INSIDE: Review of Mother of Divine Grace after using it for one year.
I get lots of questions from you about what our family likes and dislikes about Mother of Divine Grace (MODG).
I told you how we had made the switch to MODG last January, but I haven’t given an update for quite some time. For those of you considering this curriculum I want to give an honest review of Mother of Divine Grace now that we’ve been at it for over a year.
READ MORE: Mother of Divine Grace: Why We Chose It
We started our homeschooling journey as eclectic homeschoolers, picking and choosing curriculum as we went. But as my oldest got to mid-level elementary, I felt the need to simplify and create continuity in our homeschool.
Enter Mother of Divine Grace.
My review of Mother of Divine Grace
MODG is all laid out…
I love the MODG syllabus. It is our homeschool year on paper, and the best part is I didn’t type it all up!
I just do the next thing on the list, and in 32 weeks we are magically done with another grade level.
No more scouring homeschool catalogs, googling for good grammar options, or spending hours concocting checklists. My summer planning is so much simpler!
READ MORE: How to Quickly Plan Your Homeschool Year
Instead I focus on:
- organizing our daily schedule
- building workable routines
- reworking our student binder,
- purchasing the curriculum
- organizing our homeschool room
- filing old work
This summer I experienced the fruits of using MODG. My friends could mention curriculum and I wouldn’t run home and google it! I felt confident enough in MODG that I didn’t need to be shaken by the mention of other good options.
Room for additions…
While it is true that MODG is all laid out, it isn’t so overly demanding that you can’t add something else into the mix.
MODG is a complete curriculum, but many families choose to add something else in. This year for our family that is Catechesis of the Good Shepherd with our co-op friends once a week.
Other families I know also do Classical Conversations in conjunction with MODG. This sort of arrangement is possible especially in the early elementary years (school takes less than 4 hours per day around here).
In fact, the MODG syallabus only schedules Math for 5 days a week, all other subjects are 4 days per week or less.
Things you may want to add in:
- homeschool co-op
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
- Classical Conversations
- music lessons
Easy to Edit…
It is easy to add to MODG, but it is also easy to take things away or substitute curriculum. To many of you, that may seem to defeat the purpose of a boxed curriculum, but I’ve found doing editing (within reason) can be a fun way to tailor the program.
After all, isn’t that part of the beauty of homeschooling?
My son loves geography and reads maps for fun. So I schedule him to work on geography just 1 day a week versus the 3 days outlined in the syllabus this year.
I don’t care for the traditional elementary science and prefer to approach science in an unschooler fashion (right now Husband is working through The New Way Things Work several nights a week with the kids. This summer it will be nature study incorporating art and writing.)
Many people don’t like The Writing Road to Reading (WRTR), which MODG uses for spelling.
While we are not enrolled, it is my understanding that MODG is more flexible with substitutions and changes than other enrollment programs like Seton.
Of course, there is the hazard of editing so much that it defeats the purpose of using a box curriculum. There is definitely a fine line to walk here!
Here are some of the ways we have edited the program while still following the basic outline:
- Dropped elementary science (I prefer self led learning for elementary science).
- Use the history texts primarily as required reading.
- Listen to all 4 audio volumes of Story of the World in rotating fashion while we are in the car to supplement history.
- Use Writing Road to Reading as a source for weekly spelling lists versus following the program as outlined.
- Combine art appreciation, art instruction, and music.
- Add in a required reading list which includes a little history, science, religion, and literature.
- Assign a daily journal entry for extra writing practice.
- Continue daily math and journal entries during summer break.
- Memorize geography and Bible verses as a family unit.
- Add in penmanship practice as needed.
READ MORE: How I streamline this box curriculum for our multiple ages.
Mother of Divine Grace puts homeschooling in a box
Before switching to MODG, I waffled between attempting too much or throwing my hands up in frustration and doing too little in our homeschooling.
As a well-planned curriculum, MODG helps me define the parameters for our homeschool day and year.
Before the big switch, we homeschooled hard-core year round (a sure path to burnout!), but now I allow our summers to be mainly math review, reading, a little writing, and a few other extras (like the arts and nature study).
I still like to homeschool lightly through the summer because it allows us more flexibility and allows for “cushions” to our homeschool year.
You may want to read:
MODG: the perfect level of rigor…
I find MODG to be the perfect level of rigor for our family.
If you are starting with the early elementary grades, you may have the impression that MODG is a little too light. In fact, this is a main complaint I’ve heard about the program – that is lacks structure in the younger age range.
MODG focuses strongly on the R’s in the early elementary and gradually ramps up the intensity as the student approaches middle school.
I often think people mistake busywork for rigor in their curriculum. If you are looking for “rigorous busywork” then MODG is not for you.
However, if you are looking for a program that provides mind nourishing and purposeful work, then I would encourage you to look into MODG.
MODG fills our young children with wonder through good literature and contact with the real world.
Mother of Divine Grace is low on busywork…
This point follows closely from the one above.
I consider us Classical, Charlotte Masony-type homeschoolers. As a student of Charlotte Mason, I love her philosophy of short but intense lessons. I steer clear of anything that wreaks of busywork!
I find that all the work that my children do within the MODG tends towards learning. I rarely wonder if a particular aspect of the curriculum is simply busywork.
High on living books…
I have always been drawn to living literature. When I couldn’t get my 5 year old boy to sit for traditional lessons, I taught him by reading to him for endless hours out of well written books..
I also create an Intentionally Catholic Booklist once my children are reading.
Vocabulary curriculum? No, thank you. Just hand over some good books and you are all set!
Knowing that MODG encouraged reading of good literature was a major attraction for me. We’ve enjoyed the booklists immensely and it makes creating my reader’s yearly reading lists even easier.
You may enjoy reading:
Simple early years and building complexity as your child grows…
While some people see the lack of structure in MODG’s early elementary as a draw back, I see it as a blessing.
I have learned that with Preschoolers and Kindergartners the best thing I can do for them is read good books and do some short lessons on the 4 R’s (Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic, and Religion).
I kind of do my own thing until my kid is really good at reading, then I begin to slowly give them more and more school responsibilities and transition them to MODG.
I’ve enjoyed seeing my oldest (now in 4th grade) ramp up his work every year. MODG provides the perfect stair-step increase in rigor without driving children and mom batty!
Last August, I was a little apprehensive about what needed to be done the coming school year, but I’ve found the MODG expectations hit my students’ abilities exactly.
You may want to read:
- Preschool at Home Your Way
- Preschool at Home: Simple Goals, Simple Days
- 10 Things to Do with your Catholic Preschooler
Varying levels of assistance…
Right now, we are not enrolled in MODG. BUT, I love knowing I have the option to enroll in an accredited school if I choose. I definitely see this as a strong possibility for our family in the future.
Besides enrollment, there are also many classes that can be taken online through MODG. Help is around every corner!
Reusable texts…
As a frugal minded kinda gal, I love the fact that many of the texts for MODG are non-consumable. I pay a good chunk of money up front every year, but I know those same texts will be used for my future students. I’m not throwing out a Math, Spelling, Grammar, Religion, or History workbooks every year.
I’ll keep you updated on how things are going as we continue our MODG journey!
Are you considering MODG? I’d love to know your thoughts on the program! Post a comment or shoot me an email!
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Hmm…I tried modg for 3rd grade and have done some for kinder. I do like that it’s classical and Catholic and not full of workbooks. But…I didn’t care for the science, I’m not a fan of the math they use and the 4th grade history book looked painfully dull. I may revisit modg for junior high but for now we’re doing some memoria press and some mater amabilis. I do know modg gets more difficult for higher grades so that’s a plus. I don’t know that it stresses enough living books though. You have given me food for thought though and I’m glad that you’re confident in your choice. That is a huge stress saver!
The thing I like about MODG is that it is “boxed”, but we do a lot of extras or customizing. We totally skip science (I was a science major in college and find elementary science can be fully taught through books and exploration!). I also create a custom reading list for my readers at the beginning of the year using sources like your Mater Amablis and Memoria Press. As for history texts, I place them in the “to be read” pile in my sons room (he is in 4th right now). He picks it up and works his way through it from time to time. Our family loves listening to Story of the World in the car on our way to activities and I’m amazed at what they pick up from it! I think science and history in elementary are subjects that can be merely read for pleasure.
Coupled with his reading list which spans science, history, literature, religion, etc. I think he gets a well rounded education with lots of living books.
Confidence is huge in homeschooling and MODG allows me to feel confident while maintaining some control over my children’s education. I don’t think I could ever follow a box curriculum perfectly! To me, that defeats the freedom of homeschooling.
If you are interested in how I make my book list here you go: https://www.elizabethclareblog.com/an-intentional-catholic-booklist/
This was wonderful post! I have been following your MODG posts and I am considering it for next year. We currently use Seton for 1st grade and I add sooooooo much (Living books, Morning Time, fine arts ) to it to make it more Classical/CM that I often wonder why I do it. This post was very helpful.
How do you like Abeka Math?
I have not used Abeka Math since we just started MODG a year ago. I’ll be looking into it when my 2nd student reaches first grade, but his medical issues will be holding him back some so that will be awhile. I know Abeka has timed drills and it is more colorful than Saxon in those younger grades. I do customize MODG, so it isn’t completely set and forget, but I find it easier to customize than Seton.
Thanks for this! As a longtime eclectic/classicalish homeschooler who converted to the Catholic Church last year, it’s been a struggle to figure out what to change, what to keep, and what there even is out there, since my years of homeschooling made me an expert in Reformed Protestant materials. I’ve been a little overwhelmed, and leaning on unit studies for now, but I have a lot of research to do for next year!
I’m glad you found it a help. Welcome home to the Church. There seems to be quite a discrepancy between the number of Protestant vs. Catholic materials. However, I see the number and quality of the Catholic materials gradually increasing. May God bless your homeschool journey especially as you learn to live the fullness of faith with your family.
How do you combine the arts ? I would have a 2nd grader and a kinder next Fall. I was wondering if it would be best to start at the beginning using the K’s art recommendations, or the 2nd? Thoughts ?
I’ve done it both ways, Valerie. Last year, I just used the 3rd grade material (which is what my oldest was using at the time). This year, I switched back to the beginning and used the Kindergarten materials with all of them (ages 9, 5, 3). I often teach toward my oldest, though, and find the youngest ones get a lot from that. I’m sure either way would work.
Thank you so much for your review of MODG and how you’re making it work for your family. We used a “boxed” curriculum for 2 years, and then this year I decided to piece together my own. I’m learning that I do better with a set syllabus even if I tweak some of it. The boxed curriculum we used before was not Catholic, so I just added saint stories and our own Religion. However, I really want our History to include the Catholic Faith, and I like the look of MODG’s fine arts as well. Thanks, again, for your post- it was really helpful!
I’m so glad you found it helpful, Kristin! We don’t use MODG so much anymore (the syllabus anyways), but I do roughly use it as an outline as I create our course of study for the year. The 2 years we spent with MODG really helped me not only create but also execute our make-your-own-homeschool-curriculum as we’ve gone forward.