Decision Making-not currently using HOD

[tmstranger]

Hello,

A little introduction...this is my first year homeschooling my 2 boys. They are currently 7 (2nd grade) and 11 (5th grade). This 1st year of hs is going well, but I am seeing some things I'd like to change for next year and I'm having trouble making decisions. (I know...I have plenty of time for that, but I'm trying to set up our 2nd semester and I want to include things to make sure they are prepared for whichever direction I decide to follow.)

Right now, I'm following TWTM recommendations mostly. We are studying ancients using SOTW and each child is doing their own LA/Math/Science (Biology). What I feel is not working this year is ME. LOL! I know some of it is growing pains, but I am currently putting together the weekly schedule for each kid and that is where I really want to change next year. I want something that takes that responsibility off of my plate.

I really like the look of HOD, but I'm concerned about where to place my kids. I think the best thing to do it to place them in separate levels, but I'm fearful that I'll be overwhelmed once again and spread too thin.

Preparing seems to be where my 3rd grader (next year) would fall. I'm thinking that to continue my older boy's history chronologically, he should place in Res to Ref. I wish there was some way to combine them, but I don't think the extension books will be enough of an extension to challenge the older child. Plus, I'm not sure he'd be challenged in the science for Preparing. Maybe I'm wrong...so I'm turning to this group for help.

How does HOD use those extension books to challenge the older child? Is Preparing just too low of a level to start an almost 12yo? (He was in all G/T classes in public school, so he's capable of a high level of reading and thinks "out of the box.") Is running two levels too hard for a mom?? Even though my little one reads well (about 4th grade level according to his teacher last year), I assume the work in a higher level guide would just be beyond his level???

I should also add that my kids HATE to read. They will read, but they hate it! HOD involves so much reading that I'm afraid they'll hate it even if I love the concept. (They love read-aloud time, but hate to actually read for themselves...)

I'm sorry if this sounds like the ramblings of a crazy mom! I just don't want to spend all of that money and be disappointed with the outcome.

I appreciate any suggestions you have. I may just need to call HOD and talk to someone in person and bounce ideas around...I don't know.

Thanks in advance.

[my3sons]

Hi tmstranger, and welcome to the HOD board! I can relate to you sharing you'd like the responsibility of planning taken off your plate. I don't have time to do that justice, but blessedly, using HOD that is taken off my plate, which gives me time (and energy ) to TEACH! Which is why I wanted to homeschool in the first place. So, placement is the #1 most important thing to success with HOD. Multiple guides aren't hard to run when kiddos are placed right - I have been running multiple guides for 9 years, and we have loved our time in HOD. History cycle takes a backseat in placement, as history will cycle back around anyway before they graduate. All of us would love to help you accurately place your dc, and the ladies on this board are wonderful at that! So, could I ask you to please look at just the first page of the placement chart (reading, writing, grammar, and math), and share individually about each of your dc? I know, this takes a little time, but it's a whole year of your life, right? So worth it! A lot of moms will print the chart, one for each child, and circle in the columns where they fall, as that makes it visually clearer.

Here is a link to the chart...
http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php

If you get a chance to share your findings, everyone will chime in with their thoughts! I"ll check back to see what you've shared.

In Christ,
Julie

[tmstranger]

Thanks for your reply, Julie,

Current 7 year old: He reads independently and would be ready to use DITHR. He is doing well in cursive instruction and uses it as much as he can, but he's still learning many letters, so he prints beautifully most of the time. By the end of this school year, he should know all of his cursive letters. He does very well with the dictation contained in FLL2 and WWE2. There are very long dictation passages in his science program that I cut short at this time. He narrates well orally, but sometimes struggles to put those words down on paper. I've been seeing improvement very recently. Specifically, this week he didn't ask for any help with any narrations and they were fine. I am very impressed with his grammar knowledge after only one half of FLL2! He has the definitions memorized and does ok when identifying parts of speech in a given sentence. This is still a learning process. I think he could do basic diagramming just fine...certainly by the end of this year. As far as math is concerned, I'm not likely to use the Singapore Math. I feel he benefits from a spiral approach and I may stay with Saxon or try another spiral program.

Current 11 year old: He reads independently and has had quite a bit of literature analysis in public school and at home. He reads and understands what he's read very well. I'm excited to use DITHR with him even if I don't end up using the whole HOD program! He can copy and write very well. He can write long narratives, but his dictation skills are lacking. We've worked on this a bit so far this year, but it's very new to him and I can tell! He writes nice short stories and is very creative. Grammar is NEW! I am honestly appalled at the lack of grammar knowledge he has as a 5th grader!! He is working through Hakes Grammar 5 now and is doing basic diagramming. It's all a new concept to him, so we review and review. He CAN proofread his work for basic errors, but he often chooses to be lazy (which often ends up in extra work anyway as he has to redo things!). Again, for math, I will likely leave him where he is. He in pre-algebra and will continue in his program (I let him pick the teaching style that worked for him before this year started.). He is very talented math-wise.

I hope this helps. I know they will repeat histories again at some time...I just didn't want it to be back-to-back years. I think that would be boring. We have really enjoyed history this year and we've spent a lot of time in each area. I don't think we could do it again next year. They need to move on...at least the big kid...

Thank you for helping me through this!!

[MelInKansas]

If you are doing ancient history this year then there wouldn't be any repetition, but you might end up skipping a level if he places in Rev to Rev for example rather than Res to Ref.

I think you are assessing correctly that Preparing with Extensions would not be challenging enough for your older child nor would it do him justice in placing him where he needs to be. It seems like he could do more, and each guide builds on their skills and challenges them in appropriate areas to move on to the next one. From Preparing on up the child has a lot of independence in their work so I don't think you would find your teaching time to be unmanagable each day. It takes time to train them and get them used to what they need to do but once you get into a routine I bet it would not be tough at all. He may not enjoy reading by himself, and you could always take over and read to him, or find audio for SOME of the independent reading if you think this will help, but he will probably really enjoy HOD's book selections and that might give him a better outlook on it. I know the books are one of my childrens' favorite things about school. Even if he still doesn't like it, if you place him at the right level he will get through it and this is part of the training process.

You may end up going back to a "lower" level of Rod and Staff if you decide to use that for grammar but it is a very thorough program and kids really learn and retain a lot from it. A lot of people do R&S somewhat orally, more so than the book describes, discuss it and use a whiteboard even for some of the written assignments. I do this with my 9YO, which has improved her attitude about grammar dramatically. She has to write 2 of the exercises and the rest we do orally.

It sounds like you are happy with the math programs you are already using and HOD can be used with any math program, you would just need to go through and plan out how much to do in each day of the HOD guide and follow that plan. That shouldn't be too difficult. Trust me, if your time planning is one of your biggest problems in homeschooling, you will LOVE HOD. Apart from even the planning, how put-together it is and how everything is balanced, and how different activities and readings all fit together to reinforce what is being learned, are all wonderful features to a curriculum that's planned for you. And from what you have described your kids are at such different levels that doing 2 guides would really be the best fit and you will find them very easy to use that way.

[tmstranger]

Thank you. I do like that everything seems to fit together so well. Right now, I like most of what we're using, but we're using them independent of each other...and I am not experienced enough to try and mesh them together better!

I appreciate your input.

[LovingJesus]

I wouldn't try to combine your sons with a 4 year age span between them. My oldest and third born are 3 1/2 years apart. She is doing Bigger LA with Beyond and is a strong reader at 7, but she couldn't keep up with my 11 year old in HOD.

CTC has a strong Biblical History focus that I didn't find when I looked at SOTW Ancients. I haven't used SOTW Ancients, but I did read about 1/3 of it at one point. The note book pages for CTC have pages of prophecies from the OT that point towards Christ and their fulfillment in the NT passages that they write into their note books. They write the Biblical genealogies into their note books. There is a definite bringing together of ancient history both from the Bible & other sources. It sounds like your 11 year old will place higher than CTC, but just a little information that might help.

Preparing is an overview of history from creation to the 1900s. This too would be very different from SOTW Ancients. It also integrates Biblical History into the time-line.

I used Singapore for a number of years, but at this point I am not. You really can use what math works best for you with HOD.

My oldest reads everything and my second doesn't enjoy reading very much. They both have loved HOD books; even though the second much rather listen to them aloud than read them.

For grammar my 11 year old has done R&S 2, 3, 4, & is currently in 5. Book 5 reviews the first 3 books to an extent. I wouldn't start any higher than 5 since R&S is known for advanced grammar, and the review stops after book 5 from what I understand.

HOD is best when they are placed right. I would encourage you to not think about history, so much as where they will succeed.

Calling HOD for placement could be very helpful from what I have read on this board.

Oh, two guides. I find HOD has a balance between doing, writing, activities, art, study, learning, and reading. The reading for all 3 guides we are using takes at the most 2 hours a day. I choose to read story time to all 3 of them because it is something I enjoy doing. The story times though could be combined if I really wanted to.

I hope this helps.

[Nealewill]

I just wanted to encourage you about doing separate levels. I have been homeschooling from the beginning and did not use HOD when I first started. I started with very traditional resources, then went eclectic for a few years and then tried a full on boxed curricula one year prior to finding HOD. I had always planned and envisioned us doing everything together. Well, when my oldest was 8, I then realized this would never work for us. Each one of my kids is SO different that they really need to progress at their own pace. When I first found HOD, I was terrified of running multiple levels because I couldn't imagine how I could possible get my day done and have them all on their own for each subject. I also was VERY intimidated by the volume of reading that they eventually would complete on their own. My two oldest used to act like they were allergic to reading LOL. They would only read when they had to. Now, I will say my oldest has mild dyslexia and my son has auditory processing disorder. So for them, they have valid reasons for being a little intimated by books. But they all liked to listen to me read regularly of course, they just didn't like reading on their own. When we started HOD, my oldest placed in Preparing and I was very worried about her being able to read all the books. It ended up being WONDERFUL!!!! She LOVED (and I mean LOVED) the books! She rarely would complain about the volume she had to read and every day she gave me an oral narration, scheduled or not! Even this year with CTC she is telling me something new she learned and loved. For me, this is priceless! The books are fantastic. And I do find the volume of reading to be very manageable. It may look like a ton of books but the way that HOD uses them saves in your day. It nice that you aren't just blowing through them quickly and mindlessly. The kids are reading a set amount each day. My oldest is in CTC this year an she is only reading about 4 pages a day in science and in history. And then she is reading independent Bible, which varies. With DITHOR, because my dd is not a super strong reader (but her reading level is soaring thanks to the history and science selections) I chose the level 4/5 books for her this year. She could probably have read the 5/6 books but I wanted her to have something that was kind of easy for her to read through out the week. And the books are good - no matter the reading level. I love when I order in books and box day gets here, I am usually finished with about 1/2 of books within the first few days LOL. I can honestly say that I don't know if all of my kids will be eager readers or not but they have loved the books from HOD and they don't complain. To me, that is huge! And I love the skills that HOD incorporates in their program. I love that each guide steps it up a notch and that I am not responsible for increase their skills each level. That was probably my hardest struggle when I first started and I was on my own. I didn't know how much was appropriate for each child. HOD has made that super simple. And I feel like my kids are ahead of their peers in many ways because of the way that HOD has taught things. My first year with HOD I had the largest learning curve. If you choose HOD for next year, give yourself a little grace when you get started. The manual is great - and I give it to my kids. They can mark up what they do in it. I only have 3 kids using it so all three can mark it up eventually. And I start this in Preparing. So next year, my middle child will be in Preparing and I will just give him the manual too. And one last thing I wanted to mention is that HOD makes it easy to run multiple levels because your kids become more independent earlier on. So in Preparing, you will only spend about 1.5 hours a day working with that child. By the time they reach CTC (or R2R for you), you are usually spending around 1 hour a day with them. You will still check things and help here and there but it saves SO much time having that guide and that the guide telling them what to do.

[tmstranger]

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses! I was just thinking last night that I do not need to be so stressed about this...we're barely 1/2 way through this year and a lot can change! I need to focus on Christmas now and stop researching things that are not changing right this second!!

All of the positive feedback makes me wish we started with HOD for this year, though, so thank you for getting me excited to stay on this journey with the kids!

[my3sons]

Thank you so much for sharing about your dc - that helps so much! I know you'd mentioned that you are taking some time to think on this over Christmas. There are many, many families who are making a switch to HOD in January, for various reasons. If your heart is leading you to just make a clean start, it might be a very rejuvenating and truly Happy New Year!

From what you've shared, I think your 7 yo places in Bigger Hearts for His Glory, and your 11 yo places in Resurrection to Reformation. This would be a very nice setup for all! Since your 7 yo is on the very youngest side of the target age range of BHFHG, you can take your time going through this guide. It is a 5 day a week guide, while RTR is a 4 day a week guide, so perhaps taking 3 years for the 7 yo to go through 2 guides, BHFHG and PHFHG might be nice. Certainly, you'll know better the pacing you'd like once you begin. Should you decide you'd just enjoy beginning in January, we can all chime in with specifics in LA and math. If you are waiting until next school year though, much can change, and it may be best to revisit the placement chart as your start date draws closer. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

[Nealewill]

I agree with Julie about switching now if you feel let to do so. When I came to HOD I didn't come at the beginning of a school year. I started few months after starting something else and my year just wasn't going at all like I had hoped. So we started in late October last school year. My kids thanked me over and over again for switching to HOD. I was also glad we switched because my kids were loving their year and I felt like my days were getting done so much better. Even a friend of mine asked to see my curriculum because she was not so happy with her year. She ordered her stuff a few weeks ago and is planning to start in January.