I’ve spent the last several days digging into the curriculum we chose for my kindergartener and I am so excited for the coming year. Here are my initial thoughts:

FANTASTIC CUSTOMER SERVICE.

While I was still debating whether to order, I spoke to a very helpful curriculum advisor who helped me to decide on the best level in which to place my son. They offer free shipping, which is frankly, so standard in e-commerce now, I’m always surprised by the homeschool curriculum companies which don’t offer this. Finally, they are super FAST. I placed my order on a Saturday night and was unboxing our treasures with my delighted five-year-old on Wednesday afternoon.

EXCELLENT QUALITY MATERIALS.

The student sheets are printed on quality paper. Some sheets, like the short stories which children begin reading about half-way through the year, are printed in full-color, which provides nice visual interest. Tools which will be used throughout the year, such as the ABC Game Cards, 100 Chart and Blend Ladder are printed on card stock, which should ensure they last through the year.

BEAUTIFUL BOOKS.

I ordered the Deluxe Package which contains a collection of real books from which to read-aloud and teach all year. The collection features a diverse range of titles, from classics like The Story of Ferdinand to modern treasures like Love You Forever. The additional cost is well worth it to me to know that I don’t have to spend extra time searching for books at the library. But, for those who love a good trip to the ‘brary, the teacher’s manual contains an expansive list of other titles that can be used as replacement or supplemental reading.

REAL WORLD CHARLOTTE MASON.

When I first began to research homeschooling, Charlotte Mason was one of the first names I encountered. I wasn’t sure if she was a fictional character, political figure, or the latest Marvel hero, but she seemed uber important in homeschooling circles. Having learned more about the methodology behind the name, I have loved the idea of this style for years, but haven’t quite made the leap. My Type A, Perfect Paula personality follows instructions very well, and my mind is quickly overwhelmed by a squishy, “Well, you could do this, or you could try that…just do what works for you,” curriculum approach. I think My Father’s World takes take a beautiful, but somewhat open-ended methodology like Charlotte Mason and puts some much needed structure and direction in place for we busy moms who want so badly to get this right.

I will plan to post more about our journey into MFW once we get ramped up!