heartofdakota.com

Hi Ladies,

I had not planned on even looking at this curriculum, but there are some very excited HOD girls over on the homeschool reviews board that peaked my curiosity. WELL, let's just say they made a mess of my neat little plans.


Here is my situation:

I have 3 boys. (actually 4, but my oldest is 16) We did the placement testing on the HOD website and it placed my boys PERFECTLY in:

11 yo- Bigger
7- Beyond
5- Little hearts

Here are details:

First of all, we've been homeschooling for ten years and have tried a gammut of materials. The things I have found to work the best have been:

Five in a row
ACE (while having infants, toddlers and pregnancy)
WinterPromise (but it was too much of a good thing)
Time4Learning (still works GREAT, but is not Christ centered)

Currently, my 11 & 7 year olds are really doing GREAT with Time4Learning which is an on line, multi-media program. They print off worksheets occassionally and do them, but the information sticks, My CAPD boys process through the multi-media.

We are also a family that is very plugged into our homeschool community. I am our counties support group leader and teach 4 classes at our co-op and my boys take co-op and do the county park day. That leaves us w/ 4 days at home for school and one of those 4 days is shortened a bit.

I add this because here is where big programs didn't work for us.

My Questions:

1- Would you use a different program for each child?

2- If I were to use a manuel for each boy for their basics which one would I choose to bring them together in for hx and science?

3- Anyone have experience with a situation like this? When we did the testing everyone fit PERFECTLY, to a "T" in 3 different programs.

Thanks,
Mary

Hey Mary I sent you a "little" note on the other board to try to help you. But I know you will also get replies here
It is kind of based on what Carrie told me about m kids. Hoping you will get something directly about ours so I did not want to confuse things here.

Welcome Mary!
No advice (I have all mine in the same book) just wanted to say hi. There are several ladies here who have different levels going on at the same time, so you'll get some great advice from them.

Melanie (kmwee on HSR)

Aha! There you are! The very two who threw the wrench in my plans for next year, by sending me over here

Let me tell you what I'm thinking and then I'd love your feedback!

I think I will use "little" with my 5&7 year old.


I will order the whole "bigger" set for my 11 year old.(minus the math and LA)

This way we are doing two programs.


It's so hard because time4learning is working really well for us (for our basics) but I just love how Carrie has written the math and LA into her program. However, I have learned the hard way that sometimes trying to do "too" much can give a bad impression of a wonderful program.

I already have a phonics program I'm using w/ my 5year old.

Mary,

Ok now after reading this I will answer you here so you can really be mad at me I think your plan sounds great! I seem to remember it is pretty economical and that you have one that learns differently. Could you keep it to enforce what it has been really good for only. Like for instance if it is really helping with Math and LA just do that only for the child who really is benefiting from it if that is a help to you? For me running two programs even with Math and LA separate is no problem. It doesn't seem like you would need time4 learning for anything else. I also have supplemental things that I do in LA for my special needs child. But not sure if something like that would work for you.

So I think the two program pick looks good and that pick gives you flexibility later with your younger two so that you know it will work for you in the future and also with your oldest because she will always be one plan ahead of you in writing them. Then I would look at if Time4learning could be and also if it needs to be supplemental. If it is extra I would get rid of it. If it helps and is supplemental I would keep the part that is helpful but skip the part that would add more to you. For me extra is good if it makes teaching easier but bad if it adds more obligation unless of course I want to go deeper in an area like Bible Study.

Ok let me add one more thing. I like how she has LA and Math in the program too. But I also have to do it separate because I am on the R&S plan for Math and LA plus I have a special needs child. Her integrated approach is still of benefit for me because now it feeds the side of my mind that likes to tweak with the option to do what I can't pass up or enforces concepts we are learning in a different way. So I still use that lightly as well or I ignore it if I choose. I look at it as adding richness to what I do than as something I am skipping or wasting.

HTH!

I want to make sure I am understanding you correctly. So stay with my plan but you think it wouldn't be overwhelming to add her LA and math choices for 3 of my boys? You're sure?

I could use it all and still have a LIFE?

Mary,

I just finished emailing you this response and had to smile when I checked the board to find your post here. Good for you in coming to the board to talk it over with the moms here. They are so helpful and encouraging and full of good advice. I hope it's alright to copy my email response to you here. I think it will help many other moms process through their own situations a bit to read how I answered you!

I'm glad my responses were able to help you process things a little bit. While we do have moms that use 3 of our programs successfully, I would recommend doing 2 of our programs instead. While your kiddos may fit perfectly in 3 different programs, they may also fit very well into 2 programs. Doing 2 programs would save your sanity and still be a good fit for your kiddos. I would decide who I could combine most sucessfully. Are you 5 and 7 year old closer in skill level and better able to be combined, or would your 7 and 11 year old be closer in skill level and more able to be combined? After you've decided that, here would be my recommendations:

1. If your 5 and 7 year old are able to combine well, put both in "Little Hearts..." and do it all with both of them. "Little Hearts..." is for ages 5-7 and many moms on our board beef it up easily if needed for the 7 or 8 year old child. Then, your 11 year old would be alone in "Bigger Hearts..." and you could take the time needed to specialize it for that child.

2. If your 7 and 11 year are better able to combine well, then instead put both in "Bigger..." (as long as the writing is not too much for either your 7 or 11 year old). If the writing is going to be a battle with them, give them another year to grow and place them both in "Beyond...." instead. Then, your 5 year old would do "Little Hearts...". You could spread it out over 2 years doing half one year and half the next to keep your teaching time lower.

The last option to consider is teaching one history to everyone and teaching separate language arts and math to each child. This would be my last choice with the ages of your kiddos. Their age spread is large and their needs very different. In my opinion it is very hard to combine children across that many years and have it be appropriate for anyone. We tried it at our house and found it harder to combine them all than to do separate programs for them, but your opinion may be different. Successful combining in most programs requires a willingness to do much extra planning and tweaking. The beauty of our programs is that you can combine smaller age increments successfully with almost no adjustment to our guides. Also, due to the time-conscious way our guides are written, you can also do 2 of our programs in less time than it often takes to do one program from another publisher.

Little Hearts... takes 90 minutes per day for all subject areas (often less). "Beyond..." takes 2 to 2 and 1/2 hours for all areas. "Bigger takes 3 to 3 and 1/2 hours for all areas. Now that we have hit our stride with "Bigger..." it is often taking only 3 hours at our house. Keep in mind, if you like to run off on bunny trails, these times will all be longer (smile).

I hope this helps. I'll pop back in later to check if there's other questions.
Blessings,
Carrie

Ok you got the real answer from Carrie , yeah! I will just answer your question about running different Math and LA where you have to. Yes you will still have a life. I run 4 different LA and 3 Math in my family all the time. It's having all this other stuff done for you that is the huge deal. LHFG is the
best, most refreshing part of my day (besides perhaps our family Bible time).Just keep them on the same provider for Math and LA so it is all the same format. That is the key to being able to personalize for many in this area to me. When you get into different levels and different providers that is what makes it hard and time consuming. Super easy if you keep it all the same style.

Hi again
I think your plan sounds great! If Time4learning is working for you, then I would keep it. Many of us on this board use a different math or reading program....the great thing about this program is the flexibility!

Melanie

WOW! Thank YOU Carrie!

Ok, after Carrie's response I need to figure out if my middle child is closer to my older or younger boys level?

I'm pretty sure my 7 year old would work closer with my 5 year old. Though he would use a higher math and language.

Where was this program when my 16 year old was younger? Carrie, why didn't you have your children earlier, so you could have written programs back then? Oh wait, that must mean your just younger than me!

Melanie, do you use a different math AND Language? Do you ever do the math idea's along with your math program?

Mary- Every once in a while we will do the math idea that is in the "Math Box" of Little Hearts, but not often....I use RightStart and Math-U-See (I love RS and my sil just gave me all of her MUS from when she hs'ed a couple of years ago. It was free so I feel compelled to give it a shot. I'll probably stick with RS.) For some reason, Singapore has never reached out and grabbed me...

I use LLATL blue level for LA and I do really like this program (I bought it to use for K, but quickly discovered we were not ready for it in K!)and I may use the red level next year, but I really, really want to do DITHOR so I'll start that as soon as we get through all the phonics stuff. I also really, really like the LA Carrie has for Beyond so I want to use that, too!

My son does NOT like reading and LLATL is his "style", he likes all the activities and games and the s-l-o-w pace....My dd's are happy with anything and love to read.

OK...way more than you asked for....but I have enjoyed chatting with ya today!

Melanie

Well, I loved all the details. You must be one of our Betty's? (warm smile) Truly, information is POWER!

Mary,

Here's some information to help you process through the language arts and math areas of our curriculums. First, here's a link to explain how we approach Language Arts and Math. This is "A Look at Each Subject Area" on our website:
http://www.heartofdakota.com/subject-ar ... guage_Arts

Here's a fairly recent thread about language arts that's interesting to read:
http://www.heartofdakota.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=121

And here's an explanation about why we use Rod and Staff English:
http://www.heartofdakota.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=113

Last, here's a post describing why we choose to use Singapore Math in our guides:
http://www.heartofdakota.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=112

We do also have many moms who use the math activities from our guides in addition to another math program, because they're so easy to pick up and do. Since they're already in your guide the math plans also give you a great back-up plan if your other math program ever begins to fail you.

I hope these are of some use to you!

(By the way, my husband and I will have been married 20 years this August, and we didn't have any children the first 8 years of our marriage, so I'm not as young as you might think! )

Blessings,
Carrie

I have to say, that I am getting "mighty" excited over here. I truly thought that the only way to find balance in my life was going back to full ACE, which I love and adore, but I so wanted a literature based approach.

However, there is NOTHING out there that allows you to read a loud and still have time for your own rabbit trails, adventures, real life experiences. Well, until now it appears

Carrie, we were married the same year! Our 20th anniversary is February 13th!

I have to say that as I read the "why's" of the curriculum's you've chosen, I have felt such a deep peace in my spirit.

1- I love how you've taken programs I've been interested in, but felt they could become to "lengthy" if done by the book and scaled them down so that you keep all the great teaching, but not the tons of busy work. I loved what you said about having multiple children and 30 mins each turning into 2hrs for just one subject.

2- I loved that you are using teaching textbooks with your oldest after singapore because that is the direction I am going in too. Do you think you will use this with your program or is it still to early to know that?

3- I really love how "you" jump in as a mom and give such practical encouragement and help.

Now I just have to keep praying and see. I wish you were going to our FPEA convention here in Florida.

One thing I am going to do is, wait untiil we've had our year end testing in March. I use a WONDERFUL tester who administers the PIAT and WRAT4 and it will tell me how they are doing w/ their current math and LA programs. This will better let me know if I can make the change the the 3R's.

My goal is that if they are doing average I just might, if they superceded their goal I may not.

But at this moment in time I cannot imagine us "not" using HOD? It's everything I kept wishing for.....,

biblical Worldview
lit based
layed out in a easy to use format
complete

Thanks girls,
Mary, who is drinking her coffee and being a bit chatty!