Mgs wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 6:47 pm
I love the look of this, but wondering how to start and if it’s worth it if I have my own programs for other things. What would be the benefit to this vs just a reading list that I assign.
Benefits to HOD vs just a reading list:
* daily assignments already made for you, with prompts for questions, narrations, copy work, and other activities already laid out - from Preparing and up increasingly written to the student to teach indepenence in school work and in thought;
* appropriately chosen books and length of readings/work day for the age/stage of a student properly placed in that guide;
* skills gradually, incrementally taught across all areas - no need to remember to fit things in or wondering if you're expecting enough vs too much.
* and most importantly, you won't find a more thoroughly Bible-based, turn-your-children-to-Jesus and God's word curriculum anywhere.
As for how to start: place your child (by the sounds of your post, your oldest) by using the placement chart. If Preparing is where he places, skill-wise, then purchase that guide - all packages except for Extensions and any you already have plans for. (And yes, it works to use HOD for all except math, LA and Science. One caution is that HOD includes LA skills in places outside the LA box, so be aware of areas you may be overlapping, and consider cutting out some work so that you aren't making your day too long.) Science in some guides is tied loosely with the History, but it doesn't detract from the History if you use something else, and that and Math are not tied to the other subjects, so they are easy to sub out for a program of your choice.
Once you have everything, read through the first unit of work on your own to get an idea of the workload and how the boxes are written (eg: in Preparing, Science and Independent History Study are written to the student, while the other boxes are written to the parent to teach. This is where the value really shines over a book list - everything is scripted for you to teach, without having to prep ahead of time! And, when ready to start, start slowly! Plan for the first unit (Preparing and up) to take 8 school days, as you get to "meet" the books, the guide, the set-up, etc. Plan for the next couple of units to take 5-6 days each and then gradually to move up to "full speed". If you go faster, that's great, but if you plan this way then you won't feel "behind" right from the start.
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Mgs wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 6:47 pm
I have a rising 5th grader, 3rd grader, 2nd grader (twin to 3rd grader but a year behind her), K, PK, 2yr old.
I contemplated just doing preparing with 5th grader and allowing the younger siblings to tag along for some things (very loosely- mainly just their own 3rs, lots of books, etc). Maybe waiting until they reach 4th grade to start their own program.
This is pretty much what I do. My kids start phonics and a formal manuscript or cursive program at age 6, as well as Storytime (mostly using HOD books, but we add some of our own interest in, as well). They start Preparing when they have the skills; usually around 4th. My kids are allowed to tag along with the older ones, but mostly don't, unless something catches their attention (while the older ones often listen in to old favourites
).
Mgs wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 6:47 pm
The reading program (Dithor) didn’t look necessary to me? What would be the benefit to the reading program.
IMO, it depends if you think your child still needs a reading program (to challenge their reading level), or if the independent work (in Preparing that is in Science and Independent History Study) is enough for that and you are ready for Literature Analysis.
If you are needing a reading program, my kids love the DITHOR book packs. I pick them at their instructional reading level and they read a chapter per day, narrate, and I aim for them to complete about 3 book projects per year. (This gives them practice planning out a project - where everything else in HOD is planned for them - and gives them more creative license.)
However, if they are reading well and are ready for some Literature Analysis, then I choose books slightly easy for them to read (for mental energy to go into analysis, not merely decoding/comprehension), and they follow the schedule in the guide to complete 4-5 generes per year (in Preparing and up - in Bigger they can complete all 9 genres, as it is scheduled daily).
DITHOR is the only place from Preparing - MTMM where formal lit analysis is taught. (It also has Christian character study as part of it, as well; another benefit.) It is great for preparing them for highschool lit class. However, as a mom of many, I don't find it easy to keep it going for multiple kids, so I have chosen to concentrate on getting them through the program once in full before highschool. My kids read and narrate until Rev2Rev & MTMM, and do all 9 genres once in those two years.
I think that answered the questions you had. Does it create more?? LOL.
Welcome to HOD!
Blessings,
