Wanting to switch from Sonlight & Need Help!

[crystalbella77]

Hey everyone! I am currently doing Sonlight with my kids this year because a friend had one of the cores for me for really cheap and people love it so much, and I need to be economical but definitely want to homeschool! Anyways, We are doing Sonlight core B this year with my kids who are K, 2nd and 4th. I like it fine. I like all the reading we do together and things...but I do not like all of the non christian elements. I guess I wasn't expecting there to be so little Bible/Jesus. Other than our actual Bible reading and lessons, the history is actually quite disturbing to my kids. We tend to be teaching them and then reteaching them...which is why I didn't want to do public school anymore. I am teaching twice as much.

So!! I looove Heart of Dakota. I actually started it once a couple of years ago before I got very ill and had to send the kids to public school. And I love the set up of it all, but I do have some questions about where we should go from here for when we make the switch.

First question: Do i need to do 2 cores for my three kids. The K can't read yet...she is just so completely uninterested and I can't get it to click for her. Should I go ahead and separate them so that the two older boys aren't being dragged down a bit by us having to spend more time with her?

Second: Should I go with Preparing Hearts? My boys are almost 10 and almost 8 and both do read on their own...but I don't want to start to far ahead because I want to get a good foundation in since they aren't getting it yet from curriculum. Could my daughter do this one too if we don't separate them? If we do separate them I thought Little Hearts for her....

Third: If I get the self study sets, do I also still need to get the other reading packages that go with DITHR? Do I need the self study sets for the boys??

Thank you so much for any help or insight. I need it so desperately as I feel a bit lost and I feel like I might be letting my kids down by changing so often and not knowing just what to do. The mom guilt is kind of killer at the moment. And I so hope this is in the right forum! If not I am so sorry!

[psreit]

Welcome! Have you looked at the placement chart? http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php If you have looked at that, and feel you can combine the two older ones, maybe you should consider Bigger, for the 8yo's sake. The skills in Preparing may be too much for the 8yo. But, you can beef up Bigger for the 10yo, if you think it is necessary. Bigger would be a more gentle way of easing into HOD's methods. I'm sure someone here can guide you better than I, but definitely look over the placement chart first.

[crystalbella77]

Bigger is actually a great idea now that i look at it! They have the extension pack too which is nice for the 10 year old. Thank you for the suggestion!!!

[LynnH]

I would put your younger one in a separate guide. That way she can go at her own pace with things and have things at her level.

[Tidbits of Learning]

I agree with the pp's that you should print the placement chart out or if you have a catalog get 3 colored pens...1 for each kiddo and check where they place on the chart. Then add up the checks. It sounds like your youngest fits in LHFHG from your description but you may want to compare Bigger and Preparing for your 8 and 10 year old. Sonlight is quite a different feel than HOD. What core are you using with Sonlight? Starting in Preparing you have independent boxes so it might not work as well for your 8 year old if he isn't there yet. I would take those things into account as well.
My rule of thumb for combining and separating is if there is more than 2 school years between them separate and separate any children that still need to learn to read and write. It has served me well over the years to follow this rule.

[crystalbella77]

Thanks so much for the info and link to the placement chart! I totally missed it bigger sounds perfect for the middle child and with the added extensions and things I think it would work for the older too!

[my3sons]

I am so sorry you had been ill and unable to continue homeschooling - it sounds like you are feeling better now - what a blessing and an exciting new chapter in your life!!! I like the idea of LHFHG and BHFHG for your 3 dc. I think you would feel an incredible sense of relief at separating your little sweet gal from your 2 older sons. Just imagine how exciting it would be for you and your dd to enjoy a shortened school day together with her very own special guide just for you two! I think it would be such a breath of fresh air! Your older 2 sons would love the grown-up feeling of soaring with their BHFHG guide. The following year, when your dd is in Beyond Little Hearts, and your 2 older sons are in PHFHG, you would see the fruits of successful independence in PHFHG - and each subsequent year would be more so that way. I really am excited about this plan for you and your dc!!! I actually taught these two guides at the same time years' back and enjoyed it. It really does seem like the best of both worlds - combining where it makes good sense, and separating so everyone can soar! HTH!!!

In Christ,
Julie