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Hello! Glad to be here and looking for some solid insight from those who know the ropes.

We've used Sonlight four years from Pre-K - Core C. It's a great curriculum and we've had some wonderful experiences with it, but when we started Core D this year (for DS 10 and DD 8 ), the little things that had bothered me here and there in the past suddenly became big things. I'm not one to toss a book if everything in it doesn't line up with my Christian worldview. Sometimes those clashes become terrific opportunities to explain what the Bible says about things (i.e. witch doctors, war, etc.). It just seemed that some of the book choices for this year (esp. the ones we had in the first five weeks) were so full of clashes that I had to stop every five minutes to explain, and it didn't look like it would get any better. It seems unwise to drag kids through so much of that when it's not necessary. Also, I've wished that the Bible was more actively integrated with history, science and other subjects.

So here we are, five weeks in, looking at switching to HoD. I really appreciate the Charlotte Mason-type approach, and from everything I've read, the content from HoD will involve a lot more excitement than wrestling.

Because HOD is set up a little differently re: levels, can you help me decide what the best starting place would be?

After reading through the placement guides and other helps, it seems like DD (8, 3rd grade) would do best in Bigger Hearts for His Glory. She may be a "stealth dyslexic." She is reading well at grade level (3rd) but finds spelling very challenging and penmanship has been a struggle. I had to abandon Sonlight's LA and use All About Spelling and Queen Language Lessons for her, which she is doing fine with. DS (10, 5th) is a reading machine -- anything he can get his hands on, and at a high school level (well above his maturity level content-wise, so we have to monitor carefully). He's pretty well-rounded in the other subjects, too. I think he could handle Creation to Christ (though he hasn't done any sentence diagramming).

My gut is to start with Bigger, where I think DD will fit best. Would this be OK for DS? Would the extensions work well for him? I know we can always supplement from Ambleside Online as well if needed (AO was another serious consideration). Would that even be necessary? Or, would he do better at a different level altogether? Also, we just finished a two year cycle of world history last year and were starting two years of American History this year. I'd like them to have some American history before we launch back into world history. (And kind of sad we didn't start with it -- appreciate the reasoning behind HoD in this.) DS2, age 4, is also in the mix doing Sonlight Pre-K (and getting into everything when he is not )

Thanks for wading through all of this if you made it this far. I'd be very grateful for any insights, pearls of wisdom or corrections anyone might be able to offer.

-- Claire

Do you really want to keep them together, possibly having to add more than just extensions for the oldest? Some families want to school together, so combining in Bigger is an option.
But another option would be to have the older do CTC plus listen in on the history for Bigger. It wouldn't add too to his day (40 minutes or less) and would give him the history he has missed. That way you wouldn't have to worry about the language arts or science possibly being not at his level. And then after CTC/Bigger, he would just do the guides as written.

I would also recommend doing Bigger and CtC for your kids. CtC is very independent. Families who have kids that are similarly placed are because kids are only 1 guide different or are similarly placed according to the placement chart. My oldest does her own thing but my son is combine with his younger sister because he is very similar to level to her. I do love schooling them together because they are so similar. But I hated schooling my oldest and son together because they were just so different. With HOD, it isn't difficult to set them up on their own levels. Bigger is the most teacher heavy guide but I still only spent about 2.5-3 hours a day "teaching". I only spend about 1-1.5 hrs a day teaching my kids in CtC. So max - I spent 4-4.5 hours a day teaching. Once they move up in level, that teaching time goes WAY down on your end. I spend about 1 hr with my oldest dd max because she is SO independent. So it really is a personal preference. And my kids also have stated that they really like their set up too.

I would like to say that I wouldn't fret about US history. RevtoRev and MtMM are really strong in this area. I would probably just have the oldest do CtC alone and not listen in unless he has the extra time. Or you could have him read through the books on his own if he wants. But it really isn't necessary. He will have US history for two years in middle school and then for 2 years in High School.

Thanks so much, Stephanie and Daneale!

Sounds unanimous to do separate levels. Grateful for that wisdom! Sonlight can be quite modular as it allows individual-level language arts and math to be added to the same core of history/Bible/etc., so I guess I was erroneously assuming HoD was similar. Obviously it's not; it's much more tightly knit. That's not a bad thing! As far as the history goes, I can see DS wanting to overhear his sister's history -- and read all the books, even if that isn't critical.

So appreciate your input!

Claire

The thing with HOD is that the workload, books, and follow-up increases in difficulty through the guides. So you can customize the math and language arts (very easily), but what is expected in CTC is definitely different than Bigger.

Hi again Stephanie and Daneale,

Just wanted to thank you again for your input. I did put the kids in their own levels and they are enjoying them. I do miss some aspects of having them grouped together for history, but don't miss them being in competition with each other. That was something we had to deal with a lot before. As you suggested, the 10 year old in CTC is more or less listening in on the American history (and has been reading HE Marshall's This Country of Ours on the side), so I don't feel he is missing out. He also LOVES the independent work, and filling in the beautiful notebooking pages.

Having just finished a two year cycle of ancient history in the other curriculum, it is SO refreshing to see the decidedly Biblical content this time around. It seems he is getting the same message from every resource, which is not what was happening before. I feel so much more comfortable with this approach!

Thanks again, and thanks to Carrie (and Julie) for their work on this generous, well-rounded curriculum.

Hello!

I am so glad to hear that you are enjoying your year with CTC and with Bigger Hearts with your kiddos. We have a son doing CTC this year too, and he is learning so much!! I am so glad that the wise ladies on the board were able to assist you. They have such wonderful counsel!! Having done the two year cycle of the ancients through Sonlight with my oldest son (who is now 21), before I wrote our guides for his age level, I can understand your thoughts on the differences between that route and CTC. We pray you have a terrific school year! Thanks so much for sharing. You blessed me today!

Blessings,
Carrie

eclaire wrote:I do miss some aspects of having them grouped together for history, but don't miss them being in competition with each other.

I felt the exact same way when I switched to HOD. I came from MFW. While I wanted to school all the kids together, it just wasn't a good fit. I love schooling my younger 2 kids together and love schooling the oldest alone. I have also found that step up in independence each year has been important and welcoming. Before I felt like I had a hard time wrangling everyone in to listen to me read. My kids much prefer being in charge of reading their own assignments and working on their own. Projects are prefect. They are short, sweet and my kids really enjoy them. I bet your oldest is going to just love the water color paintings. Even my son who isn't artsy said he enjoyed them and is doing very well at them.

I am very glad you are enjoying the programs. Everything about HOD has been a blessing here. I never envisioned I would find something that was such a great fit but here I am 5 years later. That says a lot because I was a curriculum junkie and still do enjoy checking other things out. It always makes me appreciate HOD more and reminds me of why I will keep on using it. And we are definitely still loving it. I especially love the Biblical content. I have still not seen any curriculums like HOD and it is a huge blessing to our family. And I can honestly say that I can't believe my oldest is completing MtMM this year and that she only has 4 years left after this. And I am so grateful to HOD for all of the hard work they have put into this program and look forward to each year.

Carrie,
Thank you so much for your encouraging reply! The Lord has blessed us through you, so what a joy to know that you were blessed in return.

Deneale.
It's great to hear from your experience, and thanks again for your good advice at the very start!