heartofdakota.com

Hi,

I have been reading all the messages here about Bigger Hearts over the last few days and still have a few questions.
I must economize greatly or not get to use this curriculum at all. Boo-hoo . I would love to buy it all, but that is not possible.

1.) If I use the history books that are online instead of buying, can I coordinate with the page numbers specified in the manual?

2.) Are the extension packages of books scheduled in the manual somewhere so we know which ones to read when?

3.) If I use the Apologia Sciences (I have all of these) instead, can I coordinate with what's being taught in the manual?
(Although I really, really, really want the science books that come with!)

4.) Are all the hymns classics? We already have praise & worship time first thing, before Bible, and use YouTube to sing along
with. Also, I have many, many hymn books already. Could we look up the hymns on YouTube and read along in our hymnbooks?

By way of introduction, I have hs'd for 17 years now, graduated my own 3 sons, and now hs'ing my just turned 6 year old grandson.
I have always written or designed my own materials and would LOVE a break from doing it all myself. These manuals look wonderful.

My grandson is doing mostly 3rd grade work except in grammar, writing, and spelling. We read many living books about science and
history, and geography but haven't done any textbooks other than his dad reads Apologia to him at bedtime. We do copywork
and Scripture memory and he is finishing Math-U-See Gamma (3rd gr) and will be in Delta (4th gr)soon. His copywork and writing
and spelling ability is probably early second grade level. His reading level is at least 7th grade level and he reads the New King
James Bible independently. His reading interest level is closer to first grade. (He is only 6 after all.)

That's what has attracted me to HoD, that he can be on his own level of language arts and math while having all the other subjects
tied together in the manual. I have several grammar programs already, including the R&S one. I have an extensive library of
somewhere around 1700 to 1800 books. I have most of the classic set and the boy's interest set right here. I hope to be able to
substitute some of the books I will need with what I already have. My dh thinks we have enough books and I shouldn't need to
every buy any more. At this stage in our lives, and having no other students behind this one to reuse these materials, I need to
buy only what is absolutely necessary.

Blessings and thanks,
Shy

I'm using the online books on my kindle. They do not have matching page numbers, but I'm just going to do my best matching everything up. I'll be doing this guide next year with my daughter who will turn 7 in August. She is also above average in reading and I too appreciate the flexibility in that area.

I'll not be using the extensions, but they are assigned by unit in an appendix at the back of the guide.

If you are willing to figure it out on your own I'm sure you could work the science you already have to what is in the guide. I am actually going to be checking out some of the science books from my local library. It wouldn't hurt to check to see if your library has them to help save money.

The Hymns are all classics. The book for these tells the stories behind the Hymns in a way a kid can understand.

I hope this has helped! You have much more experience homeschooling than I and I think it is beautiful that you are able to homeschool your grandson. Enjoy!

Melissa

Just wondering with his young age if you have checked the placement chart! It is a great help. Bigger is a meaty program with intense writing requirements. In subsequent guides this only increases.
Perhaps since your grandson is only 6 you might consider Beyond. If he is advanced in reading you could always add DITHOR level 2 and English R&S level 2.
You did mention that you read much about Bigger, so you may have considered these options already and find him to place best in Bigger.
Success and I'm sure more ladies will chime in.

moedertje wrote:Just wondering with his young age if you have checked the placement chart! It is a great help. Bigger is a meaty program with intense writing requirements. In subsequent guides this only increases.
Perhaps since your grandson is only 6 you might consider Beyond. If he is advanced in reading you could always add DITHOR level 2 and English R&S level 2.
You did mention that you read much about Bigger, so you may have considered these options already and find him to place best in Bigger.
Success and I'm sure more ladies will chime in.

I agree with this. His writing needs to be strong to move forward in the guides. My ds will be 8 in a couple weeks and we're loving Beyond Little Hearts. Bigger would simply be too much writing this year, and we may even take it half speed next year. You can still do reading, grammar and math at his level when doing Beyond. Using Beyond the writing level would be where he's at too.

As far as your questions re: Bigger. You can see samples of the hymn book online. That might give you a better idea. We will still do our prayer and praise and worship time, but I think studying hymns will be great for us both.

I've used some older editions of the books that didn't line up. Thankfully, Carrie gives you the key idea in the guide. This makes it quick and easy to find the correct reading for the day.

The storytime books are suggestions. As long as the book you're reading is in the correct genre it should work.

I did all the planning for my now graduate. Switching to HOD last year for our youngest has been like a breath of fresh air to our schooling. No stress, Christ centered, engaging, and fun. You really can't beat it. =)

ETA: I can't help with the science since we use the science as scheduled. However, some of Apologia science is used in later guides. I'd save those for then.

Thanks, Melissa! I have an email out to my bookmobile lady to see if she has the books.

Blessings,
Sherry

Thanks Moedertje and Angie!

The writing was just the thing I needed to know about. Just looking at the first week's
work in Beyond looked pretty young for him. Preparing looked just a bit challenging but still
easily in his range of abilities. So I went with Bigger because it looked just right, in the
middle, not too easy and not too challenging. The writing portion of Bigger looked like
beginning 2nd grade, which is where I would say he is. He usually writes either 2 to 3
sentences or a 4 line stanza of a poem for his copywork. However, that is all the writing
his does during the day. He is quite pencil resistant.

So with the writing in Bigger being that demanding, I spent last evening, and well into the
night, taking a closer look at Beyond. While that first week's schedule looks a bit easy for
him and more 1st grade level, I trust you ladies who have used it because you have seen
more than the first week.

Now for the next question. In the intro to Beyond are the topics for the spelling. These
look like stuff he can already spell. So could someone share with me just a few of the words
from the beginning, middle, and end of Beyond so I can get an idea of the range, or the
increase in difficulty through the year?

Thanks so much for your help, Ladies!
Shy

I'd say Beyond is a great 2nd grade program Especially if he's not done any HOD before.

For spelling, the lists aren't super hard words, but more getting the idea of the patterns of words and how to study words leading up to teaching how to study dictation. Does that make sense? I don't look at the spelling in Beyond to really teach them how to spell words so much as I look at it as teaching them how to learn to spell through dictation. The spelling is a side effect of the lists in Beyond.

Another thing, before you start Beyond. It really is a fairly quick program each day. I always, even now, get done and think, "should I be doing more?" But they retain so much. They retain just about everything they learn. Which means that you don't have to go over and over and over it to make sure they get it. So even though it goes quickly each day, you end up covering way more in the year than you would with a more rigorous program. It doesn't seem overly challenging... looking back on it I don't know that I would say my kids were "challenged" more than once or twice a week. But they KNOW the information now. It wasn't too easy. It wasn't information they already knew. It was perfect.

Thanks, Lora Beth! I typed a second email to my bookmobile lady asking about the
availability of the books to accompany Beyond. Lol, I am running her ragged! (since
I had previously asked about the books for Bigger)

This is just the kind of things I needed to know. Ya'll keep the advice coming!
I need all I can get.

(And I still haven't talked my son into helping me pay for this, I think I am on my own.
He and my dh think I should never need another book because we are surrounded by books here.)

Blessings,
Shy

I also would STRONGLY suggest you go with Beyond for a 6 yo old. While he may be able to handle many of the skills required for Bigger, I still think he would get so much more out of the content of Bigger if you gave him another year. Beyond is a great foundation for Bigger. It focuses on American history, primarily through the experiences of young children, so your gs will be able to relate well to the stories. Beyond is an economical program, and if you use it this coming year, it would give you another year to put your pennies aside to get the full Bigger program. The science in Bigger is not to be missed. It relates so well to the history. You can always add in more for your dgs if you would like. While his next year may be relatively easy for him, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It makes school a positive experience for him. He has lots of time to explore other hobbies and play. You could do some fun nature studies with him or let him dabble in art projects, baking time in the kitchen, or other activities. Additionally, I think you will be glad that you waited until he was a little older to proceed through the higher level guides. They are very full. I think most children get more out of them if they are a little older. I can't imagine a 7 yo getting all that Preparing has to offer. Once you get into ancient history, there are many foreign names and places that may be confusing to a younger child. It's amazing how just another year will give him the ability to focus and understand the events and the maturity to sit through longer readings and independent work times.
Just my 2 cents,
Laura

From your descriptions, it sounds like your grandson is ready for the literature and comprehension of Bigger Hearts. Yet, I would hesitate to put a 6 yr old in Bigger b/c of the writing. The history used in Beyond is CLP's 3rd and 4th grade history texts. It uses CLP's 2nd grade science book as well. You can definitely use your own language arts and math and keep continuing them at his own pace. The writing in Bigger is a lot for a 6 yr old boy.
Beyond is also the slightly less expensive option. As far as spelling, he is probably past list 2 from your description. Although maybe not.
List 2 Week 1
open sled end send best help next went then when
List 2 Week 17
star start part jar dark yard garden farther apart large
List 2 Week 30
spoil coil joint point voice boys destroy employ noise choice
You then move to dictation in Bigger where they look at a passage and really focus on how the words look and the punctuation before you read a phrase at a time, they repeat the phrase and write it...
Dication 1
Sue has a bird.
It can call and sing.
king ring wing
Dictation 50
We have a big horse.
My brother and I feed him sugar.
Dictation 102
Fred takes a lesson on Monday and Friday. Do you take your lessons on those days?
bed led red bled sled
fed Ned wed fled shed

You can either get the Bigger guide for the dication if he is past list 2 or you can continue with what you are using for spelling with Beyond. Of course, if you think that Bigger is the right fit besides the age, then you could always start it half speed or do it 4 days to draw it out and he would grow into the age range. My ds5 will be 6 turning 7 (Dec. b-day started LHFHG at 4.5 yrs old) when we start Bigger if we continue at the pace he is on with HOD.
Six really isn't that far below the age range on the guide. I would go with the placement chart and circle where he fits in both Beyond and Bigger and see which one gets more circles.
http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php

I agree Beyond seems the better choice. If you did Bigger at age 6, Preparing at age 7, then that would put you in CTC and age 8...and that's best for 10-,11,12 yo. My 5th grader is super bright, gifted, and at 6 was reading and writing and doing everything many years beyond her age. She could spell and ace every single spelling test and placed in 4th grade spelling (but that's not the same as being able to write and use the same words in other writing...REAL writing!) She read Chronicles of Narnia in 1st grade! She used Bigger as a 9yo. It was very meaty and then half way through I bumped her up to Preparing which she is in now at the age of 10. It's wonderfully full and we love it! Some is easy and some is challenging and some
Is just comfortable. And that's how it should be! Not everything should be challenging. If it were...poor kid! Some should be easy to do. Not only does that build some confidence but it let's them learn soooo much and also grow in their weaker areas that are hard for them. If its al hard then they will burn out so quickly and not retain as much, nor enjoy it much.

Next point to make is that the books used for Beyond's history are actually 3rd and/or 4th grade level history texts from CLP. They are meaty and to be read aloud, so it's perfect bc it's above their listening level and as a 1st/2nd grader, and even 3rd grader, they are learning a lot.

Spelling may seem easy but that's okay He won't get behind. He will learn the basics that are teaching the foundations of doing studied dictation the following year in Bigger Hearts. The methods Carrie uses for spelling are working them to the studied dictation. So if spelling is easy for him, that's great! He can focus on getting the Charlotte mason skills down and be totally ready for next year. And it makes too for another subject to be more difficult!

HOD is deceptively simple. Honestly, I think it's bc Carrie knows learning can be loved. Learning doesn't have to be drudgery. And there are ways to make it engaging and efficient and effective and sometimes even fun! What my kids learn in one short lesson in HOD would take ten times that long in another subject and lots of review to retain it like they do with HOD's ways. I love that they ate learning and retaining and it often seems effortless. They have their weaker areas that challenge them, and they are appropriately stretched in other areas and excelling easily in others. It's very balanced. All are learning and ENJOYING school. The younger years are supposed to be gentle. Kids need very little formal school at this age and Carrie keeps it age appropriate. Then it bumps up a good bit for Bigger for mid to upper elem and then a big jump for middle school in CTC. Don't worry HOD is light...I'd look where you are headed in future levels and it will calm you. it WILL get quite rigorous. It WILL add more challenge and stretching for each day. I love that HOD let's me let them be little and helps me also give them am awesome and superior education.

Thank you, Ladies, very much. I am going with Beyond. Now to find all those books.
I've emails out to the bookmobile lady and I have a trip to Chattanooga coming up
and they have the most fantastically huge used book store, called McKay's, that I
plan to visit with my list.

Oh, I am so excited! Gotta start saving up some of the grocery money. LOL.

God bless,
Shy