Hello-
I have three sons who will be starting K, 4th, and 6th in the fall. The older two had been in private school, and we pulled them out and cyber-charter schooled the remainder of last year. We will be doing HOD, CTC for the older two and Little Hearts for the youngest in the fall, our first true year of homeschooling. I received our materials last week and I am SO excited! Now...how to effectively implement? Here are a few of my questions:
1. Are there any links/tips to how to set up the CTC - supply lists, things to prepare in advance, etc.?
2. How do you effectively engage your older children in managing their independent work? Do you provide them with checklists? Have them keep their own planners? Have them check off work in your Teacher Guide once they've completed it? Make copies for them?
3. If anyone has any other practical advice, I would greatly appreciate it!
I'm excited but a bit scared...trusting the Lord has great things planned for us!
Kim
New to HS and HOD- Practical implementation advice?
Re: New to HS and HOD- Practical implementation advice?
Kim, I can't answer your questions about CTC, but wanted to welcome you to homeschooling with HOD. You will love it. I also had children who started out in public and private schools. Since I started homeschooling, I haven't wanted to go back to anything else. Three are graduated(without opportunity to use HOD 
), but our youngest dd has been using HOD for two years and it has been great. 
I'm sure someone will be able to help guide you. Have a great year!
), but our youngest dd has been using HOD for two years and it has been great. I'm sure someone will be able to help guide you. Have a great year! I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. III John 4
Pam
dh 33 yrs
ds29 church planter in MA
dd27 SAH mom
dd26
dd 12
3 dgs(5,2, & born 6/15) & 2 dgd(3 & born 2/15)
Pam
dh 33 yrs
ds29 church planter in MA
dd27 SAH mom
dd26
dd 12
3 dgs(5,2, & born 6/15) & 2 dgd(3 & born 2/15)
Re: New to HS and HOD- Practical implementation advice?
Good morning Kim!
I'm excited for you as you begin your homeschooling journey! I really enjoyed CTC with my oldest...I couldn't believe how much I learned.
We didn't make any kind of separate checklist. At the CTC level, the guide is written to the student for him/her to use for all their independent work. So, what I have mine do is make a little check mark in the corner of each box as it's completed. At the beginning of the year, you could work through the "I" boxes with your child so that they learn what's expected of them. (Do the reading listed, complete the follow-up activity or assignment, read the key idea, check. ) Before we begin our school year, I make a schedule for our family. That way I have a plan for when I'll be busy with each of the kids. I also plan what order they'll be working on their boxes in based on when I'll be working with each of them. I do use times as a guide when I'm creating the schedule, but we follow it as more of a routine for the day as we implement it, rather than being rigorous clock-watchers. I've found that it helps my kids to know exactly what to do when...and it helps me not to have to answer, "Mom, what should I do NOW?" over and over and over again through the day! 
HOD is great about not requiring things for the daily plans that you'll have to go hunt up. They really do use things that you'll have on hand! So, there's no special checklist. In preparing for the year, read through the introduction. That will let you know exactly what you will need to set things up as far as supplies. You can choose what you want for storing work...1 big 3-ring binder or a couple smaller ones, what kind of common place book, etc. For CTC, the one special thing you'll need to gather are the watercolor paint supplies. The details are listed in the introduction, and I think the most economical place to get those is Miller Pads and Paper (online). You could also find them at Hobby Lobby or Michael's.
Kathleen
I'm excited for you as you begin your homeschooling journey! I really enjoyed CTC with my oldest...I couldn't believe how much I learned.
We didn't make any kind of separate checklist. At the CTC level, the guide is written to the student for him/her to use for all their independent work. So, what I have mine do is make a little check mark in the corner of each box as it's completed. At the beginning of the year, you could work through the "I" boxes with your child so that they learn what's expected of them. (Do the reading listed, complete the follow-up activity or assignment, read the key idea, check. ) Before we begin our school year, I make a schedule for our family. That way I have a plan for when I'll be busy with each of the kids. I also plan what order they'll be working on their boxes in based on when I'll be working with each of them. I do use times as a guide when I'm creating the schedule, but we follow it as more of a routine for the day as we implement it, rather than being rigorous clock-watchers. I've found that it helps my kids to know exactly what to do when...and it helps me not to have to answer, "Mom, what should I do NOW?" over and over and over again through the day! HOD is great about not requiring things for the daily plans that you'll have to go hunt up. They really do use things that you'll have on hand! So, there's no special checklist. In preparing for the year, read through the introduction. That will let you know exactly what you will need to set things up as far as supplies. You can choose what you want for storing work...1 big 3-ring binder or a couple smaller ones, what kind of common place book, etc. For CTC, the one special thing you'll need to gather are the watercolor paint supplies. The details are listed in the introduction, and I think the most economical place to get those is Miller Pads and Paper (online). You could also find them at Hobby Lobby or Michael's.
KathleenHomeschooling mom to 6:
Grant - 19 Kansas State University
Allison - 15 World Geography
Garret - 13 Res2Ref
Asa - 8 Bigger
Quinn - 7 Bigger
Halle - 4 LHTH
Grant - 19 Kansas State University
Allison - 15 World Geography
Garret - 13 Res2Ref
Asa - 8 Bigger
Quinn - 7 Bigger
Halle - 4 LHTH
Re: New to HS and HOD- Practical implementation advice?
Hi, Kim!
Welcome to homeschooling! I remember that feeling of excitement mixed with a little fear my first year. I'm like Kathleen. I set a schedule for the year based on approx how long each box should take. I am using 3 different guides with my 3 oldest children, so I try to schedule the independent work for the oldest during times that I need to be working with the other 2. I am still available if she needs help but she doesn't need my full attention. When you first start, it seems a little like a juggling act but you get used to having balls flying through the air all day!
I also had the binding cut off my guides and I put most of the pages in page protectors. (I have 4 children so I am trying to make the guides last!) Then as my oldest finishes an independent box, she can cross through it with a dry erase marker. She is very task oriented and when she can see something marked off the list, it really drives her. And we also use the times in our schedule as a guideline/routine, not a task master. If we need to camp out on something for a few more minutes, we will. But it keeps the day flowing. And like Kathleen said, it really helps with the "What do I do now, Mom?" types of questions.
Hope that helps! I'm sure you will enjoy your year with HOD! Side note, make sure you make a mental bookmark of those awesome days when you have diligent children who do everything well, because you will need them when the tough days roll around.
Mary
Welcome to homeschooling! I remember that feeling of excitement mixed with a little fear my first year. I'm like Kathleen. I set a schedule for the year based on approx how long each box should take. I am using 3 different guides with my 3 oldest children, so I try to schedule the independent work for the oldest during times that I need to be working with the other 2. I am still available if she needs help but she doesn't need my full attention. When you first start, it seems a little like a juggling act but you get used to having balls flying through the air all day!
I also had the binding cut off my guides and I put most of the pages in page protectors. (I have 4 children so I am trying to make the guides last!) Then as my oldest finishes an independent box, she can cross through it with a dry erase marker. She is very task oriented and when she can see something marked off the list, it really drives her. And we also use the times in our schedule as a guideline/routine, not a task master. If we need to camp out on something for a few more minutes, we will. But it keeps the day flowing. And like Kathleen said, it really helps with the "What do I do now, Mom?" types of questions.
Hope that helps! I'm sure you will enjoy your year with HOD! Side note, make sure you make a mental bookmark of those awesome days when you have diligent children who do everything well, because you will need them when the tough days roll around.
Mary
Wife to Guy for 13 years
dd9 in Preparing
ds7 in Beyond
ds5 in LHFHG
ds3 starting LHTH
Deut 6:4-9
dd9 in Preparing
ds7 in Beyond
ds5 in LHFHG
ds3 starting LHTH
Deut 6:4-9
Re: New to HS and HOD- Practical implementation advice?
Thank you, ladies, for the encouragement and advice. I was also thinking of having the guides spiral bound so that they'd be easier to flip open. I do like Mary's idea of cutting them off the binding and using page protectors with dry erase. I'll have two doing one guide, so they could check off in a different color when they're through. I also think a routine, but flexible, time schedule works best with my crew. I have one son who is very task-oriented and diligent, and another who likes to do things in his own way, in his own time...and often anything other than school The blessing with him is that he's very bright and catches on quickly, so he doesn't need to focus for long 
I think the short, engaging lessons will be perfect for them. I already know the writing, copywork, dictation will be the toughest area and we'll need to ease into it.
To complicate things a bit, we are probably going to be moving half-way across the country...putting our house on the market over the summer. I just have to be grounded in grace and accept His plans and timing. When I am weak, then He can be strong.
Thanks again!!!
Blessings,
Kim
I was also thinking of having the guides spiral bound so that they'd be easier to flip open. I do like Mary's idea of cutting them off the binding and using page protectors with dry erase. I'll have two doing one guide, so they could check off in a different color when they're through. I also think a routine, but flexible, time schedule works best with my crew. I have one son who is very task-oriented and diligent, and another who likes to do things in his own way, in his own time...and often anything other than school The blessing with him is that he's very bright and catches on quickly, so he doesn't need to focus for long I think the short, engaging lessons will be perfect for them. I already know the writing, copywork, dictation will be the toughest area and we'll need to ease into it. To complicate things a bit, we are probably going to be moving half-way across the country...putting our house on the market over the summer. I just have to be grounded in grace and accept His plans and timing. When I am weak, then He can be strong.
Thanks again!!!
Blessings,
Kim
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Re: New to HS and HOD- Practical implementation advice?
We share guides here, too, and the first year we used HOD I made dry erase sheets in folders for each boy using page protectors. I just put the subject headings for the day like "Reading About History", "Science Exploration", "Storytime", etc. for them to X out when completed. I added anything they needed to do for that day and not just HOD stuff. I made a sheet for each day of the week and put it in a separate folder for each child. This was cheap, quick and easy to do and they loved checking off their daily work!!!! If for some reason we were not going to cover an area that was on their sheet for the day I would just X it out that morning before we began. I even got folders and dry erase markers in their favorite colors. We would just leave the guide in a central location for them to share. After doing HOD for a year they were so used to what subjects they did each day and how the guide flows that they really did not need them any longer .
.Suzy in Eastern NC
Momma of boys 11th grade, 9th & 4th
HS World History, HS Geo & Preparing
Momma of boys 11th grade, 9th & 4th
HS World History, HS Geo & Preparing
Re: New to HS and HOD- Practical implementation advice?
I had the bindings cut off of my first 3 guides, and now decided I don't like the bulkiness of those 3-ring binders, and the pages are ripping out (I really need to remember to pick up some of those hole reinforcement stickers one of these days!) Anyway, now I'm trying to leave my manuals in tact...we'll see how well they last when they get to the 4th kid . For checklists, though, I made checklists that actually have the boxes in the same layout as the manual has them. The only thing in the box is the name of it and a little place for a checkmark when it's done. Sometimes more than one check mark slot (like in the LA box where we have Grammar, and Dictation, etc.) I shrunk them down to fit the entire week's worth of boxes on one page. For some reason, when it's in the box and in the layout is like what we find in the manual it's easier visually to get the right thing checked off and quickly find what still needs to be done.
As far as general practical advice goes, some of the best I was given is to staggar start them, and maybe half speed for the older kids. Don't try to dive in with everybody full boar all at once. Maybe start CTC only for a couple of weeks first, you'll be able to walk through everything with them and get them going and understanding how to do the independent boxes, and familiar with the HOD flow; then when they're off and running comfortably start on the LHFHG.
I also did a cyber-type of school one year, I like HOD much better! I love the freedom that it allows me to really meet each kid where they are with what they need, and not feel completely stressed if we don't get to all of the LA one day I can choose how important it is to get that done, or not, and don't feel the pressure to double up on things later just to keep with the right schedule. We've done a lot of slowing down with math when ds was just not getting it, reviewing again and again until he really understood. It's really nice to have that freedom!
. For checklists, though, I made checklists that actually have the boxes in the same layout as the manual has them. The only thing in the box is the name of it and a little place for a checkmark when it's done. Sometimes more than one check mark slot (like in the LA box where we have Grammar, and Dictation, etc.) I shrunk them down to fit the entire week's worth of boxes on one page. For some reason, when it's in the box and in the layout is like what we find in the manual it's easier visually to get the right thing checked off and quickly find what still needs to be done. As far as general practical advice goes, some of the best I was given is to staggar start them, and maybe half speed for the older kids. Don't try to dive in with everybody full boar all at once. Maybe start CTC only for a couple of weeks first, you'll be able to walk through everything with them and get them going and understanding how to do the independent boxes, and familiar with the HOD flow; then when they're off and running comfortably start on the LHFHG.
I also did a cyber-type of school one year, I like HOD much better! I love the freedom that it allows me to really meet each kid where they are with what they need, and not feel completely stressed if we don't get to all of the LA one day I can choose how important it is to get that done, or not, and don't feel the pressure to double up on things later just to keep with the right schedule. We've done a lot of slowing down with math when ds was just not getting it, reviewing again and again until he really understood. It's really nice to have that freedom!
Becky, married to my preacher-man and raising:
DD 12-7th grade public school
DS 10-Preparing
DS 8-Beyond
DS 3-Just doin' his thing
DD 12-7th grade public school
DS 10-Preparing
DS 8-Beyond
DS 3-Just doin' his thing
Re: New to HS and HOD- Practical implementation advice?
Hi and Welcome!
I just wanted to mention that I've never had the binding cut off my guides, and they are a breeze to use. The current page always easily stays open and the bindings are top-notch. You could still use a sheet protector and dry-erase markers to check off assignments by cutting along one side of the sheet protector. Then you can slip the page protector right into the book and onto the current page.
I hope that helps!
I just wanted to mention that I've never had the binding cut off my guides, and they are a breeze to use. The current page always easily stays open and the bindings are top-notch. You could still use a sheet protector and dry-erase markers to check off assignments by cutting along one side of the sheet protector. Then you can slip the page protector right into the book and onto the current page.
I hope that helps!
Blessings,
Elisabeth
ds - 17
dd - 14
dd - 12
ds - 9
dd - 5 (Little Hearts for His Glory)
Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."
Elisabeth
ds - 17
dd - 14
dd - 12
ds - 9
dd - 5 (Little Hearts for His Glory)
Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."
Re: New to HS and HOD- Practical implementation advice?
I've read that Carrie spends extra to have a special binding put on so that it lays flat. It does work really well.
I've have 6 children that will be going through the guides (the others are too old). I decided to just check off the boxes with a different symbol for each child as they go through. Eg: checkmark, star, filled in small circle, an x, etc. or I guess we could use a different colored pencil or something also.
I've have 6 children that will be going through the guides (the others are too old). I decided to just check off the boxes with a different symbol for each child as they go through. Eg: checkmark, star, filled in small circle, an x, etc. or I guess we could use a different colored pencil or something also.
Nancy
Dd29 married (w/2 sons 1/2/14, 5/24/16), ds27, dd25 married (w/dd born 8/9/16), dd25, dd22
Dd 19 HS in special ed
Dd14 RevtoRev
Ds12 RevtoRev
Ds 9 Preparing
Dd 5 LHFHG
Dd29 married (w/2 sons 1/2/14, 5/24/16), ds27, dd25 married (w/dd born 8/9/16), dd25, dd22
Dd 19 HS in special ed
Dd14 RevtoRev
Ds12 RevtoRev
Ds 9 Preparing
Dd 5 LHFHG
Re: New to HS and HOD- Practical implementation advice?
Such wonderful tips! Thank you so much. I like the idea of giving each one their own folder with checklists for daily work. That sounds very easy to implement and would give them a sense of accomplishment. Thanks also for the info about the bindings.
Honestly, homeschooling is so much easier because of the Internet. I don't know what I'd do without all the info and encouragement available out there.
Thanks again...and keep it coming if anyone has other ideas
Blessings,
Kim
Honestly, homeschooling is so much easier because of the Internet. I don't know what I'd do without all the info and encouragement available out there.
Thanks again...and keep it coming if anyone has other ideas
Blessings,
Kim
Re: New to HS and HOD- Practical implementation advice?
I just wanted to chime in and mention that I don't have my children write in their guides, but instead have made a weekly checklist for them. This works really well for us, as I can write the boxes on the list in the order that I want them to do them. I can also add extras in throughout the day like "Switch Laundry", "Play with Little Sister", "Set Table", etc.
I hope you enjoy HOD! We certainly are!
I hope you enjoy HOD! We certainly are!
Blessings,
Elisabeth
ds - 17
dd - 14
dd - 12
ds - 9
dd - 5 (Little Hearts for His Glory)
Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."
Elisabeth
ds - 17
dd - 14
dd - 12
ds - 9
dd - 5 (Little Hearts for His Glory)
Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."
Re: New to HS and HOD- Practical implementation advice?
HI Kim! I have 3 sons too - nice to meet ya! We did CTC with our oldest ds a few years back and will have the pleasure of doing it again soon with my middle ds. You are going to love it, I am sure! Such great answers here already - I will also try to answer your questions here...
CTC time it takes:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3765
CTC Paint Supplies:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5608&p=68843#p68843
CTC and Beyond schedule, in case something here may help (Wyatt did CTC on this schedule):
2. HOD's plans engage our dc beautifully! I do have a midpoint meeting time once our dc reach CTC on up, and this link describes it...
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=10939
3. I love this thread - there are so many gems of advice in it!
Best tips for peace, sanity, or really helpful stuff!
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4929
HTH- but I am excited for you to get to enjoying HOD! It has been such a blessing in our home - may it be in yours as well!
In Christ,
Julie
We did CTC with our oldest ds a few years back and will have the pleasure of doing it again soon with my middle ds. You are going to love it, I am sure! Such great answers here already - I will also try to answer your questions here...
1. Here are the time allotments for CTC (I always start with these for each guide when setting up our days)...momof3bs wrote: 1. Are there any links/tips to how to set up the CTC - supply lists, things to prepare in advance, etc.?
2. How do you effectively engage your older children in managing their independent work? Do you provide them with checklists? Have them keep their own planners? Have them check off work in your Teacher Guide once they've completed it? Make copies for them?
3. If anyone has any other practical advice, I would greatly appreciate it!
I'm excited but a bit scared...trusting the Lord has great things planned for us!
Kim
CTC time it takes:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3765
CTC Paint Supplies:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5608&p=68843#p68843
CTC and Beyond schedule, in case something here may help (Wyatt did CTC on this schedule):
2. HOD's plans engage our dc beautifully! I do have a midpoint meeting time once our dc reach CTC on up, and this link describes it...
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=10939
3. I love this thread - there are so many gems of advice in it!
Best tips for peace, sanity, or really helpful stuff!
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4929
HTH- but I am excited for you to get to enjoying HOD! It has been such a blessing in our home - may it be in yours as well!
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
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie