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Can someone perhaps link me to the posts about Getting Ready for LHFHG and Bigger? I read that there were posts about this, but I'm searching and can't find them. I am trying to get all my ducks in a row so we can start in about a month, and just need to know what kind of organization and supplies work best (i.e. binders, notebooks, etc). Also, if anyone has any advice of their own about organizing for these 2 guides, that would be great! One specific question - do y'all keep other miscellaneous homeschooling books or resources on hand just in case? Or do you basically just use only things from HOD because it covers everything so well? Thank you!!

One thing I really like doing with both of those is getting a bigger binder than recommended, like a 2" I think, and organizing the year by unit. So instead of doing separate sections for science or history, I keep it all together by unit, and I print up a page with the unit number and topic at the beginning of the year for each unit. Then I add all the work for that unit behind the page I printed up. Not sure if this is making sense lol. It's actually what I've done with each year so far, but I guess I will probably do it differently for CTC because of the printed notebooking pages. I just like getting to see our entire week together, and it's fun to look back through. For projects, I take a picture and then print the picture and add it to the notebook.

Here is the link for getting Bigger ready. I'll try and find the one for LHFHG.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5531

For Bigger I definitely use a binder with subject tabs rather than individual notebooks for Science, History etc notebooking pages. About a 2" binder should work. You could also keep some of the crafts and things in there but I'm still working on that. For now I like to snap photos of the crafts and projects because we end up throwing a lot of them away after a week or two.

For LHFHG you don't really need a notebook, or not a very big one. There are weekly writing/drawing pages with the storytime, and art projects, but again I find those difficult to store in a notebook (some are on 9X12 construction paper and some are a little too 3D to fit nicely in a notebook). You could use an unlined notebook for the Storytime pages, or one of those books that has a couple of 3-line lines for writing and a space for a picture because they will draw a picture. I found these pro-folio portfolio notebooks at Hobby Lobby that I like storing artwork in and they aren't too expensive so maybe that's a good solution for LHFHG artwork too.

I don't add anything else. It is very complete. We do have music lessons and practice, I guess I consider that an "outside activity." It would be extra if they were in school too. If you try to add very much it can pile up and stress you out very quickly and again, it's just not needed.

It is also helpful to read through the Introduction of each guide. I like to do this and jot down the choices I make as I go. For LHFHG, I find that there is not much prep needed, and for that reason, unless I am mistaken, I don't think there is a post of pictures of getting ready for it. I like to write my child's name on the cover of the guide, note the dates we completed the work, and file work in tabs in a large 3-ring binder. I have a bookshelf in my basement with each child's guide and binder in order from start to finish of their completed schooling. I have a pretty easy state to homeschool in, but it makes me feel at ease knowing at any moment I could pull out the guides and the binders and show what my dc did any given year in every single subject area. I don't add anything to the guides, as they are complete and cover every subject area. When I had one child, I did nature walks, science kits, picture studies, classical music, etc., but that was before I knew all of those things would be written into the future HOD guides anyway. Now, with 3 dc, I just do the plans as written and feel very happy with that. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie