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Good Morning,

I am in a unique season as I am completing a 1.5-year Nursing program which will start this October. It is mainly online but still a very demanding workload.

I have done curriculums like "Sonlight" in the past and we love it but it is SO heavy on me, mom. I just don't see this being feasible for us while I am in school. I am looking for some honest insight into our situation. I don't want to put too much on my plate as a teacher (and mom) because we all know that when our plates are too full, it will be a disaster for everyone.

I would love to use HOD but am wondering if I need to wait and implement until after my nursing school and find something a little less teacher intensive during this season. Thanks in advance for your assistance!

My kids are 5, 8, 11, 12 (K, 3rd, 6th, 7th).

My two oldest are strong readers - my question is, with this curriculum, how much is required of "mom" versus independent work? I also am thinking they would end up in Resurrection to Reformation - I am also a little confused on how the reading program works.

My younger two I would like to school together. My youngest is just learning to read. Would it be ok to bring the 3rd grader down to his level? I'm assuming they would use: Little Hearts for His Glory

If you could also let me know your opinions on a realistic expectation for what is expected of me when guiding the kiddos through their week - I figure the younger students would be more teacher intensive. Since I have never used this curriculum, I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around what this would be like for our family.

I think your placement of the older 2 in RTR should work well. They will be fairly independent and should not be overwhelmed.

I would not try to combine two kids 3 years apart at that age, though. I would place your 8yo where they would comfortably place (likely Beyond; Bigger's also an option but would be more challenging and require more time and hand-holding for you) and with your 5yo I would (in fact I will be with my 5yo) do just fine motor skills (printing, possibly the Rod and Staff Kindergarten books from LHFHG), a daily Story, math, and phonics when the 5yo is ready. (I personally wait till their 6th birthday to start phonics, which for us will be April of K.)

In our family, trying to combine has been largely unsuccessful, especially in the younger years - they are just so far apart skill-wise. While one is just mastering basic phonics, the other is reading well and ready to work independently. It holds the older back and pushes the younger. I've attempted combining kids 4 times, but this year is the first time I've successfully combined 2: a 10yo who was delayed in reading (in vision therapy most of the school year) and also printing/writing, and an 8yo who was reading at a grade 4+ level at the beginning of the year (now into a grade 5 level, done DITHOR Level 3 books) and ready for formal academics. They were in Preparing together half speed. We will finish it full speed next year.

As for DITHOR, as much as many would recommend it for the academics, with you needing a lighter load for a couple years, I would suggest just having them read the appropriate level of DITHOR books and narrate what they've read to you. Skip the DITHOR workbooks and TM for this year. After you've got a year of HOD under your belt you can then evaluate whether you can conceivably add the rest of the curriculum, starting with the oldest (1 or 2). Your 8yo likely won't be in DITHOR yet and will begin with the ER books; the schedule for which is in the Appendix of the Beyond and Bigger guides.

Blessings,

I agree with Larissa.

RtR times per box:
Left side of plans:
Reading About History (I): 30-35 min.
Storytime (T/I): 15-20 min.
History Project (S): 20 min.
Rotating Box (I - Research, Geography, Timeline, and Shakespeare): 20 min. Longer on the Shakespeare Day
Independent History (I): 10-15 min. Longer on Draw and Write days

Right Side of Plans:
Bible Quiet Time (I): 20 min.
Math (S or I depending on curriculum): 30-35 min.
Science (I): 25-30 min.
Rotating Box:
Art Appreciation (T): 15-20 min.
Bible Study (T): 20 min.
Poetry (T): 10-15 min.
Language Arts:
Dictation (T): 5 min.
Writing (S): 20 min.
DITHOR (S): 30-40 min.
Grammar (S): 20 min.

If you add up all of the T or could be T boxes (teacher-led), it would be a total of 45 minutes. The total of possible S boxes (semi-independent) is 90 minutes. So all together, it should be less than 2 hours of your time each day for both kids in RtR (including check in, reporting, etc). And each unit is only 4 days!

As for DITHOR, since you know the next 1.5 years will be busy, I might do the 6/7/8 workbook, aiming for 3 genres a year. Have your kids read a book pack a year, but only have them do the workbooks/teacher's manual for 3 genres each year (there are 9 genres total). Maybe have them do the project for all of the genres or some other "follow-up," but keep your commitment down.


As for the younger two, I would place the 8yo where that child places, and do the basics with the youngest. Since the 8yo would place into Beyond or Bigger, you could possibly combine them for verse memory and storytime as well (basically letting the 5yo tag along for the next 1.5 years until your school is done and you have more time). If your 8yo places into Bigger, you could even consider half speed as long as needed, possibly doing storytime full speed (using 2 bookpacks). I would do the last 1/3 of any guide full speed, but by that time, your child might be able to do science independently (or mostly independently), saving you some time and preparing your child for the independence in Preparing.