Placement and what do I need?

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Coffeegal
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2014 3:02 pm

Placement and what do I need?

Post by Coffeegal » Thu Apr 24, 2014 4:40 pm

Hello! I'm new here on the message board. I just found HOD and after researching for a couple days, I think this is the curriculum I've been looking for (for about 5 years! Someone to write the lesson plans for me!! yay!). Anyway, I have several questions, if anyone would be willing to help me out!

First, placement! I have 4 children in school and a 3 year old. By school starting in the fall, I will have a 13 yo 8th grader, an 11 yo 6th grader, an 8 yo 3rd grader, and a 7 yo 2nd grader.

Here's what I was thinking:
8th grader (ADHD and Written Expression Disorder): Revival to Revolution
6th grader (pretty typical on-grade): Resurrection to Reformation
3rd grader (has a formally diagnosed Reading Disorder, so is more of an emerging reader than he should be in 3rd grade, but is sharp and good at school, otherwise): Bigger Hearts For His Glory
2nd grader (reads well--on the verge of independent reading): Beyond Little Hearts For His Glory

We'll probably keep our current LA for the 8th grader (WWS and Our Mother Tongue and we're going to start Teaching the Classics with some friends) and our math for everyone. Does this sound about right? Am I going to be able to run 4 guides at once? When I first was looking at this, I thought I would combine the two olders and two youngers, but the more I read and researched, it seems better to keep them separate. Let me know if you would or wouldn't do this!

And then for "what do I need?"--I just can't figure out the catalog or the website! I know I need the guides and the student notebooks, right? And I'll need books, but I cannot figure out what I actually need--the basic package, the economy package, the science add-ons! I"m about ready to tear my hair out! :shock: I just want a simple list! :D I have lots of these books already, so I'd like to have just a simple list so I can see what I have and what I need!

If someone could point me in the right direction for this, that would be great!

Thanks for taking the time to read this!
Jacey

StephanieU
Posts: 1659
Joined: Tue May 21, 2013 7:10 pm

Re: Placement and what do I need?

Post by StephanieU » Thu Apr 24, 2014 5:06 pm

Running 4 guides isn't impossible at all. There are moms that do it. But, the problem will possibly be with the younger two being in back to back guides. Next year they will be in Bigger and Preparing. Both of those guides are parent-intensive. So, Carrie and Julie normally advice against that. So, I might consider the younger two and if is would be possible to combine. Now, if those two don't work well together, then separating will be easier. But, if they work well together, then I would consider combining. You could either do Beyond with both, using Rod and Staff English 2 for the older one, the second spelling list, and your math on grade level. Or, if you think the 2nd grader could handle Bigger, you could go that route as well.
Mom to
DD16 (completed LHFHG-WH, parts of US1 and 2)
DS14 WG (completed LHFHG-MtMM plus some of LHTH)
DD13 MtMM (completed Rev2Rev)
DS8 Bigger (completed LHTH-Beyond)

Coffeegal
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2014 3:02 pm

Re: Placement and what do I need?

Post by Coffeegal » Thu Apr 24, 2014 5:27 pm

That's good to know about the Bigger and Preparing guides! I wouldn't have thought of that. I think my rising 2nd grader could do Bigger (in fact, when I was thinking of combining early on, that's what I was going to do). Is it difficult to combine two in one guide? The biggest issue might be with the reading, since the 2nd grader reads as good, if not better than, the rising 3rd grader. With the younger child and with the reading difficulties of the 8 yo, would you do the emerging reader option? (this is what I'm talking about when I say that I don't understand the options! :wink: too many to think about...)

StephanieU
Posts: 1659
Joined: Tue May 21, 2013 7:10 pm

Re: Placement and what do I need?

Post by StephanieU » Thu Apr 24, 2014 5:38 pm

So, I would go with Bigger for both if you think the younger one can do that. As for the reading options, I would look at the lists for each and check out a few on the ER list. See where each of them is. They are chapter books, and they start at a 2nd grade level. But they do progress to a strong 3rd grade level fairly quickly. Most public libraries have many of them, as they are almost classics. If all of the books on the ER list are too easy for either child, then start with DITHOR 2/3. If it is for the 2nd grader, I might just do it orally, since you will be pushing him in writing with Bigger already.
Mom to
DD16 (completed LHFHG-WH, parts of US1 and 2)
DS14 WG (completed LHFHG-MtMM plus some of LHTH)
DD13 MtMM (completed Rev2Rev)
DS8 Bigger (completed LHTH-Beyond)

MelInKansas
Posts: 1700
Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2010 7:32 pm

Re: Placement and what do I need?

Post by MelInKansas » Thu Apr 24, 2014 7:42 pm

Here's how it looks if you are combining two children together. For read-alouds and activities you all work together. For math, reading, maybe writing/notebooking, maybe the other LA you do it individually at their level. Obviously they both need to do their own work for math, reading, and the notebooking projects. Now you could do R&S 2 together, mainly orally and with a white board if you feel that would go well. You would have to decide how to split things up so your older one doesn't feel "outdone" by his younger sister. But you could've ended up with both of them in Emerging Readers even if one was in Beyond and one was in Bigger. I would definitely recommend doing their reading at separate times, where the other one is not listening in because then it would not be a "cold read."

The child does not do much of their own reading until Preparing, where they are assigned History and Science to read to themselves. Even then, they should be able to do it on their own, but if one of them can't then you may need to help. Bigger is the guide where hopefully they are becoming good enough readers to be reading on their own.
Melissa
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases
His mercies never come to an end"

DD12 - Rev to Rev + DITHOR 6/7/8
DD10 - CTC + DITHOR 2/3
DD7 - Bigger + ERs
DS5 - LHFHG
DD2 - ABC123
2 babies in heaven

Coffeegal
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2014 3:02 pm

Re: Placement and what do I need?

Post by Coffeegal » Thu Apr 24, 2014 8:04 pm

Thank you both! I think I will put them both in Bigger. It should work ok.

But now what about my olders? Do those look ok? And how easy is it to just get the books from the library? I am one of those who really just likes to have the books on my shelf and not think about when to order them, but for the sake of my budget, I think I will not be able to do that with all of these books! Does the reading move along fairly quickly, so that we don't have to keep renewing them?

Also, I noticed that they the author recommends that if we're doing read-alouds with other guides, that these older kids should just read their read-alouds on their own. How many of you do that? Or do you just do a bunch of read-alouds?

StephanieU
Posts: 1659
Joined: Tue May 21, 2013 7:10 pm

Re: Placement and what do I need?

Post by StephanieU » Thu Apr 24, 2014 8:48 pm

The olders is fine, as after Preparing, a lot of the work is independent. So, the time with you after CtC is about the same if you have 1 or 2 kids. The only difference is if you were to do the read-alouds aloud, as it would save you that time. You can decide how you want to do the read-alouds and how your schedule works. Maybe switch off with the older two - read for one child one week and then the next the second week in the older guides. It really is your preference after CtC if you read or the child reads those.

As for books, the Emerging Readers are mostly read in one week, so no rechecking aloud. A few our library doesn't have. Of those, I felt the need ot buy two - the Bible and the nature reader. There is also a supplemental book each week, so if you are only missing one or two, you could use those (except the two I mentioned which are used multiple weeks, etc).

Does your library have an online catalog? I just look up the books there. Oh, and for the older two with DITHOR, if you buy the teacher book and student book together from HOD, it comess with a book list. With tha tbook list, you shouldn't have to buy books either. In the later guides, DITHOR is spread out of quite a few weeks, so rechecking a book might be necessary. But, it wouldn't be a lot of books to recheck (and our library lets us do that online too). Finally, many of the read-aloud books libraries have as well. Those and the literature books are the ones I don't feel I need to have on hand. The history, Bible.devotion, and science books I want to own.
Mom to
DD16 (completed LHFHG-WH, parts of US1 and 2)
DS14 WG (completed LHFHG-MtMM plus some of LHTH)
DD13 MtMM (completed Rev2Rev)
DS8 Bigger (completed LHTH-Beyond)

my3sons
Posts: 10702
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:08 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Placement and what do I need?

Post by my3sons » Fri May 02, 2014 9:23 am

Great advice here already! I would think it would be find to combine your 6th and 8th grader in RTR, with extensions for your 8th grader. Taking into consideration that the 8th grader has written expression disorder, this placement may be just what fits well. However, if you feel the 8th grader places strongly in RevtoRev, I'd have him do that. HTH! :D

In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie

Coffeegal
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2014 3:02 pm

Re: Placement and what do I need?

Post by Coffeegal » Tue May 06, 2014 8:26 pm

Thank you, Julie! I would love to combine the two olders for the sake of my budget, but I think, for the sake of my sanity, it would be better with their personalities to keep them separate. Although, if I did combine them, wouldn't that just put the 8th grader farther behind with the rest of the guides? How does that work with grades and skills?

Gwenny
Posts: 750
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 1:07 pm
Location: Texas

Re: Placement and what do I need?

Post by Gwenny » Wed May 07, 2014 6:07 am

For your olders, if you can buy separate guides and you think they'd work better on their own, I would separate. You could put them together for all of the guides but you would always need to "up" the work for the older, using extensions and sometimes adding or changing some books in different subjects. There are some great posts with Carrie showing you how to do that. It's much easier to be able to use the guide as written whenever possible.

As far as what to buy--the books are all so good. :) With all of the guides, you basically need to buy everything except for the extension packages if you are not extending for an older child using a guide. In RTR you would buy the astronomy and then choose one of the options given for science. In RevtoRev you would just choose which science path you'd like.

I had quite a few of the books from the different guides as well. I would just make a list of what I already had in the packages and try to swap out books for the ones I already had from the different groups, trying to make sure I could still get the package discount when there was one. I was ordering a bunch and from several guides, so it took a bit of time to figure it all out, but worth it. :) There is a page on the website that gives you the substitution policies for each guide.
Nancy
Dd29 married (w/2 sons 1/2/14, 5/24/16), ds27, dd25 married (w/dd born 8/9/16), dd25, dd22
Dd 19 HS in special ed
Dd14 RevtoRev
Ds12 RevtoRev
Ds 9 Preparing
Dd 5 LHFHG

Coffeegal
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2014 3:02 pm

Re: Placement and what do I need?

Post by Coffeegal » Wed May 07, 2014 1:23 pm

Thanks, Gwenny! I think I will still just get the read-alouds from the library, just to save some money (maybe buying them over time for the next kid!).

I'm still struggling a little about my 6th grader. He would fit in the writing skills a little better in the CtC guide, but I'd rather put him in the RtR guide because of the subject matter, the reading level, and the science level. Any thoughts on that?

Gwenny
Posts: 750
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 1:07 pm
Location: Texas

Re: Placement and what do I need?

Post by Gwenny » Wed May 07, 2014 2:22 pm

Well, did you thoroughly go through the placement chart? Did you look at the first week of both guides to get a feel for them? If not, go and do that and let us know what you see there. It's really important to take the time now to really make a good placement. It's good for mom and child. :)

Have you done HOD before? Any CM type of skills, like oral and written narrations? If not, it would be best not to place too high as there will be a big learning curve. I know that there are posts on here about differences in skill requirements for the two guides, but I do not know how to search like others do. :) If you put him in CTC and wanted more or higher reading level then you could do the extensions.
Nancy
Dd29 married (w/2 sons 1/2/14, 5/24/16), ds27, dd25 married (w/dd born 8/9/16), dd25, dd22
Dd 19 HS in special ed
Dd14 RevtoRev
Ds12 RevtoRev
Ds 9 Preparing
Dd 5 LHFHG

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