how do i catch up?

[Susan]

We are doing Bigger this year and my daughter is 9, 4th grade. She has visual problems and is taking vision therapy to correct her eye muscles. She also has auditory processing problems. So she is a year behind in reading. I'm afraid she won't be able to get through all the new guides before high school. Should I just keep doing the next level each year with HOD or should I skip the overview of world history and jump to ancients?? She's doing great in math, oh, she struggles with spelling too, but is doing great with dictation in Bigger. Bigger seems to fit her perfectly except for reading level. We aren't doing DITTHOR yet. I think she will be ready next year. We are just finishing up emerging readers in Beyond and I have been supplementing Dianne Craft phonics book with Merrill Readers.

I love everything about HOD. What an excellent curriculum with hardly any preparation, so I enjoy just being with my daughter as we discuss history and science and life!!

Susan

[mansmom]

I'm not sure I have an exact answer...but I can tell you about my daughters...my 3rd grade daughter is doing Beyond this year. So next year, her fourth grade here she will do Bigger also...and yes this means she won't get through every guide, unless we do something different as time goes on. But I will say that I am meeting my daughter exactly where she is and she is thriving. HOD is awesome and it is just the right fit for our family. My dd8 also struggled learning to read and then she just took off...somewhere in the middle of last year. So, personally, I would just stay with what you are doing and do the programs as they go. I've read many times that the guides sort of build on each other. So you might miss out if you skip one.

[water2wine]

I have one that is behind as well and my advice would be to let her go at the pace she is going. Don't worry about trying to catch her up so she can make it through all the guides. Although I do want to mention that Carrie said the last guide might have overlap for 9th grade. Your last two guides will be American History. That is probably the easiest material to find in a godly format for high school. So if the last rotation ends up something other than HOD I would not sweat it . Most important thing is that you are hitting her at her level. If you push her forward just to complete a formula of completing a history cycle by a certain age and miss hitting her at her level that will not be of any value for her. Anyway that is the perspective I give it. Skill appropriate is far more important to me than history cycle. Although it would be sad to miss any part of HOD in the end having a perfect run of all the history cycles won't matter so much for her future as learning what was before her well and learning how to learn.

This is something that I have struggled with as well, hoping sharing my conclusion will some how help you. We ultimately have to ask God to show us what is best for our own families. Hoping you find a solution that brings you peace.

[my3sons]

Hi Susan! I think it sounds like BHFHG is a great fit, and just continuing with it would be a good thing to do. As far as not finishing all the guides, I would not sweat that. Doing the guides in the order they are written really helps dc grow and mature with skills. Carrie writes the guides to have various skills in the "modeling" stage, other skills in the "semi-independent" stage, and other skills in the "independent/mastery stage. If you skip guides, some of the skills that should have become semi-independent or mastered won't be to that level yet because the dc did not practice learning them in the previous guide. Skills such as these would be oral narration, written narration, notebooking, vocabulary, timeline, science lab reports, notebooking, etc. One other thing you may consider is just doing one more year of school with your dd. I'm thinking of doing that anyway, just because I like the idea of them being a tad older going to college or whatever the Lord leads them to, and I'd love to have time to work on other life skills - such as balancing a checkbook, owning and using a credit card responsibly, buying and getting insurance for a vehicle, learning more in-depth studies of the BIble, etc. BUT, if that sounds way off to you - just skipping the last HOD guide and starting high school would probably be o.k. too. (And who knows, there's always the chance we can talk Carrie into writing for high school ).

In Christ,
Julie

[water2wine]

(And who knows, there's always the chance we can talk Carrie into writing for high school ).

I was going to say that as well but I was trying to tone down my mantra but now that Julie says it I have to agree! BTW I think we are getting really close to God answering these prayers when the author's sister and editor is pushing too!

[my3sons]

(And who knows, there's always the chance we can talk Carrie into writing for high school ).

I was going to say that as well but I was trying to tone down my mantra but now that Julie says it I have to agree! BTW I think we are getting really close to God answering these prayers when the author's sister and editor is pushing too!

You make me laugh! I'm in the same boat too, though, you know. I'd love HOD all the way through high school myself for my own dc - so yep, I'm pushing it myself (in a non-overbearing - still love my sister - kind of way)!

[Mom2Monkeys]

Ummm...yes, I really do have to post everytime someone mentions HOD high school. LOL! I'm such a planner even though my oldest is only in Beyond right now!
I have to say that Ray Notgrass has some great high school books for world and US history and government and Walch education has the coolest History/Map activity books....no particular reason that I'm mentioning that...just thought it was...uh...well...hmmm...can't come up with a good excuse. (I also can't come up with anything that compares to what I like about HOD that I could do once we get to highschool!!)

Carrie, I pray that God gives you the peace and the time you need in all areas of your life to do what He wants you to do with a glad heart...and my selfish side wants that to include high school guides. Sorry, I can't help it! LOL No, seriously...even if you don't write high school, your guides will have our children WELL prepared for whatever we choose to use in highschool. I'm very thankful for that

[water2wine]

You make me laugh! I'm in the same boat too, though, you know. I'd love HOD all the way through high school myself for my own dc - so yep, I'm pushing it myself (in a non-overbearing - still love my sister - kind of way)!

We all mean it in love. I just think she could fill what I see as a huge gap in that level that I personally see in the market. There are only a couple of complete programs that look fairly good but none completely fit my philosophy or what I feel God is calling us to teach. I am sure if HOD did it we would have a perfect match. I really think HOD could fill a big need and not just for us. I know high school is different but think of how many people send their kids back in high school just because they are afraid of being able to do it or it overwhelms them. To me high school is the most important time to homeschool your kids. It is the last years that you have to help them form their world views and get the skills that ps would never teach, plus they can understand God on a much deeper level and just think how deep you could go with that level of maturity! What a blessing Heart of Dakota High School could be! Just a little dream of mine.

[Carrie]

Susan,

I agree that you'll just want to keep going in order with the HOD guide you're on. The "Learning Through History" side of the plans, along with the science, go for a much wider age span than the target range listed on the guide, so you're actually doing fine with the age your daughter is at doing Bigger. Finding the right fit language arts and math-wise is one of the biggest favors you can do your daughter. Just placing a grade level on things based on a child's age does not make a good fit. As the ladies have pointed out, the guides build well upon one another so that important training of skills in one guide is very helpful in the next guide. Even though you can enter our programs anywhere, if you have a good fit, I'd just keep on going.

One option to consider is that you could do the final year of the HOD 4 year cycle along with adding in any needed high school requirements for a 9th grader. 9th graders usually study world geography, which would add-in very well with the last of the 4-year cycle of HOD guides.

P.S. Ladies, you make me SMILE! I am always grateful for encouragement and support as I write, as there are always obstacles that would seek to keep us from our goals! You all know there is power in prayer, so I don't take that lightly when I know you are praying for my family and for me! There is no greater compliment you could give me than to uplift us in prayer!

Blessings,
Carrie

[Susan]

I'd like to thank everyone who responded. You have relieved my anxiety. I'm a planner also and love to see the whole picture. I am amazed at how well suited my d is for Bigger. She is having great success which I know is helping her self-esteem since reading has been difficult. I love reading the responses, you ladies are so encouraging. I'd love to find some HOD families in Tulsa, OK. Anyone out there? It would be fun to meet occasionally and support each other. My 9 year old is my last of 5 and there is a large gap between her and my 4th so she is homeschooling alone. However, I'm loving the one-on-one time with her!
Susan

[anointedhsmom]

Susan,

I am late to this thread but I did want to let you know that my son is 9.5 and is not reading well at all right now. I even tried the emergent readers and he was struggling too much so I stopped and we are just doing phonics again. We are doing Bigger Hearts. I understand what you are dealing with. I worry sometimes if we will ever be "on target". I know we will but it's going to take working through the summer at full speed rather than only doing a few subjects. But this is what he needs so I will do it.

Also I am not in Tulsa but I sure wish I was. I am in Nashville, TN but my family lives in NW AR. I visit fairly often and Tulsa is not that far for me at all from there. I lived in Tulsa. I was saved in Tulsa. I really miss it

I will PM you next time I am going that way and we will see if we can meet up while I am there.

Blessings,
Paige

[GingerN]

Dear Susan, I just wanted to jump in here and say hello. I also have a 9dd, technically in the 4th grade, and by some standards she would be considered 'behind' in reading skills. I, however, do not believe that. I choose to believe that she is simply 'where she is at' right now. I continue to work with phonics lessons with her and practice grace and patience each day with her reading progress. She has a very positive attitude about her ability and that is what I want her to keep! In time she will be right on with the reading levels, but for now she is a bit slower. One of the blessings of homeschooling is that we have all the time it takes to 'get there'. I just wanted to encourage you to not worry one little bit about your child. Bigger is the perfect level for my dd, and I don't intend to skip even one of the levels. You have fun!
Ginger

[water2wine]

I'm a planner also and love to see the whole picture. I am amazed at how well suited my d is for Bigger. She is having great success which I know is helping her self-esteem since reading has been difficult.

I am so glad you have that great fit this year. What you say here is I think so important and I so agree with it. When they struggle with reading HOD is so great in that they can focus on working in those hard areas but still get the history and the science they need for their age level. I have noticed with my daughter that there is always going to be a struggle for us in some ways but right now with reading ability being delayed that really puts us at the highest intensity of the struggle. My dd has CP so that might make the delay more for us but even with her I am seeing that it really is sort of a steep curve uphill and then it is going to plateau when she really gets firmly on that 3-4th grade reading level. I am finally at a point with her that I can see we will get to third possibly this year. When you think about it having them more on that independent reading level of some sorts really opens up doors for them. So just keep in mind your picture this year may not look the same as next year with all the improvements you make and it will just keep on getting better. Whatever her end picture looks like it will be complete and enough for her because you are an on top of it mommy who is monitoring her future.