heartofdakota.com

Hi all! It has been awhile since I posted here.....we have just been plugging along slowly. <sigh> I see so many folks just whizzing though these guides in a year and I keep wishing we could. I was so hoping to keep my son on track (started preparing in the fall), but he just could not seem to keep up so we backed off and did half speed. He now can finally do most of it in a day, but we had to change up his math and LA so that it taking MUCH longer than a normal for HOD, so that slowed us down again. We had considered sending him to christian school, but with all his delays, he just would not be able to keep up. We had him tested this year at the school (he has a CSE meeting due to taking speech class there) and even though he is supposed to be completing 5th grade (age 11 in Jan) he scored way low....lower than what I expected. I now get why he is having problems doing HOD. His reading level was at grade level 4.0 but his comprehension was at grade 1.8!! Most things he tested at somewhere within grade 2. <sigh> We are completing Unit 18 of Preparing. I think for next year we will take a break from HOD and do NY state history (required by law before grade 9) ....along with Notgrass History (Uncle Sam and me....I thought that would be a good paring with state history). State History is not done in HOD until MTMM and he will not be in that till HS. I hope to do the same style as HOD (notebooking page and narrations each unit). Same with science....using one of the Apologia books that HOD does not use...again with notebooking pages and narrations). Then in a year we can pick up and finish Preparing or move on to CTC if he is ready (big if!!). I think we need focus on those reading/writing skills and math. We will be using CLE for Math, LA and reading (and bible?). The Rod and Staff English just was not working for him (not enough review and he need LOTS of review for both LA and math). If anyone has suggestions to help keep us on track to return to HOD next year, please let me know!

My daughter just started Rev to Rev!! We did not know we needed a low temp glue gun for unit 1, day 1 science! So far the transition seems OK (for a mildly autistic 16 year old!). Anyone know of a health book or and economics book written at an 6-8th grade reading level? We will be needing to do those (NY law again).

I wish I had some answers for you. I'm actually dealing with a similar issue with my oldest in regards to comprehension. I'm also curious as to what people have to say.
It sounds like you're doing a great job despite some challenges. Keep it up!

For economics, could you use what is in MtMM?

I am working in VA at a homeschool book fair but wanted to drop in here to say 'hello' to you and to try to quickly respond here! Your posts are always some of my favorites, as they often shared smiling faces in pictures of your dc happily doing HOD! I know you are discouraged right now about your son, but I also know that you have had many wonderful years homeschooling! I've witnessed it and taken encouragement from your journey, as have many other moms here. It is tough not to compare to others - in all areas of life, really. At least it is for me. However, you have much joy to celebrate in all that you have done through the years, and there is still much joy ahead - trust me!!! In asking what you can do to best move your ds along in skills to come back to HOD, I'll share that the best thing to do to move your son ahead in skills would be to stay with HOD and finish out PHFHG. So many times dc that do something else for a year come back to HOD having to start right where they were or having to backtrack. HOD does a super job of moving dc along in so many skills step by step, and switching to something else in the middle interrupts that flow of steady progress. As far as your dd, HOD has a 50 state study that is excellent in RevtoRev, as well as individual state studies in MTMM. We have several economics books in MTMM that you could use with your dd in a year, or you could use them now if your state requires it now for her. The science in RevtoRev doesn't have strange supplies other than the glue gun - it was favorite of ours! So, many happy days ahead in RevtoRev, and if you would consider it, the second half of PHFHG for ds! One last thing, if the switches made to grammar and math aren't going any more smoothly but require much more time, switching back and doing it more orally (grammar) and/or setting the timer to just do math for a certain amount of time may help keep things more balanced and the days from getting too long. I hope something here helps, but I will say a prayer for clarity and renewal for you as you move forward!!! Remember to take joy in all that you've done - which is much - as a loving homeschool mom and teacher of your dc for this past many years! Standardized testing/a diagnosis doesn't take that away or diminish its incredible value to your dear family!!! Hope something here helps!

In Christ,
Julie

Thanks for responding Laura, Stephanie, and Julie.

Laura - both the 16 year old and the 11 year old have comprehension problems. I have known about the 16 year old's problems since she was very young. She was diagnosed with expressive receptive language disorder when she was 8??? My son on the other hand, we did not realize that he had comprehension problems until he took this test. I was hoping we could send him to Christian school this year so I could concentrate on getting Melody though HS as she needs help with 75% of the work. With his problems he could never keep up, so we will continue to home school him (he really, really wanted to go).

Stephanie - we will be using MTMM in 18 months or so, so I do not want to use those books as we will get to them eventually. I plan to go longer than 2 more years, but want the state requirements covered so we can get her Letter of Equivalency in 2 years (then I do not have to do any more reporting).

Julie - Thanks so much for your response. So far Melody is enjoying unit 1 of Rev2Rev. She likes science so I think once she gets used to the science format she will love the projects. We started the music lapbook yesterday and after a little fuss (because it was different), she liked putting the project together. We are doing everything with her....including the 50 state study & inventor study. She is finishing up R&S 4 and we will start R&S 5 when we are done with it, and we will be doing IEW for writing instead.....plus she will move into geometry in the fall (so math will take longer than the 'normal math' in Rev2Rev). She is not the one that needs state history as she had it in 3rd grade. We might skip it in MTMM. It is my son that needs state history that is the only reason why we were going to take a break form HOD. You got me to thinking that we really only need to take maybe a semester off to do that, but, would it be better to start off the year with state history (so I make sure we get it done), or finish PHFHG and then do it before we start CTC? (what do you think?) If I did not have to report to the school district then I would not worry about it so much, but if I state that we are going to do it this year, we have to get it done. His skills are not ready for CTC, but they might be in a year. I will have to think about it. Oh, he is doing well in CLE math, LA and reading. I think it has been good for him (he likes the workbooks). It does take longer but has LOTS of review and that is what he needs or he forgets it.