new, few questions

[kittie313]

So, I'm new to HOD but not to homeschooling. We're in year 6 learning at home, loving teaching my 4 daughters and looking forward to teaching our toddler son and the baby on the way. The more I look over the site, the more confused I get so I thought I'd put what I think I've figured out and see if I'm right on track. Girls will be 11, 10, 8, and 6 (grades 6, 5, 3, and 2) and boy will be 2 with an infant under 6mo when we start (I have to plan now for next school year so that we can pick up materials and save up for bigger things). Oldest is dyslexic, second kid is ADD and accelerated, third kid is highly accelerated, fourth is one of those "days before the school cutoff" kids and behind her grade mates in maturity but also highly accelerated. The boy isn't even on my radar, he's too busy making messes and causing trouble whenever my back is turned

1) I was *thinking* Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory for the younger two just based on their grades, but I wonder if I would want to go down 1 level to work better with the younger one and then let the older of the two join in with her big sisters if she wants. I don't know how much maturity is a factor in this curriculum, but with us having a history using Sonlight I know that maturity can be a factor in picking appropriate curriculum.

2) The older girls I'm pretty sure of Resurrection to Reformation, but this year I'm doing middle ages with the oldest of those two (she's reading SOTW vol 2 on her own this year, along with Apologia Elementary Zoology 3). Would I be better going up a level for them? My oldest wouldn't care too much either way about repeating a period in history I think, as she spent 2 1/2 years studying just ancient Egypt on her own, but I don't want to bore her either. These two are just 12 months apart and the younger one works fairly well above grade level, only reason they aren't together again this year is because the younger chose to attend the local ps (which is turning into a disaster but I'm just waiting on her to see it for herself).

3) Since I'm going to be picking up things a little at a time, how easy is it to find the books? Can I use the local library for some of the stuff to save money there too? I'll obviously be buying all spine books, but my library is awesome and huge and I can get books for 8 weeks at a time on one card (times 4 kids and 2 parents who all have cards). I know that the exact answer to this will be best learned when I get the guides in my hand and I can look up all the books at the library's online catalog, but a general idea will work on this.

4) Would you even consider Little Hands to Heaven for a 2yr old boy or wait another year or two on that? I already know I'll have a load with 2 separate programs and an infant, but you know how it goes with trying to make time for the preschooler/toddler who sometimes gets lost in the shuffle.

OK I think that about covers it, at least for now.

~Cat

[StephanieU]

On the Beyond or LHFHG question, I would go with Beyond. We are using LHFHG this year for 1st grade, and I wouldn't recommend it for 3rd grade for sure. It would work for 2nd grade if you are combining kids, but really it is best for a mature K or 1st grade guide. Beyond is a great guide for mature 1st graders-3rd graders. But, always check the placement chart to be sure (http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php).
For the second two, I wouldn't push to Revival to Revelation. If anything I would go back one step to Creation to Christ. Again, look a the placement chart. Confirm that you think your girls will be ready for the skills listed there, as it is a lot easier to beef things up than to modify to make things do-able.
And as for LHTH, I have a 2yo and almost 4yo. We bought LHTH and it is sitting on the shelf until January. My almost 4yo just wasn't ready for real school. That being said, some 2yos are ready for some of it. The Bible and finger plays many 2yos like (we did 1 unit, and my 2yo loved that part). But the true academic things will probably be too advanced for a 2yo. So, my recommendation would be to hold out on a great deal on the material. If you can get the guide and Bible inexpensively, then go ahead and start it as his pace.
And as for using the library, you definitely can for DITHOR. Read Alouds and story time books are also fairly easy to use any addition you can get, although there might be a little work on your part if the page numbers aren't the same. The history, science, and devotionals are the hardest to use other editions of. Carrie normally stops things at logical breaks (chapters, etc), but some times the chapters are only a couple of pages long. So, matching up can be hit or miss if you can't get the same edition of a book. So, it can be annoying to some families to use a different edition of these, especially in books that aren't read from cover to cover.

I bet Julie and/or Carrie will chime in with their advice too.

[mommyofmany]

I'm sure many more experienced ladies will chime in with some help- but my suggestions would be to definitely hold off on LHTH with your 2yo boy. He has plenty of time to do it the following year and even the year after if you want to go half-speed. You'll be super busy with the new baby and I'm sure can still find fun pre-k actvities for him to do without using a formal curriculum. Read lots of books and just have fun with him. Boys are so busy anyway and usually tend to do better holding off until they are older for pre-k. I don't know what your rising 3rd and 2nd grader's skills are- but just based on their grades, I wouldn't go down a level and use Little Hearts for them. I can't see beefing that guide up enough for a 3rd grader, especially one that is accelerated. Beyond Little Hearts will likely be a good placement for your rising 2nd grader- she may even be able to do Bigger Hearts, depending on her skill level in different areas. Your highly accelerated rising 3rd grader may fit much better into Bigger or Preparing- but I can't really tell without more specifics on where she falls on the placement chart. That is really the best way to know which guide to place each child in. I can totally understand not wanting to run 3-4 guides though and looking at which ones are best to combine since I'll be in a similar situation down the road! I don't really have any suggestions on the availability of the books because we've always just bought everything from HOD. Hopefully someone else will have some good advice about that for you. Welcome to HOD! Once you get your kiddos properly placed, you're going to love it!!

[my3sons]

So, I'm new to HOD but not to homeschooling. We're in year 6 learning at home, loving teaching my 4 daughters and looking forward to teaching our toddler son and the baby on the way. The more I look over the site, the more confused I get so I thought I'd put what I think I've figured out and see if I'm right on track. Girls will be 11, 10, 8, and 6 (grades 6, 5, 3, and 2) and boy will be 2 with an infant under 6mo when we start (I have to plan now for next school year so that we can pick up materials and save up for bigger things). Oldest is dyslexic, second kid is ADD and accelerated, third kid is highly accelerated, fourth is one of those "days before the school cutoff" kids and behind her grade mates in maturity but also highly accelerated. The boy isn't even on my radar, he's too busy making messes and causing trouble whenever my back is turned

1) I was *thinking* Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory for the younger two just based on their grades, but I wonder if I would want to go down 1 level to work better with the younger one and then let the older of the two join in with her big sisters if she wants. I don't know how much maturity is a factor in this curriculum, but with us having a history using Sonlight I know that maturity can be a factor in picking appropriate curriculum.

2) The older girls I'm pretty sure of Resurrection to Reformation, but this year I'm doing middle ages with the oldest of those two (she's reading SOTW vol 2 on her own this year, along with Apologia Elementary Zoology 3). Would I be better going up a level for them? My oldest wouldn't care too much either way about repeating a period in history I think, as she spent 2 1/2 years studying just ancient Egypt on her own, but I don't want to bore her either. These two are just 12 months apart and the younger one works fairly well above grade level, only reason they aren't together again this year is because the younger chose to attend the local ps (which is turning into a disaster but I'm just waiting on her to see it for herself).

3) Since I'm going to be picking up things a little at a time, how easy is it to find the books? Can I use the local library for some of the stuff to save money there too? I'll obviously be buying all spine books, but my library is awesome and huge and I can get books for 8 weeks at a time on one card (times 4 kids and 2 parents who all have cards). I know that the exact answer to this will be best learned when I get the guides in my hand and I can look up all the books at the library's online catalog, but a general idea will work on this.

4) Would you even consider Little Hands to Heaven for a 2yr old boy or wait another year or two on that? I already know I'll have a load with 2 separate programs and an infant, but you know how it goes with trying to make time for the preschooler/toddler who sometimes gets lost in the shuffle.

OK I think that about covers it, at least for now.

~Cat

Hi Cat, and welcome to the HOD Board! You've gotten some good advice here already. As StephanieU already wisely said, the placement chart is the best place to start with placement. I would love to have you share a bit more about each of your dc's reading, writing, grammar, and math in regard to the first page of the placement chart if you get the chance. This can make a big difference in our advice for placement for each family.

From what you've shared thus far, I wonder a few things... is your 6 yo ready for Beyond Little Hearts? Is that child able to write a few sentences of copywork and listen to books read with fewer pictures? Has that child had phonics, or ready for phonics? As far as your advanced 8 yo - when will that child turn 9 yo, and what are some books that child is reading? How much does the 8 yo write in a sitting and/or in a day? Sentences? Paragraphs?

For your two oldest - being new to HOD - I wonder if RTR may be too much? You'd mentioned your oldest dd is dyslexic. I am wondering if she is able to read the history in RTR? Or if CTC's history readings may be better? I am also wondering the same for your 10 yo. Typically a 10 yo would place in a lower guide than RTR when coming to HOD for the first time at that age. I am wondering if you could please share a bit about each of their writing and grammar experiences as well? That would help so much! Also, I am wondering if they have had any experience with Charlotte Mason style skills such as oral narrations and written narrations. Have they been reading their own history and science independently each day? How are they at following directions independently, especially for multiple steps such as in projects, art assignments, and experiments?

So sorry for the many questions, but your answers will help all of us better help with the most accurate placement advice we can give then! THanks!!!

In Christ,
Julie