Thinking of Switching to HOD with ?'s

[blessedmom]

I'm contemplating switching to HOD. I really like what I see.
This year we are finishing up a program that will take us through the time of the Greeks.
If I were to switch, I would imagine I should go into RTR, but we will have missed the life of Jesus and the time of the Romans.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I could do to quickly cover what we would miss, or any other thoughts?
Or maybe I should just start with CTC and use it as review.
BTW, my oldest will be in 5th grade next year. I will also have a second grader working on reading and a Ker.
Thanks,
Nicole

[lovedtodeath]

Have you seen the program placement chart? http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php I have seen over and over again on this forum that it is most important to place your child into the right program even if they will be repeating or skipping some of the history. The child's skill level and maturity are the things to consider rather than what time period one prefers to study. HTH

Carmen

[my3sons]

Welcome to the HOD Board! I agree with lovedtodeath that the placement chart is the best way to pick which guide to do with your dc. I would love to hear a little about your sweeties after you check out the placement chart, especially in regard to the first page of the chart and where you think your kiddos would place, and if you'd like to combine any of them or not. This board is a super helpful place to be, and these ladies are very encouraging. I use HOD with my 3 sons, and we enjoy our homeschooling to the hilt. It's a good way to spend our days learning together - I think you'll like it as well!

In Christ,
Julie

[blessedmom]

My oldest dd will be 10 at the end of the summer. My next dd is 7, then dd turning 5 in September, and ds1.
My dd10 could easily fit into CTC. Is RTR a big jump from CTC? Right now she does some independent work. I try to let her be responsible for keeping us on task throughout the day, meaning that she is responsible for getting the books needed and bringing them to me when it is her turn for mommy time. One of her concerns with switching to HOD is giving up too much mommy time. She loves to sit and read with me. This year though, I feel like we get science and history done, but the read alouds never get read. That's the part I miss. Do you think we would still have enough learning/reading time together?
I really can not combine the dd10 or dd7. I was hoping to with the other curriculum we have been using. I was really looking forward to that, but dd7 needs lots of phonics review and just needs to spend the year enjoying to be read to, not exactly sure what to do with her either, but I'm not super worried. The dd5 could probably be combined with dd7, but dd7 really needs more 1 on 1 time with me. I have a program for the dd5 that fits her just right -- I think .
My other worry about switching is how would it look as my children get older. Will I ever be able to combine them, or will I always have to do separate programs; and is this doable with my age children?
Thank you for your time!!

[my3sons]

I think it sounds like your oldest would fit well in CTC. We just finished CTC and loved it. My teaching time was around an hour to an hour and a half. I did the read-alouds and their accompanying follow-up discussions each day for Storytime, as well as the reading/discussion time for the Bible Study box. My other instruction focused on math, grammar, DITHOR, and Write with the Best. My ds was responsible for the rest. It was a great balance. I think your dd should be fine with that amount of attention and would thrive with her independent parts because they are fun!

From what you've shared, I think you could combine your 5 and 7 yo in LHFHG. This is an easy program to teach and would give your little ones the attention they need at that age. We did CTC, Beyond, and LHTH last year and were finishing by lunch time, so it is not hard to do. As dc get older, their independence increases and our teaching time decreases, while the younger dc have less independent time and more teaching time with us. It is the perfect balance which makes it easy to do several programs. Your 7 yo and 10 yo are like my 2 oldest - 3 years apart in age, but many more years apart in ability. This is pretty common actually, as our first child can tend to be our focus. HOD has helped me balance my focus among all of my dc as they grow, and I'm so thankful for that. We have 3 dc happy to be homeschooled with HOD. It is a blessing for us, and I think it would be for you too.

In Christ,
Julie