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I need advice & prayers! Last year was my first year homeschooling my 12 year old dd & I used HOD CTC. I did quite a bit of research before I decided to use this curriculum & I was extremely pleased with it. However.....being my first year, I still had the "school" mentality & wondered if I shouldn't go with more of a textbook approach for her 7th grade year. Well, toward the end of the school year, my husband was laid off from his job, so I felt I should try to be more conservative & use a cheaper curriculum...which opened up the door for using textbooks. At first I was pleased with the decision I had made, but as the year began, I started regretting my decision. The curriculum we are using is very solid & good, but I feel my daughter is missing out on a lot of extras she got with CTC. We are 8 weeks into the year & I am filled with regret each day. I just don't know what to do...should I finish out this year with what we have & use RTR next year, or should I try to figure out a way to switch to HOD.

By the way, I have a 4 year old son & I will use HOD with him all the way through!

Thank you for taking the time to read my post, please pray for guidance.
Mindy

First, I have prayed for you as you think through this! I did CTC last year, and I know I too would be missing so much if we then did a textbook approach after it. The history projects, the heartfelt discussions, the beautiful Student Notebook, the science experiments... yes, I can feel your pain. We are doing RTR right now, and I can tell you it is a wonderful program. As a follow-up to CTC, none can compare. I am sensitive to the possibility though that with dh's job situation, you may not be able to order all of RTR. I would say that you have given your new textbook approach a good solid 8 weeks, which is a fair trial run for most programs. If each day you are filled with regret, that adds up to a whole school year with many days of regret if you continue. If your dd did well with CTC last year, she will do well with RTR this year, and it is just as independent (ever more so) as CTC was. The boyhood study has been excellent, and I know the girlhood study would be too. This seems to be an age we could begin to "lose our dc's hearts". Maybe I'm alone in this worry, but I really am depending on the Biblical discussions and devotional type heartfelt sharing time to keep my ds and I close. I'd make the switch! Here is a past post about ordering CTC on a tight budget that may help you in considering RTR:
Ordering for CTC on a tight budget:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=6850&p=50186#p50186

Just pray about it, and you will know. I hope something here helps!

In Christ,
Julie

Thank you so much for your response. If I started out just purchasing a few items, what would you recommend for the first few weeks?
Thanks,
Mindy

Mindy,

I am away from my guides and home at the moment, but I'm sure someone will be along to help. Off the top of my head, if you wanted to get through the first weeks or so (and I'm remembering correctly), you'd need the Peril and Peace book, Diana Waring's What in the World CD: Vol. II, the World History Atlas, the Philippians study, Looking at Pictures (which you could wait on if money is tight), the Astronomy book (if you'd be doing the science in RTR), the Beautiful Girlhood book and its Companion Guide (could wait on the What is God's Design for My Body and From Girl to Woman as they're not used until year-end), and Forbidden Gates (if you desire the read-aloud, could wait on this otherwise), and the Student Notebook. You'd also need something for your daughter to read for Drawn into the Heart of Reading.

If you wanted more than the first week or two, you'd also need Famous Men of the Middle Ages, The Story of the Middle Ages, and the Map Trek CD. I'm not sure at which week Monks and Mystics and Draw and Write kick into the plans, as I don't have my guide here, so possibly someone will be along to help with that.

If you're not continuing on with the writing and grammar from your textbook program, you'd likely need those pieces such as Rod and Staff and Medieval Writing Lessons as finanaces allow as well.

Blessings,
Carrie

Carrie,
Thank you so much for taking the time to break down the first few weeks for me. I also wanted to ask what the difference is between the 2 Science options other than what is stated in the catalog.
Thank you again for your help, I can't wait to get everything together so we can "begin" our new year!
Mindy

Option 1 for science is more living, and it is the preferred option. Option 2 is provided for those families who have already done "Exploring Planet Earth", which was an extension option in HOD's earlier guide of Bigger Hearts. Option 1 is scheduled with plans in the 2-page daily plans of the guide, and Option 2 is scheduled in the Appendix. HTH!

Also, would it be helpful to know which books you'd need to do RTR for "x" amount of time? Like 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 9 weeks, etc.? If so, I can post the specific titles you'd need for that amount of time.

In Christ,
Julie

Julie,

Thank you for explaining the Science.

I would love to see what books are needed for the different weeks. It would be a lot easier to be able to order only what I need.
Thank you!

Mindy

Julie,

I forgot to tell you the time frame for the books.....perhaps 4 weeks worth would be good.

Thank you so much for doing this for me, I really appreciate it.

Mindy

First 4 Weeks of RTR:
*RTR Teacher's Guide
*RTR Student Notebook

LEFT SIDE OF THE GUIDE'S PLANS:
For the Reading about History box of plans...
*Peril and Peace
*The Story of the Middle Ages
*Famous Men of the Middle Ages

For the Storytime box of the plans...
*Forbidden Gates
*Mystery of the Silver Coins

For the Geography box...
*World History Atlas

For the Independent History Study box of the plans...
*What in the World? audio set
*Map Trek CD
*World History Atlas (already listed above for Geography)
*Peril and Peace (already listed above for Reading about History)

Note: The History Project box and the Research box are written so they can be done with things you have at home. The Shakespeare box is an option. If you would like to do that at some point, you'd want the "Tales from Shakespeare" book and the Shakespeare Student Notebooking pages.

FOR THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE GUIDE'S PLANS:
For the Bible Quiet Time box of the plans...
*Hidden Treasures in Phil.
*Phil. 1 CD (optional)

For the Art Appreciation box of the plans...
*Looking at Pictures

For the Devotional Bible Study box of the plans...
For a girl...
*Beautiful Girlhood
*The Companion Guide to Beautiful Girlhood
*What Is God's Design for My Body? (optional)
For a boy...
*Boyhood and Beyond
*What Is God's Design for My Body? (optional)

For the Poetry box of the plans - all poems are included in the Appendix of the RTR plans, so no resources other than the RTR guide are needed.

For the Language Arts box of the plans...
*Medieval History Based Writing Lessons (or a writing program of your own)
*R & S English, Levels 4 and 5 are written in the plans (or a grammar program of your own)
*Drawn into the Heart of Reading Teacher's Guide and Student Book, choices are Level 2/3, 4/5, or 6/7/8; one month's book(s) for one genre using one from the recommended book packs or one of your own choice (or a reading program of your own)
Note: Dictation is included in the Appendix of RTR for spelling instruction.

For the Math Exploration box of the plans...
*Singapore Math Textbook and Workbook either A or B to start with, depending on where dc place, is needed for to begin the first four weeks. Schedules for 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B are included in the RTR Guide.

For the Science Exploration box of the plans for either Option 1 or 2...
*Exploring Creation with Astronomy

For the Self-Study Extension for Older Students...
*From Bondage to Freedom

I HTH! If I missed anything, be sure to ask! We are loving RTR, and I think you will too. It will be worth the switch!

In Christ,
Julie

Julie & Carrie,

Thank you so much for your help. I can't wait to get started! I look forward to joining the HOD group again, I have really missed it.

Mindy

We look forward to sharing the journey this year with you as well!

Blessings,
Carrie