KONOS-Ever used it? Comments on it?

[MommyInTraining]

I am wondering what people think of this curriculum.

Thanks,
Terri in WA

[Shari]

KONOS is one of the "classics". It was, I believe, one of the first curriculums to hit the homeschooling market to focus on hands-on learning.

I think the things that can be said in Konos's favor are also its weaknesses:

1) The organizing factor - character traits - makes for a non-linear program. You jump around an awful lot in time with Konos, which can be confusing even if you use their timeline.

2) It provides lists and lists of books with no indication of how, when, or how many to schedule. You are supposed to pick and choose your books, as well as how far into a topic to delve, which is great for some teachers, but hard for others.

3) There are no teacher's notes or guidance. The teacher is expected to find information herself or along with the student.

4) There are lots and lots of choices for hands-on work, but no guidance for what is age or grade appropriate. Again, good for some and not for others.

I think Konos is a great choice for the 'free and easy' type teacher who is comfortable teaching from a pile of library books at her feet. For a Type-A like myself, the lack of boundaries, the not knowing when I was "done", the huge book list ("how many do we read??? and which ones are most important???"), and the many project choices were overwhelming and led to meltdown.

If you really want to give the program a shot without a large $$ investment, you might want to look at some of their short programs "History's Heroes" which are pulled from the big volumes but are a fraction of the cost.

[Heather in OK]

Someone once put together how to do KONOS with the flow of history WTM suggests. I have it on my other computer if anyone is interested, unless someone else has it more easily accessible.

[Dayle in Guatemala]

we loved it! I started out using a box curriculum when I first started home schooling, and quickly realized it wasn't for us. I switched to KONOS after 2 years and it was just what I needed to feel more comfortable with putting together things, and using books and different programs to teach.

After they were a little older, we stopped using it, not because it wasn't good, but, because we were moving in a different direction and needed a little more structure.

Anyway, that was our experience. Not a lot of structure, but, great for reading and projects.

Dayle

[Michelle T]

Konos is a ton of fun if your kids (and you!) love hands-on, don't require much structure, like to go-with-the-flow, and have a very creative outlook on learning.

Not so fun if you want clear direction or structure, want to follow a linear path through history, or don't like hands-on. Not good for kids who do not learn well through hands-on, not good for kids who do not generalize what they learn in one activity to other areas.

While it is true that you can do many of the activities with whatever you have around the house, for many people, Konos is going to require a lot of preparation time.

Konos gives a ton of ideas, you pick and choose which you want to do. There is a very loose weekly planner in the books, but it's really up to you to decide what you will use.

For me, there were way too many projects that had no directions or helps whatsoever, like "build a cabin", and too many ideas that were just totally impractical, like having your kids stay in their rooms a couple days to get a feel for being on the Mayflower, or walk 26 miles to see what a marathon is like.

Anyway, many people love Konos, and for the right family, it sure could be fun. There are always many Konos volumes for sale on eBay, don't buy new!
Michelle T

[coffeefreak]

We're using it right now and we love it, however, like one poster said why it works for us may be a burden to another.

We started out using Veritas Press this year. We have tried Mystery of History, Sonlight and Jessie Wise's approach, but my daughter would burn out half way through the year. She would get tired of studying the same time period and the same science no matter how many hands on activities and good books (she reads ALL the time) we handed her. So, when I was seeing the same signs of burnout this year, I borrowed a friend's Konos volume to move on to the middle ages. What I discovered was my daughter loved the idea of studying the WHOLE Obedience unit. She was so excited to do 4-6 weeks on horses. We bought all the supplies to do experiments with electricity and she can't wait, and the freedom and peace Konos has given me with this child (for very little money) is phenomenal!! And they do give descriptions on how to do activities, but I can see where they might be considered brief.

That being said, here's where it is a burden. "I" have to choose books. "I" have to go to the library and see what's available (we have an excellent library system with tons of books- if you don't I would caution you against using Konos). "I" have to write up a schedule and plan what we're going to do from the unit. This works best for us because my daughter does not fit in a box (pun intended) I fit in a box and loved all the other curriculums, but she does not, so I need the freedom to pick books and activities for her. I always felt like I had wasted hundreds of dollars on the other curriculums because the books they chose were too young/too old. Same with the activities. If you simply do not have the resources or the time, this program is going to be a huge burden and you, the teacher will burn out. (I kind of like being in charge :D)

So, this is what we've found. There is another alternative, I have a friend who purchases Sonlight and uses Konos as a supplement. It works great for them and she's the one who recommended it to me in the first place (she used it exclusively with her oldest for a time).

I know this is long, but I hope it helps!
Blessings on whatever you decide!
Dorinda

[5wolfcubs]

You've been given a great feel by the other posters. I used it for 2 years, in a co-op with 3 other families. Before the first planning meeting we each made a list of the units (within the character traits, could be one week, could be 6 weeks, etc) that we were interested in studying the first year. Then at the meeting we hashed out what we would actually study and when. At our next planning meeting we decided who would teach what for each co-op. We met every two weeks and each taught one activity at each meeting. Also, the kids had to each do a presentation at each co-op -- sometimes we moms assigned (written report on an explorer) and sometimes it was a free choice for moms/kids (bring a completed project & explain, memorize a poem).

We learned a lot...but it was a lot of work for ME and I was burned out after two years. I felt that I was the one primarily doing the research and thus the primary learning. It is a great fit for some families...or perhaps, some mom & some kids. If you have a hard time deciding how much to do, gathering supplies to be ready, creating assignments (and then requiring them to be done), choosing books from the library, giving kids freedom to explore and then expecting them to explain what they learned and clean up...then Konos is probably not for you. But if you're good w/ those things...then Konos could be a great fit. There are lots and lots of families using it (the yahoo group is large) and loving it.

Audrey used it for a couple weeks recently: here is her original post Konos 1st week (http://opusdeiacademy.blogspot.com/2008/01/week-in-review-first-konos-week.html) but then on her main page Opus Dei Academy (http://opusdeiacademy.blogspot.com/) she talks about why she quit. Sorry to use you as an example, Audrey!! :D

[MommyInTraining]

So, could it be a good idea just to use it as a supplement for activities for whatever time period you are studying? I know my kids would love the activities, but I just need something more structured. I don't have the time to sit down and plan out units. I am thinking of continuing on with MFW, HOD, or TOG. Do you think KONOS activities would work well with any of these?

[Kinsa]

I have not used it, but I have looked at it and talked with a "dealer" about it. She really tried to sell it to me, too, but from what I saw, I just couldn't see how it would be easy for a "larger than average" sized family. The thought of all that would be required of me made my head spin. But like I said, I didn't actually use it, so take what I say with a grain of salt. :rolleyes:

[OhElizabeth]

Terri, TOG already includes good activities. MFW has a few planned, and I'll bet HOD does too. I got the Konos History's Heroes activity books for my dd ages ago, and while they were good, she found them too boyish, not really what she was looking for. And they had a LOT of suggestions, making it a lot to wade through. I'm finding it easier to get one or two good activity books on the time period and hand them to her, now that she's old enough to do them herself.

It seems like everybody has their own expectations of what activities and hands-on should be. Would these be mainly for your oldest dd? What time period would you be studying? Does she like to papercraft, like building paper models and lapbooks and coloring? Does she want to sew and cook the history? If you tell us what time period you'll be studying, people can suggest particular books they've liked in that style.

[Tami]

and we started with KONOS. I never had much trouble using the Classic version, the yellow lesson plans were pretty straight forward. Since then, I am able to turn SOTW, Sonlight, TruthQuest, or any other curriculum into a unit study.

I *think* unit studies work for me because:

*I like to streamline and combine subject where I can. Writing and Vocabulary "across the curriculum" make sense in terms of time and on subject reinforcing the other

*Love, love, love the library. Give me a topic, and I love to find a pile of books

*Real-life learning is more important to me than a paper trail and filling in blanks

*I love having a "theme" to go by month to month. It is really fun to play up!


Also, with several children, you can combine your afternoons into a family study easily with a unit study.

KONOS has online co-ops and mentoring now. I think the site is called Homeschool Mentor, or something.

I think Volume I would be a great way to jump in and see if you like it. Older volumes are readily available used. I would try a used volume first and get my feet wet before making a large investment. KONOS is great for the ages you have! IF you don't mind gathering resources and making library trips once a week or so, KONOS is a great memory maker. You can also use it as a "break" from more traditional curriculum.

Christian Cottage Units is activity-rich like KONOS, but with daily plans, age-level objectives, and less decisions to make. You can try a Christian Cottage unit from HomeschoolEstore.com for around $14.

Have fun!!!

[Tami]

Konos is a ton of fun if your kids (and you!) love hands-on, don't require much structure, like to go-with-the-flow, and have a very creative outlook on learning.

Not so fun if you want clear direction or structure, want to follow a linear path through history, or don't like hands-on. Not good for kids who do not learn well through hands-on, not good for kids who do not generalize what they learn in one activity to other areas.

While it is true that you can do many of the activities with whatever you have around the house, for many people, Konos is going to require a lot of preparation time.

Konos gives a ton of ideas, you pick and choose which you want to do. There is a very loose weekly planner in the books, but it's really up to you to decide what you will use.

For me, there were way too many projects that had no directions or helps whatsoever, like "build a cabin", and too many ideas that were just totally impractical, like having your kids stay in their rooms a couple days to get a feel for being on the Mayflower, or walk 26 miles to see what a marathon is like.

Anyway, many people love Konos, and for the right family, it sure could be fun. There are always many Konos volumes for sale on eBay, don't buy new!
Michelle T


I just wanted to mention that Jessica Hulcy teaches the moms to let the children come up with their own simple materials for costumes and simple projects. She says it is an IMPORTANT part of KONOS. Gathering the resources and getting creative is a good use of child labor. For example, a simple "Esther" costume could be a bathrobe and a tin foil crown, or whatever your kids come up with. This is wonderful for kids who enjoy inventing, thinking outside the box, and not being stuck in a pre-conceived lesson plan.

The key is to keep it simple, and let the kids figure out the details. It's good for their minds, and saves us some brain power.

[Michelle T]

So, could it be a good idea just to use it as a supplement for activities for whatever time period you are studying? I know my kids would love the activities, but I just need something more structured. I don't have the time to sit down and plan out units. I am thinking of continuing on with MFW, HOD, or TOG. Do you think KONOS activities would work well with any of these?


There are so many topics and activities in the Konos Volumes, you could probably find something for just about any science or US history topic you can think of. They do not cover much world history in the elementary grades, mainly US.
Michelle T

[Ellie]

I love the way it does everything while focussing on godly character traits such as trustworthiness, orderliness, obedience, and courage.

I love the freedom that you have to which activities to do, which library books to use--or not use, how many artsy-craftsy activitites to do (including none at all), how much time to spend daily or weekly...IOW, it is infinitely flexible to meet your needs.

I love the fact that it is not grade level oriented and that you really can include all of your children.

I love the timeline.

Some people make it too much. I could plan a month's worth of activities on a Sunday evening. I knew that I was going to do KONOS two days a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and so I only planned as many activities as I could do on those two days. I only planned activities that required library books if I were going to have time to go to the library.

My only regret is that I started hsing before KONOS was written and so I didn't get to use all three volumes :-)

[Tami]

So, could it be a good idea just to use it as a supplement for activities for whatever time period you are studying? I know my kids would love the activities, but I just need something more structured. I don't have the time to sit down and plan out units. I am thinking of continuing on with MFW, HOD, or TOG. Do you think KONOS activities would work well with any of these?

If you just want games, recipes, crafts, maps and the like to go with your current studies, Hands On Heritage books (http://www.highsmith.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Production/Search.jsp?storeId=10001&Nu=CategoryId&N=794+1733&Ne=1729&langId=-1&catalogId=10060) ($7.99) by Edupress are wonderful. I always use them as a supplement to our living books-driven curriculum. I have about 10 of them I have collected over the years, and every one is fantastic. Rainbow has (some) of these at a discount. THey are the least expensive, and the most mom-friendly!

[Ellie]

So, could it be a good idea just to use it as a supplement for activities for whatever time period you are studying? I know my kids would love the activities, but I just need something more structured. I don't have the time to sit down and plan out units. I am thinking of continuing on with MFW, HOD, or TOG. Do you think KONOS activities would work well with any of these?

Well, you don't really have to "plan out units." As I said, I could plan a whole month's worth of KONOS activities on a Sunday evening. Every activity gives detailed instructions on what to do, and most activities are not that complicated. You just decide how much time you want to spend and check off the activities you think you can fit into that time.

Now, see, the thing with KONOS is that all activities are done while focussing on Godly character traits. That's why it's called a unit study. So if you're learning about responsibility, you might study the Jamestown settlers (who were irresponsible) then the Pilgrims (who were responsible); that's history. Then you'd study beavers (who might be called reponsible); that's science. IOW, there's a point behind every activity; you're not just doing history or science but you're spending a month or two learning about being responsible. So I suppose you could take specific activities out of conext and just do them, but you'd be missing the point.

[Tami]

and I never did any complicated crafts when we did KONOS. The ideas for "doing" history and science are really unique and most can be done spur-of-the-moment.

When we did KONOS, I planned by the month, like Ellie. I STILL do this. I just highlighted the activities that looked good and skipped the ones that didn't appeal. It's really important that the older children be involved in implementing, gathering resources, and being creative THEMSELVES. It is not about Mom connecting all the dots for the children - it is about children learning by discovery.

Jessica Hulcy has some free training videos at her site (http://www.homeschoolmentor.com/)that are extremely helpful.

THe only similiar curriculum I've ever seen is "CHristian Cottage Units." These are more structured than KONOS, and have fewer activity choices - your month is pre-planned for you.

Unit studies that only focus on crafts don't really compare to KONOS. KONOS would be most similar, in my mine, to Multiple Intelligences and Project-Based learning models. Wonderful for many types of kids!

[paula j]

So, could it be a good idea just to use it as a supplement for activities for whatever time period you are studying? I know my kids would love the activities, but I just need something more structured. I don't have the time to sit down and plan out units. I am thinking of continuing on with MFW, HOD, or TOG. Do you think KONOS activities would work well with any of these?

What I have been doing for the past two years is using sonlight alongside Christian Cottage Unit Studies. I use all the sonlight books but use CC for the Bible that actually fits what we are learning, the crafts, recipes, writing asignments, and more.

It is similar to Konos but from my own perspective has much better instruction. It does include a book and resource list at the start of each unit which is divided up into 4 age groups. Many of the book suggestions are already used in sonlight so it is easy to fit in my sonlight books. They also include movies and some craft type books in their suggestions. It also has a calendar for each age group for the two weeks to one month each unit is scheduled for. They also include vocabulary words for each age group for each unit and maps and timeline.

This worked especially well with sonlight core 5 and CC For God So Loved the World. I had all the wonderful sonlight books, the Bible verses for each day from CC went along with what we learned that day, and we had so much fun!:) For instance when we were studying China a day went kind of like this.

1. We read a Bible passage about God providing even clothing.
2. We read about the silk road and how it was used.
3. We did a mapping activity and mapped out the route.
4. We had some vocabulary words to define.
5. We read a solight book about silk worms.
6. We used the CC activity to make a real silk scarf for our gramma for a
Christmas gift.

Many of the CC days included recipes too. We made a Chinese buffet towards the end of the unit. We learned to eat with chopsticks, went to a Chinese restaurant, Built a great wall from legos, learned about dynasties, and much more all while reading the sonlight selections to teach us about the history and culture.

Anyway, this is just another idea.

Blessings
Paula