New to HOD...intro and questions

[Shawna]

Hello!!! I have looked at this curriculum a little over the past year and am now wondering which is going to be the best fit! This will be our 7th year hsing, but my first with you all! My oldest son is 14..he will be in High School next year...he started homeschooling in 3rd grade..he is on a pretty steady track with math and science already. We do Apologia Science and Teaching Textbooks for math..so we will continue that with him. I am wondering how DITHOR will work for a HSer...
Next is my younger son, he will turn 11 on Monday...He has always been homeschooled...he uses Apologia and TT also, (both are a year ahead in the math curr.)...I am considering Preparing or CTC for him...not sure yet...he has had basic elem history and we just finished the creation era with Christine Miller's book...want to move on to egypt, Greece, Rome this next year....
Then my little girl...she turned 7 on Easter Sunday and just finished 1st grade...We will be using R&S for English and Math...she has had a tiny bit of History, not too extensive..started with CLPs Little Pilgrims....I am considering Beyond LH for her.....
I have been using Truth Quest for History and am a lover of Charlotte Mason...I am very excited about learning all I can from the rest of you and using this curriculum....need to learn how to navigate the site and see what I need to purchase..some of the books in the sets we already have, so I was happy about that.Any advice or guidance on each child's placement will be appreciated...for the older one also!! I think this is such a wonderful curr and love that it's based on our Lord Jesus Christ....and it seems wonderful to not have to organize all this by myself AGAIN!!!

[GinainMD]

Hello and Welcome! I just started with HOD in March and found the website to be very easy to navigate so I hope you find everything that you are looking for and if not just ask here and I'm sure someone will be able to point you in the right direction. I have not used the older guides so I really don't have any placement advice so hopefully someone with more experience will chime in. Also, make sure that you calculate the price of the books before hand because sometimes it is cheaper to buy the package, even including the books that you already own, than to buy everything separately. In my case the price was within 2 dollars so I went ahead and ordered the package and just gave the books that were doubles for us to another family member. I look forward to chatting with you along our HOD journey.

[Shawna]

Gina, nice to meet you! Thanks for the welcome... I am excited to be here!

[Shawna]

Just wanted to bump my post....curious as to the decision of placement...wondering if I am looking at the best level for the kids. Also, I filled out the thing for a catalog ( I love to have something in hand!)...do I get a confirmation on that, or do I just get a surprise in my mailbox!!! Thanks!!

[crlacey]

Welcome!
Have you looked at the program placement chart? That may help you make the best choices for your kids.
http://heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php

[Kathleen]

Welcome to HOD, Shawna!

I agree that looking at the placement chart will be your best help. If you place your kids in the programs that they're ready for, HOD will be super-easy on you!! I'm thinking that Creation to Christ will have the history era that you're looking for. It begins at Creation and then also studies Egypt, Greece & Rome up to the time of Christ. I wouldn't use that as your only basis for where to place your child though. Preparing does a big sweep from Creation to modern times in history, and we thoroughly enjoyed it this year! We loved getting the big picture. What I loved the most about our year was the way it really helped me to guide my son to have a biblical worldview in everything.

I would think you could use DITHOR as literature study for your oldest, too. I know that Carrie has said that in looking for other high school lit programs she found DITHOR to cover it as well & better than most out there. She was wanting something different for her son who has used DITHOR for many years. So, especially if you haven't been using it since 2nd grade, I'd give it a go. We are loving it for the younger levels!

Kathleen

[Shawna]

Thanks! Yes, I have looked at the placement chart...I was thinking based on that , to do Beyond for my dd, and Preparing or CTC for my middle one..just wasnt too sure on that!! I like the idea of DITHOR for the oldest too...I just really need to simplify from what I have been doing...too many books and sooo many levels/subjects...but the kids are just spread out enough that I really can't group anyone, so I have to do 3 different sets of everything...at least I am now starting to reuse things from my older son for the next 2!!!!

[water2wine]

Shawna I just wanted to say welcome! It sounds like you have a wonderful plan for your children. I wanted to assure you that the program still really flows well even if you do different science and math. Some of my kids do different math and I have one doing Apologia Bio this year and it is going very well. She is also doing CTC and it has been a wonderful program. And actually I have three doing Preparing and two doing Beyond so you will be doing our year. We are loving it and I think you will too. Welcome to HOD!

[Shawna]

water2wine~ thanks so much for the welcome!!! I just showed my 11yo son the catalog...I was kinda starting to lean more toward the CTC. He picked that! He loved the History and Science..2 of the books we did last semester, but he said he would like to to do it again, and loved all the books in the list. I will continue to look through all this and pray on it a little bit more, I love both sets, so it's gonna be hard to choose!! And I have several books from both sets!!
DD is definitely gonna be doing the Beyond...so you can help me out with that if I get stuck for sure!!!! I will probably do DITHOR with my older one, but I don't know where else I could plug him in! He might have to do the Bible with the 11yo---I need a good Bible program for him...any of you had to do this for an older child? I really was looking for a great Bible program for next year for all three kids...that was the main concern. I think I found it!!! And the rest just falls in place!!! Praise the Lord!!

[Shawna]

Shawna I just wanted to say welcome! It sounds like you have a wonderful plan for your children. I wanted to assure you that the program still really flows well even if you do different science and math. Some of my kids do different math and I have one doing Apologia Bio this year and it is going very well. She is also doing CTC and it has been a wonderful program. And actually I have three doing Preparing and two doing Beyond so you will be doing our year. We are loving it and I think you will too. Welcome to HOD!

yes..my older one will be doing that Science also!!!So, that for Science, Teaching Textbooks for math, Rod & Staff 9/10, Bible with the 11 yo guide, DITHOR, & the nxt TQ guide for History and he will be set!

[Carrie]

Shawna,

I just wanted to pop-in and welcome you too! We're glad to have you here!

Blessings,
Carrie