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Hello ladies,

This is our first year with HOD and I love it. This is my 12th year homeschooling and I finally feel like we have a history program that combines so many of my favorite elements of other programs. I tried so many but none really fit. HOD combines great reading, projects, and academic skills!

Ok, I'll stop raving and ask permission to only go at half pace for Preparing. I can't seem to get everything done in one school day. My boys are 11 and 9 and they are also doing other academics along with Scouts. I have two teenage girls who also need my attention for homeschooling. I need approval that if it takes us 1.5 to 2 years to finish Preparing it's going to be ok and they won't be "behind". I really don't want to eliminate any of the activities in the manual, I see so much importance in each of them. My boys really really enjoy all the projects. We are also doing the Extension package as read alouds. I don't want to miss out on all those great books!

Anyway, if anyone has advice I would love to hear it. Just don't ask me to skip activities, don't think I could do that. I guess I just want someone to tell me it's ok.

God Bless,
Elise in NC

It's OK! For various reasons, it will also take us about 1.5 years to finish Preparing when we get to it. We are in Bigger now, but only doing it 3 days per week (other activities on the other 2 days), and I'm actually planning for it to take us 3 years to get through Bigger and Preparing instead of 2.

So, if you're wrong, we both are. But honestly, I think we are both just fine.

I say go at the pace that works for you and your dc! Preparing is a wonderful guide and I totally understand not wanting to rush it or skip anything. It is full of wonderful academics as well so I don't think your dc will be behind in stretching it out. It is a step up academically from Bigger and is a full day's work. We are on week 6 now and loving it, but it has been taking my dc about 4 hours a day to complete. I worried that it might too much and perhaps we should slow down our pace, but they are loving it and thriving so we're staying full-speed. However, this is our 4th year with HOD and my dc were really used to the format and are able to do many of the activities independently. If I had to actually teach or guide them through all of the activities, we wouldn't be able to do it all in one day. We aren't adding anything else to it either. I can't imagine adding anything more to our day. That would make it way too much. So if you have other academics and outside activities to add, I can imagine that you would have to slow down the pace. You may find as the year progresses that your dc take on more of the program independently and if you want to speed up later you can. If not though, don't worry and just enjoy the journey.

You made me smile! I wouldn't skip a single thing either! I agree with Patty, GO for it... I think it would be just fine.

i have just settled on going 1/2 pace with preparing as I figure that the ages that can be incorporated into preparing allow for it. I have a 10 and 8 year old doing it. We do 1 week history and then one week science and poetry.

I have found doing it this way has slowed us down, we don't focus on the clock anymore. And we are enjoying the activities more. WE have started a lapbook of Egypt which we have added some research on hieroglyphics, vocabulary words and other things that the kids wanted to follow up. We will be putting some geography in there too. Plus I am adding some Bible onto it also (from storytime ). The kids are really excited about their lap books and taking great care with them.

Also it doesn't matter how long they do their history project for as they have time to absorb it. I like the slower pace. The whole day was too much for us. But now we are finding our way 1/2 pace And it is great!! Yay!!

I really don't think they will suffer

Elise,

I'm so glad that you are getting a chance to use and enjoy HOD! We pray it will richly bless your family.

I agree with the ladies wise advice that it is fine to go half-speed with Preparing Hearts, especially as you are getting used to the format and the new style of learning. I do think you'll find as the year progresses that you may be able to pick up the pace. For sure by next school year, I'm sure that you'll be able to complete a day within a day.

It is wonderful to be able to enjoy the guides as you watch your children blossom, without feeling like you are cramming it in. We have gone half-speed with various guides on various years too, for a period of time, to allow for just such growth. We pray you will find the same to be true.

It will be easy to tell when you should bump up to full-speed, because you will start feeling like you have time to add in more things in your day. At that point, instead of adding in all sorts of other curricula or other subjects, it is good to instead bump up to full-speed. This will allow you to get the full benefit from using the program as written and will keep the needed skills in the guide from getting lost in a myriad of other things that you've added. Since Preparing Hearts is only a 4 day program, if you find you have things you'd love to add of your own each week, you can easily do it on the extra 5th day every week. This is the reason we leave your 5th day free for you to use to fit your family's goals and interests.

I share this because sometimes families downshift to half-speed because they cannot complete a day within a day at first, but then as the year progresses (and they get more comfortable in the program) they feel the need to add things to fill their days. At the point when the adding comes in, it is a great reminder that your kiddos are likely ready for full-speed.

We look forward to sharing the journey with you. We loved Preparing Hearts and hope you will too!

Blessings,
Carrie

Thanks ladies!

I appreciate everyone giving me the ok!

Carrie, I will definitely make working up to full speed the goal. I was looking at the catalog last night and now I can't wait to start Creation to Christ! I'm such a curriculum junkie! I guess there are worse things

Thanks,
Elise in NC