How to prepare supplies?

[kamariden]

Okay, what I LOVE about HOD is how little prep is required. I am one who NEVER finishes her daily to-do list as it is so the less prep the better. We don't start LHFHG till January, so right now we're using a combo of about 6 workbooks plus BOB books, plus some supplemental worksheets/activities I gathered from the internet to fill in the blanks. I have everything filed by subject so most days we just work through the workbooks, use manipulatives wherever they might be helpful, and pull out the supplements worksheets/activity sheets when we have time. Most days the only supplies we need are his pencil, eraser, sharpener, crayons, mega blocks, and flash cards. Occasionally we do a science activity that might require 3-6 common household items. When we do I just pull them out while he's working on something else - usually a worksheet. I can't remember the last time I pulled something out the night before. So I was looking through the guide and of course there are some supplies needed for the Artistic Expression, Dramatic Exploration, Science, Math Exploration and other sections. I can't find a master list anywhere of the supplies needed and while I might have most of the supplies I may not have all of them on the particular day we need it. For example, I don't think I have gray construction paper right now which is called for in Unit 1 Day 2. I have just about any other color, but I don't think gray came in the pad I bought. Without a master list of supplies how do you prepare? Or is there a list I just don't see??? Also, do you pull out the next day's supplies the night before or do you pull them out as you need them like I've been doing? Does it slow you down a lot to do it as you need them??

Thanks!
Kathleen

[countrymom]

I take a quick glance at the next week or so each week before we grocery shop so we can get whatever supplies we don't have. Other than that, I just glance at the lessons the night before to make sure nothing catches me off guard. I usually do not prepare until I am getting ready to do the lesson, then I just lay everything out on the stove (great place uh!). I do keep a mixed pack of construction paper, paint, playdough, and glue on hand at all times now. I have found so far there are really few supplies that I don't have, but I am not that far into LHFHG yet.

[krismoose]

I do what countrymom does, just try to glance ahead at the coming week's activities so I can buy something necessary. That being said, we're in unit 15 of LHFHG and there have been very few activities where you can't substitute something else, like another color of paper or paint or toss rolled up socks into a laundry basket instead of a ball. The most recent one that comes to mind was when I didn't look ahead at the week, and I opened the guide up to find that we were to make bread that day, which required yeast and a bit longer time to come back, knead, rise etc. than I had because we had an errand to run later. So we did the following day's art activity and the next day we made bread The kids were fine with it If you are really desperate for a suply list, there are some posted in the yahoo group homeschoolingHODmoms, but I haven't used it since the first few weeks. HTH

[kamariden]

Hey that's great! I didn't know there was a yahoo group. Thanks! Definitely when looking through the units it seems like we'll have or be able to substitute 98% of the stuff. I just wondered how other moms who are already doing it were doing it. Why learn from my own mistakes if I can learn from others, right?

[funkmomma71]

We did LHFHG last year and I never was prepared beforehand for activities so a couple of times i had to scramble to replace or reconfigure the activity. One time in we were supposed to use red food coloring for an art project, which I thought I had, which was not the case so I replaced it with red colored sugar crystals and the project was even more fun than it would have been using the food dye. As for having the "right" color of paper, I wouldn't worry too much, until recently I did not have brown construction paper, which is used ALOT, so we just used what ever was close.

After having a few instances of not being "prepared", I swore up and down that I would be better prepared this year and use the list found on the yahoo group, well that hasn't happened and we haven't had any major problems. Seriously, HOD is open and go, you can switch things around if necessary or substitute stuff, it should all work out in the end. Sometimes the school days are seem so effortless that I feel like maybe I'm forgetting something!

[my3sons]

The way the lessons are written makes it easy to make substitutions. In fact, in many cases, multiple substitutions are suggested anyway. Here is an overall list of supplies of art basics that are good to have on hand: glue (both liquid and sticks), construction paper (white and colored), index cards, scissors, markers, colored pencils, crayons, paper punch, yarn, glitter, play dough or modeling clay, tempera paint/paintbrushes, pencils, ruler, some pipe cleaners, maybe a few brown paper bags, craft sticks or clothes pins, perhaps some googly eyes, cotton balls or tissue paper, maybe a bag of balloons. Beyond this, all I do is just read the "introduction" of each HOD guide and gather the things specifically noted for each subject area (usually notebooks, binders, index cards, etc.). All of this gathering I do at the beginning of the year, and after that, I do not read ahead or prep before teaching - ever . I find supply lists for the HOD guides confusing, because so many things can be substituted and still achieve the same results, and because so many substitutions are already suggested. Anyway, don't worry! I think you'll be fine. We've been flying by the seat of our pants for 7 years with HOD and never had it truly backfire yet. In fact, today I just did HOD with 7 different boys, with 4 different HOD guides (counting the officially unwritten one being piloted by Carrie's eldest) with each of the boys on 6 different unit's of plans, and did not prep for it at all. Worked fine (and I wasn't even at my own house)! HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

[kamariden]

Thanks for the great replies. So great to hear I can prep supplies or not and still be okay.

Julie - Okay, now you're just bragging! LOL WOW 7 boys, 4 different guides, 6 different units! You rock!

[my3sons]

Not trying to brag- just saying it is possible! I have the utmost respect for those of you with large families of multiple aged children. It definitely takes love, patience, and planning. Of course for me, it was my 3 dc and my 4 nephews, not to mention they were all doing HOD guides - so the love and planning bases were covered. The only thing I had to work on was ME - and my patience (or lack of it at times) ).

In Christ,
Julie