Our school year officially ended a few weeks ago, but before I pack this year’s materials away and the triumphs and struggles of the previous several months are distant memories, I wanted to provide some final thoughts on our year with My Father’s World God’s Creation From A to Z kindergarten curriculum.
BEAUTIFUL BOOKS
I ordered the Deluxe Package which included all of the read-alouds I would need for the year. The titles are a lovely mix of vintage classics like Stone Soup and Ferdinand and modern treasures like Moonbear’s Shadow and I’ll Love You Forever. My kindergartener (and his three-year-old brother) always loved reading days, and I loved the variety of stories and styles.
FUN SCIENCE EXTRAS
The whole family enjoyed the ant hill and butterfly garden we ordered through My Father’s World. Though both are marketed as optional, I think they are well worth the cost. Both come with discount vouchers for the ants and caterpillars which are ordered separately. The insects were delivered on-time, arrived healthy and “performed” as promised. (And that’s pretty much all you’re looking for from kindergarten science!)
EXCELLENT PHONICS FOUNDATION
The curriculum’s approach to phonics started slow with a modified version of the A-B-C song sung daily, then graduated up to short vowel sounds, also set to music. At first I was a little skeptical of the approach and felt a little impatient for us to begin “actual reading,” but when we did I was amazed by what my six-year-old was able to do! He could easily sound out single words and read the short six-panel stories included about two-thirds through the year with ease.
HELLO, MY NAME IS NOT CHARLOTTE
I’ve told you guys how fascinated I am by a Charlotte Mason approach to learning. Her ideas and style are poetry to my dreamy momma’s heart, but in practice are a bit too idealistic for my crew. After a few weeks of trying to address each column in my teacher’s manual, I found that I was skipping many of the more Charlotte Mason-esque activities (ie: art projects, music appreciation, pretend play, etc.) Completing the weekly worksheets seemed more satisfying for my kindergartener (and definitely for his Perfect Paula mom) as they are more tangible in a way and feel more like “doing school.” I know some families cringe at these tenants of public school, but I think it boils down to the learning style of your kids, as well as your own teaching style. Both must sync with your curriculum choices in order for you to find success.
FINAL THOUGHTS
My Father’s World Kindergarten curriculum is a lovely way to introduce your youngster to traditional schooling. A firm phonics foundation is laid and yields impressive results by year end. Basic math concepts are introduced throughout, and your child will be delighted by the variety of read-alouds enjoyed throughout the year. I imagine this would be a particularly rewarding curriculum choice if you were schooling a single child, or perhaps two close together in age. In my case, I was teaching three children, but only one was using MFW, which led to me feeling crunched for time most days. This made it easier for me to rationalize skipping the more time-consuming, creative activities. We will be switching curriculums next year, so all three of my children can work in tandem as much as possible.
Bottom line: I would recommend My Father’s World to anyone looking for a solid foundation and a somewhat softer introduction to school for your little ones.
