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I know the two curriculums are worlds apart, but I'd love some thoughts.

I taught my son to read using the drills and repetition of A Beka phonics, and now my daughter will be entering first grade. HOD seems like a lot more fun. Of course, we all want a really good start at phonics, so can someone explain the differences to me? CAN PHONICS BE FUN AND THOROUGH AT THE SAME TIME? .

Thanks!!

I am just going to be starting with LHFHG and LHTH this fall, but just by looking at it and from the sounds of what the other ladies are saying... It definitely takes less time.
I was homeschooled as a child using Abeka, and from experience, there is a lot of work!! I found that the math moved too fast too, before you really could catch on to one concept. Also, you have to remember, that if you use the teachers manuals, it is set up for a classroom, so you have to read through all them and sort out what you want to do.... A lot of work on the teachers part.
HOD is all laid out for you... simple, yet includes everything plus some! Plus, it is specifically laid out for homeschooling. I have researched a lot of curriculums and my head was spinning until I found HOD!! What a blessing and I haven't even started yet!
Hope this helps a bit

I hope I can make sense here...the kids are playing a quick soccer game with dad before bed. (Our kids don't wind down...they just crash ) Anyway, there are a few balls whizzing by.

My husband was homeschooled using Abeka growing up, and my mother-in-law still uses it for my husband's youngest brother. It is a textbook approach...which you obviously would know rather than the living books which HOD uses for the history and science. (I am excited to use a living book appraoch with my kids because I didn't get to learn this way growing up.) Abeka is also a drill, memorize these facts for a test...and forget them. At least that is what I've seen happen. I agree with Charlotte Mason that when kids get to form relationships with what they're learning by really being interested and involved, they'll remember so much more.

HOD isn't built around a phonics program. (I know you mentioned that in your post.) You would be free to use whatever you want for phonics along with LHFHG or BLHFHG, HOD's reccommendations or not.

Besides being easy to "pick up and go" for the teacher, I am SO excited to keep using HOD for the meaningful learning and memories with my kids!

HTH
Kathleen