heartofdakota.com

Hi Ladies:
I need some advice with placement of my 11 year old daughter who will begin the 6th grade in the fall. This will be our first year using HOD and I am very excited. My dd is not a fan of history and we have struggled in this area. She has covered American History this year with a textbook/workbook approach and I don't think she really has retained that much of it. She is very intelligent and does very well with her verbal skills; however, she is not one that excels in testing. She loves to read if it is a book that she chooses. I must say, though, that her reading curriculum this year has been one of her favorite subjects simply because we read together. She will moving to HOD from mostly a textbook/workbook type of schooling; therefore, she has never done any type of dictation other than a couple of sentences each week on her spelling tests.

In looking at the placement chart, it seems like Hearts for Him would suit her the best as far as her other skills go. (She excels in Grammar and Reading.) I have been planning on beginning her in Hearts for Him, but I am concerned if this is too big of step for someone without having much prior history study and never been schooled in this manner. I want her to be challenged, yet I don't want to overwhelm her where she dislikes the change in curriculum. I, also, want to see her get as far through the HOD studies as she can before high school. She has two older sisters, 23 and 21, who where homeschooled during the middle school years and were exceptional students who loved to learn and I want her to fall in love with learning, not just checking off boxes that we completed a subject. I feel the last few years have been that way, but we are looking forward to changes since I just resigned my Children's Minister's job and will be able to concentrate totally on homeschooling her.

Any advice on placement would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Patti

Hi & welcome to HOD!
My 11dd is finishing up Preparing & is really enjoyed it. That is saying a lot! She loves to read but doesn't always like to be told what to read. If you add the extension books then she will be challenged enough yet still be comfortable. If it is to much then just use the regular books that are assigned. Either way all the books are great!! I'm sure it will be a great fit from what you mentioned. Others will probably chime in & give you some more insight. Hope I helped some.

Blessings!

I would agree that Preparing could be challenging enough, especially if you add in the extension pack. You might want to start there this year to give your daughter a chance to grow into HOD. Or alternatively, you could go with Hearts for Him and just staryt out at half speed for a few months until she grows into it.

Patti,

Thanks for sharing your precious daughter with us! It really helps to give a feel for what would be best for her overall. I agree completely with the ladies that Preparing Hearts would be the best fit for this upcoming year. It is a very meaty program and will be a wonderful way for your daughter to transition to a different type of curriculum.

The skills your daughter will practice through Preparing Hearts will provide a wonderful confidence builder for her when she begins CTC the following year. Going through Preparing Hearts will also enable her to work more independently in CTC than if she skipped over Preparing Hearts. Through Preparing she will also gain an excellent one year overview of world history along the way. Only you can know if CTC would be a better fit overall, but I would definitely lean in the Preparing Hearts direction.

Blessings,
Carrie

Thank you so much for your responses, ladies. You gave me much needed information. I will definitely think about your advice and pray for guidance for the direction that I need to go next year. I am looking forward to a wonderful year with HOD!

Patti

Okay, ladies, I have nailed it down and feel confident about using Preparing next year for my 11 yo, 6th grade daughter. Since this will be my first year using HOD, I am a little confused about ordering. I know she will need the Extension Package, but will she also need the Deluxe Package too? I did not understand if the Extension Package replaced or was in addition to the Deluxe Package. Are the books in the Deluxe Package scheduled in the daily plans or are they in the appendix like the Extension Package?
Also, I have a science question, too. My daughter has completed Noeo Biology 1 year before last, and they use a couple of the same books that are used in Preparing's science. One of them is the One Small Square-Cactus Desert and the other one is Pasteur's Fight Against Microbes. Can I replace these books in the curriculum with similiar books, especially like the Louis Pasteur book in the Extension package?
One final question on science. She has completed the Apologia's Astronomy as well as the above mentioned Noeo's Biology 1. I am just a little concerned that she may be missing some topics in Science if I go with the science in Preparing. I love the looks of the Science in Hearts for Him, but did not want to spoil the next year for her by jumping ahead. Any suggestions?

Thanks so much,

Patti

patekake,

You would not need the Deluxe Package, since you'll be using the Extension Package. However, you may wish to get the Draw and Write book out of the Deluxe Package, if your daughter enjoy drawing. The Deluxe Package is scheduled within the daily plans and the Extension Package is scheduled within the Appendix.

It doesn't work well to replace books within the science section of Preparing Hearts, as the lessons and experiments match the text exactly. With that being said, since your daughter is in the Extension range of the program (and we often recommend additional science at that age), if you truly felt that the science in CTC is better for her level, then you could do that instead along with Preparing Hearts. Then, the following year, your daughter would do CTC for most areas and the science from our new guide. Clear as mud?

Blessings,
Carrie

Carrie:

Actually, you made things very clear for me and I think that may be just the thing we do. I will probably do the science in CTC alongside Preparing.

Thank you for your attention. I will purchase the curriculum at the homeschool fair in Arlington, TX.

Patti

My now 9 year old will do preparing at 11. It is my understanding that is really the precursor to the beginning of the history cycle. We did CHOW this year, but not nearly as in depth. I guess it will all work out when the time comes, huh? LOL