas.

[@alinamillard5883]

I'm using TruthQuest primary American History and am really enjoying it with my 1st grader. I love seeing you put their ancient history with IEW. I may do that once we finish American History and Logic of English.

[@MommaonMission]

I'v heard mixed reviews on Masterbooks but you have me very intrigued with IEW!

[@kristinaowen4530]

I just got IEW for my three girls K, 1st and 2nd graders for next year! This will be my first year homeschooling. Thank you for this video, this was my feeling watching a flip through (there is no way this is enough)!!

[@LivingWithEve]

It is if you really slow down and take your time with it. It’s like painting. You start with a brush, canvas and maybe 3 primary colors. But with diligence and thoughtfulness, in time it will be a masterpiece.

[@kristinaowen4530]

I meant that I had the feeling Master books wouldn’t be enough. ❤

[@RussellsLovingLife]

Got to do what works for your children. It is so important that all homeschool mom know if it does not work, then change it up.

[@maryl8132]

This video is so relatable. Master Books science is the only subject we stuck with. My daughter is in 7th grade and really did not like the other subjects at all. The math was way too easy, and below what she already knew. The history also wasn’t something she was learning from, as she tended to lose focus every time I was teaching it. We switched to Gather Round unit studies but aren’t using that alone. For math she was given the choice between Teaching Textbooks or CTC online math. She is using CTC math and really does very well with it. Bonus, they give a great homeschool discount. For now, we also went back to The Good and the Beautiful ELA. She really likes that as well. There are so many choices when it comes to curriculum that is gets very hard trying to decide which one to pick. We live in NY, so we do have to follow lots of rules and regulations when it comes to teaching our own children but it’s not terrible. This is only our second year homeschooling and I am still struggling with what curriculum works best. It is really hard at times but I think we made the right decision when we pulled our daughter out of public school. I am thankful for your video and all the others that I have watched over the last couple of years. I don’t know how I would have learned about so many different things without KZbin.😄

[@LivingWithEve]

Yes!! (Thank you by the way)! I think because the science is not a Masterbook Curriculum. It was originally Answers In Genesis and somehow they were contracted with Masterbooks. I have the originals and they are exactly the same. I love AIG. I did hear NY was tough, but thankfully you can still pick out your own curriculum and homeschool.

[@ItCameFromAVlog]

Thank you for this video and helped me make a good choice for my family.

[@elyzaiusan5077]

MB was great for our first year as I got used to homeschooling but I have to supplement a lot in math & LA. Now I'm thinking to just use them as a supplement and find another curriculum. Shes not remembering any if the grammar and I don't want her to be behind so I'm going to look into fix it grammar & iew

[@jmobennett88]

Looks like a lot of work to put together but no doubt thats awesome. We've used iew and truthquest. But that was when I had two kids. Now I have 6 kids and we're using the good and the beautiful and gather round. All stuff that's planned for me.

[@allysoncartwright9364]

Thanks for sharing this! This is exactly how I feel. When we are halfway through the year and my son says “what’s a noun again” I put it away.

[@ginjam10]

I like Masterbooks for Math and Science. We are going to use CLE for reading and MFW for ELA. Plus a separate spelling workbook.

[@denisejohnson4037]

Thank you so much. I was looking at the free sample and I was confused. It looked like they learned different things each day, but I didn't see any review. With the good and the beautiful, they teach something new each day too but they have review the previous lessons the next day. I think I really dodged a bullet with MB, thanks.

[@kavaldes08]

Hey there! I am thinking the same thing for Hayden and Adelynn with MasterBooks. We’re using all of their curriculum this year. Adelynns my story (1) is not for her at all. She hasn’t really comprehended a lot and just learned new words which I do appreciate. The math is so simple for her I have to find so many other supplemental things for her to extend. I think it’s okay for Hayden but it seems a lot of independent work and he’s not needing me because he gets it quickly. MasterBooks goes through so much content within the week. We need a unit study for sure.

[@kavaldes08]

Also, since they transitioned from public to homeschool, Hayden says that everything he has learned in these MasterBooks so far are all review from what he has already learned 🤯

[@LivingWithEve]

Thank you for sharing. It's so confirming to know I am not alone. I love unit studies. What are you planning on using?

[@HomeschoolandGrace]

Thanks for the review! We tried MB math for a season and it bombed in my house. We went back to MUS.

[@lorindadaigle8517]

Masterbooks works beautifully for my Son. Who is in Kindergarten. However, my daughter is in 4th and it doesn't work for her at all, aside from Science. We switched to Funschooling with Thinking Tree , for everything except Math and Science. We are doing Masterbooks science and Easy Peasy Math.

[@LivingWithEve]

That is awesome! I am so glad you are able to find what works. It makes such a difference. Thanks for sharing!

[@ambers4524]

Thank you! I’ve been saying this for a while but my child keeps asking to do it this year and I keep going back to look at it. Nope, can’t do it! It’s not that it’s gentle, it’s everything you mentioned-it’s all over the place and there’s no review and reminders of the topics, like find the nouns again this time not gonna review what a noun is. So frustrating. Of course kids like it, they’re just doing one thing and forgetting it. Thank you!!

[@LivingWithEve]

Yup! But I do love their science, their science is solid. And I think recently they added practice pages to their math curriculum to make it better.

[@ambers4524]

I did math lessons for my eldest and they did okay. But come level 4 it lost them. I think they need more review of the basics. I’m now considering, learn math fast… to kinda do a complete refresh of all basic skills. MB Science I’ve used and liked. And I enjoyed MyStory 1&2 very much. 👍🏻 I also enjoy answers in Genesis. Just the LA is poor. Would y to see it revamped! Because the idea of an all in one that works for parent and child is awesome!

[@samanthagraveswalters8443]

Thats why I love Gather Round 💜

[@GRACE_PRAYER_COFFEE]

We LOVE fix it grammar!!!!! The writing did not work well for my daughter but she does extremely well with Fix it!

[@stephanien1764]

We are using LLFLE and I've already switched my 5th grader to a different LA curriculum. My 3rd grade still likes it (I think because it's so short!) But I do supplement with Fix it Grammar (love it!) And Spelling You See. Now you've got me thinking.....

[@LivingWithEve]

Glad to get you thinking... lol.

[@ItsAWanderfulLife]

This is so brave, to switch mid year! I guess it has to happen sometimes, though. Good job on reading your family's needs, mama!

[@ourfamilyvideos7283]

In our state, HS language arts/English is Grammar, writing, literature. Math in HS is a struggle. We loved Masterbooks schedule in the front of the books...applied engineering was fun and counted in 8th for 9th.

[@EducationalRoots]

I’m at the beginning of this but I am using LLFLE right now for 1/5 kids. I am also a teacher (currently teach online). For the daughter I’m using it with, it’s perfect for her, FOR NOW. I prefer IEW, which I use with another daughter. Eventually she will move over to IEW too.

[@EducationalRoots]

Oh, and I specially like it for her because it can be done independently. That is, in fact, my #1 reason. I don’t need that forever, but need it for now.

[@LivingWithEve]

That's so awesome that she can work independantly.

[@EducationalRoots]

@@LivingWithEve I think it’s because we came from The Well Trained Mind, so this is a bit easy for her, plus, she has those parts of speech drilled in from FLL Lol!

[@mrslishy87]

Super helpful video, thank you so much! We've been using MB and I've been feeling the same as you..I just don't feel like it's designed in a way that my kids are really retaining much of the information. I keep hanging onto it because I love how the bible is woven into the curriculum, but maybe I just need to add a bible curriculum instead! I recently found out about IEW and am looking forward to using some of their resources. I'm very intrigued by your approach of combining Truth Quest with the IEW history theme for a history unit study, I'll definitely be looking more into that!

[@rp4934]

Totally agree! I ditched Masterbooks early, I saw all you said.

[@LivingWithEve]

I am shocked that I am not alone. Thanks for sharing.

[@paulatinsley50]

You would LOVE I think Classical Conversation!! We do all that you show, and we do 3 cycles . Cycle 1, is all Ancient history and they do the geography / we recommend STOW to read along with the cycles for additional history reading . We do Latin, Geography, History, science ( and science demonstrations fine arts in both music and art ) math , and the tTIMELINE. I love IEW we start that at age 9, with the kids in Essentials I have loved the simplicity of CC! We integrate everything.

[@LivingWithEve]

Yes, CC is a great program. I love a lot of their philosophies and approaches. I know IEW is used when you do it too. Thanks for sharing.

[@LifeintheMundane]

We did not like the language but we found the math to work well from K-2nd grade for all of our kids until they we ready for TT but for my youngest school age the math isn’t working either so we are changing it up. It so varies by child

[@SevenInAll]

We've never used anything from MasterBooks...I've heard a lot about it in the past year, but I've just had this funny feeling that it wouldn't really work for us. We definitely err on the side of rigorous (sorry kids, you can't be homeschooled by an engineer mom and a professional writer big sister and then have a chill pace of homeschool...)

[@SevenInAll]

@A Person I am the 'daughter'--and yes. I moved back to my hometown about 5 years ago to help my mom homeschool my youngest sisters since she now works full-time. I have toddlers of my own, and it's a fun dynamic, with my toddlers getting to spend time with their young aunts nearly every day. :)

[@allenmobley8444]

I was debating between this and Abeka and with your help I’m definitely going to use Abeka. My son needs to be “de schooled” from public school and my daughter also needed to be challenged and Abeka does both

[@LivingWithEve]

I’m glad I was able to help. Good luck with your homeschool journey.

[@civisperpetuamdebitu]

I transitioned to MB because I believed in trying a more gentle approach. Part of the reason was the commentary towards TGTB and the positive reviews of MB. My daughter did not like it at all and looked at the material as though I were insulting her intelligence. She said it was for babies. I told her to just give it a try and we'll see. I tried multiple grade levels and some were used but in great condition. My story 1 along with language lessons did not grab her attention, the math was fun for a second because she didn't have to be challenged and could zoom through chapters in a single day.... that became old fast. Our favorite subject for MB was science it took a very gentle and hands on approach. Thankfully I don't have any brand loyalty just to God and family. I am okay dropping what doesn't work. There will never be a perfect curriculum and supplementing may be necessary based on the child's needs. However, the fact that you had to supplement that much is just alarming. I always feel like the samples are not quite enough. So, thank you and to all the other lovely moms sharing their experience and flip throughs.

[@TheCookingChronicleswithIngrid]

Teaching textbooks is the best I have been using it for 3 years and do not plan on changing it!

[@calderonm78]

Is teaching textbook just for math or other subjects?

[@TheCookingChronicleswithIngrid]

@@calderonm78 just math.

[@LivingWithEve]

Currently, just math. But keep your ears and eyes open.

[@calderonm78]

Thank You. I am looking into changing from Master book to something else.

[@Sdewebb]

Masterbooks is a spiral program. Instead of trusting the process you added to the program to the degree that you made it miserable.

[@lOAFCAT722]

Agreed! We started our homeschooling journey with Abeka. I have two kids and one did ok with it the other did not. So we found Masterbooks and we are not turning back. I only add Literature and for my youngest Spelling (she wanted to stick with Abeka). And Spanish because Masterbooks doesn’t have a Spanish program yet. I love the slow approach! This will be our 3rd year with Masterbooks. Both kids tested 2 grades above their grade level last year on the state test. That proves that Masterbooks is working for my family. I realize not all families are the same. Some have different needs and interests. I would never talk down about a curriculum because what doesn’t work for us might work for someone else. That’s the fun with homeschooling!!

[@brettwiuff2266]

This is so ironic to me! Ha Ha. We are thinking about moving to MB math (Principles of mathematics/ JR high) because my older kids who have been using Teaching Textbooks for a few years have many gaps that are frustrating to them. I'm considering the MB math courses for my 5th grader next year who also has some gaps from teaching textbooks. I'm looking at MB for LA, Science, and maybe Phonics so I am looking for reviews and then I found yours. Ha Ha. I can't teach IEW. It is so frustrating to me, I want to chuck it out the window. Looking for other alternatives. The one room schoolhouse is my favorite style of teaching and we've been using SImply Charlotte Mason's Modern History guide this year and loving it. But my kids are really spread out, so we probably can't do that next year. We'll see.

[@TheCookingChronicleswithIngrid]

I love fix it grammar we use that as well great update my friend!

[@homeschool.pray.repeat]

What a bummer. Now I feel like the weird one, hahahaha, because I had the opposite experience. We didn’t try MB math, we use MUS. But we started with MB for everything else...science, social studies, and language lessons. I put it away and tried others thinking rigor was better. After a while I felt called back to MB. So we put the other away and brought back the MB and have no intentions of changing.

[@LivingWithEve]

Thanks for sharing! Seriously that’s the one thing I love about homeschooling. Different curriculum works for different people.

[@JustKristie4]

We also love MB

[@katie7150]

You are not the only one! There are a TON of people who love MB. I watch a few of them on YT. I have never used them, until this video I have never heard a bad review.

[@kikik5266]

In all my years as a homeschooler I've learned: do what works for you and your children. I have kids who are so smart but struggle because of learning differences. I'm using BJU math and love it but hate the teachers guide that's built for a classroom. I've tried MFLE years ago and didn't love it but might return because it is open and go. We used BJU as a whole last year but I got talked into putting them a grade lower because we had a year of illness the year before. So then we were stuck..but if we finish up Math 2 for my 3 rd grader in BJU she could go straight into MFLE 4 because BJU moves so much faster that we could jump year 3 in MFLE. Same with my son who is 5th but in the 4th grade book in BJU and into 6th for MFLE. I might add the younger two in our family are good at math but have hated it since we moved into BJU. What I love about it is that each unit is mastery and then at the end there is a chapter review and then a cummulative review and there are practices at the end of each lesson that might be a quarter of a page that is optional. So it's great but my kids want to open their math book read their lesson and move on without having to wait for me. Anyway , after MFLE 6 he could go into principles of mathematics for his 7th grade year that my eldest is moving into next year for 8th grade. I try to think ahead with certain subjects so we can achieve our goals in the long term. Even this video making me rethink it. Lol. But I've prayed over this and may look a bit closer at Teaching textbooks but we did that before too and it maybe too spiral for my taste with out enough practice before it moves them on. Lol all this to say, do what works for you and put your hands on curriculum if you can and look at it. Try to know where your kid is in a subject and decide will this work.

[@linda2022]

I was feeling the same way while reading these comments, but it's okay 🤗. I am the only mom in my group who uses MB. I think it's awesome that there is different curriculum for different families.

[@PenniesAndSalt]

I love Masterbooks for Science and we are enjoying their history as well because it allows to go “beef” it up easily. However, I really feel like their LA is lacking. We quit level five on the first day. I just felt like there was no depth at all. It’s just exposure to concepts with no continued practice or study. I completely chucked the math level 1 for the same reasons as language arts.

[@LivingWithEve]

I love there Science. But I thinks it's because it AIG and it's just a reprint of what they already had.

[@Qetesh777]

I spoke with you briefly on the clubhouse call and I am no longer going to purchase master books math you are totally right about we shouldn’t have to need to supplement my son is 6 and working in the second grade master books because the curriculum seems so behind that is easy for him. Anyway for my daughter who struggles I still should give her a better foundation thank you for this 🙏 I never did the Lang arts with master books we like TGTB yet I am really leaning toward MCT for my family.

[@LivingWithEve]

So nice chatting with you! TGATB seems to be very thorough. If you have the time it would be a really good choice. Hope all goes well for you this year. Keep me posted.

[@timmylambbbbb]

What were you using for Spelling that semester (after switching from MB)? I feel like I need to supplement too but I don’t want it to be overwhelming for my kids 😥

[@LivingWithEve]

All about Spelling…. It’s so good. I went back to using that.

[@PursuingPeace]

Yay! I'm so happy you found something that works! ❤👍

[@ericaparsons8354]

How would you compare Abeka with IEW? Im really interested in the IEW for my kiddos. Do you feel the FixIt Grammar was good, or did they need more practice? Sometimes I feel like there is too much "practice" in the Abeka grammar...

[@LivingWithEve]

ABEKA and IEW are quit different. ABEKA is going to be traditional and a lot more work. IEW is borderline classical. They focus on reading, writing and rhetoric. I think Fix it is very good! Quick, easy, and spiral. It’s very effective for grammar, less teaching and more doing to learning.

[@ericaparsons8354]

@@LivingWithEve this is very helpful! Could I get your thoughts on where to start a 7th grader in IEW? Would you recommend the Level B year 1 (average student using Abeka)? Thank you for all your comparison videos and flip throughs. They have been so very helpful!

[@StephanieStone4737]

I know I already commented on this, but it came through my feed again 😆 there is no learning retention with this curriculum (history). My child has not learned much of anything. We are doing Notgrass next, and we are both looking forward to that.

[@brookebenetatos8839]

AMEN! We started MB L/A this year and I feel like I am supplementing all parts of language arts too. It's just not thorough enough! Definitely not returning to MB next year. I have heard great things about BJU English so we may go that route. Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@trishamorrisluke9404]

I didn't do Masterbooks but I have done Heart of Dakota, not sure if they are the same or not but I thought it was a lot of money for something that wasn't my teaching style. My son has always been a good reader so I thought that he would like the HOD but he didn't either, it was a constant struggle to get him to do any of it. Come to find out, it wasn't the curriculum so much as the reading. He wanted something different to read and something that challenged him. Problem was that I had to stay with grade level for math and L.A.

[@kellykeefer3429]

We had to ditch MB last year also. We are still changing things here and there trying to find better fits. History is not my jam however.

[@campoida]

Love IEW. Try out Math Mammoth. It's great too. This is my son's last year with MM. I'm going to miss it.

[@LivingWithEve]

We did MM. It's a good program, especially for gifted students. I do recommend it. We are now using Teaching Textbooks, we love it. Thanks for sharing!

[@jessicajones611]

Thank you, so helpful, love the idea of tying in history and language arts! X

[@OurHOMEschoolPlan]

If mama doesn’t want to do it, then I’ve always felt like, time to switch. I SUPPOSE my kids can have a say also. 😜 but I agree! I’ve had similar wondering about LLFLE. We are using it now, level 1 and 5. I think it’s working well for level 1. And my 5th grader already has a year of Classical Conversations Essentials under her belt. I think that helps. But you’ve got some very good points here.... IEW is excellent!! Very systematic. Very foundational! Per spelling. I personally hate spelling infused into a curriculum for children who struggle. My daughter needs a separate spelling curriculum according to those specific needs. Not at the same level as her Lang arts. This just proves the point of homeschooling vs schools. You can’t customize for your child in a school. Everybody gets the same thing whether it works or not. And in homeschool, you can customize every subject according to your family and children’s needs! Thanks for this!! It was very helpful!

[@LivingWithEve]

That makes total sense. Thanks for sharing!

[@shanellakers7303]

MasterBooks 😐....My child was not learning. She learned more from me having to supplement than from the text. This is in regards to My Story 1. I ditched the book in December and am now creating my own social studies curriculum using either literature or reference books along with narration. I should've gone with my instincts on this one which is funny because my instincts cause me not to consider MasterBooks for math or english. I just did not think the social studies would be a jumble mess of nothing.

[@IloveLunches]

You give such excellent tips. Oh my goodness girl; you are terrific; God bless you

[@christinamorales7746]

I like the math for one kid and my daughter likes the structure she is in high school. Two of my kids don't use it at all.

[@babysbliss44]

Teaching text books actually put my kid WAY behind. I just purchased the master books math book to catch him up. LOL! Maybe I made mistake. YIKES!

[@stacybebb9742]

Glad I'm not the only one! We use the science as well. But I felt like I was the only one who didn't like the rest of it. We do like charlotte mason approach and are using tgatb for LA and math and love it.

[@gabbsespino]

I also did the switch from Master books to IEW. I do also is another language curriculum but we love IEW. Master books was very confusing, my daughter would know what some things were bc they weren’t taught. But I also do my unit studies for history but I’m loving what you did. Where did you get those flip inserts?

[@Michelle-xk9gl]

I love Sonlight, we use it for HBL, LA and science, Horizon for math.

[@lizdickens1697]

I've left MLFLE several times and came back. I just keep my daughter a level ahead and sometimes my husband does extra math lessons with her on a dry erase board. It works really well for us, but I don't suggest it to other people because if my husband wasn't a math nerd, I don't think it would be enough. My daughter loved the language arts because "she didn't have to think." 🙄 We no longer use it🤣

[@jacobjohannes7123]

I was really considering getting the My Story 1 for my daughter

[@Amber-vb1sj]

Don’t, it’s awful. When I ordered it, I really thought it was going to be our favorite...not so. The lessons make no sense and there’s really nothing to learn in it (beautiful pictures though) Just my opinion. We quit it after a few months and switched to abeka.

[@jacobjohannes7123]

@@Amber-vb1sj I’ve used ABeka 2’s and 3’s and k4 with other kids. I’ve never used the social studies. Does it stand alone well?

[@Amber-vb1sj]

@Jacob Johannes. I only bought the reader , I didn’t not buy the activity book. Just the reader is working great for us because we are just using it to finish up this year. My daughter is retaining everything wonderfully. Sometimes I find a video on KZbin or something to go with what we’re reading. She asks everyday to do geography, she says its her favorite. Next year I will be purchasing the reader plus the activity book so she has something to go along with the lesson.

[@lorindadaigle4925]

It works well so far for my son. Who is 6 but my 9 year old daughter not so much. She has a completely different learning style, and is extremely hyperactive. So I don't think she is enjoying or retaining it at all. We are switching her to mostly thinking tree journals so her learning can be interest lead. She is doing Sylvan math. She seems to enjoy that. 😊

[@gloriakenia2032]

only thing i kept from master book was there science and social studies!

[@LivingWithEve]

Yea, the science is really good.

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

So sorry it was a stressful first semester!

[@adonisadvices4248]

what a wonderful video, you're very talented Eve, love your channel and hope to grow together on You tube

[@JoyfulNoiseLearning]

Have you seen the Dart Guides from Brave Writer??? That might be what you want for LA!!!

[@JoyfulNoiseLearning]

Oh! You are back to IEW- love it!!

[@JoyfulNoiseLearning]

Sounds like a great plan!!!

[@melodiephoenix]

I’m curious what would you tell your former self about special education before you had your daughter? I am asking as a mother who feels the education system failed my specials needs children. I feel many teachers here in Quebec are quick to judge a label throw up their hands and quit trying. I feel my children have benefited from being kept home due to the pandemic and my twins lung condition. People talk about full inclusion but the government doesn’t give the resources needed and teachers are at a point where they don’t want to try. My daughter went to a school that functioned on an unschooling project based learning curriculum that was child centred. In that environment she was nurtured but we had to do online school to protect her brothers and this was the standard education model and they did not want to help her adapt.

[@LivingWithEve]

That the only way to understand the learning style of a student with special needs is to get to know them as a person. So quit trying to guess or assume, get down and listen and work with them.

[@lauraana4921]

I am interested in what Math you are using. I have an eighth grader that has gotten behind. Thanks!

[@LivingWithEve]

we are now using Keys To Math and Teaching Textbook.

[@emilycoen5440]

So maybe not a question about Masterbooks per say, but how did you spiral bind the workbook?

[@LivingWithEve]

I bought it used.

[@emilycoen5440]

@@LivingWithEve Thank you! I was hoping maybe you had some brilliant video on how to do this. :) I appreciate your reply. Happy Easter!