Five guides

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MomtoJGJE
Posts: 1534
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 7:20 pm
Location: Gastonia, NC

Five guides

Post by MomtoJGJE » Wed Jan 21, 2015 12:06 pm

I just realized that I'm about a year away from running five guides! :shock: It really is NOT a bad thing. I do not feel stressed or anything. Because my kids are all properly placed in their guides. They are just as independent or more so than their guide calls for, and that makes such a big difference.

In theory, spring semester 2016 I will have:

one a few months in to Rev to Rev (7th grade)
one about halfway through CTC or more (5th grade)
one a couple of months in Preparing (3rd grade)
one starting full speed Beyond (1st grade)
and one getting started slowly with LHTH (pre-K)

I know it's a year away, but thinking about it makes me realize I really have no more babies :(

sweetgrace
Posts: 77
Joined: Wed Sep 15, 2010 5:39 pm

Re: Five guides

Post by sweetgrace » Wed Jan 21, 2015 1:01 pm

MomtoJGJE wrote:I just realized that I'm about a year away from running five guides! :shock: It really is NOT a bad thing. I do not feel stressed or anything. Because my kids are all properly placed in their guides. They are just as independent or more so than their guide calls for, and that makes such a big difference.

In theory, spring semester 2016 I will have:

one a few months in to Rev to Rev (7th grade)
one about halfway through CTC or more (5th grade)
one a couple of months in Preparing (3rd grade)
one starting full speed Beyond (1st grade)
and one getting started slowly with LHTH (pre-K)

I know it's a year away, but thinking about it makes me realize I really have no more babies :(

Whoa! You go mama! I'll be praying for you! ;)I hear ya on the no more babies. My baby is 16m and we are more than likely "done". Im trying to soak in every remaining moments of babyness and toddler years.
Tawny~ Wife and helpmeet to Gabriel~ Mommy to G- 6.5 LHFHG, A-5 LHTH (slowly), B-20m

Rice
Posts: 526
Joined: Tue Aug 06, 2013 10:00 am

Re: Five guides

Post by Rice » Wed Jan 21, 2015 11:42 pm

LoraBeth,
I just have to say "Hi" and that I'm in the same boat! It's kind of scary yet for me as this is our first year with HOD and the first few months were anything but smooth! A few adjustments later things are starting to flow but adding another makes me wonder how it will work. :shock:

Next Sept. will be:
13yo with 10 units left of Preparing + Ext (Grade 8, some executive functioning struggles)
11yo with 10 units left of Bigger (Grade 7; late reader - finally catching on!)
9yo starting Rev2Rev (Grade 5)
almost 8yo starting Beyond (Grade 2)
5yo starting LHTH (K)
as well as an almost 4yo and an almost 2 yo.

Hey! We'll be running the same guides, even! (though for different ages) I look forward to joining you on the journey!
Blessings,
Rice

DS 21 - GRAD '20: after WG
DD 19 - GRAD '21: after WH
DS 17 - GRAD '22; did CTC-WH + 2yrs non-HOD (🇨🇦)
DS 15 not using a guide this year (DONE: LHFHG-MTMM)
DS 13 MTMM (DONE: Prep-Rev2Rev)
DS 11 +
DD 9 CTC (DONE: Prep)
6yo DS phonics

mothermayi?
Posts: 107
Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2014 8:17 pm

Re: Five guides

Post by mothermayi? » Sun Jan 25, 2015 3:11 am

Whoa mama! :D Running five Guides is impressive!! :D It is fun to think of which guides our children will be in next year. Eventually I will be running 4 guides. I am just glad that my older kids will increase in independence, otherwise there is no way I would be able to pull it off :shock: .

Next school year (2015-2016) my lineup will is:
DS13 Rev2Rev (8th grade)
DS11 Finish CTC by October. Move on to Res to Ref. (6th grade)
DD7 MFW Adv and finish HOD Beyond ER if not done so yet. (2nd grade)
DD5 MFW K

The following year I will have four HOD guides (yeah, I've thought all the way through high school but I won't go there now :lol: ):
DS14 MTMM (9th grade)
DS12 Finish Res to Ref. Move on to Rev2Rev. (7th grade)
DD8 Bigger (3rd grade)
DD6 LHFHG w/1st grade extensions (1st grade)
~Began HOD Oct. 28, 2013
DS13 (7th) HOD RTR, MUS, DITHR 6/7/8
DS11 (5th) HOD CTC, Singapore & LOF, DITHR 4/5
DD6.5 (1st) MFW 1, Miquon Math, LOF
DD4.5 (PreK4) MFW K

my3sons
Posts: 10702
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:08 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Five guides

Post by my3sons » Sat Jan 31, 2015 10:24 am

You ladies that have been greatly blessed with a larger family really do manage to roll with it quite well! :D :D :D No matter what you do for homeschooling, it will certainly include full days, but I think you have some really good things going. One thing that jumps out at me, MomtoJGJE, is all of your dc are not beginning their new guides at once. I only am teaching 3 dc in 3 different guides, but our dc are on different units as well, and I find that to be very, very helpful! As of Monday at the start of our next week of school, here is where each of our dc are in their guides...

Wyatt - World History High School, 10th grade - Unit 18, Day 3
Riley - Resurrection to Reformation, 6th grade - Unit 26, Day 1
Emmett - Bigger Hearts for His Glory, 2nd grade - Unit 2, Day 5

Wyatt's schedule runs our year, just because he is the oldest, and he has always done a guide a year. So, when his 140 days of school are completed, the rest are 'done' for the year as well. This has worked wonderfully well! We have a day off each week, and that helps us catch up or rest and relax.

I have found I enjoy having different start times for each of the boys for their guides. It lets me really focus on a strong start for each of them. So, at the start of this school year, my focus was on Wyatt beginning his new WH guide. It was easy to put my time and energy fully into starting the WH guide because Riley was returning to RTR, and Emmett was returning to Beyond. We were in a good rhythm with both of them already, especially Emmett, as he was further into Beyond than Riley was into RTR.

A few weeks ago, Emmett finished his Beyond... guide, and it was time for me to fully focus on giving him a strong start in BHFHG. In about 9 weeks, it will be time for me to give Riley a strong start in RevtoRev. I may have him go half-speed for awhile, or I may not, depending on how it goes. By then, Wyatt will be near the end of his WH guide and smooth sailing, and Emmett will be further into BHFHG and doing quite well.

Anyway, I imagine you find the same to be true with the different places your dc are in their different guides! A real blessing, if you ask me! :D Another blessing I see is that you have used HOD for awhile and as such, your dc are well-trained in how to follow directions (written/oral), how to do a CM style of learning, how to use their guide themselves for their independent things, and how to manage their time using the guide as a reference. Your older dc especially are reaping the harvest of the guides they have completed previously. This makes independence successful. If you were new to HOD and doing many new guides, beginning some dc half-speed would probably be a good idea, or stagger starting them would be another good idea - just so you have time to train dc adequately to be successful with independent things that are probably new skills to them.

Finally, just like you said, because your dc are all placed properly, your days are manageable. I'd never go so far as to say your days are all a piece of cake, as we all know how busy we are as homeschooling moms, and more dc do = more time/energy/responsibility. You choose a 'plan for it the best you can, but then roll with it' kind of good attitude, MomtoJGJE, and it just works. I know it won't be easy, but no one ever said motherhood - much less homeschooling motherhood - would be easy. It may not look the same for everyone, but the above 'blessings' I mentioned sure do make a difference. Thank you so much for sharing your plan here, as well as your good outlook on it! You are doing a wonderful job each day, and I think others need to hear how moms of multiple dc are having success in their homeschooling days. :D

In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie

Rice
Posts: 526
Joined: Tue Aug 06, 2013 10:00 am

Re: Five guides

Post by Rice » Sat Jan 31, 2015 5:51 pm

Thanks for typing that all out, Julie. Sometimes seeing a condensed summary of the good points of something helps you to see it in a different light. For me, that means new ideas of what "finished" will look like at the end of the year! (and thus starting next year!)

Thanks for taking the time.
Blessings,
Rice

DS 21 - GRAD '20: after WG
DD 19 - GRAD '21: after WH
DS 17 - GRAD '22; did CTC-WH + 2yrs non-HOD (🇨🇦)
DS 15 not using a guide this year (DONE: LHFHG-MTMM)
DS 13 MTMM (DONE: Prep-Rev2Rev)
DS 11 +
DD 9 CTC (DONE: Prep)
6yo DS phonics

my3sons
Posts: 10702
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:08 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Five guides

Post by my3sons » Sat Jan 31, 2015 7:24 pm

Rice wrote:Thanks for typing that all out, Julie. Sometimes seeing a condensed summary of the good points of something helps you to see it in a different light. For me, that means new ideas of what "finished" will look like at the end of the year! (and thus starting next year!)

Thanks for taking the time.
Blessings,
My typing that out was for me as much as anyone else! "Finished" has taken on a new meaning for me too, and it looks a whole lot better than what it used to. :wink: You too are doing a super job, Rice, and I just want to commend you for homeschooling each your precious dc! IMHO, half-speed HOD for a period of time, or 4 day a week school for the younger guides that are 5 day a week guides, is more productive than an entire full-speed day of school in public school, because God is not allowed there. And I come from a family of people who taught public school - me included. It is a complete change in thinking, but it is one with eternal impact. Keep on pressing on! The goal is worthy - to be academically strong - but also to know God personally. There is no higher goal or greater knowledge. :D

In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie

Rice
Posts: 526
Joined: Tue Aug 06, 2013 10:00 am

Re: Five guides

Post by Rice » Sat Jan 31, 2015 9:34 pm

my3sons wrote: IMHO, half-speed HOD for a period of time, or 4 day a week school for the younger guides that are 5 day a week guides, is more productive than an entire full-speed day of school in public school, because God is not allowed there. . . It is a complete change in thinking, but it is one with eternal impact. Keep on pressing on! The goal is worthy - to be academically strong - but also to know God personally. There is no higher goal or greater knowledge. :D

In Christ,
Julie
Amen! And, just in case you have as much trouble keeping all the names and stories straight on these boards (with no faces to help), I'm the one that posted about my LHFHG son asking Jesus in his heart a couple weeks ago! :D

Blessings,
Rice

DS 21 - GRAD '20: after WG
DD 19 - GRAD '21: after WH
DS 17 - GRAD '22; did CTC-WH + 2yrs non-HOD (🇨🇦)
DS 15 not using a guide this year (DONE: LHFHG-MTMM)
DS 13 MTMM (DONE: Prep-Rev2Rev)
DS 11 +
DD 9 CTC (DONE: Prep)
6yo DS phonics

StillJulie
Posts: 394
Joined: Sat Jan 24, 2009 5:04 pm

Re: Five guides

Post by StillJulie » Sun Feb 01, 2015 2:48 pm

HOD is such a blessing! I am so thankful for the guides. They really make our homeschooling manageable. I'm happy to say that we've hit our groove this year, and even with five guides I'm usually done with my day by 3:00 in the afternoon.

We're having a good year with five HOD guides this year, and I anticipate another good year next year with six:
World History
Missions to Modern Marvels
Resurrection to Reformation
Preparing Hearts
Beyond Little Hearts
Little Hearts
16yo DD using US History 1 for 11th grade
14yo DS using World Geography for 9th grade
13yo DS using Rev to Rev for 7th grade
10yo DD using Creation to Christ for 5th grade
8yo DD using Bigger for 3rd grade
7yo DD using Beyond Hearts for 2nd grade

MomtoJGJE
Posts: 1534
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 7:20 pm
Location: Gastonia, NC

Re: Five guides

Post by MomtoJGJE » Mon Feb 02, 2015 7:15 am

Yes it is very helpful that we've not only always homeschooled, but we've also only used HOD. My kids understand the flow and how things are supposed to work day to day.

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