heartofdakota.com

Hello,
I've not had the opportunity to see HOD in person, as it's not at our conventions. I'd like any input on where to place a fourth grader. Thanks!

First take a look at the placement chart on the main HOD web page. Preparing is a really good 4th grade program, and it still helps introduce things like written narrations that you might not have coming from another program. But they are to read some of the history and science on their own, and there is a lot of writing. So if they aren't good at reading and writing it would be better to place them in Bigger and allow them to grow into those skills, especially if they are a young fourth grader.

Have you looked at the placement chart?
http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php
Most 4th graders are 9yo, so I would look at Bigger and Preparing mostly. CtC would only be a good choice if you have done another CM-based program before or your child is truly gifted and advanced in everything.

I'm not sure if Preparing or Creation would work for us, as both seem to list skills that she's capable of. She will be turning 10 the first week of August. Here's the tricky part, we live in CA, where they keep moving the compulsory age up, so in our state she'd be considered 5th grade by missing the cutoff by 3 days. In most other states, she wold be considered 4th grade. I'm just not sure if Preparing would be too easy or Creation would be too hard. I really wish I could see the curriculum in person first, but HOD, doesn't come this way for conventions.

According to this site:

http://www.schoolsnmore.com/articles/ar ... s-by-state

she would be considered entering 5th grade in public school in almost all the states, including California. We live in California too, and my daughter turned 10 last August. I considered her a 5th grader this year, entering 6th grade this fall. That said, as a homeschooler you can consider her whatever grade you like. Whether you think of her as a 4th grader or a 5th grader really shouldn't affect her placement in HOD much at all. If, according to a careful look at the placement chart, she places between Preparing and CTC, you would most likely be better off doing Preparing next year. Preparing is a really enjoyable guide and should set her up well for success with HOD.

Hi Marisa, I would order Preparing and be sure to do all the boxes as written, including the DITHOR program for her level. First, she can enjoy some really great reading, and second, she will be learning all the skills to help her succeed in older guides Having the basic overview of secular and Biblical history combined, while building confidence in the curriculum will be priceless. If you feel that she still needs more challenge, add in the extension package later, which has some fun titles as well

farmfam, I'm sorry , I didn't clarify that she's 9 right now and will be 10 this August. So according to CA, she's supposed to be in 4th this year. I checked with Indiana, and she would be considered 3rd this year, because Indiana's cutoff was Sept 1 when she started kindergarten. So she's a super young 4th grader, missed the cutoff by 3 days in CA but would be a regular 3rd grader in Indiana.
Jennymommy, thanks, maybe that would work, do you know if Preparing is at a 4th grade level?

The majority of families use Preparing for fourth grade. But some use Bigger for fourth grade. On rare occasions, families use CtC or Beyond for fourth grade. So, if you are choosing between Preparing and CtC for fourth, definitely go with Preparing!

Hi Marisa,

No I get it that she's 9 right now - but I thought you were considering a program for next school year (2015-16), when in most states she would be considered a 5th grader. According to that website I looked at, Indiana is one of only 3 states that has a August 1 cutoff (I think that's what you meant, not Sept 1, b/c Sept 1 is what CA has). In Indiana she would be a 4th grader next school year. If you have been living in Indiana I think you have an excellent reason for considering her a 4th grader for the next school year no matter what local kids would be here in CA. Even if you never lived in Indiana, I think calling her a 4th grader may be a good thing for her. My oldest also has an August birthday, & I sometimes think that it might have been a good idea to keep her back a grade to take the pressure off a little since she is so young for her grade. However, back when she started CA had an even later cutoff date so she has friends that are several months younger than her who are still in the same grade. As you mentioned, CA has been playing with the cutoff date!

BUT - in HOD where they place according to the placement chart is really much more important than grade level. I think many would consider Preparing to be a great 4th grade program. However it can very well be used for a 5th grader, and a few with advanced children can use it as a 3rd grade program. There are adjustments in Language Arts & Math that can be used to suit kids of different grade levels. Bottom line is: go with where she places on the chart, not "grade levels."

My 10 year-old has used HOD since the beginning and we continue to love it. I hope you find a good fit for your daughter!

Thanks StephanieU. This really gives me a good idea of how it could vary for different families.
Farmfamily,
You're right! I had the states mixed up. We were living in Indiana for part of this year and may end up going back for husband's work. It's great to hear that there are ways to adjust it! So glad to hear that you like it so much! Thanks ladies for bearing with me!

I wouldn't necessarily look at HOD and compare it with a specific grade. With all states, they do have different cut offs but it really don't matter too much. In Ohio, you can start school at 5 in kindergarten but aren't required to. Many parents I know have held their kids back a year to help them become more mature and those kids start school at 6 instead of 5.

If it were me, I would just check the placement chart and see where your child's skills align best. If your child is reading fairly well and can do copy work for 10 minutes a day, then I think Preparing is a good fit. My son is turns 9 next week, I do consider him to be going into the 4th grade and he will be completing Preparing next year. We did not start with HOD for Kindergarten or 1st grade but he started in the level Beyond when he was in 2nd grade. I think Preparing is going to be a challenge when he starts next year but I also think he will quickly grow into the expectations. For him, he is very much used to this style of education and does very well with it. For you though, I do think looking at the placement chart and assessing your child's skills based on what the descriptions say will give you the best year you can create. If your child hates to write or hasn't done much of it, then doing Bigger and adding in the extensions would probably be a better fit. CTC has a lot more reading and writing than Preparing and it looks like you already ruled that one out.

If you would like to reply with the types of books your child reads now, how much reading does your child do in a day, how much your child writes a day, and if your child has had formal grammar, then we can probably help you place them much better. HOD isn't necessarily "grade" oriented. This program is very diverse and can really be tailored to each child regardless of their grade. But to help you find your best fit, we would just need a little bit more info.

Thanks for the help and replies!
She reads for 20-30 minutes a day, She's reading the Phantom Tollbooth right now, and just read The Killer Bear- Sugar Creek Gang book before this one. She has had formal grammar, BJU Press 4 this year, She isn't a fan of writing but writes maybe 10- 20 minutes per day more on the side of 10.

There was another mom on here that had a very similar situation to you and there was a lot of discussion here about which level would be best for her child. Here is a link to that discussion: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=16309

I think from what you have shared and depending on your goals, your child could do either Bigger or Preparing. Preparing is definitely going give your child a push in volume of reading and writing but a push isn't always a bad thing in my opinion. My oldest was very similar to yours when we started Preparing last year. She wasn't reading quite as difficult of books as your child but she was reading close to 45 min per day. She also was writing for about 15 min per day most days per week. Preparing was a bit more than what she was used too. Starting out, she was pushed to read for 1-1.5 hours per day (included her reading her history portion, her reading all of the science and then her reading the level 3 DITHOR books from the book pack) and she was writing close to 20-30 min per day. At first it was an adjustment. But in the end, I was thankful for it. Preparing helped both her and me realize what she was capable of. At the same time though, there is no shame in completing Bigger. It is a very interesting program and there is still a ton to be learned. There is less writing in Bigger and less scheduled reading. But one huge difference between Bigger and Preparing is that Preparing has 1/2 the boxes written to the student where Bigger is written entire to the parent. For me, when I picked Preparing, I did so because I needed my oldest to take on some independence. I probably could have had her do Bigger but as it turns out, I think Preparing was a much better fit in the long run. She has moved up with each level with no problem. I am amazed at her independence even now. She is to the point that I spend about 1 hour working with her on school related items. That is it! She has taken off with her school work and she does fantastic.

I would review that thread that I copied and pasted above. Off the cuff with what you have shared, I would probably go for Preparing. It may seem like more work and it definitely is. But with your child's age, I think they may embrace the independence. Also, the books presented in Preparing are probably my favorite so far. Before finding HOD, my oldest didn't really care much about reading. The books in Preparing hooked her in! She loves to read now. I think the books listed in a very progressive flow having the kids read less in the beginning of the year, gradually increasing he volume as the year goes on. As the year goes on, the kids are more and more okay with the increase. It was a very natural flow and smooth transition. But again, I would look through that thread and read the various comments to see what you think would be your best fit. Either level is great - Bigger and Preparing - and you really can't go wrong no matter which route you take.

From what you have shared, PHFHG sounds like a good placement. The skills that are taught within each guide determine where a child should place more than a particular grade level, so by consulting the placement chart and by following the wise advice given here already, I think you are on your way to a wonderful year with PHFHG! You'd mentioned not seeing HOD at conventions. As Carrie is writing her final high school guides, as HOD is family-owned and operated, and as those families (mine included) are homeschooling ourselves, we don't attend a lot of conventions. In lieu of attending conventions, HOD does have a very generous return policy (30 days for a full refund)... so you can actually order all of PHFHG and return it for less than it would be to attend a convention (provided everything is sent back in sellable condition). We also try to give many helps online...

PHFHG's first week of plans can be viewed/printed here...
http://www.heartofdakota.com/pdf/PHFHG-sample-week.pdf

PHFHG's Introduction can be viewed/printed here...
http://www.heartofdakota.com/pdf/PHFHG-intro.pdf

PHFHG's Photobook can be viewed here...
https://heartofdakotasphotobooks.shutterfly.com/43

The HOD Weekly Check-In often includes dialogue and pictures of dc doing guides. I have posted each week during the school year for many years, so in case you'd enjoy it, here are some links...
PHFHG:
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10658
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10521
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10556
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10592
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10703
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10748
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10803
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10838
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10803
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10853
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=10923

Finally, we love to help personally on the phone, so give us a call if you would like to chat! HTH, and I'm excited for you to begin your HOD journey! PHFHG is simply a wonderful guide to begin in, and I think you will love it. God bless!

In Christ,
Julie

Thanks you so much Nealewill and My3sons! All of your help is appreciated! I will check out all of the links provided, thanks for posting them!