Parts of the Guides?

[faroutback]

We won't make it to all the high school guides and there are some pieces to beef up as we go and some subjects to switch around from what I am gathering on the board. Has it been considered to offer the plans for certain subjects, such as Econ, Govt or Science for example, with the purchase of that subject package? This would be a great help, financially mostly, to be able to purchase just the subject plans to go along with the resources and not an entire guide. Then, if more that one subject were needed or the history side of the plans the whole guide could be purchased. Just a thought. Thanks Carrie for all you and your family do and have done for us. This journey has been a tremendous blessing.

[Rice]

I haven't heard of that option being in the works, but am curious, too.

My oldest will be using parts of 4 guides this coming year, starting in April! (Would love to have the plans just for WG's BJU Lit.)

Blessings,

[Lynn3ggb]

Oh, how I have wished for this option as well. My daughter uses HOD as written. I tweak it for my son. He uses parts of HOD and different choices of curriculum for the parts we don't use. Almost on a daily basis I think how much easier it would be to implement the parts of HOD he uses if each section/box had it's own copy of the plans. What I do is use the Homeschool Planet Planner I purchased through Homeschool Buyers Co-op and type the lessons from the HOD guide in the boxes provided in the template. I change the wording to fit my son's ability. I can then fill in the rest of the custom made curriculum boxes according to the rest of his lesson plans and print a "custom" guide containing his lessons for the day, including the portions of HOD that we use. This gives him a "guide" to hold in his hand/carry with him and boxes to check off in a similar manner as the HOD guide. I will admit, it is a little time consuming. I usually type up several days of lessons at each sitting since they are very easily altered with the program I use. This way I just check off what he completed, tweak the schedule each morning and print the day's guide.

Perhaps you could research planners and find a similar set-up to work for your family.

Blessings

[faroutback]

Wow! That is a neat idea Lynn3ggb you certainly have been able to find a solution for what you needed. I was looking for a solution to not having to purchase the entire guides when we would only be using a subject or two but still have Carrie's guidance through it. Yet not short change her and only allow such a purchase or inclusion if buying the complete subject package/resources.

[Carrie]

I must admit that taking the guides apart to write individual subject area guides is an overwhelming thought for me right now. It also conflicts with our original focus for the HOD guides which was to have the student see all needed subjects for the day on a two-page spread. I realize at the high school level that sometimes families will need to juggle a couple of guides to get the program their student may need (if they are coming from another program or if the levels need tweaking to earn needed credit before graduation). But, I hope for that to be the exception rather than the rule.

Taking the guides apart to create 7 or 8 separate subject guides for each year of high school reminds me too much of my guide juggling days from teaching in the public school. We strive to offer something different from that experience which is why we wrote the guides in an easy open-and-go format with all subjects on a two-page spread for the student. There is also concern on my end that much of the intended flow and balance of the guides would be lost by taking the separate subjects apart and that families would think the guides were written to mix and match to gain any combination of subjects needed. While you certainly can juggle subjects from varying guides, it does become quite a puzzle at that point to put together a program each year. It is also true that in the juggling the intended balance of the guides is affected.

So, our intention at this point is to leave the guides intact. We are more than willing to discuss individual scenarios with families to help them gain the credits they need by graduation, but it helps to have the guides in their intended form as our plumb line! This is because the guides increase in difficulty and the skills build from one guide to the next. So, there is a definite sequence in the various subjects meant to train the student in the level of skills needed from one guide to the next.

Blessings,
Carrie

[faroutback]

Thanks for the input and the reminders. One of my "Hallelujah" moments in life was finding Heart of Dakota. We just got a late start to be able to complete all the guides for ds. I understand what you are saying and definitely love the "flow" of our everyday. Thanks.