Coming Back to HOD

[j_croche]

Hi there,
I hope that you all are having a great summer and that all is well. I have a couple of questions. My children are 15, 12, and 9. My 15 year old is independent, my 12 year old lacks confidence and independence and my 9 year old is dyslexic. He has been through therapy (Barton) and is finally beginning to read with some fluency, but still has a ways to go. We have loosely used HOD in the past and we then took a year off and did classical conversations, followed by a year of doing my own hodge podge of curriculum. I've been praying and for direction and my 9 year old came to me asking if we can please do HOD again. I do not believe that this is coincidence. I love HOD, my problem is that my children lack the skills to place into the guides for where they should be academically and I also see no way to combine and give everyone what they need. I need direction in this area.
I do know that my 15-year-old daughter would probably need to start with World Geography. This past year was her official ninth grade year, but because we were just putting things together I don't think we really covered enough for her to have earned her credits. She is on board with starting at the beginning of the Highschool Programs now and will possible dual enroll at a community college in 1-2 years. As for my 9 and 12 year old, I have looked at the placement chart and I'm just not sure.
Any advice or help is greatly appreciated.
Blessings

[StephanieU]

Can you 9yo read comfortably it is it something you are still working on (fluency, stamina, etc)? If reading is still something he isn't ready to do alone, I would do Bigger with him. Preparing they read their own sconce and some history, and it somewhat sounds like he isn't ready for that.
For the 12yo, I would look at RtR and Rev2Rev if there aren't any challenges and he is basically on level for everything.

[j_croche]

Can you 9yo read comfortably it is it something you are still working on (fluency, stamina, etc)? If reading is still something he isn't ready to do alone, I would do Bigger with him. Preparing they read their own sconce and some history, and it somewhat sounds like he isn't ready for that.
For the 12yo, I would look at RtR and Rev2Rev if there aren't any challenges and he is basically on level for everything.

Hi,
He definitely still needs some help. He's just beginning to build fluency.
Thanks for your reply

[Mbrand]

Our 9 year olds sound very very similar. My guy just started really reading (moving past sounding everything out) this year. I placed him in Bigger for next year. Based on his reading level (I wouldn't feel comfortable with him independently reading his assignments yet) and his writing stamina, I think it's the best placement for him. We've been working through the Emerging Reader set this summer and will continue that through the year until we're finished.

[j_croche]

Thank you, Mbrand. It's nice to know that I'm not alone
Now I just neeed to figure out the 12 year old....weak writer and lacks independence. My 15 year old daughter is pretty independent, so I see her doing well in the Highschool courses.

[StephanieU]

If you aren't sure the middle one is ready for Rev2Rev, definitely go with RtR.

[LovingJesus]

Thank you, Mbrand. It's nice to know that I'm not alone
Now I just neeed to figure out the 12 year old....weak writer and lacks independence. My 15 year old daughter is pretty independent, so I see her doing well in the Highschool courses.

Your 12 year old sounds similar to my 12 year old. Mine turned 12 this spring. His writing is OK, but weak on the amount he can do in a day, and he lacks in independence and work load abilities. He isn't ready for the amount of writing in Rev2Rev. I researched it and learned that the skill jump is much bigger between RTR and Rev2Rev than CTC and RTR. Since I have done CTC I know he is above it some, but not a large jump in skills above it. I carefully looked at the placement chart and his circles were all RTR except for science which was Rev2Rev. Thus, I see RTR as the right thing for him.

HTH

[Rice]

Definitely go with the lower of two if you are undecided. And remember that the expectations are the same throughout the guide. They are a goal to aim for.

So, feel free to be more "hands on" in the beginning than is suggested:
~ Read everything in the guide with them, then check to be sure they understand before sending them to read the book and do the assignment.
~ You can even read some (independent) books aloud at first - some books are harder than others.
~ Expect 5 sentences for written narration for the first 10 units, 7 for the next 5 units and try to be at the expected 8-10 for the last 10 units of the guide (for RTR, for example).

There are lots of ways to adapt and ease them into what may be what they are not used to. It doesn't have to be all or nothing right off the bat! Also, start slow. Don't try to complete an HOD day in one day for the first few weeks, at least, if not more like a month with trying to start 3 guides. The older 2 may need 5 days per 4-day unit for a month or longer after that, too.

Also, don't try to keep all 3 on the same unit/day. It's much easier to go at their pace. Yes, one may be done earlier than another. One may even need to finish a guide in the next school year, but as long as they keep on track for math for the grade they're in, that's fine, since the HOD guides aren't graded. I actually like having my kids start and finish guides at different times of the school year (more time to spend finishing and putting away the old guide, and prepping for and starting the new one).

Welcome back!