heartofdakota.com

Before I found HOD, I wrote up weekly lesson plans for each of my children, kept one copy for myself and gave another copy to them, so that they would know what to do even when I'm not at home (I work part-time as a school bus driver). This kept us all accountable to making sure we were getting everything done and it also served as my "record" for what we did each day/week/year. I have to keep some kind of records...just in case, you know?

But, now I have these fabulous open and go guides, and honestly, I think I'm making things too hard on myself because I'm trying to still type up a weekly lesson plan for the kids. But, I've done this for pretty much the entire time I've homeschooled (this will be our 8th year), so I don't know how else to do this! Is there an easier way?

I've heard that some people just leave their teacher's manual open on a counter or table for the kids to go and see what they are to do next. I don't think I can do that....I'm very particular about MY books, and don't want the kids to mess them up...they just aren't as careful as me. I also like to keep the TM with me or near me during our schooling so I can make sure they are doing what they need to be doing.

I've also always taught my kids together for everything except Math and LA, and this coming year, they are all 3 doing separate guides. I do plan to use the workbox system, but still am at a loss on how to "tell" them what to do with out their weekly lesson plans.

So, my question is....Do I still try to make up a weekly lesson plan for each of them? Or is there a better way to handle this? This seems like such a simple thing....so why is it seeming so hard for me? I do want them to eventually be independent learners, and be able to figure out what to do without me always laying it all out for them, but besides HOD's progression for exactly this, I don't know what to do.

I'd appreciate any suggestions or ideas. I know HOD is meant to be easy, and I feel like I'm making it more difficult than it needs to be.

I don't have any experience with children using the TM just yet as mine are younger. But I have read about people cutting the binding and putting each page in a sheet protector. Then, the kids can check off what they've done or you can add an additional "box" for Spanish in the margin or whatever. Maybe "sheet protectors" are a compromise that you could live with?

I think I kind of compromised. What I did with CTC was to create a general master checklist for Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4 with the list each day in the order I planned to do each assignment. Then at the top of each column on my assignment sheet (a table created on Microsoft Word) I put the week and day (week 22, Day 1, etc.) and copied the master checklist for that day. Since we were doing a different math and one different thing for LA, I listed those specifically by lesson numbers or page numbers, etc. BUT then my son referred to and used the HOD TM for the specifics of the assignment.

This method worked well for us and it kept him on track even if I wasn't home (he has older siblings who were home if I wasn't). After a while, I felt like maybe I was wasting my time. After all, he could just refer straight to the TM and our general schedule. But he requested to continue with the checklist. It took me less than 5 minutes per week since I was really just copying & pasting. If you want to send me a PM, I can email you a sample of what I'm talking about. He's requested a checklist for RTR as well.

As far as the TM, I don't know how you could avoid having them use it, especially for the independent work--there is no way I would retype all of the research questions for history, or experiment instructions for science. Maybe you could have a specific place where they use or at least refer to the TM--like the kitchen table, a desk, etc. Generally we used the TM together at a table and then he would take it up to the kitchen table for some of his independent work.

Hope this gives you some ideas!

I don't have any experience with the older guides yet, or even running more than one guide yet either, but I still actually hand write a weekly schedule. It is broken down into the five days, and gives an overview of each part of the LHTH lesson. For example I'd write:

LHTH Unit 1, Day 1
Fingerplay: A-A-Adam
Bible Story: Creation (maybe write the specific part from creation in too)
Art Activity: paint a "dark" world (write in any supplies I would need)

etc. THEN I add in the extras and supplements that I do for my oldest DD as well(Workbook names and page numbers, Abeka phonics lesson number, an extra craft or book that was outside of HOD that I want to read). That way, I have everything that I need at a glance.

I just use the manuals. I date the page at the top and simply check the boxes as we go. If we do extra stuff like piano or a group class, I write it across the top of the page in the margins. I used checkmarks for my oldest child so as I go back through, I use stars for my middle child and when the baby starts doing schoolwork we'll use a different mark for her. It's a permanent record for me. I don't know that I'll ever sell the manuals. It's my progress record.

As my son starts doing some independent work this year in CTC I was planning to have him use my guide. I've heard several people say they just leave the guides open on the counter so mom and student can both refer to it. That's how I plan to start, if we have any trouble, I will reevaluate it then.

My guides become lovingly used as they are the 'planner'. I haven't ever actually written out lesson plans, I try, but just can't follow through. Although, this year, I did purchase a planner to write down what each of my kids was learning that week. (I report to a supervising teacher and it was easier than dragging all the guides/math/LA books along to our meetings). As for my kids knowing what to do, we focus more on a routine/order of boxes. We work that until it becomes a habit and then they go to it. Each one knows what 'order' to do things in and if there are any changes, I write the changes on a 4x6 card and stick it in the Unit/Day we are on.

I do stress to my kids to be careful with the guides as they have to serve 4 kids. So far, they are doing a pretty good job. And the guides become theirs just as much as mine, especially in the older guides.

I hope you can find a way to record what you are doing without losing the open and go feel of HOD and what works for you!! HOD has been a blessing that way and it is easily customizable to each family's situation!!

Blessings,
JEss

Hi Dena!

Since you are planning on using workboxes, I will share with you what I do. I use this: http://mama-jenn.blogspot.com/2010/08/m ... -docs.html to write out what goes in each workbox for my boys (she has one that has blank subject areas) for the week. This has helped me keep it all straight in my head what they are doing for each day, along with gathering supplies, etc. I use stickies (esp. for my oldest DS) telling him what pages to read, etc. I have not been great with record keeping, other than what I write on this for each week and checking off in the guides what we get done. I also use reusable stickies to keep track of where we are in our units, etc. I don't know if that helps at all, but it has worked well for us! I am contemplating changing the order of their workboxes for this next year so that all my oldest DS's independent work is in the first 5 or so boxes so he can do it while I do school with his younger brother. I do let him refer to the guide for his independent boxes. HTH a little bit!

My kids just use the manual. I do stress to them to take EXTRA good care of it, and so far it has not been a problem. My 9 and 10 year olds are just now starting to use the manuals on their own, but my oldest has been doing so for a couple of years now. For Preparing, we basically just shared it. For CtC, and now certainly will be the case with RtR, it practically become hers (as more of the work is independent). She had it more that I did. She is naturally NOT organized (she is more like her daddy than her mom ), and is known for rather hap-hazard mannerisms, so letting her go loose with that guide was very uncomfortable for me at first. But I finally got over it, and even the few smudges don't bother me. It just shows it's been well loved .

We use small checkmarks for her to check off what she's done. When the youngers get to those guides, they will do the same, but with a different color. If I have notes to make I will put them either on a sticky note or just write it in (depending on if it's a note I want to have for the other kids, or just a note specifically for the "current" user).

So far, all of our guides are still intact and completely legible. I figure the worst thing that can happen is having to get a new guide somewhere down the line, but so far they still look like they will all make it all the way through the "line"

Angie

Carrie and I were just talking about how we need to make clearer in the "Introduction" of the guides that dc are supposed to use the manuals as their own, starting with PHFHG for sure, but even in Bigger Hearts is helpful. This is actually a very important skill for dc to acquire! Following step-by-step written directions with manual in hand mirrors what they will need to do in upper level learning, in vocations, and in their future careers. It also helps them be successful with independent learning. There should be no reading of the directions to the dc, and no telling them one step at a time what to do for the "I" boxes, and very little for the "S" boxes. For the "T" boxes, the manual is in the mom's possession, for the "S" boxes it is shared between mom and dc, and for the "I" boxes it is in the dc's hands for their personal use. There are many steps to be followed, and it is prohibitive to hold back the manual from dc as they are trying to complete many, many steps in a row.

Can you imagine if you were asked to complete an activity that had many steps but had to leave the manual with the directions in a place far away from you, or not touch the manual at all? Let's just say you had to follow 7 steps to put together a new toy. Would you want someone to read through all 7 steps with you and then expect you to walk away and put the toy together? Would you want to have to read through all 7 steps on your own and then have to walk away and try to put the toy together? Or would you want to have the directions in hand with you wherever you needed to be to put the toy together, carefully following 1 step of directions at a time while looking at the directions? Which method would you be able to truly be successful with independently? Or what about if you were using a recipe from a cookbook and had to walk away from it, trying your best to remember what to do? What if you had to use the cookbook to bake something every single day, and were phobic about spilling flour or vanilla or something on the recipes for fear of getting in trouble with the owner of the cookbook? Once dc can read they need to begin to be responsible for following their own directions.

HOD does not intend for the moms to do work the dc are intended to do. HOD wants dc to be skilled in following step-by-step directions, in using manuals, in completing work successfully independently, in gathering their own supplies, in being in charge of their own projects, in cleaning up after themselves. These are life skills that are necessary to learn. The plans are meant to be open and go for the dc as much as for the moms. Having another set of directions, another set of plans, etc. for the dc creates more work for the mom, and dc are often doing less work or have 2 plans to follow that say the same thing.

I cannot tell you the level of frustration dc feel when they are not able to just use the manual. I have met several dc at book fairs who were incredibly frustrated at being unable to touch the manual, and they were almost to the point of tears over it because as the guides were getting longer, the directions were having more and more steps, and they were overwhelmed with trying to remember them all or frustrated with the number of times they had to get up and go over to wherever the manual was housed to reread them. Their moms were frustrated that they couldn't just remember the directions, that they were taking so long to complete things, and that they often dawdled in between getting up to look at the manual and complete the task. Imagine if you were asked to do the same thing. Read through your HOD manual's directions in a box and walk away and do the steps. Or if you weren't able to touch it. It's harder than one may think!

I want to encourage you to let your dc just use the manuals and check off the boxes as they do. Yes, the manuals may get spilled upon, or wrinkled, or have stray marks on them, but your dc will be able to work successfully, with confidence, in an independent manner, in a timely fashion. They will have these skills in place for the rest of their lives. I'll be using my guides 3 times. Here are some pics of them so you can see what they look like...


As you can tell, the younger guides that I have used 2 times look in better condition than the older guides that I've used once. That's because my oldest ds is using them alongside me. It is so worth the wear and tear to have him working well independently, finishing school on time, and feeling confident about this skills. It is also worth me not spending time typing up something else, organizing his things for him, or telling him what to do step-by-step. Please, please, please... let your dc have the guides in PHFHG on up, and let them soar! And if you have to turn something in to your state, show them the guide - they'll see it's been put to good use.

In Christ,
Julie

Oh, golly, Julie! I know you are right, I am just a control freak, and I also want the guides to stay nice for resale. I cannot keep them for my next dear children, or else I would not be able to afford to buy the next levels. (Especially since they are 3 and 6 years apart!)

I want them to ultimately become independent, and to not be frustrated, that is why I've always written my own lesson plans and given them a copy...so they can be more independent. When I got HOD's guides, I realized how detailed the instructions were, and I think I was just making things so much harder on myself (to save the TM) . I guess I will just have to TRAIN the kiddos to be careful with the books (as I already do).

In fact, I think I remember reading somewhere that someone took page protectors just on the two pages that were open for the day...to avoid spills and such. I may just do that. That'll atleast keep it a little bit safer!

I knew I was probably making this way too hard for myself, and obviously I am.

Thanks for helping me see a better perspective. My Mom is one that seems to put more emphasis on things and the taking care of things than on building relationships with people. We are very close, and I'm sure this is not what she intends, but I think I may have picked up some of this from her. I don't want to value things more than people, that is not my heart's desire, but sometimes the things that I do makes it come across that way. The manual is certainly not nearly as important as my chilren' or their education or growth in independence. Looking at it this way makes me feel a bit silly for being this concerned about it to begin with!

Don't feel too bad Dena, I'm a control freak over my manuals too. I will have one in Bigger and one in CTC so I guess I must relinquish my control over the manuals and just let them go for it. That's hard for me because my 11yo has been known to get nosebleeds all over books and anything else in his way.

So I have been reading over these posts, and the question comes to mind about what do you do when you have 2 or more children working from the same guide? I'm planning on having each of them put their beginning initial in each box as they complete it and I'll be dating the pages that they're working on. (just for record keeping sake)

But my two sons are basically on the same level scholastically and will each be needing to see the instructions from the guide at the same time. Initially, I thought I'd have them doing their subjects at the same time and would really prefer to do it that way, but maybe practically speaking, this isn't possible? Perhaps a separate schedule for both of them would help, so that while one has the guide, the other can be doing some work that doesn't require the guide? Just wondering what the thoughts are from those who have had 2 or more children working at the same level from the same guide. We'll be in "Preparing" this year and yes, I'm a newbie when it comes to HOD, but am so excited to jump right in! (I also have a dd who is even now working her way through LHTH and we are both enjoying it!)

Oh flydena, you are not alone in this, and I don't think you are a control freak - we are called to be good stewards of what the Lord has provided. That is a good quality to have! But, books are meant to be used, especially Bibles and guides, and always trying to keep them in perfect condition can really become a full-time job that effects you and your dc's days homeschooling immensely. I think this idea you shared here would be a good middle of the road option to try...

flydena wrote:... In fact, I think I remember reading somewhere that someone took page protectors just on the two pages that were open for the day...to avoid spills and such. I may just do that. That'll atleast keep it a little bit safer!

This way your dc can use the guides themselves, but they will be spill resistant. Or, you can just go into it with the mentality that you are going to keep each of the guides for your next dc. With shipping costs and inflation, not to mention the time it takes to advertise, sell, and then reorder guides again, you may come out about even anyway. Our dc are each 4 years apart, and it is very nice on the pocketbook to just pull off the shelf a used guide with all its resources from years past for both my middle and younger ds, and just have to order new for my oldest ds each year. If you are able to look at this as something to budget for, I really do think you'd find an immense pressure lifted off your shoulders, as the need to keep the guide perfectly intact for resale would be gone, but would instead be replaced by the satisfaction of seeing your dc successfully using their guides without so much stress. Guides get used 140-175 days each year - by children - so keeping them looking new is quite a feat.

flydena wrote:My Mom is one that seems to put more emphasis on things and the taking care of things than on building relationships with people. We are very close, and I'm sure this is not what she intends, but I think I may have picked up some of this from her.

Both my dh and I can be this way. I had a switch in thinking when my cousin died in a trucking accident. His wife was going through all of their things, and they had a lot as they had 6 dc. She told me, "Do you know how many things Perry and I were waiting to use, saving for later? Here's the china we never ate on, it was too nice and we were saving it for something really special. Here's the new towels we bought for the bathroom that we decided to store until the ones we were using were really worn out. We have so many things like this. Do you know we never really had a honeymoon and were always going to go to Hawaii together? Well, guess what, I found these today, 2 plane tickets to Hawaii Perry must have gotten. He must have decided we weren't waiting anymore, but now they're expired, and he's gone. I'm not waiting anymore. Tonight we're having supper on our china dishes, we're hanging up these bath towels. Because life is too short to wait for its best."

Remembering this still makes me cry. Obviously using a guide is a much smaller thing than plane tickets to Hawaii with a dh you just lost, but it made me think, really think, and change the way I was going about living. Just yesterday, Wyatt made monster cookies, which make a HUGE batch, and he was in the kitchen literally all afternoon until about 10 PM at night baking them. The kitchen was a mess. This upset my dh quite a bit, and he kept making comments like, "Look at this mess everywhere. Hurry up, Wyatt, it's time for bed", etc. Later that evening, I told my dh, "Either our dc can be good at keeping everything perfectly neat, or they can become good at doing new things and make some mistakes and some messes along the way. The kitchen bothered me too, and so did the fact that he got to bed late, but the fact that he tried something new of his own accord, was successful with it, and saw it through to the end - that is worth much more."

flydena wrote:I don't want to value things more than people, that is not my heart's desire, but sometimes the things that I do makes it come across that way. The manual is certainly not nearly as important as my chilren' or their education or growth in independence. Looking at it this way makes me feel a bit silly for being this concerned about it to begin with!

My dh and I have to be careful not to create an environment where our dc feel they can't try anything new, can't make some mistakes along the way, can't make some messes. We both like everything picked up and in its place, and those are good habits to instill in our dc, but when something is spilled I don't freak out anymore like I used to. Literally, when our dc used to spill something, they would look at my dh and I with big worried eyes and begin cleaning it up like crazy and apologizing like crazy. It hurt my heart to see. So, now, I have slowly trained myself to react differently, to take a deep breath and to get busy helping clean it up, and I usually try to say something like, "It's okay, we all spill sometimes. Nobody's perfect! It's just milk, hon'... or it's just a broken glass. These things can be replaced". I figure it's me trying to give a little grace, though it does not come naturally to me, I am slowly learning it.

In Christ,
Julie

Starla wrote:So I have been reading over these posts, and the question comes to mind about what do you do when you have 2 or more children working from the same guide? I'm planning on having each of them put their beginning initial in each box as they complete it and I'll be dating the pages that they're working on. (just for record keeping sake)

But my two sons are basically on the same level scholastically and will each be needing to see the instructions from the guide at the same time. Initially, I thought I'd have them doing their subjects at the same time and would really prefer to do it that way, but maybe practically speaking, this isn't possible? Perhaps a separate schedule for both of them would help, so that while one has the guide, the other can be doing some work that doesn't require the guide? Just wondering what the thoughts are from those who have had 2 or more children working at the same level from the same guide. We'll be in "Preparing" this year and yes, I'm a newbie when it comes to HOD, but am so excited to jump right in! (I also have a dd who is even now working her way through LHTH and we are both enjoying it!)

Good question, Starla! Are they doing the same grammar, math, dictation, DITHOR levels? That will make a difference in what I would suggest.

In Christ,
Julie

EVERYTHING for my boys is the same....EXCEPT for math. Thanks!