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I have a friend who has been using HOD this last year. She loves it. Her dd is doing fabulous, but her ds is struggling a bit. He has some real attention and behavior issues, so that impacts his learning greatly. Anyway, she noticed this year that he excelled whenever he read non-fiction, textbook-like materials. Whenever they go to the library, those are the kinds of books he chooses. When she reads the history storybooks, his eyes glaze over and his recall is poor. His father is like him. He always loved reading textbooks and memorizing facts. He wanted set pages to read and a workbook page to complete and then move on to the next assignment. He stated to my friend that he wouldn't have enjoyed learning the,"HOD way." Now, my friend and I can't imagine choosing textbook learning over HOD, but the fact is, people learn differently. Would you suggest that she use a different, more traditional curriculum with her son, maybe K-12 online? Or would you suggest sticking with HOD and making it more traditional, with the workbox system, for example. What would you suggest a HOD-lover do with a textbook, traditional school type kid? Again, he has major behavior issues, so that only makes matters worse as far as being unenthusiastic about school.
Thanks for your suggestions.

I've found when there is a behavior issue, it does not matter what you are using - there is still the behavior issue that colors everything. I'd say it's most important to change that rather than change curriculum. Textbook/workbook learning often has very little retention, which is why some dc like it. Read it, do the worksheet, take the test, forget it. That is not real learning though. So, I'd encourage complete attention on the behavior problem first, with the end result of ds being a willing and ready learner no matter what curriculum is used. I think a LOVE of learning is the goal, and HOD can give that if attitudes are under control. I do think that textbook/workbook oriented dc might enjoy having more control over their day. My oldest, for example, takes the HOD guide and uses it as his own, checking off his boxes as he goes. He loves this! I think the books in HOD are top-of-the-line - books just don't get any better or more living than these. So, if his eyes are glazing over, that is a definite behavior trait to fix. My heart goes out to her - but I think slowing HOD down to half-speed and really putting real time into "habit training" as CM so wisely suggested, would be the best long-term fix to the your dfriend's son's situation. That, and prayer, prayer, prayer - of course!

In Christ,
Julie

lmercon,

Another thing that can really affect how well an HOD programs works for a child is placement. It sounds like your friend may be placing both daughter and son in the same program, which can work well if both kiddos fit best there on the placement chart, but can also hinder if one child doesn't really fit in that program but is pulled along for the sake of combining.

I would guess that your friend's son most likely needs the learning about history from the guide beneath the one he's currently working in for it to be at his level, especially if he has attention issues. So that may be something for your friend to explore as well. A good way to do this is to print off the placement chart and honestly go through it marking where each kiddo fits individually (all combining scenarios aside). This can be very eye-opening as sometimes as moms we're so focused on combining that we lose sight of where each kiddo is at individually.

Boys, as a general rule, prefer nonfiction books. They love facts and true stories. HOD covers that need with our history selections, however it's important in the early years especially, for the material not to be over their heads. My oldest son did the Sonlight way of learning for his first 3 years of school, and as part of that we read quite a few fact books with beautiful pictures. At the time, I thought he was really retaining, as he's always been a very auditory learner. Yet, years later he said to me I just don't remember much from those types of books, except that I read them. I remember so much more from the books I read now. In contrast, my second son still remembers and can even narrate back on what HE heard within the books from LHFHG and Beyond as he sees his younger brother going through them now. It's just a different type of reading that sticks better than facts in their minds.

Anyway, just some food for thought.

Blessings,
Carrie