How can I use 1 program with many children?

[Alison in KY]

Hi Terri, I tried to PM you, but for some reason I can't. Is your mailbox full?

I just wanted to share with you, again, how similiar our kids are. My middle child, a girl, turned 8 yesterday (May 6th) and she's also a lefty who seems to lack in common sense ( I say this with all the love in the world for my child). I haven't quite got her figured out yet (and why is it she's a middle child ? ) Plus having a 10 yr old (mine's a boy) and a 5 yr old (girl). They even sound similiar in some of their academic abilities.

Also, just to encourage you, it sounds to me like you've finished quite a bit academically, so give yourself a pat on the back this morning.

Alison

[MommyInTraining]

Hi Terri, I tried to PM you, but for some reason I can't. Is your mailbox full?

Thanks for writing Alison. It looks like I will have to wait until next week for a response from Carrie and Julie .

My account was messed up because I fell victim to the hot pink setting on the board ! So, that is probably why you couldn't pm me earlier. It should be fixed now.

Thanks!

Terri

[MommyInTraining]

I just wanted to share with you, again, how similiar our kids are. Alison

Too bad we don't live closer to each other! I am from Louisville, so maybe one day....

[my3sons]

Terri,

Thanks for sharing about each of your dc, and that does help with placement. If I were to place your dc individually - I'd place your 10 yo in Bigger Hearts, your 7 yo in Beyond, and your 5 yo in either Little Hearts or Beyond. I know it is your heart's desire to combine your dc for the Learning Through History part of the plans, so in my opinion, the best program for combining all of them would be in Beyond Little Hearts. This would give all of your dc great books to listen to being read aloud for history, storytime, and science. For each of your dc, these are some thoughts I have that I hope will be helpful :

10 yo - you could do the right side and LA Appendix of Bigger Hearts for His Glory for R & S 3, Math 2A/2B, spelling list/dictation
you could do Drawn into the Heart of Reading Level 4/5 with Book Pack 4/5 Girl Interest
*The goal is to help her grow in her LA and Math skills and challenge her with the reading plans and books in DITHOR. Then, she will be ready for the increased writing load in the subsequent guides.

7 yo - do all of Beyond with 1A/1B math
*I think the primary goal is to focus on phonics. The Reading Lesson is an excellent program for a no prep, solid phonics instruction if you are interested in a different phonics. He should do a beginning handwriting book to solidify letter formation of lowercase letters, such as A Reason for Handwriting K. He'll enjoy the read-alouds in Beyond in history, science, and storytime while working on his 3R's, which is very important for him so he will be ready to move on to the reading and writing required in the subsequent guides.

5 yo - do the left side of Beyond with her. For LA and Math: Finish K Math. Do a beginning handwriting book to solidify letter formation, such as A Reason for Handwriting K. Have her do Rod and Staff D & F for fine motor skills/critical thinking. Have her finish her phonics. Whenever she's ready to read books like Frog and Toad, Amelia Bedelia, etc., begin the Emerging Reader's Set following the schedule and questions in the Appendix of Beyond (your 7 yo ds should do this too when his phonics are solid and he is ready for the Emerging Reader's set as well).

I want you to know that I have thought about you a lot while waiting for you to share about your dc, and I am praying for you as you consider placement. I think the above placement meets your goals for combining all of your dc for Learning Through History, meeting each of their specific needs in LA and math, and streamlining your teaching time as you are a busy mom. I know Carrie will respond as well, but we are currently at a convention show and answer only as time allows, which usually means later at night. I know Carrie was on the board until 2 in the morning last night trying to get caught up, so we're working through our responses as we can. Praying for you as you think this over.

In Christ,
Julie

[MommyInTraining]

Oh, I didn't know I had a reply. I just saw this...thanks Julie.

I also just found out I am pregnant with #6 !!! So, I really need to SIMPLIFY !!!!

I look forward to hearing from Carrie also.

Thank you all!

Terri

[MommyInTraining]

Thanks Julie. I was able to read your recommendations. So it looks like Beyond for everyone on the left and separate LA and Math.

Do you think Preparing or HHTT could be an option? I really think my 10 yo would like one of those, but I don't know if it would work well to fit the other 2 students in.

[MommyInTraining]

Just looking at this thread again tonight. Still wondering if Preparing or HHTT could work. Do you think it would be too much for my 8 and 6 year olds?

Julie, I know you said you would place my 10/11 year old in Bigger. Do you not think she would be able to do the work in Preparing or HHTT yet?

Thanks so much for your help,

Terri

[Carrie]

Terri,

I agree that if you desire to combine than the scenario that my3son's shared would be best for your kiddos. Individually your kiddos place into LHFHG for the newly 6 year old, LHFHG or Beyond for your newly 8 year old (I would lean toward Beyond), and Bigger or Preparing Hearts for your 10 year old (I would lean toward Preparing Hearts).

While your 8 year old could definitely listen in to the readings within Preparing Hearts, the rest of the program would be very hard for him to do because of his struggles with writing and reading. To push him into a program into which he could only listen to the readings but not do the rest of the program wouldn't be a good use of his time or yours. It's so important that he continue the progress he's begun making and keep moving forward in the areas of writing and reading. Your newly 6 year old wouldn't make it through the readings very well in Preparing Hearts as they're targeted at a child aged 8-10 (and extending to those aged 11-12). So, the stretch into Preparing for her wouldn't be a good fit.

If you desire to use 2 programs, then Beyond and Preparing would be your best fit. Right now, until more of your kiddos get past the introduction to the 3 R's and are in the solidly reading and writing category, it's tougher to combine them with an older sibling. This fact remains true whether you are looking at HOD or any other program.

Combining the kiddos in Beyond and supplementing with either the right side of Bigger Hearts or the right side of Preparing Hearts (I would lean toward adding the right side of Preparing) for your older child would be the best combining scenario for all of them. It is always easier to beef up a program than it is to water one down. So, with the combining in Beyond scenario, you could easily add additional reading for your older child in the area of history to up the level of the study.

The good news is that if you get going with combining in Beyond (and using the right side of Preparing Hearts for your oldest) and are feeling very comfortable and feeling like you're getting it done easily in the day-to-day, then you could always add the rest of Preparing Hearts for your oldest. This would work because you'd already be underway using the right side of the guide for her (in the areas of Rod and Staff 3 or 4, one of the levels of dictation in the Appendix, the math schedule for 2A/2B, the science as written in Preparing Hearts, and even the Psalm study and poetry study in Preparing Hearts if desired if time allowed you to use those). Those are all very Charlotte-Mason and would most likely be enjoyed by both you and your older daughter as a separate special time for the two of you. If you did continue to keep your kiddos together for the history side of the plans as you went through the years, you'd still have an excellent supplement for your older daughter by using the right side of an upper guide for her at her own level in many important areas.

Just some things to consider.

Blessings,
Carrie

[MommyInTraining]

Carrie,

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. So, if I were to use the right side of Preparing, would I be doing a separate science with my older daughter? Or would she do the science in Beyond?

Thank you!

Terri

[my3sons]

Thanks Julie. I was able to read your recommendations. So it looks like Beyond for everyone on the left and separate LA and Math.

Do you think Preparing or HHTT could be an option? I really think my 10 yo would like one of those, but I don't know if it would work well to fit the other 2 students in.

Terri,

We have the stomach flu here, so I am just getting around to responding. Looking back at what you shared about your 10 yo, I do think you could do PHFHG for the right side of the plans. You could have her do the science in PHFHG too. It is independent, and she is an avid reader, so she'd probably do well with that. It would be a wonderful way to up the level of science without upping your level of teaching time.

The great thing about this option, would be you could start all of your dc out in the left side of Beyond together, as you were wanting to combine - and then, if you get going with it for awhile, and desire to have your older dd just do all of PHFHG you could certainly have her do that at that point too, keeping the rest in Beyond and their separate LA/math, and moving forward.

I love to see a plan beginning to form. Of course, these are all just options you can choose from - you will know what fits your goals best.

In Christ,
Julie

[MommyInTraining]

Thanks Julie for taking the time to reply.

I hope you and your crew are feeling better soon!!!!

Blessings,

Terri

[MommyInTraining]

Carrie and Julie,

After mulling it over for a while, and going through 1st trimester nausea, I have decided on Beyond for my 8 yo and 6yo and Preparing for my 10yo.

Is there anyway you all could help me come up with a realistic schedule for fitting it all in and taking care of a newborn, toddler, and preschooler ????!!!!

I would want my 10 yo to be as independent as possible, obviously. I am just not sure when to have who doing what.

Do you think I should just try to do one side of each guide a day? With my 10 yo being a little behind in grammar and math, I would still have her do those everyday.

Looking forward to any advice and reassurance you can offer!!!

I want to place my order soon, but I want to know I have a plan in place!!!

Thank you all for your help,

Terri

Mommy to:
10yo g
8yo b
6yo g
4yo g
(almost) 2yo b
and new little love due at the beginning of 2010!

[MommyInTraining]

Also, should I hold off on DITHOR for my 10 yo or go ahead and get her started on it?

Thanks so much for your help!!!

Terri

[Kathleen]

Terri,

Here is a big schedule thread that may be helpful to you. schedules

Carrie and Julie both have very detailed schedules posted. I know that Julie used both Preparing and Beyond mid-way through the year, but I'm not sure if her schedule shows that or Preparing and LHFHG.

Hopefully this can give you some ideas to think through. I know that looking at other's schedules is a huge help to me! Then, I can pick what I know will (or won't) work for my family and put it together.

Kathleen

[MommyInTraining]

Thanks Kathleen for the link. Looking at other's schedules should help me get some ideas.

I guess how to schedule things will be something I really need to look at personally. So, I guess my real question is whether I should start both programs full force or not.

I am wondering if I should start out half speed and plan to pick up the pace as we move on or maybe plan on doing one or both of the programs for 2 years instead of 1.

Advice?

Thanks!