Ok Girls, what are you thinking about doing NEXT year!

[my3sons]

We're doing Creation to Christ with our oldest ds (who will be about 10 yo). We'll use DITHR 4/5, R & S 4 (probably half-speed), Singapore Math either 3B/4A or 4A/4B, depending on how far we get with math this year, and he'll be on dictation level 3.

We'll be finishing the last 1/3 of Beyond Little Hearts with our 6 yo ds, and he'll be just shy of 7 yo when he starts Bigger Hearts half-speed in January. We'll probably start DITHR Level 2/3 with him then - probably just 3 days a week, with me helping with the writing, and we'll do the first level of dictation. He'll be doing Singapore Math 2A/2B half-speed, and we'll go half-speed with R & S 2 too. We may just keep Bigger Hearts half-speed all year - we'll see. With both boys, we will do a 4 day week. We've gotten spoiled this year by having our Fridays free.

This year, I made out a school plan where we are actually doing Day 1 on Mondays, Day 2 on Tuesdays, etc. for PHFHG, and I've LOVED it. I've never done that before, and it is not necessary, but boy has it been great. My ds is a routine lover, and he enjoys knowing every Monday he gets to look forward to certain things (like research and starting his new history project, reading his new poem, etc.). Each day has something he's gotten into the habit of looking forward to. Last year, that kind of continuity (of Day 1 being Monday always, etc.) would have been near to impossible to pull off because of our many doctor's visits and our dbaby's reflux. But, it sure is great when it works. For those of you that may be having a year you can do this - it sure is neat!

I'm enjoying peeking into everyone's coming year - thanks for this thread, Mary!

In Christ,
Julie

[Sharon]

Next year will start in January for us and we will be using Preparing and Hearts For Him.
My oldest will still be doing BJU English, Math and Science.
My younger will continue in Rod and Staff English, BJU Math and Science/HOD Science.
Some things that we will keep working on together are English From the Roots Up, Rosetta Stone Spanish (the one I can' t seem to fit in ) and God and the History of Art.

[Mommamo]

Our "next year" will actually start next month since we school year round and our taking our break right now. I guess it will start next month if I can keep C happy, but she loves school so much she's really pushing to start right now! I suppose that's a wonderful problem to have!

Anyway, we'll be doing Beyond at half speed with C, and LHTH with D. C will be finishing up Singapore 1B and will likely start 2A sometime over the course of the school year. She'll also be using the emerging readers since we're close to being through with phonics. We will also be doing Artisitic Pursuits K-3 Book 1 and a Spanish curriculum, and possibly some classes at the local science museum. The kids also do some classes and field trips with a local homeschool group. Whew! That sounds like a lot when you put it that way.

As for LHTH with a 2 year 9 month child, I think it would be fine. My oldest would DEFINITELY have been ready. I wish I would have done it with her. We did Before Five in a Row instead starting when she turned 2. Actually, we may have started it a little before but she was super precocious. My little guy who is 3 now wasn't ready at 2 years and 9 months. He is honestly just now barely ready, but he's loving it and having a ball. I think as long as you think your child is ready then it's fine.

[DHT1999]

We are new to HOD and won't begin until next fall; at that time, we will start Bigger Hearts. My sons will be seven and ten. We already use both MathUSee and Singapore Math. We will stick with First Language Lessons & Writing With Ease for the bulk of our LA. We've used R&S English in the past and though I think it is an excellent program, I prefer FLL because we understand the explanations better. We will also continue studying Biblical Greek and my oldest will continue The Story of the World with Vol. 3 (Early Modern Times) which goes along with the time period studied in Bigger Hearts just right. My oldest son will be using all of the books in the Bigger Hearts extension package except for A Child's Story of America - that's where I'm plugging The Story of the World into his schedule. We'll also be new to Drawn Into The Heart of Reading.

[Mom2Monkeys]

We must all get this itch at the same time! LOL I am selling lots of old curriculum now and have been able to afford ALL my new stuff for next year without a dime out of pocket! Glad all those buyers had the early itch too!

For next year: My 8yo 3rd grader- I'll be doing Bigger (w/some of the extension pack), Singapore 3A/B, R&S English 3, Italics D & DITHOR 2/3 w/the Level 3 book pack. I also got the girl interest set for Read Alouds We had some personal add-ons that I'll add in one of a couple ways...either do Bigger 4 days per week and add all of it on the 5th, or add one each of the 5 school days each week. These will all be added very casually and for fun.
English From the Roots Up (1-2 words per week)
Brazilian Portuguese using Talk Now! software and Bilingual Baby DVD for a fun intro to the language,
Conversation with Character,
Music Study using Themes to Remember
Art Study of Renaissance artists using Go Fish For Art.

My K'er will start LHFHG, Singapore EB 2A/B, Italics A, Thinking Skills, and continue Reading Made Easy with the new workbooks coming out!...and he'll take part in some of the above add-ons as he's able. My oldest will be doing some of his read alouds for him for the extra practice in reading aloud. Might do first half of year at half pace and second half at full pace...I don't know yet!

Almost 3yo will just be hanging out and running the show as usual! LOL

[Jessi]

We will continue with LHFHG in the fall. Right now we are doing it at half pace but once we pick back up in the fall, I fully plan on going full pace until we finish and then starting beyond at half pace (I think- but we'll see how it goes pace wise.) As I'll be less one day care kid and the one who is in preschool two days will be going four days- I hope to do more "interest-led" learning in addition to LHFHG. My plan is to find out what she wants to learn more about and study those on the side through library books, activities, etc.

Logan will be 3 in Sept and he likes to sit for a little while with me doing "work" but I dont' intend on starting him with LHTH until he is closer to 4.

[eazbnsmom]

I am going to be doing the new HTH C2C program with my oldest next year, my boys will be doing Beyond and my daughter will be doing the left side of beyond and her own math & language arts.

[MamaMary]

Oh Girls, I am LOVING seeing what you are doing next year. I forgot to add that I need to get the 2/3rd DITHOR workbook. I'll have an official reader!!! (YEAH)

Oh, Mary. . .his last year? How could you have let this happen?!? Seriously, I was telling a young mom I know last week that truly, truly she will blink and these years will be gone. And isn't that what we as moms of teens are experiencing? (sniff)

Sam will be 13 in the fall and will go right into "Hearts for Him" when he finishes Preparing.

Catherine will be 15 by Christmas. There is so much meat in Where Brook and River Meet that I don't want her to rush through it, thus it might take more than one year to complete. But she'll earn 8 credits from WBRM alone, not counting her music, PE, her home economics program. Maybe it'll be ok that she spends more than a year on it? The thought of having to move into something else afterward is a little scary. She's really, really loving this. No clue what direction I'm headed in after WBRM. Maybe GED prep for this one? I guess I better start working on a plan for the rest of high school.

I know Jen..., It's gone way too fast. We are using a G.E.D. prep book to prepare for the junior college. I actually took all the pre-tests myself..., WHOA I have learned so much homeschooling my children. But it's definitely not a easy shmeezy test. BTW, Preparing sounds PERFECT for Sam!

[water2wine]

We are doing Preparing "light" just a mini course on Preparing for about 2-3 months and then we will jump into the Ancients program. My two littlest will be doing Beyond. We will be using BJU Math and a mix of CQLA and CLE (don't ask it is an experiment) for LA for my older two and LA in HOD for my youngest two as well as Singapore for my youngest two as well. We will probably add in some WWTB and do some writing with HOD as well. We'll also switch over to the OT for our Bible reading and do that with the HOD Ancients program. We're excited for next year but still loving this year as well.

[wisdom4us]

I don't know what we are going to do next year. I am REALLY wanting/needing to combine my boys. They will be 1st grade (twins) and almost 3rd grade. We are doing Little Hearts now and Bigger Hearts. Bigger Hearts is a struggle for my (now) 2nd grade boy. I rushed him through Beyond last year and REALLY REGRET it! I'm *considering* combining them with Beyond next year and maybe adding in more for history and science with my (then) 3rd grader. He is not as emotionally mature as others his age and (compared to them) he is behind in writing and reading. I've thought about stopping Bigger now and just trying to add more to Little Hearts for him to combine them now but I don't want to confuse him or have him loose momentum. But if I do Beyond next year, will he be stepping back instead of moving forward?

So, I don't know what we are going to do next year.... I know we won't finish this year until late July - early August. And I plan on schooling year round from here on out. We have such beautiful fall and spring weather and such awfully hot summers that it makes more sense to take our breaks then.

[MamaMary]

Oh Summer,

That would be tough. Have you thought about taking the year off of history/science and working on writing/reading/math and just doing DITHOR? Maybe a year of reading for pleasure and digging deep into his readers will help prepare him for the next year? Have you read Mary Hood's, "The Joyful Homeschooler"? It's a GREAT homeschooling book that really inspired me. I am going to stop right now and pray that the Lord would give you absolute direction my friend. (((Big Hugs)))

[netpea]

I don't know what we are going to do next year. I am REALLY wanting/needing to combine my boys. They will be 1st grade (twins) and almost 3rd grade. We are doing Little Hearts now and Bigger Hearts. Bigger Hearts is a struggle for my (now) 2nd grade boy. I rushed him through Beyond last year and REALLY REGRET it! I'm *considering* combining them with Beyond next year and maybe adding in more for history and science with my (then) 3rd grader. He is not as emotionally mature as others his age and (compared to them) he is behind in writing and reading. I've thought about stopping Bigger now and just trying to add more to Little Hearts for him to combine them now but I don't want to confuse him or have him loose momentum. But if I do Beyond next year, will he be stepping back instead of moving forward?

So, I don't know what we are going to do next year.... I know we won't finish this year until late July - early August. And I plan on schooling year round from here on out. We have such beautiful fall and spring weather and such awfully hot summers that it makes more sense to take our breaks then.

It's funny that you posted this Summer, I have a similar situation going on, but I'll start my own post...

[MainelyJen]

Mary, I worked in our local adult education office for a year (let's see, that would have been two years ago). That GED test is challenging. We had lots of people who really needed quite a bit of prep to pass it. And, yes, we did have homeschoolers who would waltz in and take it, achieving a high score. But most people need to work for it. This isn't the GED exams of the past. When they decided to make them more challenging, they really beefed it up!

I'd love to hear which book you are using for your prep work. I had the same thought - to work through a prep program myself so that I know what's there. Hmmm. . . How much time does he spend on this each week?

[Leslie in TN]

We'll be finishing our current programs in July so likely will begin our new "year" in August.

The girls will be using CtC with the extension package. They will also begin R&S4 and continue with DITHOR 3x per week. One will be using Singapore 5A/5B and the other will either be continuing 4A/4B or possibly moving to a DVD-based program.

Sam will be starting Bigger (we'll use the extension reading as bedtime reading), R&S 2, and Singapore 3B. He's really excited to begin cursive and will also continue with DITHOR 3x per week.

As a family we plan to continue our informal French program and do our art/music appreciation on Fridays like we've been doing this year.

Can't wait!! It's so fun to see what everyone else is planning.

[spidermansmum]

Still deciding what to do with our 6 yr old.
I have bought some of the books we need for Little hands to heaven from amazon.I would buy them from HOD but the shipping to the UK is scary.
I figured even if my 2yr9 month was to little start in the fall we could wait a few months and re start.But he loves to join in with his brothers school lessons so I think he would probably enjoy it .We will work at half speed .
Im not sure if we are going to be ready to move up from little hearts ,I will look at the reading material a little more closely