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My name is Shelly. I have three girls who are 10, 7 and 5, and this is our third year homeschooling. We have bounced around in the areas of history and science trying to find something that would be thorough and fun for the girls but easy for me to follow. We have been consistent in LA and math, and we are already using Rod & Staff English. My older DD already has a plan in place for next year that is working well, so for the time being, she isn't in the equation here.

I am looking at HOD for my two younger girls, who will be 8 (3rd grade) and 6 (1st grade) in the fall. Both have late birthdays. I was looking at combining them, but in looking at the placement charts, I am thinking that separating them might be a better plan for us.

My 3rd grader is finally finishing phonics, and she is reading at grade level (chapter books). She has finished FLL 1 and 2, and I am trying to decide whether to place her in R&S 2 or 3. The only subject she is not working at grade level at is spelling, and she is just now starting to really pick that up. She is ready to begin cursive, but she doesn't like to write. She has done some copywork but no dictation yet. She has finished Abeka Math 2, and we will continue with Abeka Math 3 because she is doing well in it. She doesn't sit still well at all. She is currently in speech therapy twice a week, and it has been a struggle for her. She is capable of doing the grade level work, but we take it in small spurts, very much CM on that. I don't think she is a visual or auditory learner at all.

My 1st grader is still working on phonics. She is just beginning to read. She is a good writer and enjoys copying things. She finished a K math book and has started Abeka Math 1, and she is doing very well in it. She hasn't begun formal grammar or spelling yet. She has been very easy to school so far because she loves learning and is very cooperative.

If I don't combine the girls, I will be doing three programs. My oldest works fairly independently, but it will still be a struggle for me. But if I combine, I am worried about my youngest getting lost in the shuffle.

My other question for you is whether there are other Catholics using HOD. I haven't seen anything in it yet that is a deal-breaker for me (and I realize that varies between people). I know that some things will not be the same for us, but I am comfortable tweaking those areas that I am already aware of, like skipping certain chapters of the CLP books or all of Hero Tales. We already read the bible daily, and the HOD bible area looks doable for us. Do you feel like HOD is adaptable for someone who is not an evangelical Protestant?

Thanks for reading. This got longer than I though it was going to be. I look forward to hearing other people's opinions.

Shelly

Hi Shelly,

I can't comment as to the Catholic issue much, but I would guess it's pretty doable. I know for my guide I'm currently in (Bigger) we are studying Proverbs and pulling biblical character traits from that. Nothing there that would be a problem.

As to placement, you will get the advice to go low for the most difficult child to teach, and that's your almost 8yo. It sounds to me like you could combine the two in Beyond pretty easily. But surely someone who has used LHFHG and Beyond will chime in. The key to HoD is placement. Have you focused just on your almost 8yo with the placement chart? I would do that first, and then with your youngest to see if you come up with a more clear idea of where they place.

Also, Carrie or Julie will probably pop in with what you have said so far about your kiddos and give more helps. I just wanted to encourage you! HoD is a great, great program and if placed right, you can't beat it!

Hi Shelly! Welcome to the HOD Board! You've given some great information about your dd's, so I am thinking you've looked at the placement chart. In case you haven't, here's a link to it (it's been very accurate in placing our dc):
http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php

From what you've shared, I think you should combine your 2 dd's for the left side of the plans in EITHER Bigger Hearts OR Beyond Little Hearts. Then, for the LA and Math, you could do the right side of Bigger Hearts for your older dd, and the right side of Beyond for your younger dd. This plan would allow you to combine the 2 of them for a lot of things, but would meet each of their individual needs in LA and Math skills.

In choosing between Bigger Hearts and Beyond for your core, I'd really check out the placement chart, and also look over the first week of plans for each of the guides. That should give you a good idea which of them will fit combining your dc best. Here is a link to each of their first week of plans:
http://www.heartofdakota.com/pdf/beyond ... t-week.pdf
http://www.heartofdakota.com/pdf/BHFHG-first-week.pdf

I'd love to hear any more thoughts you have about this after checking this out. This is just one option I'm thinking of from what you've said thus far - but you know your dc and your own preferences best. Please keep dialoguing about this, and the board will pitch in to help you come to a peaceful decision.

In Christ,
Julie

Thanks for the replies. I have looked at the charts, and I really think my 3rd grader places in Bigger, and I am now thinking I want her to do Bigger. I love the history and science books in it, and I think it would a great mix of fun and challenge for her.

So I guess I need to figure out now what to do with my 1st grader. I think she places in Beyond. My only concern is that if I put her in Bigger with her sister, I am not sure she will be able to keep moving up with her. How hard is it really to do the two programs?

Shelly

Shelly,
We've really enjoyed doing 2 programs for awhile now (3 years), and I find it a great relief to be meeting each child's different needs (because my dc are at very different points in their learning). I like that my ds doing BLHFHG finishes earlier and has more time to play because he needs it, and my older ds has a bit longer day and deep talks with me because that fits his needs well. I also enjoy our heartfelt talks about faith, each on their own individual levels. My dc share more with me this way, but that may just be my dc. I also like having the plans guiding me to teach CM LA skills I have always wanted to do but was left unsure how exactly to alter them based on age. The HOD plans in the different guides do this nicely for me, which again, is a relief to me, and also helps me really enjoy my time with each child. That is just my experience with HOD. However, there are many other wonderful moms on this board that enjoy combining, so both can be done well using HOD. I think it is a personal preference, and also, it depends how dc work together. I'll continue praying for you in this decision, since either choice is a good option, and I truly do think your final choice will depend on whether you want to combine or not.

In Christ,
Julie

Shelly,

Julie is right! It does bring peace to have a child doing their level. I used 2 guides this year and tried to push my 8yo (who up to this point and been mostly doing phonics and math) into Preparing (I even made it lighter for her) with her older sister. She was just not ready. Because of funds, I kept her at her level math, grammar & writing and joined her for history and science with my younger boys and it worked out so much better and we have been doing two guides smoothly ever since. it has worked so well that I am even planning on using three guides this coming school year Beyond for my boys, Bigger for my now 9yo and CTC for my soon to be 11yo.

God Bless you and guide you in your decisions!

OK, I think I am going to do separate programs. Looking ahead, I just don't know if my 1st grader will be ready for moving ahead that fast, or if I really want to have to push her at that point either. So I think I will be doing Bigger for my third grader for sure. For my 1st grader, I think my options are either doing LHFHG and beefing it up or going ahead and doing Beyond but taking longer than a year to do it. I think I am leaning toward doing Beyond and just stretching it and Bigger so that she is ready to start Preparing for 4th grade. Does this make sense?

Shelly

Shelly,

I just wanted to pop-in and welcome you to the board. We're glad to have you here! The ladies are doing a great job of helping you talk through options, so while you're pondering I'm going to mention one more option that I see as working well for your will be 6 and 8 year old girls.

I think it would work well to combine your 6 and 8 your olds within Beyond Little Hearts for the left side of the plans (which would be history/science etc.) and the Storytime box from the right side of Beyond. Then, for your 8 year old, you could add the right side only of Bigger Hearts to fit her level of language arts (and use your own math). From the right side of Bigger Hearts, your 8 year old would use either spelling List 2 or the dictation passages, Rod and Staff English 2 (which is what we recommend for third graders), either Cheerful Cursive or Italic D (which we schedule in Bigger), and you could choose whether to have your 8 year old use the science from Bigger Hearts or the science from Beyond. This would also give you time to focus on DITHR Level 2/3 with her and keep her reading skills moving forward steadily.

In the long run, I think this will work well as your 6 and 8 year old could stay together through the years with the left side of the guide and storytime and still be challenged at their own level in the 3 R's. With what you've shared about your 8 year old's busy therapy schedule and writing being less than her favorite area, I think Bigger Hearts will be a big jump for her at this time, however a year in Beyond will really help her grow in all areas. Plus, your kiddos fit right within the target age range of Beyond, which is ages 6-8 (and I'd hate to have you miss out on the chance to try combining if possible).

Then, the next year your girls would head into Bigger Hearts and you could use the Extension Package if you choose.

Blessings,
Carrie

Thanks so much, Carrie (and everyone else)! This really helps me figure this out. I think what I am going to do for now is to order the Beyond package and the Bigger guide and really look it over to see if combining in Beyond will work the way I want it to. If it doesn't, I can always order the rest of Bigger and go from there.

Thanks!

Shelly

Shelly,
Welcome from a fellow Catholic. I have a third, first and PK. I do what Carrie suggested to you with combining in Beyond and doing the right side of bigger with my 3rd grader. It is working very well, and it has been sooo easy and enjoyable. It is like a dream come true for our homeschool. Next year I will probably do three levels, but I think it will be very doable based on my experience so far.
I have found that HOD is just the right amount of structure and flexibility. It is so easy to add Catholic sources and I haven't had any problems yet. Like you I figured we would substitute out Hero Tales.....and a couple other titles I will review first.
In Beyond I add in History FYC 1 from Seton. Not exactly the same exciting writing but it is very light and brings in the the Catholic view. Every Friday the History reading is from the bible, so about 1/2 the time I read from the Seton book instead. I would just use the 3rd grade Seton book but I am saving that one to use with Bigger. I thought about spreading the 3rd grade book over the two years of Bigger and Beyond also. The 3rd grade book has very much the flavor of the HOD choices if you aren't familiar with it. I also do Catechism memorization instead of the scripture memorization. We read lives of Saints instead of doing the devotions. I don't think the HOD choices are bad, I just really want to do the Catechism and Saints and I can't fit everything in. It is super easy to just pick up a different book when these are scheduled. I also chose to use the new music CD from Seton G1. My kids really love it.
My 3rd grader is doing Drawn into the Heart of reading, which she loves. Since you can use any book you want (as long as the right genre), it has been really easy to add some Catholic titles here too. For example we read a biography of St. Faustina.

Thanks for answering, Krysta! It is reassuring to know I am not the only Catholic using HOD. I really like everything I have seen, and I think it will be a great choice for my two younger girls. I still haven't ordered yet because I am still trying to decide whether to combine them or separate them, but I think HOD will be an answer to prayers for me for next year.

Shelly