Using multiple guides

[gca123]

Hi. This year I am using Beyond with my DS8. Next year my daughter will officially be starting kindergarten. If we decide to continue with HOD, my son will be in Bigger next year and I am planning on using LHFHG for DD with the emerging readers from Beyond. Using two guides seems like ALOT of work for the teacher but I don't see how they could be in the same guide.

I am curious how those of you who are using multiple guides find the time to get everything done.

Thank you!!
Camille

[MomtoJGJE]

I get my oldest started with work she can do by herself (go over math, tell her what cursive/copywork to do, give her anything else she can do by herself) and send her off. While she's doing that work I do the younger ones. I can generally get about an hour while the oldest is doing her work to finish up with someone else.

Either that or I just do one then the other... but we somehow get done way sooner than the times given in threads that the guides take. LHTH is about 15 minutes, LHFHG takes about 30 minutes, Beyond about 45, Bigger about 1.5 hours, and Preparing about 2-2.5 hours for us. So even if I just do one then the other it takes (without Bigger this year) 3.5-4 hours, and I'm doing 4 guides.... so it's really not too much work My actual work is only about 2-2.5 hours total.

Last year when I was doing LHTH, LHFHG and Bigger it only took about 2 hours to get them done. Like I said in the first part, I would do some work with my Bigger child, get her going with work she could do by herself, and finish up with the other two while she was doing that work.

If they are placed properly, it just flows.

[arstephia]

I just stagger between them. After I have gone over math instruction with one, I can do a read aloud with another. As one gets going on writing, I do an activity with another. For the younger age, I added "school/play" boxes so I could send that child off to do something specific on their own while doing something with the older. Things like puzzles, playdoh, lacing cards, melting beads, Flashmaster (handheld math tool), science book basket or sticker book, file folder games, some Discovery Toy items, etc. I just had a list tucked into my guide and as I would come to a time I needed the younger one to be doing something else, I would pick from that list and rotate through it for the week for variety. When they got older, I had the same kind of list but it includes things like playing the piano, writing a letter to their grandparents or friends, file folder games, etc. Something they can start/stop without a big deal if I need to be busy with another. Now that we are in the upper guides, they just move on to another box until I am available. Dictation is often done while I set out lunch since that requires me, so everyone comes with their dictation things and I do them that way. You'll get your own system down. I just tried to be structured with the "down" time so I didn't lose them.

[water2wine]

We are doing Preparing,RTR, and Rev to Rev. We started HOD with the combination you will be doing, Bigger and LHFHG. I do it amazingly similar to Lora Beth. It works really well and my times are really exactly like hers. My tip would be taking a look at the schedule thread and find someone with a similar combination as you just to get an idea how it works for them. Then from that write out two possible flows for you day. I do mine by blocks of approximate time rather than do this at 9am just because that is how my head works. On your first day use the one that you think will work best. If there are glitches either adjust what you see is the answer or if you do not have one try the other schedule and by the third day you should have the flow of the whole year that works best for you. If that does not go easy for you come to the board and people will be really happy to help you. If you look at the schedules thread you will probably have it the first try but I think it is good to look at the first week as a getting used to running two programs if one is all you have done. And in addition to that I would wait until you have that comfortable before you add anything extra if you plan to do that. HTH

[momtofive]

Just wanted to jump in here to say that doing multiple guides with HOD can be VERY easy and fun to do!

We started with HOD doing Preparing, Beyond, and LHTH. It was such a fun year and the days never stretched on. This year we did CTC, Bigger Hearts, and Little Hearts. They were fun and enjoyable days that rarely went past 1:30-2:00pm. We usually started around 8:00 and didn't rush with anything. We, of course had the usual interruptions: phone calls, appointments, behavior problems to deal with, sicknesses and general life stuff!

I just want to encourage you that HOD can be a lot of fun when you are doing multiple guides with your children. We tried doing a more combined program in the past (a different curriculum), and it was a train wreck! Each child wasn't being met at their level, and we weren't accomodating each of their learning styles. It was a lot of work for me to make it work for each one. With HOD, I can just move them along each day in their own guide that each of them fits in. At the beginning of each year, I try to make a general routine that we'll follow for our days. With five children and the usual interruptions, a routine works really well for us and helps everyone to know whats coming next.

With prayer, and a little planning, you can make multiple guides work quite nicely in your home, too!