Sonlighter wanting to try HOD this year

[missbell]

Hello Everyone,

I am looking into this wonderful, Biblically-based curriculum with excitement, and a little trepidation. I have used Sonlight history and Bible with my two kids for the past 5 years, and loved it. I did not care for Core K (old name) but we loved Cores 1-4 -- 2 years of World History and 2 years of American History. My daughter is 11, and is in the 6th grade, and history is her favorite subject. My son is a 9 year-old 4th grader who loves science and technology. I have kept them together in the Sonlight cores, but this year I did not feel like my son was ready for Core 5 - the Eastern Hemisphere. I am drawn to this curriculum because currently Bible just seems like another subject that gets checked off, or even dropped on a busy day. HOD looks like Bible is fully integrated throughout the curriculum, and that is what we are missing. So while I am excited to give this a try, I can't figure out where to place my kids.

Currently we are using Learning Language Arts Through Literature and it seems to be a good fit. LLATL uses dictation, but I am just using it for copy work right now, because I do not have a great explanation for how dictation works, or how to teach it to my kids. We are using Singapore Math (3A for my son, and my daughter is finishing 4B). We do science and writing (IEW) at our weekly tutorial, using the Elementary Apologia Exploring Creation series - currently using Swimming Creatures. My daughter is an avid reader and a great speller, even though we have not had a formal spelling program, and she works well independently. My son is wiggly and can read but he is a reluctant writer. He is using A Reason for Handwriting, but he has been in the transition book for over a year. I would love to continue to keep both of my kids together, if there is a good fit. I thought I was going to get CTC, but I have also considered Preparing, and maybe even Bigger. I don't want my son to be left behind anymore, but I don't want to drag my daughter down either. I would appreciate any recommendations you can offer to help me make this choice. Thank you so much, and I look forward to working with HOD!

[beverett]

I was just wandering where you feel each child places best on the placement chart? I would print one chart for each of them and then circle/shade each box in each row that fits the child. Then when you do that which column has more circles for each? According to age your children could place together, but in my opinion from what you have mentioned it sounds like they may be in separate guides according to skill level? In HOD it is so important to place the children in the correct guide as all skills taught are weaved throughout the guide. It also helps things to run more smoothly if each child is placed in their correct level, so that you are not "dulling down" or constantly trying to "beef up". I think it goes better if each child is in a different giude (correctly placed) as opposed to putting them in the same guide (when one child does not really place there) and having to change things to "make it work". I really hope this makes sense? I had used Sonlight in the past before switching to HOD and we absolutely LOVE HOD!!!! I think you will be very pleased as well!

[8arrows]

Try the placement chart. If your son places in CTC, I would combine them there. If he doesn't (my offhand guess), I think Preparing would be a better placement for keeping them together. If he places in Bigger, I would split them up into Bigger and CTC. There are extension packs, so with the age range of your children, I do think you can find a way to combine. We used Sonlight earlier in our homeschool career also. I much prefer HOD, expecially the Bible.

[missbell]

Concerning the placement chart for my son (4th grade):

Age: Bigger through CTC
Reading: reading independently, but reluctantly. Never used DITOR, so I can't respond to that part
Writing: somewhere between Bigger and Preparing. He can not read cursive, but he can copy cursive writing, with a lot of effort and time. He is still working through the Transition Book of A Reason for Handwriting. We use the dictation exercises in LLATL for copy work.
Grammar: Preparing - CTC. LLATL does not diagram sentences until 7th grade, but he is recognizing parts of speech and how to use them. IEW uses lots of grammar instruction in their "dress-ups," so he has that exposure and understanding.
Math: Preparing - CTC. He is finishing Singapore 3A and will move into 3B within the next month or two.

Placement for my daughter (6th) grade:
Age: CTC and above, lower levels with extensions
Reading: CTC - she can read anything I put in front of her, but has not done a formal literature study
Writing: CTC and above, minus dictation
Grammar: CTC and first RTR. No sentence diagramming until next year in LLATL
Math: Preparing - CTC. She is finishing Singapore 4A

I am curious about what is covered in Bible for Bigger, Preparing, and CTC. That is where I really want to concentrate this year, and I don't want to miss something fundamental. They have a lot of homework for their weekly Tutorial classes, so I don't want to overwhelm them this year. I looked at TOG, but it is not realistic for my family. HOD seems wonderful, providing I place them where they will thrive. Thank you for all of your wonderful input!

What is the scope of Bible for Bigger, Preparing, and CTC? Honestly, those are the skills I would most like to address this year.

[4Hispraise]

Welcome to HOD!! I can tell you that after using SL 1-4, we have found HOD to be our "home." We were looking for something that did not just have a "Bible study" box to check every day, but really used/integrated the Bible in every area of study. HOD does an excellent job of this!

As far as formal Bible study:
Preparing studies the Psalms
CTC studies Genesis 1-11 using a wonderful resource Genesis: Finding Our Roots.

I don't know about earlier programs, but I can say that those are the actually Bible studies. I would not judge the biblical content of HOD by just the Bible study. In Science, the children make connections to Scripture. With DITHOR (the reading program), they evaluate the characters according to God's Word...and they are then given the opportunity to evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses. Preparing does an overview of world history. As such, Carrie includes Bible readings, resources and activities that keep God at the center of His-story. One book she includes Grandpa's Box is the story of redemption from the beginning of time. CTC (Creation to Christ) covers the time period in the same manner, but more thoroughly.

Hope that helps!! May the Lord grant you wisdom as you seek to make the best decision for your family!!

[blessedmomof4]

Based on your descriptions, you could do Preparing for your younger and CTC for your older. You could also possibly combine them in Preparing, adding the self study extensions for the older, the self study deluxe package for the younger, and using math, reading, and grammar at their individual levels. The schedule for extensions is in the appendix of Preparing and includes follow-up suggestions which raise the level nicely for 5th and 6th graders. I agree with the previous poster regarding Bible. HOD includes formal study and Scripture memory-and from CTC on there is also an independent Bible Quiet Time scheduled, but Bible is also integrated into the other core subjects. You will not lack for a strong foundation in Scripture at any level of HOD

[Carrie]

missbell,

Welcome to the HOD Boards! We're glad to have you here! I agree that from what you've shared so far, it sounds like your daughter would fit well within CTC, likely doing English 4 or possibly 5. CTC has schedules for both. It also includes schedules for math 3A/3B, 4A/4B, and 5A/5B in the Appendix with multiple levels of dictation passages.

With what you shared about your son in mind, I would lean toward Bigger Hearts as being the best placement for him. This would give him to time to come along in his enjoyment of reading, hopefully getting over some of his reluctance in this area, and also be quite a challenge in the area of writing for him overall in his daily assignments. He would likely need to be in English 3 along with Bigger Hearts (instead of the English 2 that is scheduled within Bigger), and Bigger also has schedules for math 2A/2B and 3A/3B within it. When he needs the schedule for 4A/4B, you could just follow the one provided in CTC (which your daughter would be using). Your son could also begin the first level of studied dictation within Bigger too. I would add DITHR for his literature study, which also includes writing within it. This will be an important piece of his day. You could use either Level 2/3 or Level 4/5, however I'd lean toward 2/3 since this will be his first experience with it.

While you could possibly place your son in Preparing Hearts and consider combining him there with your daughter, I wonder whether he'd be ready for CTC the following year (as it is quite a jump up in rigor in reading, writing, and critical thinking especially). You could end up modifying so much that the program wouldn't really resemble the way we designed it to work.

It sounds like your kiddos are pretty far apart skill-wise, unless I am misunderstanding, so it may be good to consider placing them each in a program that fits him/her best (all combining scenarios aside). To know for sure, take another look at the placement chart, paying the most attention to the first page of the chart only. Try to keep combining scenarios out of it for the moment and just really see where they place as individuals first. You did such a good job of doing this and sharing about it earlier in the thread, but I just wanted to be sure that I am reading your kiddos right. Then, you'll know better.

As you ponder, you may also wish to read this thread: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=9344

Feel free to ask more questions. The ladies are so gracious about helping.

Blessings,
Carrie