Thinking of starting, lots of questions

[Mumkins]

I have 4 children, a 7 y.o. girl, 5 y.o. boy, 3 y.o. girl and 8 m.o. boy. We are currently using Sonlight K with 1 readers and science.

I loved it at first. I really need the structure. But I'm finding it too much. HOD looks much easier and simpler to handle. But that kind of worries me. Is this a complete and thorough program?

Also, I'm in Canada and I noticed there a lot of US history. Are there any other Canadian users here? How do you find that? I don't mind teaching the kids about US history, but I don't want it to be a daily thing every year.

Any past Sonlight users? How did you find the switch?

I really enjoy Explode the Code. Is it easy to use with this program?

Lastly, I'm kind of a worksheet person. Is there any worksheets?

Any advice or things I should concider or know is appreciated

Thank you:)

[Mumkins]

17 views and no comments? Can anyone help me out?

[my3sons]

Welcome to the HOD board! I am headed out to church - but I'm answering your post right when I get home! In the meantime, can I ask you a little favor? Could you please check out the Placement chart (very short - easy to use ), and take a stab at where you think your dc fall in the programs? Also, could you give a little snapshot about each child's reading, writing, and math? Just something like - at phonics stage, or reading easy chapter books; can copy 2 sentences well; adding and subtracting with objects - brief info. like that. I would love to hear your thoughts on that - I'll post for sure after church though - this afternoon. I'm glad you are here, and I know others will help with placement (Sundays are slower around HOD - but Mondays are BUSY!)
http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php

(Oh, and BTW, we have many past Sonlight users lurking on this board! I know you would enjoy HOD - o.k., gotta go!!!)
In Christ,
Julie

[my3sons]

I have 4 children, a 7 y.o. girl, 5 y.o. boy, 3 y.o. girl and 8 m.o. boy. We are currently using Sonlight K with 1 readers and science.

I loved it at first. I really need the structure. But I'm finding it too much. HOD looks much easier and simpler to handle. But that kind of worries me. Is this a complete and thorough program?

Also, I'm in Canada and I noticed there a lot of US history. Are there any other Canadian users here? How do you find that? I don't mind teaching the kids about US history, but I don't want it to be a daily thing every year.

Any past Sonlight users? How did you find the switch?

I really enjoy Explode the Code. Is it easy to use with this program?

Lastly, I'm kind of a worksheet person. Is there any worksheets?

Any advice or things I should concider or know is appreciated

Thank you:)

O.k. I am now home from church, but where oh where are you? Well, I'd still love to hear your thoughts... but, here are some initial thoughts based on what you've shared.

Based on the ages of your children, you could...
1. Combine the 5 yo and 7 yo, in either Little Hearts for His Glory or Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory. Have 3 yo do Little Hands to Heaven (or just wait with 3 yo), OR...
2. Have 7 yo do Beyond. Then, have 5 yo do LHFHG. Wait with 3 yo, OR...
3. Have 7 yo do Beyond. Combine 3 yo and 5 yo in LHTH.

Yes, all of HOD is complete and thorough. It has a wonderful balance - which is a big reason why I love it! Here are a few posts that you may find helpful:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1457&hilit=sonlight
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=656&hilit=sonlight
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1975&p=15170&hilit=sonlight#p15170

I used Explode the Code up to Level 3 with one of our dc and up to Level 4 with our first. It works very easily with HOD, though it's not necessary to add it. We just did it because we are on the very young side of the age level recommendations for HOD's guides, and my dc were going to get to more writing more quickly, so I wanted them to practice it more - ETC was a short, fun, easy way to do it.

The number of worksheets in HOD's plans vary, but there are not a whole bunch. There is paper/pencil work though - it is just in other forms than worksheets - like copywork, dictation, notebooking, lab experiments, etc. - depending on the level of the HOD guide.

Advice of what to consider: check out the placement chart carefully, and consider the information there. Think if you want to combine no matter what - or if you are alright not combining. Both options are possible with HOD - but one would probably be better than another based on your family's needs. Hope to hear back from you when you get a chance!!! I know others will join in when you share any thoughts you may be having about where you feel your dc place best.

In Christ,
Julie

[Kathleen]

Welcome to the HOD board! I think I can help with some of your questions.

I am absolutely loving HOD this year with my kids! HOD is very solid academically - so no worries there! I think you'll find your days to be set up in a balanced way so that you're getting bite-sized portions of everything (and actually get it done everyday). This is my experience anyway. I have to tell you that my real love for HOD is in the focus that it has in helping me train my kids' hearts to love the Lord. It is truly a Christ-centered curriculum which is so important to me!

I'm doing Little Hands to Heaven (LHTH) with my little 2 this year and Bigger Hearts for His Glory (BHFHG) with my 8 yo. HOD does focus on American history quite a bit in the younger years (especially the guides Beyond and Bigger). LHTH goes through the Bible for its focus. Little Hearts for His Glory does a history sweep from Creation to present (and I believe the closer you get to the present is where America comes in). Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory is American History. Bigger is a biographical take on American History. Then you move on to a big sweep of the world and a 4-year history cycle. If you read the intro pages to each guide, you'd get a better view than I've given you, I'm sure. THe 2 guides I listed are the only ones I've done yet.

You can use any phonics program you choose with HOD, and I think many moms use Explode the Code here. (Sometimes for extra practice along with another phonics program, too.)

HOD follows a Charlotte Mason approach to teaching, so you won't find fill-in-the-blank type worksheets to go along with it. You'll be reading books with purposely short readings which helps the kids retain the information better than if they're flying through lots of books. (To me this is the biggest difference between HOD and Sonlight.) The kids will narrate after they read - orally while they're young and then written as they get older. This is where they tell back in their own words (or borrowing the words of the author) what was just read. HOD uses notebooking in their guides as well. These assignments are written out making them very easy to follow, and the kids get to draw or write some significant things from the reading that has been done that day or week. Math is in a workbook. English (in Bigger) is a Rod & Staff textbook if you go with HOD's recommendations. We do part of it orally and then my son does part of it on a whiteboard for the day's lesson.

You are very right in that HOD's guides are SOO easy to use and follow. This is a blessing to me everyday. At a glance I can see what needs done for the day, we are reading great books, having meaningful discussions, checking the boxes off, and then we're done! I can open-and-go with the guides which lets me use my time actually teaching and not preparing to teach.

If you look at the palcement chart that Julie linked you to, it will help the moms here be able to give you advice on finding the right fit for your family with HOD which may help your decision.

Kathleen

[Mumkins]

I moved and just got internet back! Sorry to drop out of the thread like that.

My plan, as of now, is to combine the oldest two in the one for 6-8 years old, as they'll be 6 and 8 in the fall and LHTH for my 3 y.o., 4 in Dec.

As for a snap shot on where they are, DD1 does saxon 2 and DS does saxon 1, although they are getiing most of it, they are lacking in memorization of the +/- facts. I plan on doing MUS alpha over the next few months so they get the facts down pat. They CAN copy work, but dont like to. Their writing isn't very neat and need more practise. They use ARFHW K and T. My DD is dyslexic I believe and struggles with reading and writing. Her spelling is pretty bad, but reading is coming a long. I was wondering if I should hold off on Drawn into the heart of reading or get it for her? I think it may help her to try more if there is something fun for her to do after. My son is doing well reading Sonlight's grade 1 readers.

Reading about pioneers and stuff sounds like fun anyway, so maybe I'll just grab a couple library books to go along with the programs to add some Canadian stuff in.

[my3sons]

I moved and just got internet back! Sorry to drop out of the thread like that.

My plan, as of now, is to combine the oldest two in the one for 6-8 years old, as they'll be 6 and 8 in the fall and LHTH for my 3 y.o., 4 in Dec.

As for a snap shot on where they are, DD1 does saxon 2 and DS does saxon 1, although they are getiing most of it, they are lacking in memorization of the +/- facts. I plan on doing MUS alpha over the next few months so they get the facts down pat. They CAN copy work, but dont like to. Their writing isn't very neat and need more practise. They use ARFHW K and T. My DD is dyslexic I believe and struggles with reading and writing. Her spelling is pretty bad, but reading is coming a long. I was wondering if I should hold off on Drawn into the heart of reading or get it for her? I think it may help her to try more if there is something fun for her to do after. My son is doing well reading Sonlight's grade 1 readers.

Reading about pioneers and stuff sounds like fun anyway, so maybe I'll just grab a couple library books to go along with the programs to add some Canadian stuff in.

How did the move go? Glad you're back on the boards! Your plan sounds like a good one. Could your dd do the Emerging Reader's Set for her reading? The books begin easy and get progressively harder. There is a schedule for reading them in the Beyond Appendix, and it has excellent comprehension questions to discuss. This greatly improved our dc's comprehension over time. You can start anywhere in the set, so if the middle looks like a good fit for her, you could start there. We always start below our dc's actual reading level, since working on reading comprehension is the focus. Here is a link to the set:
http://www.heartofdakota.com/emerging-reader.php

I think I'd wait on beginning DITHOR until reading and writing is going smoothly. You could always start it in the middle of the year or towards the end. Beyond has great hands-on math activities to match Singapore Math 1A/1B. If you are making a switch anyway, you may want to give that a whirl to see what you think of it. Of course, any math program works with HOD, so you could do the other if your heart is set on it too.

In Christ,
Julie

[Mumkins]

The move is ok, the hose has a few things we didn't expect, but it'll be alright. I think I will hold of on DITTHOR.

I'm so excited! I wish I could start now....contemplating sending Sonlight back so I can....

[my3sons]

The move is ok, the hose has a few things we didn't expect, but it'll be alright. I think I will hold of on DITTHOR.

I'm so excited! I wish I could start now....contemplating sending Sonlight back so I can....

I'm glad the move went pretty well. We had a bat living in the first house we moved into - now that was something we didn't expect - though it made for an exciting and memorable move!! I hope that's not what you didn't expect. Anyway, before you know it you'll be settled more in your new house, and a new "normal" will emerge. Oh, and if you are excited to start and can send Sonlight back - go for it! If not, HOD will be waiting for you.

In Christ,
Julie

[Mumkins]

Our problems are mice and lead pipes.

[Kathleen]

Oh, I'm so sorry. Unfortunately, I'm a pro at catching mice (not anything I ever thought I'd be good at ). In the early days of my marriage, my hubby and I would block off "getaways" for the mice and it was my job to scare them out and he would catch them with his hands (wearing gloves...but still, he was fast!). While this may not have been my idea of a romantic evening, it was much better than finding out that critter had been in the food pantry or silverware drawer. And, Grant, recently asked if we could move back to our trailer because he has so many good memories there. Yes, the Lord certainly provided a home for us...but I think I'll stay in my house so we have room to move...and we only occasionally have mice. (I think we've only caught 3 here in 4 1/2 years. That was a slow week at the trailer.)

Kathleen

[Mommamo]

I know what you're saying about the mice! We're living in a trailor right now and have had more than our fair share of mice. Yikes!

But back to the original poster-I'm glad the move is more or less going okay. And I'm glad you've decided on HOD. Everything we've used so far is wonderful. I'm sure you'll love it!

[gestep]

Doesn't Sonlight have a really long return period-maybe 6 months or even a year?
As for the mice, use steel wool in any hole or crack that they can get into the house. It works wonderfully.

Gina

[Mumkins]

Well, I'm on week 22, 18 weeks is the guarantee. And besides, I only have 14 weeks left. I'm just going to finish up, play with my kids this summer and enjoy HOD in the fall. Even though I want to right now! lol. This year is my 2nd year HSing. I spent the whole first year switching. We used 3 math programs alone. DH wants me to stick it out, so I will. It's hard though. At least I already own most of the emergent readers. I may buy LHTH soon though for my 3 y.o.

[my3sons]

Well, I'm on week 22, 18 weeks is the guarantee. And besides, I only have 14 weeks left. I'm just going to finish up, play with my kids this summer and enjoy HOD in the fall. Even though I want to right now! lol. This year is my 2nd year HSing. I spent the whole first year switching. We used 3 math programs alone. DH wants me to stick it out, so I will. It's hard though. At least I already own most of the emergent readers. I may buy LHTH soon though for my 3 y.o.

I can see what you are saying here - I do believe in having starting points and stopping points. So, having the stopping point by finishing Sonlight, and the next starting point being HOD is handy. Now - LHTH is another story - that is something that might fill a need now and still is easy to start now, stop for the summer, and pick up knowing 1 HOD program already in the fall - rather than learning 2 at the same time in the fall. That may be a good thing to pray about and consider.

In Christ,
Julie