heartofdakota.com

Hi,
Well here we are months into the year and I am in search of new curriculum. I have been looking for HOD type for years and never came across it till now. It looks perfect for my family but... where do I start?

My oldest son 10 is 4th grade this year, but he has aspergers and I like to keep it just right for him in the reading and LA area not to hard where he melts down.. We use Saxon for all math and plan to stick with it. He is using PACE 4th grade this year and Switched on schoolhouse for 3rd BJU before that. He had 1st 2x for extra phonics before he "got it". He not is a solid 3rd -4 grade reading level but still is taking extra time on LA and grammar so maybe still 3rd grade level.

I was thinking combing him with my 8 yr old in Bigger with the expansion, thoughts? Here s 8 yr old info

Boy 8 2nd grade but I used Paces for 1st (oldest son needed me for every question and PACES was "easy" for me and he liked it) but feel like he really missed out on some blends other programs may have used like BJU. He loves school and is a very quick learner and great student. Writing is great but I dont know if he is considered emerging reader or not. He reads 1 and 2nd grade Paces great and I dont want to give him to easy of readers nor to hard. Would Bigger but to much? Can I use it for both? Would Bigger be to easy for 10yr old?
Does Bigger have any blends reviews?
Also have 4yr and 2yr I will use the 1st set for.
Please any advise will be helpful I feel like this year is in need of saving!
Blessings
Veronica

Veronica,

Welcome to the HOD Board! We're glad to have you here. In pondering what you've shared so far, I have a few more questions that I'll list that will help us know your kiddos a bit better before we offer placement help. I'm wondering how your 10 year old does as far as written work? Is he able to copy several sentences up to a paragraph easily? Can he use a dictionary fairly well? Is writing tough for him overall, or something that he does fairly well with? What are a couple of titles of books that he has read recently on his own?

As far as your 8 year old goes, is he able to read any books yet outside of his PACES? Would you say that he has completed all of his phonics instruction, or is he still going through his phonics? Is your 8 year old able to copy and do written work quite easily? Or is this an area of challenge for him?


How do both do in the area of spelling? How do they do in listening to chapter book style readings read aloud? If you get a chance to pop back and share a bit more in response to the questions I mentioned that will help us advise you better.

Blessings,
Carrie

Hi,
Thanks for the response.
10 yr writes well
Reading Charlottes Web but is his max level and I would like to start a bit easier for his conference level. Oh I forgot to mention we used Christian Lightlight reading last year as well. He readesis his level4 Bridges BEYOND great. I was thinking for reading using level 2 but maybe 3?
Spelling is very hard for him but the last year he has made significant improvement with "thinking" about how to spell words. Saying, writing, saying, repeat doesn't seem to help him much.

8yr has completed BJU K lots of phonics there and some sounds throughout his 1st grade paces just not as much as I'd like. He just doesn't always know how to blend some like ch right away but figure out the word after sounding it out then saying it again right. Just a quick review would be all he needs to boost his confidence. He is a great writer. Not started cursive yet. He reads Christian light 1st grade reader I Wonder and many easy reader books like dr Seuss. He can read Nature Reader level 1 but with much difficulty. Is he an emerging reader?

Would Bigger fit both?
Thanks so much
Blessings
VERONICA

Hi Veronica, and welcome to the HOD Board! Thanks for sharing about your dc, and I would say that your 8 yo is definitely an emerging reader, which is great because the Emerging Reader books are just so much fun. I'd love for every child to be able to enjoy them! In regard to Bigger Hearts, I think the amount of work that dc are doing that involve writing is a consideration. So, here is a rundown of the writing in Bigger Hearts (this is a portion of Kathleen's post)...

Bible - Once per week copy the memory verse
History - Timeline entries once per week (name, dates, and small picture)
Once per week notebooking page that may be a map drawing, list of facts about a person or event, pictures to go with it...
1-3 Vocabulary cards per week (definition, sentence using word, and illustration on the back)
Science - Once per week notebooking page including Bible verse and a labeled drawing
Once per week experiment page (Parent writes question on it, child records a guess, draws the procedure, and writes a conclusion)
Dictation - Study and write short passage 3 times a week (2 sentences)
DITHOR - 2 (?) student pages per week (The teacher guide actually reccommends writing these for your child if writing is an issue starting out.)
Cheerful Cursive - if you're opting to do that (The lessons are very short! I have my child write the words once, even though it says twice on some of the pages, as long as it's GOOD writing.)
R&S2 - Usually about 5 sentences a day (on a white board)
Poetry - OPTIONAL to copy from the poem of the week. We started out without it, and have added in copying 2 lines 4 days a week.

These are spread throughout the week in the plans so that there's not too much on any one day. Cursive and R&S are daily, but the "big" ones are split up.
Day 2 - Science notebooking
Day 3 - vocabulary and science experiment page
Day 4 - Bible verse
Day 5 - History timeline entry and notebooking

I think the amount of work assigned is as important as the amount of writing in Bigger Hearts. BHFHG is a meaty program. The books are wonderful, very living, very CM-like, and they use "old-style, more classical" sounding wording. We loved these - especially Eggleston's books for history! But, if dc are not used to hearing this level/style of reading, they may need some time to grow into it. What are your thoughts after looking at a rundown of Bigger's writing and assignments?

In Christ,
Julie