heartofdakota.com

Hello there!

I am new to posting on this message board, but not new to Heart of Dakota! We have used it for 4 years from Little Hands to Bigger! But this year, I am just looking for some confidence in moving forward with using 2 different programs. I will have a 9 year old boy in Preparing and a 6 year old girl in Beyond. I also have a 2 1/2 year old and 3 month old! I am nervous about the length of time it will take to do 2 different programs. From what I read, Preparing will take roughly 4 hours and Beyond will take about 2 hours. With 6 hours of school just for by big two, will I have time that I need for my little two?

This is the curriculum I want to use, but I just need some encouragement that I can do this!

Thank you,
Jennifer

Preparing shouldn't take 4 hours of your time. There are many independent things that the child will do. I am doing Beyond this year also and it hasn't taken me as long as 2 hours. At the beginning of a guide it always takes longer as everyone is learning what to do and figuring things out. It speeds up after that. If you can, it's nice to stagger the start times of the guides, maybe a week or so. Start Preparing and then the next week start Beyond.

Yours are pretty close in age to mine! Except the younger ones being younger. It is a lot of work, though you don't have to add the times for the two guides together to see how much time you will be spending. If you organize it right it is less than that. Try to have one child doing independent work, or playing with little ones, while you are working with the other child. Try to make a plan, but be flexible that it doesn't have to work out exactly like the plan. I will be doing Beyond and Bigger soon which is a lot of work. We try to get it all done by lunchtime, but when we don't I leave DITHR or rotating box for my oldest until the younger 2 are napping/resting in the afternoon. I do LHTH with my 4YO right before I put her down for rest time (right after baby brother goes down for his nap). That is my one-on-one time with her and something she really treasures. Keeping my 1YO entertained during school is probably the biggest challenge. I tried to plan activities for him to do, ways to move him around so he doesn't get bored. My biggest encouragement to you is to pray. God gives wisdom and helps us work things out, I have seen Him do it time and time again. Enjoy the time with each of your LO!

You can do some of the Beyond work while the older does his independent work. You shouldn't be doing school for six hours if you are overlapping.

Also, this works for us, but it might not be for everyone, but perhaps it can help you start thinking in a different way. I do math with multiple kids at different levels at the same time. I can't explain it, but I just juggle. There are three kids in front of me, each at a different level (two in the same book but on different pages.) I look at their pages and see I if need to do a hands on activity to introduce a new concept. Most of the time, I don't. Then they each start working, and asking questions as needed. The rule is if I'm working with someone, then they have to sit quietly and wait for me. I check work, give a smile, and then we are done. It takes us 20 minutes to do math for three kids using Singapore. if I have to do a hands on activity, I just do it while the other kids are working. My slow guy may take an extra five minutes in its a particularly long page. Math never takes more than 25 minutes.

However, I can't do much with babies or toddlers at this time, so I try to keep those occupied in our gated area or in their cribs

I did Preparing and Beyond for a while last year. It does not take 6 hours Have your 6yo play with the youngers while you go over any semi independent work with the Preparing (teaching math, teaching R&S, History project explanation, etc.) Then send your Preparing child off to do all independent and semi independent work. While that is happening, you teach the Beyond child everything starting with history and ending with copywork, spelling, and math, because they CAN finish those up independently or at least while you are holding/helping a younger one.

I'd say once you get rolling it will take less than 4 hours for both.

Thank you all! I appreciate you!