Using one program for several children

[wehoagies]

Hi!

I originally posted this to the Preparing board, but after thinking about it, realized it is a more general question.

I am new to HOD and this message board. After being frustrated and tired 1st semester with my "own" pieced-together American History curriculum, I borrowed Bigger Hearts from a friend who had done it the year before and we picked up in the middle, right where we left off (Revolutionary War). WE ARE LOVING IT! And my brain feels FREE (I am pregnant with my 7th, and my oldest is 9). So, I am looking forward to next year and trying to make a plan for how this all is going to work down the line. I have:
Boy, almost 10
girl, 9
girl, 7
boy, 5
boy, 3
girl, 1
due 6/26 w/a boy

I was thinking I could used Preparing for the oldest three next year (getting the extension pack for the oldest, a voracious reader). For the 7 year old, I would ease up on some of the writing. I thought the 5yo (and even 3 yo) could listen in on the read alouds and then I would do appropriate handwriting, phonics and little kid Bible with them. Actually, the 5yo has surprised me and joined in on the drawing portion of notebooking pages for science in Bigger Hearts, so maybe he'll join for more. I figured I could continue this way for the next 3 or 4 years and then figure out if I want to split to 2 programs.

The reason I wrote, is because I really want us all to be on the same history and science (and Bible) topics. It was one of my hesitations with starting to go with HOD in the first place, but I just can't resist the program. I see alot of people on the message board doing multiple HOD programs, though. Could I hear input from anyone who has made these curriculums work for their whole family (but then done the 3 R's at the appropriate level for youngers)? Any tips?

[blessedmomof4]

Hi,
Seeing that you have a large family and several close in age, I do think combining some children would be helpful. However, if you are looking to combine all the children, Heart of Dakota is not going lend well for that. There are other good programs out there that are written for combining wide age ranges.
The success of using Heart of Dakota is placing your children accurately in a guide. Heart of Dakota is written for narrow age ranges, incrementally building skills at each level and gradually building toward independence. The progression of skills is missed if a child is just "tagging along" with the olders. Heart of Dakota instead writes for the youngers with extensions for children one to two years older than the target range. This ensures no one is missed in the area of building skills. The amount of time needed for each guide is so short, and many moms on this board with large families are successfully using multiple programs.
If you truly feel led to use Heart of Dakota, please spend some time evaluating where your children fit on the placement chart: http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php and let us know where everyone fits best. then we could try to help you brainstorm as to which children could be best combined.
Just off the top of my head, if your third oldest is finishing Bigger and will be 8 by the time they start the next guide, your oldest three could be combined in Preparing. Your 5 year old could do Little Hearts for His Glory, which is also a kind of world history overview, but would be in the right age/skill range. If the 7 year old is not really doing all the work in Bigger Hearts now, perhaps you could combine the 5 and 7 year olds in Little Hearts, and the 9 and 10 year olds in Preparing. Your 3 year old could do Little Hands to Heaven, which only takes 30 minutes a day, and can be done either in one sitting or spread out in 5 to 10 minute segements throughout the day. The oldest might even be able to help you and teach the 3 year old sometimes. Your toddler girl would likely be interested in tagging along with music and activities with your 3 year old. Lastly, when doing multiple programs, you can choose only one storytime from one of the guides to do with all the children together, and you can rotate independent subjects with your olders while you work with the youngers, so that your day is not lengthened.
Another idea would be to combine the oldest three (10, 9, and 7-if almost age 8 ) kids in Preparing and the youngest three in Little Hands to Heaven, but adding age appropriate math and phonics for the 5 year old (which you could get from the Little Hearts for his Glory Kindergarten options).
This really all does depend on where each child fits on the placement chart, though.
Sorry if I sound confusing, I'm kind of thinking "out loud". Hopefully some of the other moms currently teaching many young children will also pop in to share their thoughts!
By the way, congratulations on your newest baby on the way

[my3sons]

I'm so glad you have been able to use Bigger Hearts and experience its "fruits" firsthand! HOD is written to be used with multi-ages, and it works well for that purpose. The age ranges for this are purposefully smaller though, so the youngers can be placed well too. That same ease of use and that feeling of "freeness" for our sometimes overloaded brains you are talking about you've felt with Bigger Hearts is available by using other HOD guides too! HOD writes their younger guides with busy moms who are also teaching older dc in mind. I am doing 3 guides (RTR, BHFHG, LHTH) and loving our year. I do fully realize you have a larger family than I do, but beginning with 2 HOD programs for your sweeties would not be hard to do - in fact, I think given the age range, it would be far easier to do! I would not do several programs of other homeschool curriculums out there, but HOD is different. It makes it easy to do - and ENJOYABLE to do!

With that in mind, your 9 and 10 yo could continue now with Bigger and your 5 and 7 yo could do LHFHG, depending on where your 7 year old is skill-wise. Or, your older three at ages 7, 9, and 10 could keep going in Bigger Hearts, and you could put your 5 year old in LHFHG eventually. Another thought would be to put your 3 and 5 year old in LHTH this year (with more phonics, math, and handwriting for your 5 year old). Then, the following year those two little ones could head into LHFHG together while your olders move on to Preparing Hearts. We wouldn't recommend doing Preparing Hearts with a child below age 8. So, you may need to consider how close to turning 8 the 7 year old would be once you head into Preparing Hearts. Looking at the placement chart will really help you know where each child would fit best. Doing two programs is not hard and does not take long. I think you'd love it!

What are your thoughts on this? I'd love to hear back from you and chat through this. HOD is an incredible blessing in our home - and it will continue to be in yours too! Working through the details does require a little forethought and time, but then the entire year is smooth sailing!!! Hope to hear back from ya when you have time!

In Christ,
Julie