Placement Help, Please!

[Mommy4Him]

Hi,

I am new to the HOD discussion board. I've been reading posts for several days and thought I had my plan all figured out. As I continue to read, however, I feel that I need some guidance.

We have always homeschooled. We have 4 kids - with Feb. - April birthdays. As of April 3, they will be just turned 9, 11, 13 and 15 years old. I started officially when my oldest was 4 yo using Little Hands to Heaven, when HOD was a fairly new company. I got the 'grass is greener" syndrome and have changed curriculum many times, but always with a literature-based/Charlotte Mason flair. We also unschooled for a year or so. We did MFW ECC from Feb - Oct. 2012, and are currently using my own version of self-directed learning (the 3 Rs +), which is not working with my 9 and 11 yo, and also doing Middle Ages to Reformation family-style history and Biology 101 science videos together. Life got crazy and we are about 6 months behind where I want to be with my two oldest. A friend started using HOD this year and she loves it. I felt like I should reinvestigate HOD and I really think it is where God is leading us.

I printed out the Program Placement Chart and used child-coded colored pencils to circle the descriptions that fit each child. That helped, but I still feel unsure. I've read some of the questions Carrie has asked people for details, so here I go. I will list my summary for each child and I would so appreciate some feedback.

I'd like to combine the two youngest. I am pretty sure they would do best in Bigger, maybe Preparing. They want to be together and I think it would help me to ease into HOD if I only have 3 programs going.

9 yob- End of 2nd grade. Reading independently- I'd choose DITHR package Level 2 for him. Ready for cursive. Has done lots of manuscript copywork. Oral narration. Grammar - First Language Lessons 1 completed. Math- did SM 1A/1B, now using Teaching Textbooks 3.

11 yob - End of 4th grade. Reading independently- I'd choose DITHR package 4/5. 2 pages left of Cheerful Cursive. Manuscript copywork/just switching to cursive. Oral narration. No spelling, dictation or writing instruction yet. Has written sentences for Awana and pen pal letters. Grammar- Completed FLL 1 & 2. Math - Math has been a struggle. Did SM 2A in Summer 2012, but switched to Life of Fred to improve confidence.


I think my oldest 2 should now be doing separate programs. I was originally thinking of Rev to Rev for my 13 yo, which would really stretch her I think, and MFW Ancient History for my 15 yo. I then thought maybe he could do CtC with additions to beef it up instead of MFW after reading how to do HOD for high school here on the boards. When we discussed it, he feels like he has been held back by his younger siblings and I would have to agree with him. He is worried that CtC will be too easy. He likes the books HOD has chosen though. As I am typing this, I am thinking maybe I could switch the two and use Rev to Rev with my oldest and my 13 yo could do CtC or ?? . I'm just not sure. We school year-round, so we can catch up and let them both graduate on time if we are careful with our time. I want a sequence of 4 programs to go thorough. Our state allows each school district to set its own graduation requirements with certain stipulations in ( ). , and homeschoolers set their own requirements. I'm trying to generally follow our local district's requirements: 4 years English (Speech included), 4 years Math, 3,or 4, years Science, 3.5 years Social Science (include 1 yr. World history, 1 yr. American history and 1/2 yr. Civics/government), 1.5 credits in Fine Arts/Technical Arts, and 5.5 units in Electives (that seems like a lot, maybe not?) and P.E. (2 credits (include .5 health class).

13 yog - Middle of 7th grade. Reading fits in Rev to Rev except for never having done any lit. study of any kind. I'd choose DITHR Level 5/6 books with DITHR 6/7/8 activities. Writing - Lots of copywork in manuscript and cursive. Is a natural speller, some dictation ( 4-5 sentences), oral narration, some written narration (under compulsion). No formal writing instruction; can write creatively when motivated - has written poetry, prose, short stories, reports and pen pal letters. Never done any outlining. Grammar - Growing With Grammar (includes diagramming) for 4 years. Ok with applying grammar skills learned to her writing, could use work on it. Asks me to proofread. Math - Teaching Textbooks 7 She want to be a vet tech or go on to be a veterinarian.

15 yob - Middle of 9th grade. Reads difficult chapter books easily. No formal literature study. I would choose DITHR 7/8 for him. Can think deeply and critically about what he reads. Writing - Fits perfectly in Rev to Rev. skills slot. Grammar - Fits exactly in Rev to Rev slot. Math - will finish Saxon Algebra 1 in three weeks - easy for him; all errors are carelessness. Science - Biology 101 videos, reading through Apologia Biology text and has taken a dissection class. He is not sure about college yet. I want him to be prepared if he decides to go. He wants to do web design or graphics design. He is going to take some online courses for web design starting in the fall.

Sorry this is so long. I wanted to include everything that I've seen asked of others.

Thanks for reading this!!!

Mary in CO

[julsoliveira]

Hello Mary! I'm Juls This is our second year homeschooling, but our first using HOD. We are using Bigger and Preparing, so that's what 'm going to comment on for you.

Bigger: My second grader is doing bigger. Long story short, she is an advanced 7yr old, and I don't feel like she's quite ready for Preparing yet, so she just started doing bigger at half speed today, to finish up the academic year. She will do the other half for 3rd grade. She has always been homeschooled. She is an independent reader, but still getting the hang of oral narration. She does math 2/B and DITHOR 2/3. Not quite ready for cursive. She has been doing bigger this year, and really liked it. The only thing she does not like doing, are assignments that require drawing, since she is self conscious about her drawing skills. I have seen a huge improvement in her work this year, and really, I credit that to the materials and written guide in HOD. As a third grader, I may have her add in the extension package (4th and 5th graders I think?). But I felt like Bigger was just the right place for a 2-3 grade child.

Preparing: My 4th grader is doing preparing. He was in Public school from K-2nd. He didn't really have a smooth transition to homeschool in 3rd grade because I tried something like 3 different curriculum, knowing full well I wanted to use HOD, and just didn't do it. I should have trusted the Lord in that. This year in Preparing has been such an amazing transformation in him! Because he came out of PS, I felt like I needed to keep him in his established grade path. Preparing fit that, as well as the the skill levels for him. I could have put them both in Bigger, and had him do the extensions, but I knew he wouldn't be challenged that way. The level of oral and written narration was challenging at first, and I continue to see huge leaps for him here! The subject and topic level is age/maturity appropriate for him. He just finished TT4, and is about to being TT5. He didn't have grammar in PS, so he is on Rod and Staff three this year, to give him a good foundation. He is in DITHOR level 4/5 this year. His reading level is high, but he still struggles with reading out loud, although this too is improving!

DITHOR: We didn't buy a book pack for either kid. instead, we like to choose books off the optional Sample book list, which can be purchased separately with the Dithor materials. I liked this option because it means we can check the books out of the library, and means we have to return them, so we must stay on top of our DITHOR reading! Plus it allows us to tailor our kids interests to the books they read. Love it!


In regards to bundling kids, I did that last year in an 'all in one" curriculum, which was suited for one age level, but not really the other, and ended the year feeling like one of the kids was just being dragged along for the ride. The child didn't benefit from it really. This was the reason I separated them this year. Now I know both kids are being challenged, and and at their optimal academic level so to speak.

I know finances start to play a role in how many guides a family can buy, and every family must make the best choice for them, so just remember , This is one mom's experience with HOD.

Sending you prayers of peace and wisdom while you finalize your selections!

[Mommy4Him]

Hi Juls,

Thanks so much for your reply! I appreciate you sharing your experience with HOD in Bigger and Preparing. I'm sure that Bigger is the right place for my 2nd grader. I am going to look more closely at the 3 week samples to try to get a better feel for where to place my 4th grader. I don't want to hold him back nor do I want to exasperate him.

There are several factors for wanting to combine them. 1)Finances - It would help to get our DITHOR books from the library. Thanks for that suggestion. 2) Scheduling - I can barely keep up now. 3)Writing - I read a post by Julie that compares the writing required in Bigger vs. Preparing. I'm sure that even the amount of writing in Bigger will send my 4th grader over the edge. I know that most of it is MY fault as I have let him do almost everything orally or on the whiteboard, as well as character issues that need to be dealt with before we try to move ahead. Today he complained about writing out 15 math problems on the white board. He did do his cursive page without any complaints which is a rare thing! 2 -3 sentences for copywork and you would think I asked him to copy the book of Genesis in one sitting. He does do his work very neatly and carefully though. I think I'll try ramping up the amount I ask him to write over the next week or so and see how it goes.

I do think jumping around from one curriculum to another has been really hard on my kids. It is almost a joke to them . . . "What curriculum are you switching us to now?" It has been especially hard on my 4th grader as he has a very difficult time with changes of any kind. I know God has a plan for us and I'd like to find peace and contentment in our homeschooling. I have spent way too much time searching for the "perfect" curriculum.

Your perspective has helped me think through a few things. Thanks again.

Mary in CO

[Mommy4Him]

Since I feel more urgency in making a decision regarding my oldest two children, I have been focusing on trying to decide those curriculum choices first. After much thought and prayer, I am planning to do CTC with my 13 yo and RevtoRev with my 15 yo with extensions for both, unless I hear a compelling reason to do otherwise.

I would like to get my 15 yo started as soon as possible. So, I am considering using Write With the Best for him instead of The Exciting World of Creative Writing. It seems to be a better place to begin writing instruction. I am also trying to decide which level of R&S English to use. I looked at some R & S 5, 6 and 7 samples online. I think he is past Level 5. R & S 6 grammar looks like it would be mostly review, but the writing instruction looks really good. R & S 7 would be a challenge, but I think he could do it.

I'm hoping to get some feedback on this.

Thanks,
Mary in CO

[my3sons]

Hi Mary, and welcome to the HOD Board! This time of the year is crazy, with ladies finishing up homeschooling, testing, etc., so I am sorry you have not gotten more responses! I'd be glad to help! Thanks for sharing about each of your dc - that really does help. From what you've shared about your 9 and 11 yo, I think Bigger Hearts would be a good placement. Your 11 yo can read the extensions independently, and not do the follow-up assignments. If you need to save some money, I'd drop the extensions though, and instead focus on doing the rest of Bigger Hearts to its fullest. Bigger Hearts is a huge help to us as teachers of our dc. Lots of excellent instruction we do alongside our kiddos that makes every year after Bigger Hearts a success, as well as more independent. The bulk of your teaching time will be with these two, and it is time very well spent, believe me. The 'helps' for oral narrations, notebooking skills, and a gradual increase in writing strength and skills will really be your friend - they sure were mine. Your DITHOR placements for these dc sounds right on track too, and you can take your HOD catalog or Sample Book Ideas list to the library once a month to get books. You could probably do R & S English 3 with both your kids, doing 2/3 of it orally or on a markerboard, having dc write just one small section on notebook paper each day. We have done this, and it's short yet effective. You can do a lesson a day and finish it in a year. The hands-on math in Bigger Hearts for 2A/2B is excellent, so that can be used with your younger of the pair if you'd like. Do you think your older of the pair would benefit from these too, or perhaps continuing with Life with Fred and then switching to something else? Not sure on that - so sorry not to be of more help.

On to your older dc! I like your placements for each of them. They sound right to me, from what you have shared. It sounds like it would be best for each of them to have their own guides to do, and CTC sounds like a good fit for your 13 yo dd, and RevtoRev sounds like a good fit for your 15 yo ds. These are both excellent guides, with a great balance of skills. The guides can be used as student planners at this age, and dc should be encouraged to check off completed boxes, following the directions for "I" boxes independently. I think it is important to have one or two meeting times with the upper HOD guides, and they are an easy way to keep tabs on what dc are doing independently as well as to do your follow-ups discussions, lessons, etc. as the teacher. I copied a portion of what Carrie had to say about this in this thread...
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=12798&p=92301

I also described how to do this with a 12 yo doing PHFHG here, in case anything here might also be helpful...
Making PHFHG independent for 12 yo, and adding a meeting time or two:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=12668

In case anything here may be helpful, especially dividing your time as a teacher in a balanced way for the different needs and guides of your dc, here is our schedule we used for Bigger Hearts and Revival to Revolution...


Here is our schedule for CTC...


For DITHOR, I think you could do it just on the days it comes up in your 15 yo RevtoRev plans, which will be 3 days a week. Everyone can do it (on their different levels) on those days. In BHFHG, DITHOR is scheduled 5 days a week, but I think just doing DITHOR the 3 days a week it is in the RevtoRev student's plans would be enough, especially as your dc are reading well. This will let you approach DITHOR kickoffs, All Together lesson days, and final projects all together as a family.

As far as your RevtoRev high school student, doing the history extensions will be enough for credit in history, he can do the advanced science for credit in physical science, doing DITHOR 6/7/8 with harder lit selections along with R & S English level 7 and Write with the Best Vol. 2 or Igniting Your Writing Vol. 2 will be enough for an English credit.

Ok - what are your thoughts though? Hope something here helps! Keep asking questions til you are set!
In Christ,
Julie

[Mommy4Him]

Thank you so much for your reply, Julie! It was really helpful and encouraging. . . . and a lot to think over too, especially in terms of scheduling our days, but that can come later.

I feel pretty good about which HOD programs we are choosing to do. I'm going to stair-step our introduction to HOD. I am planning to order for my oldest next week and getting him started as soon as we have our materials. I'm going to wait on DITHOR until I start everyone else in July.

I am praying about what to do with my 11 yo for math. We will continue with Life of Fred through the next month or two and see where we are at that time.

Two questions: 1) I am still wavering on the R & S English. You suggested R & S 7 for him. I'm not worried about the grammar portion, but do you think that with the other writing instruction in HOD, he isn't missing anything in that area of R&S by starting with level 7? 2) For DITHOR, will the 7/8 book package be enough for high school credit?

Thanks again,
Mary in CO

[my3sons]

I'm glad to have been of some help here! In answer to your questions - I am thinking that for R & S English, you may want to look at the Table of Contents (especially the writing skills that are marked with an asterisk) of R & S English 6, and see if it would be better to begin there. I think by looking at that, it will be clearer which would be a better fit. For DITHOR, using 6/7/8 for freshman credit will be fine, along with the use of appropriate book titles. Here is a link to some book selection ideas to use along with DITHOR for high school...

DITHOR Titles for High School:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7765&p=56997#p56997

Another option would be to order the World Geography Guide, and use the complete English plans as they are written for writing, grammar, and lit. You could always just do this each year, and you can also let Mike know (via phone or in the 'notes' section of your online order) when you need to order all of your packages for your World Geography guide year that you ordered the World Geography guide from HOD already, and he will give you the Economy Pkg price still after looking up your past order. The savings are HUGE for ordering packages, so I wanted to be sure I shared that! HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

[Mommy4Him]

Thank you, Julie!

I already own R & S English 7, so I am going to go ahead and order R & S English 6 to look over them side-by-side. If I don't use Level 6 it with my 15 yo, I can use it with my 13 yo, and eventually my younger boys, so it won't go to waste either way.

Thank you for the tip about ordering packages after purchasing a guide. I will keep that in mind.

I have been reading through your blog and that has been really helpful too.

Blessings,
Mary in CO

[my3sons]

Sounds like a great plan! I'm glad to have helped, and thanks for checking out my blog.

In Christ,
Julie