Taking a break

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Mgs
Posts: 135
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:31 pm

Taking a break

Post by Mgs » Tue Mar 14, 2023 7:24 pm

Does anyone take breaks from HoD and do just the 3rs and read alouds?

StephanieU
Posts: 1652
Joined: Tue May 21, 2013 7:10 pm

Re: Taking a break

Post by StephanieU » Tue Mar 14, 2023 9:49 pm

We school year round so we can take breaks as needed. Some times it is a complete break. Some times it is just the 3Rs and Bible. Some times it is a time for everyone to catch up on anything they got behind on. The older guides are only 140 days, so that leaves us a lot of flexibility!
Last edited by StephanieU on Wed Mar 15, 2023 9:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
Mom to
DD15 US1 (completed LHFHG-WH)
DS13 MtMM (completed LHFHG-Rev2Rev plus some of LHTH)
DD12 Rev2Rev (completed LHTH-RtR)
DS7 Beyond (completed LHTH-LHFHG)

Rice
Posts: 526
Joined: Tue Aug 06, 2013 10:00 am

Re: Taking a break

Post by Rice » Tue Mar 14, 2023 11:53 pm

Not really. However, my last 4 kids to start HOD (with 3 older ones in higher guides) have done just 3Rs and Storytime through K-3rd, starting the full guides in Preparing, when ready (usually for 4th).

Also, each child usually has what we call a Reboot, some time around the middle of each guide. In a Reboot, they read everything, but the only written work they do is the Timeline; *everything else* is done orally and "Reboot" is written in any NBing page boxes that they don't complete. They finish a unit per day in the younger guides or one every 2 days in the middle school guides. We usually do a Reboot for 3 or 4 units, then go back to "school as usual." We've found that the Reboot helps not only to get back on track on my mental calendar (catch up if we've gotten behind, or even earn some extra flex days), but also refreshes them, feeling they've had a break from the usual way of doing things. And I don't feel guilty because we still covered ALL the content; I just, as the teacher, made the executive decision to allow them to respond in a different way for a few units. 😊

When we take a break from HOD (Christmas and summer, mostly) I use that chance to read the non-HOD books that we want to get to. We continue the hour of read alouds every night before bed, though I don't tend to add a morning time as well. A break from academics is a break, not a chance to add more to our days. (That said, if kids got behind in math, we may still do that a few days per week in the summer. 😉)

Blessings,
Rice

DS 21 - GRAD '20: after WG
DD 19 - GRAD '21: after WH
DS 17 - GRAD '22; did CTC-WH + 2yrs non-HOD (🇨🇦)
DS 15 not using a guide this year (DONE: LHFHG-MTMM)
DS 13 MTMM (DONE: Prep-Rev2Rev)
DS 11 +
DD 9 CTC (DONE: Prep)
6yo DS phonics

Mgs
Posts: 135
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:31 pm

Re: Taking a break

Post by Mgs » Thu Mar 16, 2023 6:36 pm

We took a few days off.. just doing math and LA. Stephanie, do you ever get “tired” of doing heart of Dakota and find a break helps?

Rice, I can see how starting with preparing would help a lot.

StephanieU
Posts: 1652
Joined: Tue May 21, 2013 7:10 pm

Re: Taking a break

Post by StephanieU » Fri Mar 17, 2023 8:09 am

I wouldn't say tired is HOD necessarily. But we do get burnt out with everything going on. I think we would get the same burnt out feeling with most curriculum! Only doing school four days a week helps, but if we have busy weekends, we need a break occasionally.
Mom to
DD15 US1 (completed LHFHG-WH)
DS13 MtMM (completed LHFHG-Rev2Rev plus some of LHTH)
DD12 Rev2Rev (completed LHTH-RtR)
DS7 Beyond (completed LHTH-LHFHG)

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