What supplies do I need?
What supplies do I need?
As I wait on my box to arrive, and look at the first week online, I would like to use this time to get prepared. We are using Preparing and CTC. For those of you using these guides, what supplies do I need to have on-hand? I appreciate any helpful tips you have for getting started, setting up a notebook, how to get the most out of the guides, etc. Thank you so much for your help!
Re: What supplies do I need?
I'm so excited for you to get your guides! 
One thing that will be really helpful for you will be to read the Introduction for each guide. This will lay out for you any needed notebooks, binders, etc. and will give you a summary of how each area is handled with some helpful notes on each area.
Here is a link to the Preparing Hearts Introduction. Link: http://www.heartofdakota.com/pdf/PHFHG-intro.pdf
Here is a link to the CTC Introduction. Link: http://www.heartofdakota.com/pdf/CTC-Introduction.pdf
Another helpful thing to consider is approximately how long each "box" will take in each guide. So, I'll paste the approx. times for Preparing Hearts below:
Once we had done school for a month, this is the longest it took us to do PHFHG:
Left side of plans...
Reading about History: 15 minutes
Research/Geog./Timeline: 20 minutes
Independent History Box: 20-25 minutes
History Project box: 20 minutes
Storytime: 20 minutes
1 hour 40 minutes
Right side of plans...
Math: 20-30 minutes
DITHOR: 30 minutes (3 x a week); Creative Writing: 20-30 minutes (1 x a week)
Dictation: 5 minutes (3 x a week)
Grammar: 15 minutes
Bible Study: 15 minutes
Science: 20- 30 minutes
Poetry: 5 minutes
2 hours 10 minutes
This totals just under 4 hours.
For CTC, I'll also paste the approximate time allotments below. For the "Learning Through History" side of the plans:
Reading About History Box: 30 min.(Indpendent)
Storytime: 20 min.
Project/ Written Narration Box: 20 min.(Independent)
Bible Quiet Time: 20-30 min. (Independent)
Independent History Study: 15-20 min. (Independent)
In looking through the "Learning the Basics" side of the page next, we're coming up with approximately the following time allotments:
Geography/Genesis Study: 20 min.
Poetry: 15 min.(Independent)
Dictation: 5 min.
Grammar or Write with the Best: 20 min.
DITHR: 30 min.
Math: 30 min.
Science: 30 min. (Independent)
This equals 270 min. a day, if all subjects were done each day. Grammar, dictation, Write with the Best and DITHR actually rotate through the language arts box, which means they aren't all done every day. This will lessen the overall daily time. Any boxes that are meant to be independent have 5-10 extra min. built into the time allotment above due to the fact that when kiddos are doing something on their own, it often takes longer than anticipated. So, we've built time in for that!
We found with Preparing Hearts that it took a little while to get into a routine, and then the time dropped back substancially as the year wore on and my son knew what to expect. So, you can anticipate after the initial training of getting into a routine with CTC that your child's time will drop back as the year progresses.
Blessings,
Carrie
One thing that will be really helpful for you will be to read the Introduction for each guide. This will lay out for you any needed notebooks, binders, etc. and will give you a summary of how each area is handled with some helpful notes on each area. Here is a link to the Preparing Hearts Introduction. Link: http://www.heartofdakota.com/pdf/PHFHG-intro.pdf
Here is a link to the CTC Introduction. Link: http://www.heartofdakota.com/pdf/CTC-Introduction.pdf
Another helpful thing to consider is approximately how long each "box" will take in each guide. So, I'll paste the approx. times for Preparing Hearts below:
Once we had done school for a month, this is the longest it took us to do PHFHG:
Left side of plans...
Reading about History: 15 minutes
Research/Geog./Timeline: 20 minutes
Independent History Box: 20-25 minutes
History Project box: 20 minutes
Storytime: 20 minutes
1 hour 40 minutes
Right side of plans...
Math: 20-30 minutes
DITHOR: 30 minutes (3 x a week); Creative Writing: 20-30 minutes (1 x a week)
Dictation: 5 minutes (3 x a week)
Grammar: 15 minutes
Bible Study: 15 minutes
Science: 20- 30 minutes
Poetry: 5 minutes
2 hours 10 minutes
This totals just under 4 hours.
For CTC, I'll also paste the approximate time allotments below. For the "Learning Through History" side of the plans:
Reading About History Box: 30 min.(Indpendent)
Storytime: 20 min.
Project/ Written Narration Box: 20 min.(Independent)
Bible Quiet Time: 20-30 min. (Independent)
Independent History Study: 15-20 min. (Independent)
In looking through the "Learning the Basics" side of the page next, we're coming up with approximately the following time allotments:
Geography/Genesis Study: 20 min.
Poetry: 15 min.(Independent)
Dictation: 5 min.
Grammar or Write with the Best: 20 min.
DITHR: 30 min.
Math: 30 min.
Science: 30 min. (Independent)
This equals 270 min. a day, if all subjects were done each day. Grammar, dictation, Write with the Best and DITHR actually rotate through the language arts box, which means they aren't all done every day. This will lessen the overall daily time. Any boxes that are meant to be independent have 5-10 extra min. built into the time allotment above due to the fact that when kiddos are doing something on their own, it often takes longer than anticipated. So, we've built time in for that!
We found with Preparing Hearts that it took a little while to get into a routine, and then the time dropped back substancially as the year wore on and my son knew what to expect. So, you can anticipate after the initial training of getting into a routine with CTC that your child's time will drop back as the year progresses.
Blessings,
Carrie