Hard time deciding

This is where new posts begin. All questions or discussions about any of Heart of Dakota's curriculums start here. If you wish to share a one-time post about your family's experience with our curriculum, you may post under the specific curriculum title (found beneath this "Main Board" heading).
Post Reply
jenchampion
Posts: 38
Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2012 1:14 pm

Hard time deciding

Post by jenchampion » Thu May 10, 2012 9:39 am

Okay, so this will be our first year with HOD. Originally, I had planned on using Beyond with my soon to be 1st grader and 3rd grader. My soon to be 3rd grader actually places in Bigger, and I was gonna get that guide to use for dictation, math, and reading. Now I am wondering if it would be better to just totally do Bigger with him. My way of thinking was doing them together, but after reading on this board about it being better if each child is properly placed, I am second guessing that.....I will also have a 6th grader in Creation to Christ. I would really appreciate all opinions and suggestions please. I have really enjoyed the knowledge I have gained on this board, and can't wait to order.....if I can just get my mind made up! Thanks for your help!

Molly
Posts: 288
Joined: Wed Nov 30, 2011 1:12 am
Location: South Island, New Zealand

Re: Hard time deciding

Post by Molly » Thu May 10, 2012 1:24 pm

As one who tried combining my older girls, I have found it much easier for everyone to have them in their own guides correctly placed. My younger daughter started out fine in Preparing with her older sister, but by week six was starting to really struggle with it. We made the decision to go with Bigger and she is really enjoying it. It is at her level, not stretching her beyond what she really is capable. She is learning and thoroughly enjoying it. Our older daughter really should have started in CtC or RtR, but because I was trying to combine, she is doing Preparing with extensions. It is not stretching her as much as I would like, but she is going to finish the guide and then we are going to put her in RtR. I do feel that once she is doing RtR things will be as they should be for my blossoms.

One of the big issues I did find when combining, was that my younger one, always felt her work was inadequate because her work was at her level, but she was seeing what her sister could do. This was despite telling her I thought what she had done was wonderful (which I did think, considering her age and her own abilities).

So I hope my experience may help you a little.
Michelle, Mum homeschooling four beauties in NZ
DD1 (13): Rev2Rev, DITHR
DD2 (11): CTC, DITHR
DS1 (8): BHFHG
DS2 (4): LHTH

jenchampion
Posts: 38
Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2012 1:14 pm

Re: Hard time deciding

Post by jenchampion » Thu May 10, 2012 1:43 pm

ahhhh...I never thought about the younger one feeling her work was inadequate comparing it to the olderone....That makes alot of sense now that you mention it. I thought I was all set, planning on both of them in Beyond, then started rethinking it, and thinking it better to have the older one in Bigger....Guess I just need some affirmation that that is the best way to go. Thank you for your help!

MomtoJGJE
Posts: 1534
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 7:20 pm
Location: Gastonia, NC

Re: Hard time deciding

Post by MomtoJGJE » Fri May 11, 2012 6:21 am

I had my middle two placed together at one point. And it was ok... it wasn't hard because they were both ready for the material. They were just ready differently. So while I was having to teach long in math say to one I was having to work more on something else with the other. So they'd be sitting there, understanding what I was teaching, and bored to death and starting to resent the time the other one was taking. Now they are in their own guides and it's so nice. I'm actually semi running 4 guides right now, and since they are all where they should be it is very easy. I say semi because one of those guides is LHTH about every other day and another is LHFHG half speed :) but doing full speed every day wouldn't be any harder :)

my3sons
Posts: 10702
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:08 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Hard time deciding

Post by my3sons » Wed May 16, 2012 9:45 am

Great talk here! :D I agree with the ladies, it is important to place dc where they fit well. :D There is some wiggle room in combining though. I'd love to hear about both your dc's placement individually! Does your almost first grader place better individually in Beyond or in LHFHG? Does your almost 3rd grader place better individually in Beyond or Bigger? There is an increased amount of writing in Bigger Hearts when compared to Beyond. Carrie described it well in this past post...

As far as choosing between "Beyond.." and "Bigger..." goes, the amount of writing varies quite a bit between Beyond and Bigger. Bigger requires more writing in the areas of a once a week history notebooking assignment, a once a week science experiment sheet and a once a week science notebooking entry, along with once a week copywork of a Bible verse, 1-3 vocabulary cards each week, cursive handwriting practice daily, and daily grammar instruction with written practice. It also provides a choice of spelling or dictation passages. If your little one sounds like that would be fine for her, she belongs in Bigger. If not, then Beyond would be best.

Beyond has much less writing doing copywork daily from the poetry, using a gentle once a week introduction to grammar, and writing daily for very short spelling lessons.


If you get a chance to share about each of your dc with the first page of the placement chart especially in mind, I think we can help you decide if combining is really a good fit for your dc or not. It is possible that Bigger Hearts could be too much writing for your almost 3rd grader, and then if Beyond is an accurate placement for your almost first grader, they really would be well placed being combined in Beyond. On the flip side, it could be possible that the almost first grader would be better off in LHFHG, etc. So, could you pretty please check out that placement chart one more time and share what you've discovered about each of them? That would be great - and then we will all chime in with more specific placement advice! No matter which guides you end up with, and no matter whether you end up combining or not, HOD is a fantastic way to go about homeschooling. I am excited for you to begin! :D :D :D

In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie

jenchampion
Posts: 38
Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2012 1:14 pm

Re: Hard time deciding

Post by jenchampion » Wed May 16, 2012 10:14 am

Well, actually DD6 places in Beyond, and DS8 (9 in Oct) places in Bigger.....We did the Getty Dubay Italic HW, and DD6 finished up Book B, and finished up book 3 1/2 in Explode the Code. She is an excellent reader. She completed the A Beka 1st grade readers, and also finished the first A Beka 2nd gr reader. For math, she did Saxon 1, and did great....
DS is also an excellent reader. He did A Beka 3rd gr readers, Italic HW book C (where he began cursive....and his HW is really nice), finished Explode the Code book 7, and Saxon math 3. For grammar he did Shurley English 2, and based on Spelling Power that we used, his spelling is at grade level.

my3sons
Posts: 10702
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:08 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Hard time deciding

Post by my3sons » Wed May 16, 2012 10:24 am

Okay, it sounds like dd places squarely in Beyond, and ds places squarely in Bigger Hearts. :D

So, that being said, you really still do have 2 options to consider. Dd and ds could be combined in Beyond, and you could up the LA/Math by using the right side of Bigger Hearts. Or, they could be separated. Would Beyond's core program be easier for ds? Yes. It would. But, you do have multiple dc, and the entire family makeup should be considered. :)

How about this? Maybe start with dd in Beyond, and ds in Bigger, and if it's too much (for you), then combine them both in Beyond and just use Bigger for the LA/math for older. You will use Bigger as a core guide the next year anyway, so it will be worth owning anyway. :D Just an idea!

HTH!
In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie

jenchampion
Posts: 38
Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2012 1:14 pm

Re: Hard time deciding

Post by jenchampion » Wed May 16, 2012 12:14 pm

Thanks for your help! I am so excited.....because it should be here FRIDAY!!! :lol:

Post Reply