heartofdakota.com

I am now intriqued by HOD! I had used LHTH briefly in preschool(quit only b/c dh was deployed, I was harried and kids went to church preschool too), but I hadn't given thought to the other programs available until I recently saw it on an online friend's blog. Then I saw several discussions over at WTM boards about HOD. Ifelt maybe God was nudging me! My husband is in the military and will be deploying again soon so I am wanting an easier year for my children and me! What I mean by that is less planning on my part and less pressure on my kids to be juggling a million different subjects/projects. I am currently using FIAR , but I am feeling that I am not good at planning ahead and need something laid out and more chronological in history. I do love FIAR, though! I had planned on possibly using MFW Adv. next year(because I bought it a year ago!), but now that I've seen HOD, it might be easier for my 5 year old to tag along. I want my kids to have a general introduction and familiarity with American history since their daddy is in the Army! I do want to continue onto a world history approach after that and then do American history more in depth again in middle school timeframe. Anyway, I'm wondering about combining my kids in Beyond. My dd will be 7 and ds will be 5.5 if we start in the fall. Obviously, they will be doing their own thing in regard to LA and math. We may also throw in a little Apologia science for fun--just as a read alouds. Anyway, does anyone see a problem with a 5.5 year old at the Beyond level? I am not really interested in doing two different books for history and science--I own several of the books for LHFHG anyway so I can always seek out the subject we are studying and read to him from the easier book if I HAVE to. I think dd would be more interested in the Beyond level than me backing her up to LHFHG. She's very bright and ready to really delve into history, etc. I've pretended that I am eclectic for way too long, but I just need help in seeing a big picture b/c at the moment I can only see one week at a time and I feel like we aren't getting anywhere!

Blessings,
Shannon C

Shannon,

I just wanted to say Hi and welcome. I have also used FIAR in the past and I have also used MFW adventures. With FIAR, I spent hours planning and never felt like I had done enough. HOD has far and away been my favorite. If you are drawn to those to curriculum's, I think you will be VERY happy with HOD. It is strong in literature, relationship, and discussion...as well as covering the basics in a excellent and VERY consistent manner. This has helped me tremendously. Carrie, the author, is currently homeschooling her own 4 boys using her curriculum and she really has a great pulse on what we mom's need and want. I'll let the other mom's make suggestions for your programs, but wanted to say I think you will be very pleasantly surprised and pleased if you decide to go with HOD. Welcome.

Welcome! I also did FIAR and we tried MFW K (and my oldest is only 5! ) so I totally understand where you're coming from.

First off, have you check out the placement chart?
http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php

You might want to check there first. It's usually pretty accurate about placing your child. That being said, if you feel that your 5.5 yo would be able to sit and comprehend longer readings, and you're gonig to adjust the math and LA for your two kiddos, then I think it would definitely be possible to combine the two. You might even consider going half speed for a little bit to help your kiddos get adjusted to it.

My 5.5 yo will be starting Beyond soon. She has finished LHFHG though. But I just wanted to share with you that it was possible. I'm sure Carrie or some of the others will chime in and help too though!

You sound so much like me. I have used FIAR, MFW K, and LHTH. I liked all the programs for different reasons, but HOD was far and away my favorite. I am currently combining my two who are 14 months apart in LHFHG. In the fall they will be (just turned) 7 and 6. I will move both to Beyond with my oldest doing all of it and my youngest doing Beyond/left side - and LHFHG/right side. I can see that in 6 months my oldest will be ready for all of the work in Beyond and based on our time in LHFHG I think you will have no problem combining them for at least the left side of Beyond. It seems to me that many people do combine their children that way.

I tried so hard to get "prepared" to do LHFHG by making a supplies list and looking ahead and finally realized that it is truly "open and go." I spend two minutes after school each day making sure that I have everything on hand to start the next day. HOD has made my life sooooooooooo much easier and since my son graduates in May I feel that I can say with confidence that HOD is comprehensive and complete. You CAN add to it, but it's not necessary. The only "adding" I've done is that we continue to read the FIAR books which, as you know, are wonderful. I think you will find that you are accomplishing more with HOD with much less stress.

I must say though that the real joy in HOD is that my children are learning to think with a biblical worldview. I was raised in a very "moral" home so seeing my children process and view the world with Christ's heart is the most satisfying part for me. THANK YOU Carrie!!! I am learning so much too!!!

Thank you so much for your replies. I am getting really excited about using HOD! Blessedx3--my 5 year old is also adopted--Guatemala. Anyway, I'm starting to think that maybe I should go ahead and get LHFHG for some extra guidance with ds. I will just get the manual and not the extra history books(I own the science already). I don't know?! I think I'm set on our math choice and we have The Reading Lesson for him. I agree, I will continue using the FIAR books and maybe once in awhile do some activities with that since my kids enjoy it--maybe make it our summer curriculum so I don't have to give it up completely. I also love the Christ centeredness of this program. I was raised in a Christian, yet wordlly home and didn't get much spiritual nurturing beyond what I got on Sundays and Wed! I desire to have a home that shouts out "We Love the Lord!" I am feeling lighter already. More thoughts are appreciated!

OR...I could stop FIAR now as our main curriculum, get LHFHG and start NOW with both kids and then transition into Beyond with dd in the fall, with ds listening in to hers and she'd still be able to listen to his? Is that a crazy plan?

Shannon,

I wanted to pop-in and welcome you too! We're glad to have you on the boards.

I'd love to hear where your kiddos place on the placement chart (all combining scenarios aside), if you get a chance. The chart is at the link mammamo gave you above.

That information will really help us advise you better.

Blessings,
Carrie

My son completely fits into the LHFHG category and dd is definitely at Beyond level(she could do it now). I just didn't know if there was a way to modify Beyond for ds. So I think I've pretty much decided that I will do both levels, the question is whether I start now with LHFHG and go through summer with it with both kids or if I go ahead and start both programs now or wait until fall. I think ds will benefit from some of the younger ideas in LHFHG. I wonder that if at some point they could be on the same level--maybe continue having ds listen in with Beyond next year while continuing LHFHG, then when we switch to Bigger, he could continue with the Beyond right side and still be a part of the Bigger plans.

Shannon,

Thanks so much for sharing a bit more about your sweeties and where they fall on the placement chart! It really helps me get a better feel for how to advise you best.

I'm agreeing with you that it would be a good idea to start LHFHG now with both kiddos, using all of LHFHG for your son, and having your daughter join in with him for the left side of the LHFHG plans and the Storytime box on the right side of the plans.

For language arts and math, your daughter can finish out the year with either the language arts and math you already have in place for her, or she could instead use the right side of the Beyond guide (to cover her spelling, grammar, emerging reader's set for reading, and math). Either way would work.

After your trial run with both kiddos combined for part of LHFHG this year, you'll know whether you can keep them together in those areas for next year, or whether you'll need to bump your daughter up to all of Beyond instead next year. It will give you a great trial run on combining for history/science/storytime, and will also keep them both moving solidly forward in the 3 R's.

Blessings,
Carrie

One thing about LHFHG is that Carrie has a TON of additional books in the appendix. You can always get those from your library for if you feel that you need to beef things up for your oldest. You can also do all of LHFHG with your son and just the right side of Beyond for your oldest, like Carrie suggested, and then read your oldest those additional books. We did most of them and it really adds a ton and some of those books are really advanced for listening skills. We really enjoyed doing them. I could definitely see them as being on a 7 year olds level. We read them with my 5 yo dd and some were a little over her head, but she enjoyed them anyway.