Start in the middle of the year?

[rmassey3345]

I do NOT like what we are using and really want to switch over...but how can I do that in the middle of the year?? anyone done that before? Any suggestions?
This will be my first experiece with HOD and I am excited!! I have grade K and 6th

THanks!
Robin

[MelInKansas]

Here we are again with a beauty of homeschooling! I just talked to a mom today who uses HOD for her homeschooling and said her year is from January to December (so they are just getting ready to switch to a new guide and start their new year). The guides are written for an age range or level, not a grade level, so you would just want to look at the placement chart. http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php and see where your children fit into the guides. Keep in mind, with your older child, it will take some getting used to the different style of learning, so it may be better to place in a lower guide where your child knows some of the material already in order to ease that transition.

hope that helps!

[countrymom]

The beauty of homeschooling is we are not stuck to a pre-defined "year." Obviously you need to make sure you are moving forward at an acceptable pace, but other than that it is really up to you. A lot of parents on the board just end for summer where they are at and pick back up in the guide in the fall. Some use a year around schedule (we do that and it works wonderful for our situation), and others define their school year with different months. So I would say go ahead and begin and end the misery.

[arstephia]

I wouldn't hesitate to do a January - December schedule. Jump on in! The water's warm.

[raceNzanesmom]

We started in January 2011 with Little Hearts. I'm so thankful we did!

[my3sons]

Welcome to the HOD Board, Robin! I love being excited about what I am teaching, and HOD does that for me. You know what I've figured out? When I'm excited, the dc are excited! I say make the switch today and get to loving your homeschooling. Beginning of the year, middle of the year, end of the year - there are no rules to break with homeschooling. Anytime is a good time to get to loving teaching, and HOD can do that for you. I would not delay. If you need help with any questions you have, this board is full of amazing ladies that are here to help. I'm excited for you to begin HOD!

In Christ,
Julie

[MomtoJGJE]

We school year round. Right now we have one starting a new guide sometime in January, one who is two days into a new guide and going half speed at the moment, and one who is about 5 weeks into a new guide. I'm probably going to start Evie with LHTH sometime this next summer We just base our grade levels on what they would be in public school.

[doubleportion]

We started HOD last year mid-year and will finish that guide around January of 2012. It has been any easy transition for us. My dd will start a new guide probably January or February. Because HOD is not so grade specific it is very easy to simply move on to the next guide when your dc finishes the one they are on.

Go for it! You will be glad that you did!


Edie

[Homeschooling6]

I am switching mid-year. January my two youngest will start Beyond and my two middle boys will start Preparing. I do count weeks. Our bulk of school is done via 36 week school year. When we start HOD it will be week 16 already but I'm okay with that because the guides are meeting my children where they are at. We will continue through the summer. We never take a complete summer off but I do lighten our school load.

Blessings,
Linda<><

[rmassey3345]

THANK you ladies so much!!! I worried more about what to do when we take a summer break! I am very excited about starting with my kids in January. I have my daughters, but might not be able to purchase my son's until February..but I am going to go ahead and jump in!!

This appears to be just what I have been looking for! thank you for the encouragement!

Robin

[MelInKansas]

I think you would not be alone at all if you took a summer break, even having not finished a guide. I don't think it would be too difficult to pick up again (we will be doing that this year as we will not have finished Beyond by the time our baby is born, at which point I am taking at least a 3 week break, we will see how all goes as to whether it becomes longer). I like to finish a unit (which is 5 days if you are going full speed) before taking an extended break, but otherwise I think you could easily pick back up again, I know many people on here do that. The units tie in nicely together, with Beyond you study the same spelling words, same Bible verse, same poem, and generally the Emerging Readers follow a unit schedule though not always.

[Heart_Mom]

I think it's perfectly fine to start a new guide in January! Why keep going for the rest of the school year with something that's not working well?

We've decided to do school year round: 4 days per week from September through May and 3 days per week for June through August. Whenever we finish our current guides, we'll just move on the next one!

[golfmom]

I just wanted to encourage you to go ahead and start in January! The great thing about homeschooling is there are no rules. You can simply do what's best for your family. I have two kids in two different guides on completly different weeks. I don't worry about it. As long as we're moving forward every week I'm good.

What's funny is that we have pretty much the same schedule as Heart_Mom has. We school yearround. Four days a week mid August through mid May. Then we go to three days a week. We started this last year and have loved it.

[Heart_Mom]

What's funny is that we have pretty much the same schedule as Heart_Mom has. We school yearround. Four days a week mid August through mid May. Then we go to three days a week. We started this last year and have loved it.

We just decided to try this recently, so I'm glad to hear that it's working for you, golfmom! I've been trying to find a schedule that will work for our family, and I think this might be it! I know my children do so much better without taking off three months in the summer, but if I don't have a plan for days off, I don't tend to take any!

Anyway, thanks for the encouragement!!!

[MelInKansas]

I took a short summer break last year, just long enough for my girls to get through some summer stuff - day camps, swimming lessons. It was fun to take that time off. But we had also finished a guide and started the new one when we picked back up again. Again, this year, we'll be taking a break and we will not be done with Beyond when we do. Oh well...