Madsen Method

[teachingheartsathome]

Has anyone heard of The Madsen Method by A. Sharon Madsen? Any opinions or feedback you can offer. We're wanting to use an Orton-Based program.

cjb

[Tara]

LOL! I keep responding to posts saying "just attended a seminar on this at the Midwest Homeschool Convention." However some of the topics are still so fresh in my mind b/c of this.

I went to hear Sharon Madsen speak. I have mixed feelings. My opinions expressed are just that...opinions. And they are based on her seminar, not exclusively on her program. So take it FWIW! :)

At the convention, each speaker is given 1 hour to present their material. And most speakers are given numerous sessions, so that people who are really looking to follow the training of a given instructor can get as much from that person as possible. I found most of the speakers to be very respectful of the clock, knowing that we would need time to make it to our next session. Andrew Pudewa being the best public speaker (IMHO), let us out on time every time, usually when we were sitting on the edge of our seats wanting more!

Mrs. Madsen started her session out so well. I was really into it, taking notes, felt like I was learning things. She interjected some humor, although she didn't seem to quite understand why the audience would chuckle at her funny comments. Unfortunately she was the last session on day one, and with NO APOLOGY went well over 45 minutes past her time. People were walking out in droves. Also, as the session progressed she became more and more dogmatic about her views and her curriculum. And often attempting to tie these views to the "will of God". Using language describing other methods as "ungodly". This was a turnoff.

So while I went into the session very tuned in, and she drew me in right away (and I DO FEEL that I learned some things from her), I ended the night feeling rather turned off. I never really did get a good enough feel for what her program would do exactly. She spent so much time on how WRONG everything else is, that she never really got around to her perception of what the RIGHT THING is! KWIM??

Again, this "review" is just my opinion. Or really my observation. I hope it didn't come across as too negative. And I hope it was at least a little bit helpful! :confused:

[Sandy in Indy]

I heard her speak last year at Cincy and came away with some of the same impressions. FWIW, I think SWR is a very similar program at a much less expensive cost...at least it seemed that way to me.

[5wolfcubs]

I looked at a friend's copy a year or so ago. My impression was that every lesson was long, comprehensive, and overwhelmingly scripted: how to hold pencil, how to put feet on the floor, how to write a slanted line. I glanced at several of the books and didn't get an idea of what was actually being taught.

If you're teaching only one child (and there are no younger sibs) and want every single thing dictated to you the teacher and can follow it without "tweaking" and have a large block of uninterrupted time to teach LA and have a compliant child...then this would be a program to consider.

Again, I only looked at the books and listened to my friend talk about it. She really liked the concept/overarching idea behind it...but they weren't getting to it everyday because of the above reasons. She had 2 younger ones and was pregnant w/ twins at the time. I don't know if she's still using it at all.

Hopefully someone who has used it will be able to chime in!

[Plaid Dad]

Also, as the session progressed she became more and more dogmatic about her views and her curriculum. And often attempting to tie these views to the "will of God". Using language describing other methods as "ungodly".

This is the first I've heard of this method, but I can't imagine labeling a competing method "ungodly." Did she actually name names - "Curriculum X is ungodly"? Yikes! :eek: