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Hi all!
I've been considering HOD for years now but just can't take the plunge. It seems that you really shouldn't combine children with HOD unless they are about 1 year apart (and not even then necessarily), is that correct? I'm thinking of giving up on combining children anyway, but just want to make sure I understand that correctly. Is it possible to combine a larger age span with HOD or no? Is it really possible/doable to have them each separate? Really?! My kiddos are 3, 5, and 7 right now (will be 3.5, 5.75, and 7.75 in the fall). Hoping to figure out placement and combining (or not).

I think the 5 and 7 yr old currently place in Little Hands and Beyond (but would probably place in Little Hearts and Bigger by fall). I can't really miss Beyond with my oldest though as he has been patiently waiting for American History (doing another time period this year). So would/could I start Little Hearts and Beyond in the fall then? That's only 1 guide apart. I guess I could do Little Hearts 1/2 speed with my 2nd child...at least for awhile? In the fall, oldest will be a 2nd grader but nearly 8, and 2nd child will be a K'er but nearly 6.

Or would combining them in Beyond solve some of these issues? Beyond is for ages 6-8, so that should work right?

Thanks!!

First, remember that Bigger is also American History. So, if you start with Bigger, you wouldn't be missing US History.

As for combining, you would always combine in the guide that the younger one places in. This is because you don't want to have to modify the guides too much. Starting with Bigger, there are written extensions to span more ages, but there isn't a way to easily simplify things.

My kids are similar ages - 3, 5, and 7, but they are a little closer together (20 and 23 months apart). So, I am combining the younger two. We will do LHTH until the youngest is ready for LHFHG (almost 5yo). The 5yo is starting K math, phonics, and handwriting, and we will continue with those at his pace. We went with HOD because of how easy it is to adapt the 3 Rs when a child is ahead in those without pushing too hard in maturity for history and Bible. The history, Bible, and even storytime in the guides I find perfect for the middle age and up. There have been devotionals in LHFHG and Beyond that were a challenge to my daughter for sure! And the history and storytime definitely aren't baby-ish at all. Personally, if you want to combine, I would consider LHFHG for the older two OR do LHTH and unit studies with the younger two. I wouldn't put a child less than 6 into Beyond. I really considered doing that with my daughter initially, as she placed into Beyond in everything but age and maybe handwriting, and I am so glad I waited! It would have been too much for her last year - not in skills but in maturity and related content. You can modify the 3Rs really easily with HOD, so you could easily use the right level of math, reading, handwriting, and even grammar.

Now, is it possible to do 3 guides - yes! We are doing LHTH and Beyond right now (although not doing LHTH every day). Beyond takes 2 hours or less, and LHTH takes about 30 minutes most days. If I were to imagine combining in LHFHG for my older two, it would take almost the same amount of time, as I would still have to do the 3 Rs separately with them. And I would have to make sure I was giving each child the opportunity to answer questions, etc (something that can be challenge depending on personalities). As children advance through the guides, independence is added. So, starting in Preparing, the time for you as a mom goes down. And because the guides are open and go, the total prep time each week is less than an hour for multiple guides (most weeks, it is 5-10 minutes for 2 guides for me, but occasionally I have to print something out or run to the store for something simple like corn starch that we don't have).

Like she said, Bigger is also American history. SO you wouldn't be missing that.

But it is way easier to run multiple guides in which kids are properly placed than to try to combine and "make it work" for someone who isn't properly placed.

My kids are 20months, 22months, 2.5 years, and 3.5 years apart in age, but if they went to school they would be every other grade in school and I'd have to work with them separately anyway. I'm now to the point that we are running four guides full speed. In a couple of years I'll be running five guides. As they get older THEY do more work per day but you do less. So as you add in guides for other children, you really aren't adding in much time that YOU will be doing anything.

I combined a 1st grader, 4th grader and 5th grader in Bigger several years ago. Then, I combined them the following year in Preparing. It worked for us. It was easy and they learned. But, the past two years, I decided to split them up more. So, my younger son was in 3rd and 4th while completing CtC half pace. He will also do Res to Ref half pace and finish it in 2 years. That will put him on track for middle school through high school doing each guide per year. My older two did Res to Ref together as 6th and 7th graders. Then I decided to move my daughter up to MtMM her 8th grade year since i didn't want to hassle with beefing anything up. I had to let go of skipping a guide, which I abhorred, but for my sanity, it was a good move.

Do what works for your family. Some people will read that up there and gasp and think I ruined my children. I didn't. They're fine and I'm fine. I'm glad I got my feet wet by combining them the first few years. I am, however, glad that they are properly placed now.

Thanks so much everyone!

I need to rephrase something... I think what I meant was that I don't want to miss Pioneers & Patriots with my oldest. I've heard so many good things about it! Although, I guess I could just read it to him over the summer or as our read-aloud for the rest of this year. Easy fix!

Or... maybe I could put both of them in Little Hearts in the fall. I would have to add Rod & Staff English 2, Emerging Readers (don't want to miss those, probably waiting on DITHOR), Math, and Cursive for my oldest??? Is that right? Of course when I look at Bigger, I think my oldest would LOVE it. I might be leaning toward Little & Bigger.

Hmm, only thing is no one really likes to be singled out. They always like to do what the other is doing... I wonder how that will work. Well, it's mostly my 2nd always wanting to do what my oldest is doing for "school". Maybe I could do Little Hearts w/him first and if he wants more he can sort of take part in Bigger (whatever he is capable of). Or maybe he'll be satisfied by then Does anyone have trouble doing read-alouds for 2+ levels? I have a hard enough time settling my boys down for any read-alouds AT ALL

I was thinking that even if I combine now, I'd probably have to separate eventually. For those who combine for the long haul, is the oldest one disadvantaged in any way? I really wonder what happens for high school. I will say, I definitely see how the independence of the older ones makes this doable. Haha, Amy, that was funny. I doubt your kiddos are ruined .

HSMom03 wrote:Does anyone have trouble doing read-alouds for 2+ levels? I have a hard enough time settling my boys down for any read-alouds AT ALL

I was thinking that even if I combine now, I'd probably have to separate eventually.

This is our first year with HOD so I can't say what combining is like in the younger years. I may consider combining my #5 & #6 (20 mos apart) but #5 is ready for K in the fall and the next is still SO much a 3yo, so I doubt that will work, either.

Anyway, to answer your question, Do I have trouble doing read-alouds for 4 levels? Yes! It's really a time crunch since we only do school from 8 till about 12:30/1:00. Part of the way I've solved that is that everyone is doing 5-day Units (even though only 2 of them have 5 days/unit, the older ones are allowed to take 5 days to complete 4 because I'm not available to work with them enough).

On the other hand, I tried combining #1 & #3 in CTC this fall but due to Executive Processing issues for my oldest, he couldn't keep up so moved him down to Preparing (yes, the 12yo in Preparing and the 9yo in CTC!) and my DD with very late reading skills moved down a level, too, so even though I'm now up to 4 levels (3 back-to-back) it's WAY easier than having some of them combined was! They're able to be more independent and work at their own pace (without losing time going to find the book the sibling is using).

I totally think it's possible for some families to combine and have it work really well. It just doesn't work for us right now.

And I like your idea of reading Pioneers & Patriots as a summer free read. I haven't read it myself but so many of the books in these lit-based curriculums are SO good that even the "text" books (ie the main lit books used for core subjects) are great reads for enjoyment!

Blessings,

HSMom03 wrote:I was thinking that even if I combine now, I'd probably have to separate eventually. For those who combine for the long haul, is the oldest one disadvantaged in any way? I really wonder what happens for high school. I will say, I definitely see how the independence of the older ones makes this doable. Haha, Amy, that was funny. I doubt your kiddos are ruined .

My two oldest are 18 months apart and my younger two are 20 months apart. Right now it looks like a larger age gap but it actually isn't, my youngest's birthday is beginning of February and my oldest only turned 10 on Nov 30. If I sent them to school, my oldest would be 4th grade, my middle 3rd grade and my youngest 1st grade. However, because of using HOD, they place that the oldest is 2 guides of the middle child. And my youngest is doing Little Hearts this year because she did Beyond last year. Next year she will be trailing the middle child by one grade.

I say all this because it is really up to you if you want to combine. I thought I would want to combine when I first started homeschool but what I have found is that I personally hated combining. I find that I really enjoy all the one on one time with my kids and I like that I am challenging each one of them exactly where they are. I do combine my younger 2 for grammar, cursive and spelling and I will combine them for DITHOR. But that is all. I like having them do everything else separate. I find that my younger 2 who are very similar in level actually started competing with each other last year more and more and that is what drove me to doing separate levels. It is very doable. I think the decision as to whether or not to separate is very personal and you are the only one who can actually decide if it is right for you.