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Every year I have the tendency to just jump into a full schedule with my kids but I'm really wondering if I should try it another way this year. We will be doing two programs (Bigger and CTC) sooo here are options. Let me know if you think of anything else.

Option 1
Full Schedule

Option 2
Full Schedule minus DITHOR for the first month.

Option 3
First week do half speed and then head out with a full schedule.

Option 4
Start school on a Thursday. Do half schedule on Thurs. and Fri., take the weekend to breath. Then start the new week full schedule?

Any ideas?

I think I'm going to try going 2 weeks at half speed. (Getting through the 1st unit of plans.) Then bump to full speed. I figured this way we have a chance to see each box Grant will do in a unit so that he can get an idea what's expected of him as he takes on more independent things this year.

Maybe that can be option 5 for you. I'm interested to get more ideas from others, too.
Kathleen

I like option 2 combined with option 3 (but at two weeks instead of one). So, for two weeks you would go 1/2 speed, then you would still have 2 more weeks before starting DITHOR. That would give you a month to get up to speed, but you would still be accomplishing a lot of work.

I'm a jump-in kind of gal too. I like option 4. If I had it to do over again I would have done that. It gives you a chance to see how each side will go and then over the weekend you can analyze and tweak how you want it to go. Also, for those of us who are more impatient it starts full speed a little sooner too.
Leah

PS I love the pic! What great lookin' kiddos!

My kids are younger, so the programs are easier to run, so we jumped in at full speed on Monday and it worked well for us this year. Of course as the programs get harder, we may consider half speed for the first 2 weeks.

Same as kathleen...we will do 2 half-speed weeks and then full speed ahead!

Hi, Daisy - I've been off the forum for a little while, but am catching up on some posts. I saw yours and wanted to just throw in what we did last year for the first time. It worked so well that we will do it again this year for sure. We took the day on Friday and made it really special - went out to breakfast, got out the new supplies, etc. Then we walked through the schedule exactly as it was planned, but without doing the actual work. We knew where everything was, what was expected and how the day was going to go. Then we took the weekend off and celebrated the end of our break, and by Monday, we were ready to go. The day went so smoothly and it was a joy! Of course, I had three kids doing one program with Extensions, so you may need to take two days to do that or even more since you are running two programs. Just my 2 cents. Whatever you do, I"m sure you're going to love your year with HOD! It has blessed our family tremendously.

Right now we are doing a little of this and that until my daughter finished her last two units of math. We just finished unit 8 today. My offical start date is August 3 but I don't think we will be starting the new stuff yet. When we do, I will go with it full force.

I love hearing everyone's ideas!! I'm still thinking....

It's tough because in some ways I worry going half speed will mean big gripes when full speed happens. Will we just have to work on a routine again? On the other hand I know that it takes a while to establish a routine and having some wiggle room build in is nice.

I'm definitely going to wait on starting DITHOR until we have a routine established.

I'm leaning towards one week at half speed. We start school a week before public school kids go back and that would make for a good week to slowly adjust. My husband is a school teacher and he'll be back to work that week. (We follow ps schedule mostly because we don't want to do school when Dad is at home and able to PLAY!).

I am definitely thinking of starting half speed for at least a week. I find it is not only difficult for the children, but for me! I didn't do this last year and think it will ease everyone back into school more smoothly...especially mother!

Daisy wrote: It's tough because in some ways I worry going half speed will mean big gripes when full speed happens.

This is one of the reasons why I started full speed. But there are a lot of ladies here who have done half speed at first and prefer it so maybe it would be better.

This is a great topic, Daisy! I've been contemplating the same thing. I have done both over the years - jumping in and half-speed. I've liked them for different reasons. Jumping in: school isn't drawn out to be longer than it needs to be and the kids have a good idea of how the day to day will go. Half-speed: we ease into school and are not rushed, and I get longer to get a feel for how things will go and I can tweak my schedule as needed.

I'd go half-speed in these situations:
*if I were new to homeschooling
*if I was a bit nervous and would enjoy easing into the year
*new to HOD and unfamiliar with teaching that way (i.e. if I'd only taught textbook-style previously, etc.)
*new to HOD and starting Bigger Hearts or any HOD program above that in HOD
*new to teaching 2 or more HOD programs

I don't fit any of those, so I think this year, I'm jumping in! Maybe with the exception of my little Emmett, who I am planning on doing LHTH with at some point in the year. My middle ds is returning to Beyond though, he's halfway through it and will finish the second half this year. So, I'm really staring 1 new HOD program - CTC. That's why I think I'll jump in - but I reserve the right to change my mind!

For you, Daisy, I think I like the idea of you going half-speed for 2 days and holding off on DITHOR for a month. That seems to be the best of all of the options combined. I know you are a veteran homeschooler, are a gal that usually likes to jump in, and are comfortable with several things going on at once - so I'd guess this would be a good way to start. But, you'll know best!

In Christ,
Julie

This post has helped me think about my year! Since, we've been textbook only (except for the 2 day trial of HOD) we'll probably need to go at it half speed starting the year. Plus, we're changing everything for next year, so we will need to ease into Beyond.
I'm hoping and praying for a much better year next year using HOD!
Reading posts like this really helps.
Thanks!
Tina
Jacob 8 (BLHFHG)