MFW Homeschool Curriculum FAQs

Is my child ready for kindergarten?

We usually recommend waiting to begin kindergarten until the year a child will be five years old in September. When it's time to make this decision, you can ask yourself several questions about your child:

Is he ready to sit down and do 20-30 minutes of written work each day?
Does he have the manual dexterity to begin writing letters and words, and is he interested in doing so?
Is your child taking time to sit down to draw and color on his own initiative?
Is he excited about starting school?

If you can answer yes to these questions, your child is probably ready for God's Creation from A to Z kindergarten curriculum. If your child is not strong in these areas, we recommend Voyage of Discovery pre-k curriculum.

What if my child is already reading?

Even if your five-year-old is already reading, we still recommend using our kindergarten program. It is so much more than just a phonics program (and includes suggestions for advanced students). Powerful Biblical truths - many that adults wrestle with - are perfectly sized for a five-year-old. Children gain a wealth of knowledge about God's love and His character. Hands-on thematic science units, interwoven with Biblical concepts, build a love of learning as your natural-born explorer interacts with nature. Time spent cuddled up together with a good book and doing related activities will create memories for a lifetime. Almost all young children benefit from the fine motor skill development in the program and time to mature physically, emotionally, and spiritually before advancing to the next school year.

Is my child ready for 1st grade?

If your child has not successfully completed God's Creation from A to Z kindergarten curriculum, please take some time to determine if your child is really ready to begin first grade:

Does your child know the 26 letter sounds (consonants and short vowels)? Letter names are not as important.
Is your child generally able to print alphabet letters correctly? Is he generally able to place letters accurately on kindergarten-sized lined paper?
Can he easily read short words such as hat, pig, and men without your help and without any accompanying pictures? (Was he taught how to blend sounds, not just memorize words?)
Is he developmentally able to sit long enough to copy 4-6 short words on kindergarten-sized lined paper without complaining or becoming tearful?
Is your child mature enough to sit cooperatively for 20-30 minutes at a time for structured school activities? (Learning God's Story for first grade will take up to 2 hours each day to complete.)
Will your child be six by the beginning of school? (We do not recommend first grade for a four-year-old, even if he appears to be ready. A mature five-year-old about whom you can answer yes to all of the above questions may seem ready to begin first grade. However, we still encourage you to use God's Creation from A to Z because of all the wonderful things your child will learn about a relationship with Jesus through the integrated Bible and science. Kindergarten reading and writing assignments can be adjusted to meet the needs of a child who is already reading simple words.)

If you can answer yes to all of the above questions, your child is most likely ready for first grade. If not, we recommend that you begin with God's Creation from A to Z kindergarten curriculum.

The skills taught in kindergarten - especially reading short vowel words fluently for many months - give a child the foundation needed for success in first grade. Learning God's Story for first grade quickly reviews these skills in the first three weeks of school and then moves on to new skills at a rapid pace.

How do I teach a preschooler, kindergartner, and 1st grader together?

In preschool, K, and 1st grade, the differences in children's abilities are great. We recommend working individually with each child on reading, writing, and math and/or readiness skills. Preschoolers benefit from 15 minutes of one-on-one parent time focusing on skills to prepare for Kindergarten. Our preschool program for 3s, All Aboard the Animal Train, or our Pre-K program, Voyage of Discovery, for 4s provides these daily activities. (The Preschool or Pre-K Educational Toy Package is another option for busy moms.) Children in K and 1st grade need 30-60 minutes of individual parent time to work on reading, writing, and math. Specific skills are addressed in each child's age-appropriate curriculum—God's Creation from A to Z kindergarten and Learning God's Story first grade Deluxe Packages. See How to Teach K and 1st Together on our message board for more information about using these programs together. All children can join together to enjoy lesson activities and read-alouds. School can be completed for three children—preschool, kindergarten, and first grade—in about 3 1/2 hours spread throughout the day.

How does MFW teach phonics in kindergarten?

My Father's World uses a multi-sensory approach to reading that involves children learning to blend both beginning sounds and ending sounds. In God's Creation from A to Z for kindergarten, sounds are introduced first that are the easiest for children to pronounce as well as the most efficient way to begin reading words. Students learn to read words and sentences and will make 11 small books throughout the year from which to read. The thematic units build on each other and have been designed to be introduced with learning to read in mind.

Reading is taught by having students blend consonants before and after the short vowel sounds, helping children to put sounds and words together. My Father's World has intentionally chosen to introduce the blending of sounds and words without rhyming so that kids are not memorizing the words based on a pattern. Blending with a mix of beginning and ending sounds helps ensure they are learning to read. Our goal by the end of Kindergarten is to have a child easily reading all short vowels in words and sentences. Blending of sounds and reading begins in lesson 6, giving students lots of time to practice reading before moving to Learning God's Story for first grade.

Learning God's Story for first grade will complete phonics and reading instruction. All phonics needed to become an independent reader will be learned during this year.

Is My Father's World curriculum accredited?

My Father's World provides complete curriculum for preschool through high school. There is no accreditation process available for curriculum. Schools can be accredited and teachers can be credentialed. The author of My Father's World, Marie Hazell, is a credentialed teacher and has worked at accredited schools. My Father's World curriculum is used by some accredited schools. A curriculum can be called accredited when it is used through an accredited school and a student is enrolled to use that curriculum through that accredited school. Curriculum cannot be accredited independently.

What is the length of MFW Kindergarten?

The K program begins with a 10 day overview of creation, followed by 26 week-long units based on each letter of the alphabet. There are also two 2-week units for Christmas and the Fruit of the Spirit. This is a total of 32 weeks which is considered a full school year. Each day’s lesson is about 90 minutes.

How can I use My Father's World Kindergarten with my reading child?

Children who are reading when entering kindergarten can still benefit greatly from God's Creation from A to Z kindergarten. They will spend the year learning about the Creation story from Genesis followed by 26 hands-on, thematic units that will focus on the wonders in God's creation. The sun, moon, rocks, vegetables, elephants, butterflies, and dinosaurs are just a few topics they will discover. Handwriting will be learned throughout the program this year. They will also learn math skills including counting, writing numerals, preparing and understanding charts and graphs, clocks, money, and an introduction to addition and subtraction. To further challenge an advanced reader:

Use the reading time as a handwriting and beginning composition program which will focus on simple spelling and some mechanics of writing through copy work and dictation.
Beginning with lesson 6, using the word list, choose 3-5 words as a spelling list. Dictate these words to your child as they write the words on K-lined paper. Immediately correct those that are wrong and have your child copy them again.
If your child can read a specific sentence, use that sentence as copy work having your child use their very best handwriting.
If copy work is too easy, you may dictate the sentence to your child after looking over the sentence with him or her. If this is too difficult be sure and stop, waiting until a later grade to begin dictation.
Add readers at your child's reading level to continue you child's progress. Honey for a Child's Heart is a great resource for grade level books and is available through My Father's World.
Continue to use the math, Bible, science, literature and character development, and reading books about the lesson theme scheduled in the Teacher's Manual.

How quickly do the reading lessons progress in the first grade?

There are many factors that go into the decision to pace first grade as written. First and foremost, Learning God's Story for first grade assumes that a child has been sounding out short vowel words for nearly nine months as scheduled in God's Creation from A to Z for kindergarten. In K, a child begins sounding out their first words near the end of the 2nd month. This provides a firm phonics foundation, learning to blend with short vowel sounds, so children transition confidently into first grade. Children enjoy new information and can grasp concepts quickly if they have the proper foundation.

So what do we suggest if your child is struggling with the pace in first grade? Try repeating the phonics portion of a lesson 2-4 times daily. You can consider returning to the K curriculum for a better foundation if your child is still struggling.

Dad can help by entertaining all the kids when he gets home so you can spend one-on-one uninterrupted time in the evening for a final review or teach phonics entirely at that time. The Hazells had a child who at age 7 seemed like he would never learn to read. He not only learned to read but received academic scholarships to a major university. He also doubled his curriculum in high school and had enough credits to graduate by age 16. He dually enrolled into college and entered university with 28 or more college credits toward his major.

Please exercise caution when you are discouraged by a child not succeeding as quickly as you would like. Don't give up -- press on in a gentle way. All of a sudden, one day out of the blue, children finally get it. The Hazells were most of the way through first grade when their child finally understood blending and all the sounds. The next day he seemed to remember everything he earlier struggled with and became a fluent reader in a matter of weeks.

Do you recommend using Singapore math with a first grader?

Learning God's Story first grade curriculum is a complete program which includes math. First grade math will focus on real life, hands-on activities and can be supplemented with The Complete Book of Math which is included in the basic package for skills reinforcement. We have found delaying a child's move into a textbook based, formal math program and focusing on hands-on math is beneficial in helping children understand abstract concepts in math and number relationships. Based on observation and experience we recommend beginning Singapore Primary Math in 2nd grade. Your child can take a placement test at that time to determine where they would begin. Many of My Father's World families have been pleased at the placement of their children after following our First grade program as written. The Teacher's Manual will list twenty specific goals for numbers, addition, subtraction, place value, money, time, and other foundational math concepts. Our first grade Teacher's Manual also features a library book list of math literature.

What are the options for using Thinking Like a Christian?

We suggest two options for using Thinking Like a Christian:

Option 1 requires the active involvement of the parent/teacher to read the lesson ahead of time, prepare, and teach a weekly 45-minute teaching session and short review. (Detailed lesson plans are provided.) This option provides for valuable interaction about Biblical worldview between student and parent/teacher.

Option 2 is available for circumstances in which families cannot follow Option 1. The student will not have the benefit of additional enrichment activities, guided discussions, and structured input from the parent/teacher; this is a self-teaching option. Option 2 still provides exposure to an excellent Biblical worldview course.

Can I order individual items from the First Grade Student Materials?

Yes, individual items may be purchased. A package of First Grade Student Materials contains all the consumable materials you need for additional children using the program. If you have more than one child using the 1st grade you will need one package of materials for each student. Each piece is an important part of the overall program. The First Grade Student Materials include:

Student Workbook - phonics exercises

Student Worksheets - hands-on phonics activities, handwriting, timeline figures, math and reading charts

Bible Notebook - for writing composition and illustrating Bible stories

When will younger children study American History if they skip Adventures?

We recommend each of your children begin by completing God's Creation from A to Z for kindergarten and Learning God's Story for first grade. As each child enters 2nd grade they will join the oldest child in the program they are currently using in the five year cycle. Once a 2nd grader enters the five year cycle they continue rotating through the cycle until they reach 9th grade. This allows you to teach only one program a year and promotes family learning. The United States history taught in Adventures will be covered again in Exploration to 1850 and 1850 to Modern Times in greater detail. For children entering the cycle in 2nd or 3rd grade during these years, a supplement is required using many books from Adventures. Younger children will not miss anything, but will study the content at another time.

Each child begins school by completing Kindergarten and First Grade focusing on the reading, handwriting, and math portions of those younger programs. They can be invited to join the older kids for Bible, science, read alouds, and other hands-on projects from the program the oldest children are using. This allows younger children to glean and learn some of the content too.

The sequence for your oldest child is:

Kindergarten
First Grade
2nd - Adventures
3rd - Exploring Countries and Cultures
4th - Creation to the Greeks
5th - Rome to the Reformation
6th - Exploration to 1850
7th - 1850 to Modern Times
8th - Exploring Countries and Cultures (at a more advanced level)
Transition to My Father's World Declare high school program

Please see the Family Learning Cycle for more information.

Why should I use Adventures before beginning the Family Cycle?

As the authors of My Father's World, Adventures is the only program that we have written that was not directly needed by our family. We overlooked a need that arose several years into the development of our programs. It became evident that oldest children needed one more year of maturity before being able to handle the content and workload of Creation to the Greeks. We discovered two reasons for this situation. First, parents put more pressure on oldest children and thus find it difficult to skip advanced projects intended for 4th-8th graders. As long as moms have one child in this range it seems that younger children do fine because mom has an older child to direct more difficult projects toward. Secondly, part of the content in Creation to Greeks is teaching of pagan culture and comparing it to the Old Testament laws of God. This is very abstract content and again seemed better targeted to 4th graders who had another year of maturity, reading practice, and writing experience.

Adventures developed as a result of these concerns. We wanted to give families a cultural overview of the most important events of US History before beginning chronological history. We have found that homeschoolers often focus on the Greeks, Romans, Babylonians, and the Middle Ages so much so that the oldest child in the family has had no US History before junior high.

Adventures is designed for the time when families have 2nd or 3rd graders with no older siblings in 4th - 8th grade. Younger children will study the content of Adventures with their older siblings during Exploration to 1850 and 1850 to Modern Times. For 2nd and 3rd graders entering the cycle during these years a 2nd/3rd grade supplement uses many books from Adventures.

When should I put my child in Adventures?

Adventures in U.S. History is designed for the time when families have 2nd or 3rd graders with no older siblings in 4th - 8th grade. 2nd or 3rd graders with older siblings should skip Adventures and join their siblings in the current program of the Five-Year Cycle. This ensures that a parent is teaching only one program for 2nd - 8th graders.

After several years into the development of our programs it became evident that oldest children needed one more year of maturity before being able to handle the content of and workload of Creation to the Greeks. We have found that oldest children who are going into 4th grade better understand the history in Creation to the Greeks. This does not seem to be a problem with younger siblings as they have an older sibling to help them on their way.

Younger children will study the content of Adventures with their older siblings during Exploration to 1850 and 1850 to Modern Times. For 2nd and 3rd graders entering the cycle during these years a 2nd/3rd grade supplement will use many books from Adventures.

Is my child ready for Adventures?

A child should have a strong foundation in these skills to begin Adventures in U.S. History:

Can your child write or copy one to two sentences fairly easily and cheerfully?
If you were to read the story of David and Goliath to your child, would he be able to write several simple sentences about the story? (Spelling and punctuation do not need to be correct.)
Have your child read a sample from our Bible Reader. Can he read it fairly easily? Please note that needing to sound out words is common at this age.
If you are considering Adventures for an advanced six-year-old, is he prepared to spend 3 - 3½ hours each day doing school?

If you can answer yes to these questions, your child is probably ready for Adventures. (However, if he is younger than six-years-old, please call our office for placement help.)

If your child is not strong in the above areas, we recommend Learning God's Story for first grade.

Can younger children join in with Adventures?

You may invite your younger children to join in the activities that interest them in the Adventures program. To easily incorporate younger children, we recommend purchasing an additional set of student sheets and a US/world placemat map for each child ages 3-7. Adventures may be completed in 3 to 3.5 hours a day, including 60 minutes of independent work, when using our math and language arts recommendations. During that independent work, we suggest that you work with younger siblings on their phonics and math, using either MFW K or MFW First Grade.

How can I help my child who is having difficulty completing I Can Do All Things?

The Adventures Teacher's Manual encourages you to help foster your child's love of art by keeping the atmosphere light and positive. After the Introduction to Drawing is finished, the lessons will begin to alternate weekly between remaining chapters or topics. The lesson plan schedules 3 lessons per week. I Can Do All Things will not be completed during this year since it contains over 180 lessons and may be continued into the summer or the following year if you choose. We encourage you to do art at least once a week to develop some of the skills presented in the book. Continuing through the lessons to introduce different aspects of art is an important part of your child's education. By doing so you may find that your child is not really interested in drawing but loves to paint.

Why a year of Geography?

My Father's World's Exploring Countries and Cultures (ECC) is an integrated geography program that prepares the student to more effectively retain history and more detailed geography during the following years of chronological history. In our opinion, teaching history and geography at the same time without a previous foundation in geography causes overload and a lack of retention for the student. During ECC, students will study the book of Matthew which helps families to understand and embrace God's heart for His people and His creation prior to studying history, allowing history to be seen and understood from God's perspective.

At the completion of the year, students should be able to label at least 100 countries from memory. They will have studied the culture of people groups around the world, studied ecosystems on each of the continents, prayed specifically for the countries studied and read biographies of those who served as missionaries in those countries.

My Father's World has two main goals for students going through ECC. First, to help families develop God's heart for the world and teaching a Biblical worldview that is others focused. The second is to study geography and international cultures.

When do I begin Exploring Countries and Cultures?

My Father's World recommends that the oldest child start with Adventures in U.S. History if they are in 2nd or 3rd grade. Once Adventures is completed in 2nd or 3rd grade, Exploring Countries and Cultures is the next step in the cycle. If your child is in 4th grade or above, My Father's World recommends starting your child in the five-year cycle with Year 1, Exploring Countries and Cultures.

If you have an older student, My Father's World recommends that new families begin with Year 1, Exploring Countries and Cultures for all the children in your home in grades 2-8. To insure that it is an interesting and challenging program for 7th and 8th graders, you will need to purchase the 7th and 8th grade supplement for Exploring Countries and Cultures. The 2nd Edition Teacher's Manual schedules all of these supplements.

What is the book schedule for the 7th and 8th grade supplement in the new edition of ECC?

My Father's World released a new edition of Exploring Countries and Cultures in 2009. The new edition schedules the books (and Progeny Press literature guides) as follows:

Progeny Press literature guides - Weeks 1-8

Bruchko (South America) - Weeks 9-11

The Narrow Road (Europe) - Weeks 12-15

Kisses from Katie (Africa) - Weeks 16-21

I Dared to Call Him Father (Asia - Pakistan) - Weeks 23-26

(Students research/write a country report in Weeks 26-27.)

Progeny Press literature guides - Weeks 28-34

Why do we begin the Family Cycle with Exploring Countries and Cultures (geography)?

We recommend families with an oldest child entering 4th grade or above begin with Exploring Countries and Cultures. All children in the home between 2nd and 8th grade will benefit from Exploring Countries and Cultures. We believe that teaching geography first allows the child to better understand and retain their future study of history. The Biblical focus during this year is a study of the book of Matthew. The focus helps families to understand and embrace God's heart for all His people prior to studying chronological history. This allows history to be seen and understood from God's perspective. Exploring Countries and Cultures will help your family understand a Biblical worldview that is others focused, allowing your family to discover God's great love for the world.

To further challenge 7th and 8th graders we offer a supplement which is scheduled in the Teacher's Manual. One of our customers answered this question by commenting, "Exploring Countries and Cultures is all about teaching a Biblical worldview that places the emphasis on others. It teaches us that the United States isn't the only country that God loves. God loves all the people groups of the earth and it helps us to learn to love them too." - Dawn H.

Why is Story of the World Vol.1 not used?

My Father's World uses the resources that best present the information. For the time period of Creation to the Greeks we believe the most accurate and ancient "original document" is the Bible. God gave us a great history book that is full of action, intrigue, motives both good and evil, and His interpretation of events and people. We want to lay a foundation for kids to see God at work in history so that they can study further history with a correct perspective. The Bible is used as the main history spine for the entire year with other books supplementing as needed. We want kids to hear God's incredible words to mankind.

Most of the information in Story to the World Vol. 1 is contained in other books that we use in Creation to the Greeks, so it is not necessary for this year. The following years of the history cycle use Story of the World Vol. 2 - 4, as we think the author has a wonderful storytelling style that makes history come alive.

Why is Streams of Civilization used?

We use Streams of Civilization Volume 1 as a resource for parents and for older students so that they can understand history from a Christian perspective. How did we get different races after the flood if there was only Noah and his family? Who were the Hittites? We don't read every page - just the relevant information.

When is American Government studied in the Family Cycle?

During Year 4, Exploration to 1850, the first part of American history is covered and students are introduced to: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the three branches of government. You read about the process and people involved in forming our government in George Washington's World. This gives a basic overview of how our country's government was formed. A more in-depth study of U.S. government is covered in year 3 of our high school program.

Why does Samuel come after Samson in the timeline?

Please refer to the notes in week 19 of your Creation to the Greeks Teacher's Manual for an explanation. The dates represent the time around which it is thought that these men were born, so Samuel was already living when Samson was born. We just do not hear his story until 1 Samuel.

What view of creation science is presented in Creation to the Greeks?

As a company we hold to a literal 6-day creation and this belief is reflected in our programs. We also understand this is a topic of debate in the Christian community. Our goal is to hold to our beliefs without excluding anyone from using our curriculum. This is a decision that each family and ultimately each person needs to make. The Bible is handled much in the same way. Scriptures and other books are provided, but interpretation is left up to each family.

Why do we study Rome in-depth?

We believe that spending ample time in this period of history helps students better understand the political and social climate that Jesus was born into. As students learn about Jesus, His ministry, and the New Testament alongside the history of the Roman Empire, it brings even more meaning to God's Word. Understanding Rome and its fall brings students to a clearer understanding of the foundations of the Christian Church, which will play an important part in later history.

Why have we chosen to use Augustus Caesar's World?

One of My Father's World goals is to help families see the characters of the Bible, including Jesus, in the context of all of history. Reading Augustus Caesar's World places Jesus in historical context. Studying the Bible and other Christian books alongside a secular book like Augustus Caesar's World allows history and all other subjects to be taught from a Biblical worldview. The Teacher's Manual provides recommendations for how to use Augustus Caesar's World for multiple children in multiple grades in Notes, Week 1, Thursday. We hope a Christian book that teaches about Jesus in a solid historical context becomes available soon.

My 2nd and 3rd graders don't seem to be understanding Augustus Caesar's World.

Please remember that siblings in 2nd or 3rd grade will go through the five-year cycle again as older students. They do not need to catch everything the first time through the cycle. We suggest asking younger siblings to color while listening or splitting the reading into two smaller segments. We have found that younger siblings benefit from hearing the readings even if they are quietly coloring, playing with Legos, Play Doh or other quiet games. They will increase their vocabulary and at least gain a familiarity with the names and events even if they do not understand all the details. We suggest filling your book basket with books that allow your younger children to get a flavor for the time period. Younger children will enjoy other books in the program such as The Roman Empire, Ancient World, Medieval World, and later in the year The Story of the World Volume 2.

We would also encourage younger children to create a notebook page, even if it is a simple drawing, labeled with the date and a brief summary. For students who are struggling to write a summary they may dictate a one or two sentence summary to you. Their dictation can be used as copywork.

What is the 2nd - 3rd Grade Supplement for Exploration to 1850 ?

These are key "living books" from Adventures in U.S. History, designed specifically for 2nd and 3rd graders, to help make history come alive for younger students. All of these books are conveniently scheduled in the Teacher's Manual. They are great books, and you won't want to miss any of them.

What is the 2nd - 3rd Grade Supplement for 1850 to Modern Times ?

Because the history portion is more difficult to understand for 2nd and 3rd graders, My Father's World has created a 2nd-3rd Grade Supplement for 1850 to Modern Times that you will need to teach history to your younger students during this year. Fascinating literature books as well as two activity books help make American history and U.S. geography come alive for younger students. You will find all of these books conveniently scheduled in your Teacher's Manual. They are great books, and you won't want to miss any of them!

Why is the history in 1850 to Modern Times difficult for 2nd and 3rd graders?

The content of 1850 to Modern Times is difficult for 2nd and 3rd graders. The information is more difficult to understand than in our other history programs; many of the books are written at a higher comprehension level. The history content is often troubling - describing wars and human cruelty - and not suitable for younger students. The author of The Story of the World does not recommend using Volume 4 with 3rd grade or younger, and we agree. However, 2nd and 3rd graders can still join you for Bible, science experiments, science readings (the easier sections), and president and state studies, along with the 2nd and 3rd grade supplement that help make American History and U.S. geography come alive for younger students. (Remember that 2nd and 3rd graders will have an opportunity to repeat 1850 to Modern Times in 7th or 8th grade, when they will have the maturity needed to fully comprehend the complex information.)

How long will it take to receive the ants and butterflies after sending in the certificate?

Delivery time is 2-3 weeks for ant and butterfly orders depending on weather. Ants are used in Week 13 and butterflies in Week 25 in our K curriculum.

What are the benefits of the Deluxe Package?

We recommend purchasing the deluxe package to provide the broadest and most complete education for your children. All of the items in the deluxe packages are scheduled or explained in the Teacher's Manuals. Deluxe packages include read alouds, music, art, as well as items to enrich the year's study. The basic package was created as a consideration for customers who were unable to purchase all the items in the deluxe package. The basic package will give your child a good, solid education. You may choose to purchase individual items from the deluxe package.

What version of the Bible do we use in My Father's World?

In All Aboard the Animal Train, our preschool program, we include The Preschooler’s Bible. It introduces young children to the Bible with engaging stories at just the right level of
understanding. We continue using The Preschooler’s Bible in our Voyage of Discovery, PreK program. The Student Sheets included in these programs have Scripture references and paraphrased verses.

In God’s Creation from A to Z, our kindergarten program, the NIV is used for many of the Bible verses. We also use the New Century Version, an easier version to understand, for verses that are more difficult for young children to understand.

The Student Sheets for God’s Creation From A to Z do not have Bible verses printed on them. The Teacher's Manual has verses you read to the child, printed for your convenience, as well as the reference. If you prefer, you may use any version of the Bible when you teach the program, and read the verses from your own Bible.

In Learning God’s Story, our first grade program, the NIV is used for the memory verses, which all come from Proverbs. We use the CEV for most of the Bible stories. The NCV is used for the Creation story. These are simplified versions that make it much easier for children to understand the Bible stories.

The student materials for Learning God’s Story do not have any Bible verses printed on them. The Teacher's Manual has memory verses printed in large type so that the student may copy them for handwriting practice; you will need to write these verses out for your student to copy, if you use another version. The Teacher's Manual also has many Bible stories printed so that you may read them directly out of the manual, but the reference is provided if you prefer to read them from your own Bible.

In Adventures in US History, our 2^ndor 3^rd grade program, we include the Discoverer’s Bible. This is a large print Bible for early readers in the NIrV version. Student Sheets include pre-printed verses for the Names of Jesus Poster created throughout the year. There are alternate blank poster pieces in the Teacher’s Manual if a different translation is desired.

The Family Learning Cycle for grades 3 – 8 and our High School programs use the NIV. Memory verses are printed in the Teacher’s Manual and a list of the year’s verses is provided for your convenience. You may use any version of the Bible when you teach the program, reading and copying the verses from your own Bible.

My Father's World supports Bible Translation around the world through God’s Word for the Nations, a nonprofit, tax exempt organization.
We have a great love for God’s Word and understand the need to communicate clearly and accurately to those you are reaching.

When do students begin book reports?

We do not schedule book reports during any of our curriculum years. We summarize stories and write about people, places and events we are learning about in history, science, and the Bible. My Father's World recommends language arts that include dictations, copy work, creative writing and formal composition. We believe that book reports often have a negative effect. Reading becomes more of an assignment to complete a report than for the enjoyment of reading a quality book. In 7th and 8th grade, we recommend Progeny Press study guides to help students further develop skills in critical thinking, comprehension, literary analysis, and Christian application while reading quality literature.

How can I see a copy of the library book lists in the Teacher's Manual?

These book lists are only available as a part of an MFW Teacher's Manual and are not available individually. My Father's World has put a great deal of time and research into selecting the books for each of our programs. Unfortunately there are people who request our book lists to recreate our programs. If we allow this to happen, we will no longer be able to provide the curriculum so many families are enjoying.

Each of our Teacher's Manuals for 2nd - 8th grades recommends 300-400 books that are organized in two separate lists. Book basket books are themed to weekly topics being studied. A second list of classic books is organized by grade level. These books are read cover to cover when assigned by a parent during independent reading time.

What is My Father's World's copyright policy?

Selling new curriculum provides the resources My Father's World needs to continue to develop the quality programs you are enjoying. We are continually updating our current programs as publishers update and change the books. We have completed a credit-based high school program that meets high school graduation and college entrance requirements.

The daily lesson plans in the Teacher's Manuals are designed to be written in to make record keeping easier. If you have multiple children using the program, we allow you to copy the lesson plans for record keeping for each child. We offer the copying option to meet the needs of your family, not so that you can have a clean copy of the Teacher's Manual to resell. Copying any part of the lesson plans or book lists for the purpose of keeping a clean copy to resell is a violation of copyright.

The current copyright policy in our Teacher's Manuals is as follows:

No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the author. However, if you do not sell, give, or loan the original Teacher's Manual or any copies at any time, then we grant limited permission to photocopy the weekly lesson plan charts (but not the weekly Notes pages) for your personal record keeping and/or state recording requirements.

We understand the desire to make the best use of the curriculum you purchase. We also hope the bigger picture of the benefits of our current copyright policy can be understood.

What are some of the distinctive characteristics of My Father's World?

Most curricula favor one learning style whereas My Father's World is multi-sensory. We have Teacher's Manuals that are geared for the average mom, not a classroom teacher, and involve much less preparation. We often hear that people are overwhelmed with trying to do everything required in their curriculum, but we rarely hear that from My Father's World families. Our programs combine elements of classical education, Charlotte Mason, and unit studies from a Christian perspective teaching a biblical worldview. My Father's World consults with families before, during, and after curriculum selection because we truly want to help families who are homeschooling.

My Father's World curriculum covers Bible, science, social studies (geography and chronological history), reading (three types: read aloud, read on theme, read at grade level), Greek and Latin roots, classic literature, music, art, character development, and more. All children in grades 2-8 are taught these subjects together using the same Teacher's Manual and books.

Kindergarten and First Grade are complete programs. You will add grade level math and language arts for each child in grades 2-8. In 7th and 8th you will also add a grade appropriate science program and additional grade level projects. Please view our recommendations for these programs:
Math
Language Arts
Foreign Language
Science
For more information on high school please view our curriculum page.

How does My Father's World curriculum meet state standards and perform on standardized test?

We consistently hear good reports from our customers about their children's scores on standardized achievement tests. Our programs cover all the required learning goals and standard requirements of most departments of education for grades K-12, though from a Christian perspective. The programs are written by a certified teacher and cover all subjects needed for a strong academic, as well as Biblical, foundation. We may teach topics in a different order than a specific state, but everything is covered. Therefore when MFW students are tested on material already covered in our programs they score well. Those of us who have used MFW for many years have learned not to worry when a state test covers material not yet covered in MFW curriculum. We know that this material will be covered at a later time and then be reflected in test scores.

All the feedback we have received from high school students using MFW is that they are testing above average on the SAT and ACT tests. MFW graduates are reported to have gone on to receive merit-based scholarships for universities.

While we are happy to share about academic achievements of those who have graduated with MFW, we are more pleased that these young men and women have received unparalleled Bible and character training. MFW is one of the only curricula available that has students complete a sweeping overview of Scripture-from Genesis to Revelation-three times before graduation. The third time through, our high school students are responsible for reading, in a responsive way, every verse of the Old Testament (9th grade) and the New Testament (10th grade). This expectation, coupled with being taught Biblical worldview, complete church history, and apologetics, prepares young adults to be launched in effective service in the Kingdom of God. For these reasons, in addition to a strong standard of academics, we believe MFW stands out when compared to other curriculum choices.

Can I make changes to the basic and deluxe packages?

My Father's World complete packages are discounted because items are pre-ordered and then pre-packaged in our warehouse. When the package is changed or broken up that discount is no longer available. You may order single items from the packages and pay a per item price. If you choose to purchase individual items, make sure your savings is greater than the discount on the package price. It is often less expensive to purchase the package and have a few duplicate books than to order individually. If you do end up having duplicate books they can make great gifts or be resold.

How do children transition to My Father's World from other curriculum?

Most children transition into My Father's World very easily. Our programs for students in grades 2-8 integrate literature, Bible, history, science, music appreciation, art, and character development. All children in grades 2-8 are taught together using the same Teacher's Manual and books. A weekly grid is provided with daily lesson plans making this a low preparation curriculum. A sample may be viewed on page 9-10 of this Teacher's Manual. Advanced projects are assigned in the Teacher's Manual for the older children. You will add grade level math and language arts for each child in grades 2-8. In 7th and 8th you will also add a grade appropriate science program and additional grade level projects. Please view our recommendations for these programs:

Math
Language Arts
Foreign Language
Science

Our programs are low prep for parents, hands-on for children, and combine elements of Charlotte Mason, chronological unit studies, and Classical Education while teaching from a Biblical perspective. Each program for grades 2-6 is designed to be completed in four hours each day, including all subjects, when using our recommendations for math and language arts. These programs include 60-90 minutes of independent work each day. This is time you can spend teaching kindergartners and first graders, focusing on reading, handwriting, and math. Then invite younger children to join older children for Bible, science, read alouds, and other hands-on projects whenever they are interested.

Should I purchase extra Student Sheets for my children ages 3 - 1st grade?

Each child in grades 2-8 is required to have their own set of Student Sheets and other consumable items to complete the program as written. To bring unity to your school day and to easily include younger children in games, activities, and projects with big brothers and sisters, we also suggest that children ages 3 - 1st grade have these same materials. When a younger child asks, "Mommy, can I do it too?" having additional Student Sheets makes it easy to say yes and creates a positive family learning environment.

Student Sheets are convenient consumable pages designed to make life easier for Mom! Create lasting notebooks for each child as you complete activities scheduled in the Teacher's Manual. Student Sheets include history or geography notebook pages, map work, hands-on projects, science activities, writing projects, games, and timeline figures. One set of Student Sheets is included in a Deluxe or Basic Package. Purchase additional sets so that all children have their own. Student Sheets include cardstock, color printing, and colored paper and may not be photocopied.

How does My Father's World Curriculum help my child learn critical thinking skills?

Critical thinking is not a subject My Father's World studies independently but which is learned throughout our programs. These skills are developed during the discussion between the parent and children in response to the reading done together. We integrate Bible and history together to learn a biblical worldview, and the process of learning and discussing biblical truth and history together requires critical thinking. Critical thinking and logic skills are also learned through Singapore Math, the math program we recommend for grades 2-6, and geometry in high school. At the high school level, we also recommend a 2-book elective course called Introduction to Logic. This course helps students learn to recognize bad reasoning when discussing opposing viewpoints and how to build reasoning skills.

Adapting My Father's World curriculum for Canadian families

What an exciting adventure your family can encounter when learning through My Father's World curriculum! Each year of My Father's World is created to offer complete, lasting and effective education for your students. Bible, literature, history and geography, science, art, and music are beautifully integrated, allowing families with varying ages to study together.

My Father's World curriculum is easily adaptable for Canadian families. In many cases very little or no modification will be needed.

Preschool, Kindergarten, and First Grade

My Father's World programs are all-inclusive programs with a strong educational and Biblical focus. Canadian families need to make no changes to the daily lesson plans in these programs.

Families Whose Oldest Child is 2nd or 3rd Grade: TWO OPTIONS

Adventures in U.S. History or Exploring Countries and Cultures

Adventures in U.S. History is a one year program only for families whose oldest child is in 2nd or 3rd grade. Science, art and Bible lessons can be taught as written. U.S. history is the main history focus for this year. Families may skim these U.S. history lessons and substitute Canadian materials or bypass Adventures in U.S. History and move directly into Exploring Countries and Cultures.

Families with Children Grades 2-8: The My Father's World Family Cycle

Exploring Countries and Cultures (Year 1), Creation to the Greeks (Year 2), and Rome to the Reformation (Year 3) are ready for Canadian families and require no modifications. Exploration to 1850 (Year 4) and 1850 to Modern Times (Year 5) have a world history focus with an integrated U.S. history component. It is possible to skim these U.S. history sections and add Canadian history easily.

High School Students

Ancient History & Literature (Year 1) and World History & Literature (Year 2) are ready for use by Canadian families as written. High school years 3 and 4 cover multiple subjects including Bible, English/literature, U.S. history, U.S. government and economics. Please contact your school's curriculum advisor to assure all high school curriculum meets Canadian educational requirements.

In all, My Father's World has at least eight years with no U.S. focus, two years with world/U.S. focus, and only three years with a strong U.S. history component. We do not know of another curriculum that is as easily adapted for Canadian families.

Note: Each year of curriculum, K-12, includes an extensive book list. Some books on the recommend reading lists may have a U.S. flavor because each list is comprised of books available in U.S. libraries.

What if I already own a First Edition of Exploring Countries and Cultures?

My Father's World released a new edition of Exploring Countries and Cultures in 2009. See the ECC Upgrade information for the significant revisions and updates to this edition.

How do I purchase World News Group magazine memberships?

View the details in the Magazines section on the Language Arts page.

Where can I get more information on shipping and returns?

Ordering options, shipping rates, and return policy can be found here:
View shipping info

This link is also found by clicking on the Support menu and selecting shipping / ordering information where you can find more details about when you can expect to receive your order, and how much you can expect it to cost to ship your package to you.

How do I begin Writing with Skill with an 8th Grader?

My Father's World schedules two lessons a week in Writing with Skill Level 1 to be completed during 7th and 8th grade. For an 8th grader who is beginning WWS, we recommend completing as much of the book as possible. Consider adding one additional writing day to complete more lessons by the end of the year. By following this general guideline, you should be able to complete more than half the book. If you would like more specific recommendations for beginning Writing with Skill Level 1 with an 8th grader, see below.

The author of Writing with Skill recommends the following:

You may progress more quickly through any assignments the student finds easy, skipping steps that seem unnecessary. Your goal is to familiarize the student with the topics taught and with the skills covered in the exercises.

Have the student read the General Instructions, the Overview for Weeks 1-3, and the Overview for Weeks 4-15 carefully.

Have the student complete the narration exercises in Day 1 of Week 14 and Day 1 of Week 15. If the student can do this without too much difficulty, you may skip all of Week 1 as well as Day 1 exercises in Weeks 3-13. If the student struggles, do not skip these exercises.

Have the student complete the outlining exercises in Day 2 of Weeks 14 and 15. If the student can do this without difficulty, you may skip Week 2, and Day 3 of Week 3. The other outlining exercises serve as models for the topics being taught and should be completed.

My Father’s World adds the following recommendations for those following our language arts recommendations and planning to continue in high school:

If your student completed Writing Skills for Today Level B you may skip Weeks 8 and 9, but discuss the Space and Distance Words/Phrases for descriptions found in Appendix I of the Student Journal (p. 488) and complete Week 10.

If you are using Progeny Press literature guides which provide similar lessons, you may skip Part IV: Beginning Literary Criticism: Prose, but read the overview together. Additional literary analyses will be a focus in MFW high school especially in years 2 and 3.

MFW high school includes two formal opportunities for large research projects in years 2 and 4, so you may skip Part V: Research, but read the overview and complete Weeks 30 and 31: Writing from Notes. Note taking is a valuable study skill for high school and beyond.

If your child completed Language Lessons for Today poetry lessons, you may skip most or all of Part VI: Beginning Literary Criticism: Poetry. Poetry will be studied in MFW high school. (If you have boys, consider completing Week 34, "Charge of the Light Brigade." Several of the poetry concepts from this section could be explored orally including younger members of the family.)

When is it best to teach parts of speech?

Respected homeschool expert Ruth Beechick advises parents of elementary grade students to wait to teach parts of speech. Students don't need to diagram sentences or formally learn about prepositions, adverbs, etc., when they are young. Why teach the same concepts year after year at the elementary level? Older children understand abstract concepts more easily than 3rd and 4th graders. Parts of speech are taught informally in Language Lessons for Today without the student even realizing it. In 5th grade, when children are old enough to retain the concepts, we begin a thorough study of the parts of speech more directly in Language Lessons for Today. This is consistent with Charlotte Mason's educational philosophy.

In 7th grade, Applications of Grammar thoroughly covers parts of speech, diagramming, and more. In 8th grade, Easy Grammar Ultimate Series Grade 8 is a final review before entering our high school program.

Why does My Father's World recommend Language Lessons for Today, Spelling Power, Writing Skills for Today, and Writing with Skill?

When you combine the above books with the practical language arts skills already in My Father's World curriculum, the coverage of language arts is very thorough. This combination follows a Charlotte Mason approach better than any other program we know.

The programs are very efficient, teaching skills without "fluff", "twaddle", and "extras" that really aren't needed. Spelling Power takes 15 minutes (4 times per week). Language Lessons for Today also takes about 15 minutes (3 times per week). Minimal parent preparation time is needed!

They are very flexible and affordable. You can adjust lessons to your child's needs. If a child has already focused on writing earlier that day, you can often complete Language Lessons for Today orally. These books may be reused with any number of children for as many years as they are needed.

This gentle approach is less stressful for children and parents. We are concerned that sometimes so much energy goes into language arts that children are worn out for the day before even getting to the "good stuff" in homeschool.

What if my 2nd grade child is a strong speller and Spelling by Sound & Structure seems too easy?

What a great gift to have a natural speller! Children all come to the spelling lessons with different abilities. With an advanced 2^nd grader we still recommend Spelling by Sound and Structure, but use the pages to focus on penmanship. When lessons are easy for a student, you can ask for their very best handwriting. In addition, as the year progresses, you may find that the phonics review will catch a few concepts that weren’t quite understood before.

Why do we recommend Spelling by Sound and Structure for 2^nd graders? Spelling by Sound and Structure is quick, encouraging, and low-stress -- appropriate for a 2^nd grader's maturity level. Instead of the usual full-page daily work, only half a page is completed each day. We especially like the built-in review of phonics concepts, which increases in difficulty over the year, to reinforce phonics details that may not be mastered yet.

Now to address Spelling Power for a 2^nd grader. The author of Spelling Power suggests waiting to begin until 3^rd grade and we agree. Over the years, we’ve discovered that Spelling Power works well beginning at 3^rd grade, but the methodology often frustrates 2^nd graders. Many children who start before 3^rd grade are not successful and feel discouraged because the method has them work through word lists until they make mistakes. Often 2^nd graders find it hard to “fail.” Even if a child is advanced in spelling, there’s no reason to overload them with spelling words they may not be familiar with.

How is literature included?

My Father's World is a literature-rich curriculum that strives to provide the best choices for literature while keeping annual curriculum costs at a minimum. All required books are included in the curriculum packages. In addition, an extensive list of highly recommended, but optional, library books - organized by week, theme, and reading level - is included with each year of our curriculum. This list allows My Father's World to provide excellent literature options for children of all reading levels.

There are four types of reading in our programs for grades 2-8: read-alouds, reading on theme, independent reading, and reading for comprehension.

Read-Alouds
Each year of curriculum for 2^nd-8^th grades provides a core set of books scheduled in our Teacher's Manuals for Bible, history, and science. These books are read aloud together as a family. Reading time is followed by parent/teacher-led discussion, narration, and other activities designed for retention. Engaging literature for the entire family, including missionary biographies and other life-impacting classics, is also scheduled in our Teacher's Manuals and included in the Deluxe Package.

Thematic Independent Reading
Book Basket® is designed to develop a love for reading using "living books." Each of our Teacher's Manuals recommends hundreds of colorful picture books, chapter books, fascinating biographies, videos, and DVDs related to the history, geography, music, and science being taught each week. Some of these books may be borrowed from the library and placed in a simple basket (or box) at home. Students are then able to choose those titles that most interest them, exposing them to a wide variety of literature, while enriching their learning experience. Children who love to read also love to learn.

Independent Reading at Grade Level
Independent reading from chapter books is scheduled daily for 20-30 minutes. Books may be selected from a list of over 100 classic books organized by grade level, the Book Basket® recommendations, or other chapter books of your choosing.

Reading for Comprehension
Customers choosing to follow My Father's World's recommendations for language arts complete activities by grade level that provide both written and oral comprehension activities in response to various reading assignments. These activities are found in Language Lessons for Today and Progeny Press Study Guides.

How has My Father's World been influenced by the Charlotte Mason's educational philosophy?

The following key principles and ideas are integrated into our curriculum:

Structured mornings that feature short, effective lessons with unstructured afternoons left for other activities
Study other countries and cultures early to avoid an "arrogant" habit of mind (Year One of the family cycle - Exploring Countries and Cultures)
Study history in chronological order and compare across countries in any given time period
Read great literature aloud at grade level and above with featured living books and more
"Century Books" - create timelines and history notebooks
Weekly nature walks, including notebooking
Children are given direct contact with the Bible at an early age

What are Student Sheets?

Student Sheets are convenient consumable pages designed to make life easier for Mom! Create lasting notebooks for each child as you complete activities scheduled in the Teacher's Manual. Student Sheets include history or geography notebook pages, map work, hands-on projects, science activities, writing projects, games, and timeline figures. One set of Student Sheets is included in a Deluxe or Basic Package. Purchase additional sets so that all your 2nd - 8th graders have their own. (Student Sheets include cardstock, color printing, and colored paper and may not be photocopied.) We recommend purchasing Student Sheets for ages 3 to 1st grade as well - building unity in the family as younger children participate in games, activities, and projects with big brothers and sisters.

How is the Multi-Age Family Cycle used with 7th and 8th graders?

Each year of our multi-age family cycle for grades 2-8 is designed to meet the needs of both elementary and junior high level students. Your 7th and 8th graders experience higher educational challenges while remaining a part of family learning.

The 7th and 8th graders will continue to join the family teaching time for Bible, history, music, art, and read-alouds. As they are able, students transition from parent/teacher-taught lessons to parent/teacher-guided independent lessons in science, math, and language arts. This self-directed learning teaches independent study skills, preparing students for high school and college. To make this transition as easy as possible:

Science and math courses include daily lesson plans written to the students so they know which pages and which problems to do each day to complete the course in one school year.
Math courses also include step-by-step solutions for all textbook problems and tests, as well as an instructional CD for each lesson.

To help students learn long-term planning, we suggest the parent/teacher or the student make his own schedule for completing language arts workbooks. Building a schedule using the table of contents is one easy approach.

To complete your curriculum for 7th and 8th graders, add:

Apologia science
Saxon math
Language arts

Progeny Press Study Guides - one each semester
Writing with Skill
Applications of Grammar
Easy Grammar Ultimate Series Grade 8
Spelling Power (if needed)

How Does the Multi-Age Family Cycle Work?

If your oldest is in 4th-8th grade, begin the Family Cycle at Year One with all 2nd-8th graders. K - 1st graders may participate in some of the easier activities for a low-key exposure to topics. (If you have a 2nd or 3rd grader, and no children in 4th - 8th grade, use Adventures in U.S. History and begin the five-year cycle the next year.)

Continue through the five-year cycle. When younger children reach 2nd grade, they join their older siblings in the family cycle using the same year the other children are studying. This unifies the family and assures that Mom is only teaching one of the five-year cycle programs each year. (Younger children can easily join mid-cycle because they have already been exposed to the earlier years as a part of the family.)

When you finish Year Five, go back to Year One and continue to cycle through Years One-Five with all of your children who have not reached 9th grade. A 7th or 8th grader will repeat, on a more advanced level, the years he was taught in 2nd and 3rd grade.

When a child reaches 9th grade, he will leave the cycle. He is ready for parent-guided independent work in our high school program.

How long do the hands-on activities take?

Have you ever experienced life in arctic temperatures? Do you wonder how animals such as the penguin can withstand such chilling conditions? Students using My Father's World not only read about important concepts and places, like Antarctica, but also discover them. The Penguin Activity is one of the many fun, impacting, and simple hands-on activities scheduled into My Father's World daily lesson plans. Using just four items found in the average kitchen and approximately 10 minutes of time, a student experiences first hand what it feels like in the bitter cold water, and discovers why a penguin can withstand these cold conditions when a human cannot. What a joyful opportunity for a parent to watch a student light up with excitement as learning jumps out of a book and becomes reality!

We recognize school days are busy, so most projects are completed in 15-20 minutes. Expect one or two activities a week with additional suggestions marked as "optional." You will already have many of the needed materials in your home. My Father's World hands-on activities - easy and time-efficient for Mom and Dad - are designed to create learning that will last.

Does MFW offer evolution-free resources?

Yes, God is enabling us to provide more and more evolution-free resources. (learn more)

How are Composition and Grammar included in High School?

In Year 1, Ancient History and Literature, composition focuses on the argumentative essay. The Ancient Literature Supplement with Grammar and Composition instructs students step-by-step how to write a strong five-paragraph argumentative essay. Five unique argumentative essays are written during the year to help students improve their skills. Detailed instruction explains how to write a thesis statement and format each of the five paragraphs. Grammar lessons related to this type of writing are included. These essays draw from what is being studied in Bible, English, and history to help students mature in their understanding and ownership of a Christian worldview. One essay prompts the student to compare and contrast the gods' motivations and relationships in Bulfinch's Mythology to that of the Living God. As students think through and write this type of essay, they cannot help but grow in their understanding of their God. Students also create original psalms and complete less structured essays on history topics.

During Year 2, World History and Literature, a traditional research paper is written during the first ten weeks. This project includes research and bibliography note cards, footnotes, and a bibliography. The student also learns to write ten other types of compositions in response to literature read during the program. Writers INC provides instruction for the research paper and other assigned compositions, and serves as an excellent resource on language usage.

In Year 3, U.S. History to 1877, American literature is analyzed from a Christian worldview using reading and writing assignments in the American Literature Supplement. The Progeny Press study guide for The Scarlet Letter also includes assigned essays. In addition, grammar review is included using Easy Grammar Ultimate Series: Grade 11.

Year 4, US History 1877 to the Present, includes one semester of modern American literature and one semester of speech. Each classic novel read from this time period is analyzed using a book review included with the lesson plans. Completing a second research paper is also highly recommended.

Why do you recommend Saxon Math 3rd edition for grades 7 - 12?

Based on our relationship with Dr. David Shormann of D.I.V.E. (Digital Interactive Video Education) and his review of Saxon Math 4th edition programs, we will continue to recommend Saxon 3rd edition 7th -12th grade math programs. He believes the newer Saxon textbooks have strayed too far from John Saxon's (1923-1996) original, tried and tested vision for teaching mathematics. The 4th edition was not written by John Saxon (who died in 1996), but by the current owners of Saxon Math. Dr. Shormann does not believe that 4th edition programs hold to the original, successful Saxon methodology. Therefore, D.I.V.E. will not be developing the instructional CDs we have come to appreciate for the 4th edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt assures us that for the time being they will continue to print the 3rd edition materials for the homeschool market. For these reasons My Father's World will continue to sell and recommend Saxon Math 3rd edition programs with the D.I.V.E CD for teaching instruction.

Can I get the Daily Lesson Plans in an electronic format?

We do not have electronic files available for our lesson plan grids at this time. We are looking into ways that we may be able to make this possible. Our best suggestion is to photocopy the lesson plan grids for each of your children and write in the additional assignments.* We realize this is not the most convenient way. Thank you for your patience.

*Please remember that our copyright policy allows photocopying the daily lesson plans for your personal record keeping and/or state recording requirements when you commit not to sell, give, or loan the original Daily Lesson Plan Manual or any copies at any time.

Why Ancient History and Literature in High School?

While reviewing the sequence of the high school program, you may be asking, “Can my student skip Ancient History and Literature since it is not a state requirement for graduation?” Though not state-required, My Father’s World believes Ancient History and Literature is critical to a biblical scope and sequence for high school. This program provides high school students with a solid foundation in Bible that includes reading the entire Old Testament. Integrating Old Testament readings with the study of ancient cultures and literature meets the greater goal of educating children with solid Christian beliefs, while achieving strong academic goals. Ancient History and Literature helps high school students embrace a strong Biblical worldview by developing analytical skills and spiritual maturity. Students will be faced with many thought provoking life issues including, “Will I live for my pleasure, or will I live for God’s glory?” Ancient History and Literature is important for all high school students, even those who have recently studied this time period. Don’t miss this great opportunity to give your children more of God’s heart for His people and His creation while preparing them for college or a career.

What Are Student Materials? (First grade)

Learning God's Story Student Materials include 3 required consumable items to teach reading, writing, math, and more. All instructions are included in the Teacher’s Manual for using each component:
     · Student Workbook—phonics, spelling, and reading exercises.
     · Student Sheets—reinforce phonics, spelling, and handwriting skills, and includes the following: timeline figures, 100’s chart, ABC chart, number chart, reading chart, weather charts, music activities, and more (some sheets are printed on card stock).
     · Bible Notebook—students learn beginning composition while they summarize and illustrate Bible stories to create a lovely keepsake book.

One set of Student Materials is included in a Deluxe or Basic Package. Purchase one set of Student Materials for each additional child completing this program. Additional sets will include the Student Workbook, Student Sheets, and Bible Notebook. Purchase an additional Bible Reader, if desired, separately.

Spelling Power seems overwhelming, how do I use this resource?

My Father’s World recognizes that Spelling Power can seem overwhelming when using the detailed instructions offered in the program. We have provided simple, “user-friendly” instructions in our Teacher’s Manuals for grades 2-8. Spelling Power can be used completely, without the use of the computer in approximately 10-15 minutes each day. These “user-friendly” instructions begin in week 3 in the teaching notes of the Teacher’s Manuals. You will note on Tuesday of week 3, we suggest using a spiral notebook instead of the printable pages from the computer disc. A Student Sheet is provided each year which gives a handy reminder of the 10 Step Review Process.

Why does My Father's World use the U.S. Edition of Singapore Math vs other editions?

My Father's World has chosen to continue using Singapore's Primary Mathematics US Edition over the Standards Edition (which meets California standards) or Common Core Edition because it best follows the model for teaching math in Singapore. We do not believe the changes made in either edition increase the effectiveness of the program. My Father's World maintains that the elements of math added to the Standards Edition were to meet a U.S. standard that is less effective than the standards used in the original Singapore programs. For example, children do not need to be introduced to probability and negative numbers until junior high, when these concepts can be quickly learned at a more mature age. For these reasons My Father's World continues to recommend the U.S. Edition.

My child has taken the Singapore Math placement test and scored fairly low. Do I start where they tested or go with their grade level?

Singapore Math is a very strong program; do not expect your child to test into a level that matches their grade level. Singapore books do not necessarily correlate to U.S. grade levels. The goal is to complete at least 5B by the end of the 6th grade. (Some students may easily be able to reach 6B and should be encouraged to do so.) Many children who switch to Singapore after 2nd grade will need to complete more than one lesson a day until they are on target to reach this goal.

Does the high school program need to be completed in order?

Our high school program is a parent guided, independent study program, each year building upon the previous year, so we recommend studying the program in sequential order. The Bible and composition in Year 1, Ancient History and Literature, are a foundation for the Bible and composition in Year 2, World History and Literature. The Biblical worldview in Year 3, US History to 1877, is written for a more mature student and is better understood and processed by an older student (ages 16 or 17) and Year 4 U.S. History 1877 to the Present completes the United States history started in Year 3 as well as providing students with concepts and skills for spiritual growth, developing lifelong habits and practices.

For most students, Ancient History and Literature will not be required for state graduation requirements. Nonetheless, My Father's World believes it is critical to the Biblical scope and sequence needed for high school students. Ancient History and Literature provides students with a solid foundation in Bible that includes reading the entire Old Testament verse by verse. Integrating the Old Testament readings with the study of ancient cultures and literature meets a greater goal of educating students with a solid Christian belief system while achieving an academically strong education. Ancient History and Literature will help students learn a strong Biblical worldview by developing analytical skills and spiritual maturity.

Why did My Father's World choose Jacob's Geometry instead of Saxon?

My Father's World has reviewed Saxon Geometry and we still prefer Jacobs Geometry. Jacobs Geometry has a wonderful way of explaining concepts and providing background information making it a more easily understood and applied program.

Can I get the Teacher's Manual in an electronic format?

We do not have electronic files available for our lesson plan grids at this time. We are looking into ways that we may be able to make this possible. Our best suggestion is to photocopy the lesson plan grids for each of your children and write in the additional math and language arts assignments.* We realize this is not the most convenient way. Thank you for your patience.

*Please remember that our copyright policy allows photocopying of lesson plan charts (but not the Notes pages) for your personal record keeping and/or state recording requirements when you commit not to sell, give, or loan the original Teacher's Manual or any copies at any time.

My High School student will not finish Year 4 but needs Economics to graduate, what do I do?

For students who are not completing U.S. History 1877 to the Present (Year 4) and need a semester credit of economics to meet state graduation requirements, we recommend Economics for Life, which is available through My Father’s World.

This course provides one semester credit and helps the student understand the economic forces that shape our world. This thorough and understandable course blends the best of print and audio/visual resource currently available, covering both micro and macro economics. Students learn basic economic principles needed to understand such concepts as free trade, globalization, inflation, recessions, surpluses and shortages, global warming, energy, stimulus packages and bailouts. Upon completion of this course, students will have a greater awareness of economics and what America’s founders believed was the proper role of government and its influence on economic progress.

How is My Father's World classical?

We are often asked how My Father's World is classical. My Father's World has an overarching classical structure. We believe that children have three distinct stages of learning (the trivium) and have written our programs to reflect that. We also believe that history should be studied chronologically, once in each of the three stages of learning. My Father's World takes many of the ideologies of a classical education and blends them into our programs while still using the best of Charlotte Mason ideas and unit studies with a biblical perspective.

In several of our programs, students will study Greek and Latin roots in the context of history while building vocabulary. We also include the chronological study of art and music within our study of history to allow our students to have a well-rounded, thorough education. Students will read and study Homer, Galen, Augustus Caesar and others throughout our programs, all in the context of history. A classical education encourages students to recognize that all knowledge is interrelated and is not to be studied in isolation which we believe includes the Bible. My Father's World uses the Bible as a history text in each of the three stages of learning so students see history through a biblical lens.

My Father's World combines the best elements of a classical education, Charlotte Mason ideas, and unit studies with a biblical perspective to provide a low preparation, hands-on, academic curriculum that will help students to retain and understand history, science, and Bible. Many families who choose to home school using a classical methodology with a Biblical worldview find My Father’s World easy to use while still maintaining a strong academic standard.

How does My Father's World choose the books included in each curriculum package?

Our goal is to combine a selection of books, used with our Teacher’s Manuals, to teach a Biblical worldview to encourage our children to live purposefully for God’s kingdom with a strong academic foundation. We consider each book individually based on whether the content helps to accomplish our educational and spiritual goals for the curriculum.

My Father's World develops new programs with the help of pilot families. These families provide feedback on each of the books included in a pilot program. Books only remain in the program when evaluations confirm that a book is helping students grow spiritually and academically. We are committed to our goals, not particular books or authors. We are willing to change a book when we find another book that better meets our goals.

We are committed to providing the best, most interesting, most truthful and God-centered books that we can find. As Bible translators, we know the importance of God’s Word. The Bible is the only perfect resource that is fully accurate. We, of course, prefer all of our books to be free of views contrary to God’s truth, but this is not always possible. We regret this, and only use such a book when there is not a more suitable alternative. The reasons for some of our choices are:

We want families to see the people of the Bible, including Jesus, in the context of all of history. To do this we may need to choose a secular book that places Jesus and other Bible figures in historical context because a quality Christian book is not available. When the choice is made to use a secular book it will always be taught along side the Bible and other Christian books so that history and all other subjects are taught from a Biblical worldview.
We choose high quality books that engage the child. When faced with the choice between a dry, unattractive book with a strong Biblical worldview and a beautiful, engaging book with minimal questionable content, we will often choose the engaging book. Then our Teacher’s Manual explains how to use the book without compromising the Biblical focus of the program.

For instance, if we choose a book that mentions evolution we handle it one of two ways. We may not read all the pages in the book. The pages referring to evolution are often not included in the daily lesson plans. If they are read we include a warning in the Teacher’s Manual, giving the parent suggestions for handling the issue. The only reason we include these types of books is because there is not a book of equal quality (print size, colored pictures, and interesting activities) to engage the child. We prefer to choose a high quality book and use it with limitations or explanation, than use a lesser quality book that loses children’s attention.

What is Book Basket and how does it work?

Book Basket® is designed to develop a love for reading using "living books." Each of our Teacher's Manuals recommends hundreds of colorful picture books, chapter books, fascinating biographies, videos, and DVDs related to the history, geography, music, and science being taught each week. Some of these books may be borrowed from the library and placed in a simple basket (or box) at home. Students are then able to choose those titles that most interest them, exposing them to a wide variety of literature, while enriching their learning experience. Children who love to read also love to learn.

Where do I begin your high school program with a 10th grader?

We recommend that a 10th grade student begin with Ancient History and Literature. Beginning with Ancient History and Literature allows the student the benefits of reading through the entire Bible verse by verse, seeing God’s hand in history from Creation to the present, and receiving solid instruction in composition during his final three years of high school.

Our recommended schedule:
10th – Ancient History and Literature
11th – World History and Literature
12th – U.S. History to 1877, plus a semester of history which is taught in U.S. History to 1877 to the Present (Year 4). All of the books you will need for this additional semester of U.S. history are included in the purchase of Year 3, U.S. History to 1877. This additional semester of history from Year 4 will be studied independently following the format presented in the lesson plans for U.S. History to 1877.

For students needing economics for graduation, we recommend Economics in a Box, a one-semester course available from My Father’s World.

For more personal recommendations, please call our office (573-202-2000).

Basic or Deluxe Package - What's the Difference?

Think about a big, juicy deli sandwich. Two slices of the freshest bread, your favorite meats, and tasty cheese. Delicious! But wait a minute—there's also a deluxe sandwich that includes crisp lettuce, red ripe tomatoes, pickles, onions, and that secret sauce. More delicious! You may be asking what this has to do with Basic and Deluxe Packages. We are often asked, "What is the difference between these two packages?" and "Do I really need the items in the Deluxe Package?" The sandwich with all the fixings is the Deluxe Package. When the Hazells began gathering resources to use with their children, the books and activities were not divided into basic and deluxe. They simply chose books and activities they felt gave the best, well-rounded education for their children, using what has become the Deluxe Packages. The option of a Basic Package was created to offer choices for our customers. Because the Deluxe Package has excellent books that may be part of a family's library, offering a Basic Package gives families a great discount while only purchasing the items needed to complete their Deluxe Package. We also wanted to provide families on a tight budget with an option that includes all of the basic elements for each year's study. So, the Deluxe Package is like the deli sandwich with all of the trimmings, fresh and mouth-watering. The Basic Package has essential items you need for the year, but choosing the Deluxe Package will bring a richer, fuller experience

How do I use the 7th/8th grade recommendations for language arts?

7th grade:
Applications of Grammar Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Writing with Skill Level 1 Thursday, Friday (first half of book)
Progeny Press Study Guides (two; see below)

8th grade:
Easy Grammar Ultimate Series Daily
Writing with Skill Level 1 Thursday, Friday (second half of book)
Progeny Press Study Guides (two; see below)

Note: If your 7th grader lacks basic instruction in nouns, verbs, etc., complete Language Lessons for Today Grade 6 in the first eight weeks of 7th grade. For a student only weak in grammar, omit these types of lessons: Poem, Picture Study, Debate, Composition, Dictation, Narration, and Conversation. Work with the student 30 minutes daily, five days a week, teaching two or more lessons each day, with the goal of finishing it by the end of Week 8. Then begin Applications of Grammar, with the goal of finishing it by the end of 7th grade.

Spelling Power may be used if the student needs spelling instruction. My Father's World Teacher's Manuals give directions for using Spelling Power.

Progeny Press: Complete one Study Guide each semester. Allow about 8 weeks per guide depending on length of book. Read the entire book the first week, and then complete one section per week in the guide. Each semester after completing the Progeny Press guide, choose other books to read (see the appendix in your Teacher’s Manual for general recommended books or historical fiction/biographies).

Is there a Catholic version of your curriculum?

My Father’s World’s heart is to offer a program that welcomes families from a broad range of Christian beliefs. Our goal is to present Scripture and history in a Biblical way that allows parents to interpret both Scripture and history to their children. We have intentionally rejected authors or publishers with an anti-Catholic tone. For example, during Rome to the Reformation, we read a wonderful account of Francis of Assisi’s life in Trial and Triumph. Our hope is to put together a strong program taught from a Biblical perspective using a wide variety of books. Our daily lesson plans will use the most appropriate pages from each of the books in the package to meet these goals. As a company we have no doctrinal agenda and hope to avoid any prejudice as a program.

Why should Christian high school students study mythology?

As parents and teachers of high school students, we want our children to be able to study literature and history from different cultures and see it in the context of a Biblical worldview. In Ancient History and Literature, students read through the entire Old Testament while reading other literature from the corresponding time period. As the students learn to write an argumentative essay, they compare and contrast what they are learning from the Bible with what they are reading. For instance, one writing assignment is to look at the character of the True God compared to the mythological Greek gods. Students discover that the Greek gods are imperfect, like any other god that man creates in his own image. Oftentimes, the gods reflect the worst of human nature and are very childish, bickering and competitive with each other. This type of critical thinking and writing helps our children establish and solidify a Biblical worldview as taught from Scripture. This knowledge, background, and experience then helps them to evaluate our current culture and more effectively live life from a Biblical worldview today.

Our English language also has many idioms that come from mythology. Have you heard about someone who was caught “between a rock and a hard place”? Students will learn where this expression comes from after reading about Jason and the Argonauts. Or “That was his Achilles’ heel”? After reading about the Trojan War, we learn that Achilles’ only weakness was his heel.

Further, much of the literature from western civilization makes allusions to ancient mythology. Writers and poets have borrowed heavily from the tales of old. Without any knowledge of ancient mythology, students’ comprehension and appreciation of many literary masterpieces will suffer. Literary greats like William Shakespeare, John Milton, Lord Tennyson, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Nathaniel Hawthorne use mythological references in many of their writings.

Why does My Father's World not offer the Home Instructors Guide for Singapore Math?

My Father's World has found the Home Instructor's Guide from Singapore overwhelming for most parents, making lessons longer than they need to be. The guide seems to be written to classroom educators not home educating parents.

Of the many families we know using Singapore Math, most are very confident teaching the program with just the textbook and the workbook, along with our Daily Lesson Plans. The parent simply walks the child through the textbook just as it is written.

Our Daily Lesson Plans primarily show you what to complete each day in the textbook and the workbook, with a few suggestions for teaching. The lessons have been scheduled to complete two levels (an A and a B) in one academic year. If needed, you may use a manipulative (hands-on) to help learn a concept. The examples from the textbook can be replicated with a manipulative such as Cuisenaire Rods or others that you may already have. This is a great way to introduce the concepts in a concrete manner.

We suggest, if you chose to use the Home Instructors Guide, to choose only a few activities to reinforce the lesson and then only if it is needed beyond what is in the daily textbook lesson activities.

Why do you include secular books like The Children's Homer in your program?

Each of My Father’s World programs is written from a Biblical worldview. Our Teacher’s Manuals are a guide for how to teach each of the books included in each curriculum package in an age appropriate way. The primary source for teaching history in Creation to the Greeks is the Bible. When we choose a book like The Children’s Homer, it is taught in the context of Biblical truth. A book like The Children’s Homer helps our children to understand the world the Israelites lived in and that Jesus was born into. When we study past cultures we also understand how they affect our literature and culture today.

Paul, the apostle, is a great example of someone who knew his culture and was able to impact people through that knowledge. Paul’s writings in the New Testament tell us about the people he met from various cultures during his travels. We see through his interaction with them an understanding of their culture and beliefs that enabled him to relate with and share Christ with them. A good example is found in Acts 17:16-34 when Paul refers specifically to the unknown god worshiped by the people he was talking to.

Reading The Children’s Homer gives us a glimpse into the life of ancient Greece. Although much of it is built on fantasy, it also gives a picture of what Greeks believed and how they thought and acted based on those beliefs. Because Homer is such a prominent figure in Greek history, it is important we know something about him.

The Children’s Homer is read aloud by the parent to their children. This allows the parent to interact with their child the first time they are exposed to the philosophy and beliefs of Greek culture. Each parent can help their child to understand what is being read from the perspective of the Bible. In our high school program, children will study ancient history again in more detail. Because they are older, they can better see the differences between what the Bible teaches and what the culture of the ancient world believed.

Using a multi-age family cycle program with a high school student?

My Father’s World does not recommend using one of the programs in the multi-age family cycle with a high school student. We understand the desire of parents to keep siblings together; however, we make a shift in our curriculum at the high school level that is necessary for high school graduation and college entrance requirements. The information and materials in the multi-age family cycle are not designed to meet the requirements necessary for high school. Our high school programs are written as a parent guided independent study to help students develop the academic, spiritual, and independent learning and study skills needed for college.

Should I place my academically struggling 7th Grader in Apologia General Science or should I wait a year?

My Father's World recommends that all 7th graders use Apologia General Science, unless they have learning issues that will significantly limit their success. In order to prepare for high school, students need to begin learning independent study skills using a traditional textbook. Parents can help their students with this transition by guiding their students through the first few chapters of the book. Point out important information that is bolded, italicized, and in text boxes. Help them understand how to find information to answer chapter review questions and prepare for traditional tests.

If the pace of this course becomes overwhelming for your student, you may choose to complete the course during 7th and 8th grade at a slower pace. Exploring Creation with Physical Science is then completed in 9th grade. In many states Physical Science will count for high school science credit.

Why does My Father's World recommend Saxon Math for grades 7-12 instead of continuing with Singapore Math?

Before making recommendations for math, a career math teacher on our staff evaluated many of the math programs currently available. He recognized strengths and weaknesses in all the programs he evaluated. Our conclusion was that Saxon Math, used with the DIVE instructional CD, is the most complete program for grades 7-12. We have complemented Saxon Math by adding one year of geometry using Jacobs Geometry. Jacobs Geometry teaches formal proofs that teach the logic skills needed to prepare for more advanced math.

We would like to continue recommending Singapore Math for grades 7-12; however, most parents are not comfortable teaching more advanced math at home. Singapore Math does not offer tools for students to learn independently or for parents to easily teach and/or oversee students using the more advanced programs. However, if you are available and willing to continue teaching Singapore to your children for grades 7-12, we would encourage you to do so.

Our Saxon Math packages include the textbook, tests and solutions, step-by-step solutions manual, D.I.V.E CD, and My Father's World Daily Lesson Plans (see Lesson Plans accordion on Math page). The D.I.V.E. CD provides oral and visual instruction on each lesson on the computer. The Lesson Plans select specific problem sets for each unit to meet the needs of the average child. If a child is struggling with a specific unit they may need to do all the problem sets for additional practice.

The testimonies we hear regularly from families who have chosen other math programs continue to strengthen our belief that Saxon Math with Jacobs Geometry is the best choice for grades 7-12. We have also seen strong college entrance exam scores for students using Singapore Math in the elementary years and Saxon Math with Jacobs Geometry in grades 7-12.

When does My Father's World recommend students begin Rosetta Stone?

My Father's World recommends Rosetta Stone® for foreign language because of its excellent methodology and engaging, interactive format. We recommend starting as early as 2nd grade using the Speaking and Listening Course in Rosetta Stone® Homeschool Edition. This course allows students to interact without needing to type or read. If student needs to hear something again, they can click the audio link button and it will repeat. If the grammar lessons are difficult, these may be easily passed over by the parent.

For 4th -6th graders we recommend using the Extended with Reading Intro Course. This course provides further reading instruction and the opportunity to practice differentiation of pre-typed words and segments. Students do not have to spell directly nor type. Students can do the writing activities or not based on their ability. Parents can simply bypass these or show the student how to do so. You will see a 0 score later for these activities, but it will not affect the performance of the program.

For 7th 12th graders we have developed a Foreign Language Enrichment Guide which is helpful for students seeking high school credit. These daily lesson plans provide cultural activities and other helps.

Would you be able to give me some pointers on record keeping with My Father's World programs?

Each of our Teacher’s Manuals includes learning goals for the program and weekly lesson plan charts. Lesson plan charts can be dated to serve as a record of work completed. Copies can be made of lesson plan charts for each child using the program.*

Each of our programs for kindergarten through 8th grade includes consumable Student Sheets used to complete a history/geography and science notebook. These notebooks serve as a portfolio of work completed.

*Please remember that our copyright policy allows photocopying of lesson plan charts (but not the Notes pages) for your personal record keeping and/or state recording requirements when you commit not to sell, give, or loan the original Teacher’s Manual or any copies at any time.

I would like to request a catalog?

You may use the catalog request page to view or download a PDF of the catalog or request that one be mailed to you.

If my child is reading some short vowel words (consonant-vowel-consonant) and has begun to write short words and is an older 5 year old should I still use K?

My Father’s World recommends that children who are reading a little and are on the older side still start with the Kindergarten program but may move through it at a faster pace than otherwise scheduled. This will give them the needed practice at blending fluently as well as giving students time to practice forming their letters and numbers.

My Father’s World First Grade spends the first 3 weeks reviewing consonant-vowel-consonant words and writing alphabet letters. It then requires a child to be able to copy a sentence and more writing is added throughout the year. The writing portion in First Grade is a vital part of the program and begins to teach students to narrate and write a complete sentence. This can be very frustrating and discouraging to a child who is not ready for that level of writing. First grade teaches a new sound every day or every other day. A child who is not experienced at sounding out and blending short vowel words can be overwhelmed by the pace.

Many parents and students value the wonderful, age appropriate activities that are available in the My Father’s World Kindergarten program. We also find that families, even those with early readers, come to cherish the strong Bible and science lessons and character training presented in the 26 themed units.

Can I start My Father's World Kindergarten with a 3-year-old who is beginning to read?

My Father's World believes there is more to being ready for kindergarten than reading early. There are many developmental areas that most 3 year olds will not be ready for, even if they are ready in one area. Other important developmental skills are fine motor skills, attention to a single task, obedience, and visual discrimination. We suggest keeping the long view in mind. Consider this: If you begin your child in kindergarten at age 3, how old will they be when they graduate?

At age 3, one of the most important ways children develop a strong academic foundation is through play and hands-on activities. Learning to follow directions, listening to quality literature (read-alouds), developing fine motor skills, exploring colors, numbers, shapes and manipulating puzzles are crucial pre-reading and pre-math activities. Our Preschool program, All Aboard the Animal Train, provides guidance to teach these foundational skills while developing character and providing treasured memories with your young children.

How do I keep my toddler/preschooler busy while teaching my older children?

At My Father's World, we like to say that toddlers and preschoolers need to be:

Involved - If you are teaching older children at home, find creative ways to include your preschooler. My Father's World has great programs with many hands-on, engaging activities and your younger students can join you. My Father's World believes in the "Family Learning Model" and encourages parents to include younger students in as much Bible, history, science, music, and art as possible. For this reason, we recommend adding Student Sheets from Adventures through 1850 to Modern Times for children ages 3 and up. See the FAQ "What Are Student Sheets?" if you need more information.
Educated - Your youngest students need to develop necessary pre-reading, pre-writing and pre-math skills. My Father's World believes that this can be done while "playing." To this end, we have developed two packages for this age range. Both our Preschool Package for 3s, All Aboard the Animal Train, and our Pre- K Package for 4s, Voyage of Discovery, include developmentally appropriate daily activities.
Independent (somewhat) - When you are teaching math or language arts to an older child, the educational toys in both packages mentioned above can be used to keep a young child busy. We encourage parents to keep these toys available only for "school time." Parents can also utilize things like small squares of fabric to work on color matching or color sorting. Coloring books, magnets, puzzles, etc., can also be placed in a "school box" to be used only during those times that you find it helpful. Older children can help a younger sibling by reading a story, building a puzzle, or helping with a scheduled activity from our All Aboard the Animal Train preschool program or using one of the Pre-K Activity Cards and toys from Voyage of Discovery.

My Father's World has a CD called Occupying Preschoolers While Teaching Older Children on our Workshops page which provides additional helpful information.

Why does My Father's World use What On Earth Am I Here For? in Ancient History and Literature?

We have seen opinions on both sides regarding What on Earth Am I Here For? . We do not want to defend or condemn Mr. Warren. Much of what is written on the Internet appears to be with great bias and little context. We do not completely agree with Rick Warren any more than we do with any author of the books used in our curriculum. The reality is that if we only read authors with whom we completely agree, there would be no books left for any of us to read other than the Bible! We consider the content of each book and the goal we are hoping to accomplish by reading the material. We are committed to our goals, not particular books or authors, and are willing to change a book when we find another book that better meets our goals. We will always teach a Biblical worldview and strive to encourage our children to live purposefully for God's kingdom.

We have chosen to include What on Earth Am I Here For? as one small part of the Bible program for Ancient History and Literature -- High School. During this year we read through the entire Old Testament verse by verse, using The Old Testament Challenge for daily application. We read Ken Ham's New Answers Book and Unwrapping the Pharaohs by John Ashton & David Down. We also include portions of The Baker Illustrated Guide to the Bible and do an inductive study of Daniel.

My Father's World develops new programs with the help of pilot families. These families provide feedback on each of the books included in a pilot program. Books only remain in the program when evaluations confirm that a book is helping students grow spiritually and academically. The feedback we received from students during the pilot program for Ancient History and Literature was overwhelmingly positive. What on Earth Am I Here For? challenges students to seek God's purpose for their lives. This is a small part of the overall Biblical challenge for the year -- do we live for our pleasures and glory or for the glory of the Lord?

If someone is uncomfortable using What on Earth Am I Here For?, they may substitute another book. John Piper's, Don't Waste Your Life has been suggested to us. As adults, we found its content excellent, but our teen pilot group, which included several strong readers, found the content too difficult to understand and implement in their daily lives. Do Hard Things by Alex & Brett Harris has also been suggested. However, this book is used in U.S. History 1877 to the Present, Year 4 of our high school program.

Another suggestion is to use the book in question as an opportunity to teach the student discernment and critical thinking skills. If the parent and the student read the book together, they can identify the message of the book and discuss how that message fits with Scripture and a Biblical worldview.

We hope this helps you better understand our heart and our desire to help you as you raise children committed to living for the King!

Can I purchase just the reading portion of the First Grade package?

Yes. You can buy just the Teacher's Manual, Student Materials, and Bible Reader. This will give you all you need to teach the reading lessons. The Teacher's Manual includes all subjects; you would use only the section marked "Reading/Language Arts."

Of course we encourage you to consider teaching the complete program, with its hands-on math and age-appropriate Bible and science lessons. It's a wonderful program! If you decide to add any of these other subjects, you can purchase the needed items individually.

Student Materials can be purchased individually, but require the instructions found in the Teacher's Manual. The only exception is the Bible Reader, which may be used independently of the other components, providing a simplified Bible that first graders can read for themselves.

How do I teach kindergarten and/or first grade while also teaching Adventures or a program in the Investigate Family Cycle?

We recommend that you do as much of God's Creation from A to Z (kindergarten) and Learning God's Story (first grade) as possible. However if you are also teaching 2nd - 8th graders you may streamline the K and 1st grade programs. It is important to complete all of the reading (phonics), handwriting, and math activities in the K and 1st Grade programs. You may then choose to skip the Bible and science not related to reading and handwriting. Then invite your K and 1st graders to join your older children for the Bible, science, read alouds, and other hands on activities in the program they are using, whenever they are interested. To make it easier to include younger children, purchase Students Sheets for your K and 1st graders from the older program.

Do you offer payment plans?

We do not offer payment plans. We accept full payment by cash, check, PayPal (by phone only), credit card (MasterCard, Visa, Discover), or debit card when you place your order. We also offer MFW Gift Cards if you want to purchase for use on a future order.

What Is a MFW Synergy Group™?

Weekly groups of two or more families
Easy-to-teach group activity guide with minimal preparation (for the Group Leader; one per group)
Friendship and accountability with like-minded families (all using the same year of MFW curriculum)

Weekly activities include:

Memory work with review (Bible passages from your MFW Teacher's Manual)
Speech opportunities
Science, history or geography, art, and music activities (from your MFW Teacher's Manual) — freeing up more of your time at home

How Do I Begin a Synergy Group™?

Invite one or more of your friends to use the same year of curriculum as you — perhaps a family at your church or in your local homeschool group. You might invite a new family to consider homeschooling with the encouragement of weekly group times.
Special note: if you have completed ECC and are teaching CTG (or RTR, EXPO, MOD) this fall: If you invite a friend who is new to MFW, they would usually begin with ECC. However, because you have already used ECC, and because we believe so strongly in the strength of community, we make an exception to this guideline. Your friend can meet with you weekly in a Synergy Group and use CTG (or RTR, EXPO, MOD) at home. This provides her with the benefit of your past experience (with ECC and MFW), mentoring, and encouragement.
Each family needs their own corresponding Basic or Deluxe curriculum package to teach at home.
- ADV - Basic plus I Can Do All Things and Music CDs (or Deluxe). The group will need at least one Fun with Magnets kit.
- ECC - Basic or Deluxe
- CTG - Deluxe (or Basic plus God and the History of Art and Introduction to Vivaldi, Bach, and Handel). Participants may use a 2014 TM or an earlier version, but will need Science in the Beginning for home and group use.
- RTR - Deluxe (or Basic plus Starting Chess and Introduction to Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven); also need God and the History of Art.
- EXPO - Deluxe (or Basic plus music CDs and Then Sings My Soul). Also need God and the History of Art.
- MOD - Deluxe (or Basic plus music CDs and Then Sings My Soul). Also need God and the History of Art.
In addition, the Group Leader (you) will need a Synergy Guide.
Your guide lists all needed materials for the hands-on projects.
Begin meeting once a week, teaching from your Synergy Guide. There are 34 weeks of group activities that match your MFW curriculum, week by week.

Tell Me More About MFW Synergy Groups™

Overview
Synergy Group Guides are written so that families using the same year of MFW curriculum can meet and participate in group activities. Activities are primarily those already scheduled in the MFW Teacher's Manuals. We were careful not to increase the weekly time or work load on the parent or the student. Group activities reinforce lessons learned during the week at home while also giving an opportunity for public speaking, public prayer, and group interaction.

Group Size
Synergy Group Guides can be used with as few as two families or with more families. You may want to split into smaller groups if more than five families join. Attendance of all group members every week is encouraged but not required. Most activities that would be missed can be completed at home. It is important that each participating family teach the same year of MFW curriculum at home.

Scheduled Time
Groups meet for about two hours a week. The time frame and activities were chosen with two to five families per group in mind. Actual time will vary; adjust to the needs of your group.

We encourage groups to meet Thursday afternoon or any time Friday because some group activities assume parents have already taught lessons from their MFW Teacher's Manual for that week. We believe afternoon meetings are best so that valuable morning home teaching time is not lost. MFW lesson plans generally are much lighter on Friday, so Friday afternoon may be an ideal time to meet.

Your group will need to establish a schedule for the year. We recommend that the Group Leader set the schedule that works best for your group and distribute it to all families at the first group meeting.

Families should plan to teach lessons at home from their MFW Teacher's Manual for the same week that is being taught in the group sessions.

Activities
Groups work best with a defined, repeatable structure. This is the aim of the Synergy Group Guide. Activities change each week, but the structure remains the same, greatly reducing the Group Leader's preparation time.

Care was taken to choose activities suitable for a group with children of different ages. Often, older children can help younger ones accomplish the activity or experiment for a true group learning experience. Activities are designed for grades 2-8. Younger siblings may attend and participate as they are able. Parents are expected to attend all group sessions with their children.

Activities were chosen that encourage group interaction and can be finished in the time allocated without having to complete the activity at home. We do not assign homework, except for occasional minimal preparation for public speaking opportunities. You will know at the beginning of each week which activities from your MFW Teacher's Manual will be done with the group; these activities won't need to be taught at home.

Typical Structure
The typical structure of a Synergy Group meeting is as follows. The two-hour group time includes quick transitions between activities and a short mid-meeting break. These are only suggested times; actual times will vary from week to week.

Opening Prayer — 3 minutes
Recite Memory Verses (Current and Review) — 10 minutes
Public Speaking Opportunity — 10 minutes
Geography/History — 25 minutes
Science — 25 minutes
Art and Music — 25 minutes

Group Leader
One person is the designated Group Leader for the year. The Group Leader provides cohesive leadership for the year, teaching and coordinating all activities. Some groups may decide to designate a second parent as a co-teacher, or even sub-divide tasks so that each participating parent becomes a co-teacher. Co-teachers prepare for and teach a specific activity all year, such as science activities, and will need to purchase their own Synergy Group Guide. However, it is still important to designate one individual as the Group Leader.

Synergy Group Guides include weekly parent handouts, which the Group Leader will photocopy and distribute, containing a list of activities that will be taught as well as any needed materials.

What are Student Sheets?

Student Sheets are convenient, consumable pages designed to make life easier for Mom! God’s Creation from A to Z Student Sheets include student pages for handwriting/reading and math, Biblical Concept flashcards, ABC chart, Number chart, Short Vowel Song cards, Blend Ladder chart, game cards, badge patterns, and monthly calendars. Also included are colorful sheets for Christmas and the Fruit of the Spirit. One set of Student Sheets is included in a Deluxe or Basic Package.

Purchase one set of Student Sheets for each additional child completing this program. Student Sheets include cardstock, color printing, and colored paper and may not be photocopied.

Where Can I find the State Bird and Flower Cards?

The State Bird and Flower cards are part of the Student Sheets. In Exploration to 1850 the cards for the states entering the union through 1850 are included. In 1850 to Modern Times the cards for states entering the union after 1850 are included. (Adventures in US History includes all 50 cards.)

What if I have a young two-year old?

All Aboard the Animal Train Teacher's Manual includes a list in the appendix of "Ideas for Two-Year Olds" that you can use for several months before formally beginning the curriculum. All Aboard the Animal Train is designed for three-year-olds who are ready for more focused learning activities and can understand the read-aloud books in the program.

What if my child is almost four-years-old?

For a child who is ready for more of a challenge, you might take a look at our Pre-K package, Voyage of Discovery, and see if it is more appropriate. But then again, all children will enjoy the fun hands-on activities in Preschool—making play dough and puppets, painting, preparing snacks, etc.—and will benefit from the focus of the 12 character traits and the wonderful books included.

What should I do with my younger child if I am already homeschooling older children?

The All Aboard the Animal Train and Voyage of Discovery Teacher's Manuals are very easy to use. An older child may enjoy helping you teach some of these activities. Another option is to just order our Preschool or Pre-K Educational Toy Packages if you want educational toys but not a daily preschool curriculum.

What has changed in Kindergarten?

My Father's World released the 2nd Edition of God's Creation from A to Z in February 2017. See the Kindergarten Upgrade information for the revisions and updates to this edition.

Why does MFW split U.S. History into 2 years along with Government and Economics?

U.S. History to 1877 begins with the early explorers and founding colonies, and then proceeds through the war for independence. Eventually students come to the very complex and amazing process that led to the forming of our country's Constitution, near the end of the 1700s.

At that point, it is a natural move to begin studying government. The first book we use for studying government is Never Before In History, which focuses on the roots of our Constitution. It begins further back in time than U.S. history, showing parts of original documents that relate to our constitution. Then the second book we use for studying government continues by looking at government today - nationally, internationally, and locally.

Students finish up the school year by completing the first 0.5 credit in U.S. History, which goes through the Civil War and reconstruction. The CLEP test for History of the United States I: Early Colonization to 1877 is recommended at this point.

The following year, students first complete the second semester of U.S. History and then do a semester of Economics. 12th graders are heading out into the world of adulthood, which is a good time to ensure understanding of current events and economics.

How does Ancient History and Literature work if my ninth grader used Creation to the Greeks in eighth grade?

For a ninth grader, our best recommendation is to use our high school program in the order it was designed, beginning with Ancient History and Literature, even if you completed Creation to the Greeks in eighth grade. Each year builds upon previous ones, so it is most beneficial to study the programs in order. The Bible and composition in Ancient History and Literature are a foundation for the Bible and composition in World History and Literature. The biblical worldview in US History to 1877 is better understood and processed by an older student (ages 16 or 17). Though Creation to the Greeks and Ancient History and Literature studies the same time period, they are completely different programs. The literature, the composition, and the approach to the Old Testament are all different, taking into account an older student’s more mature logical, analytic, and critical thinking skills.

For example, Ancient History and Literature includes our Ancient Literature Supplement with Grammar and Composition. The first unit teaches the student, step by step, how to write a strong five-paragraph argumentative essay. These essays pull from Bible, literature, and history to help your student mature in their understanding and ownership of a biblical worldview. One prompt for an essay in response to Bulfinch’s Mythology is to compare and contrast the motivation of the Living God with that of the mythological gods in how they relate to mankind. When a student has to think through and write this type of paper they cannot help but grow in their understanding of their God. During this year students will also write original psalms and proverbs.

The other three units in the Ancient Literature Supplement are study guides for Bullfinch’s Mythology, Epic of Gilgamesh, and The Odyssey. Each unit includes vocabulary, comprehension and critical thinking questions, and reading and writing assignments.

Students read the entire Old Testament, responding to personal application questions in The Old Testament Challenge. They also study apologetics from The New Answers Book and learn about archeological discoveries that support what we know to be true in the Bible using Unwrapping the Pharaohs.

By using our high school sequence in order, your child has the benefit of seeing God’s hand in history from creation to the present from a more mature perspective, reading through the entire Bible verse by verse, engaging in a detailed study of biblical worldview, and reading and analyzing classic literature from a biblical worldview. Designed for both the college-bound and those with other plans, our curriculum is designed to help students flourish on whatever road they follow in the future.

MFW Homeschool Curriculum FAQs