Help choosing for 2 children...

[Lynnielou]

Hi everyone,

I am new to HOD, but not to homeschooling. Have been homeschooling my dd for 5 years. She is in 4th grade (finished today). My ds is 7, and just finished 2nd grade yesterday!
We have used ABEKA, from the start, and only ABEKA. Some years we would use ABEKA Academy (DVD's), some years, I would teach 1:1.

Started both kids before they were 5, in ABEKA's kindergarten program, so they are a "little" ahead, age-wise.

Both my children are bored stiff. They seem to need change. My daugther hates school, and I don't think it has to be this way. This is why I am seeking a new curriculum.

I like ABEKA, I guess b/c I am used to it, and it is all I know, but for my dd's sake, I have to make this change. So, with this opportunity, I want to find a way to bring the two children more closely together in their studies.I l
HOD is the one I seem to come back to over and over, in my search.
I like some of the others, that are similar, but this one holds the most appeal.

A friend gave me some info. on Beautiful Feet, and the Noah Plan, etc., but I am just not sure. I will have to continue to research, to rule these and others out, if I decide to go with HOD.

Now, my dilemma is which program, within HOD to go with. I know it depends on my kids, but hoping you ladies could gently "guide" me, based on experience.

My dd (9) loves to read and write, but her math skills are shaky. She does very well, but not as well as I would like to see. I base this on grades (yes, the oodles of grades you have to give b/c there are oodles of quizzes, tests, etc.) Everyone says ABEKA is very advanced, and the 4th grade year is very hard, but I guess that is only opinion.
All I know is she makes super grades on one test/quiz/etc., but the next not so great...she is all over the place, never consistent. I do know she CAN do the work, when she wants. Looks like she doesn't want to???
This is true for most subjects, to include language arts.

My ds (7) has always "breezed" through all subjects. He loves to read and is an advanced reader. He has better cursive handwriting than I do, and loves to copy out of his books, in his notebook (which ABEKA does not have in it's curriculum, he just does it on his own). He is great in math, and enjoys it very much. He is always looking for MORE math work to do.

The two of them will be almost 10 and 8 (both birthdays are in Oct.- 11 days apart), when I start their new school year.

So, do I start with Preparing and go from there?

Then, I suppose I have to figure out which level of Singapore math they need (via placement test on their website).

What about Language?

Is there anything I am forgetting???

FYI...my husband and I were thinking of having my dd (9) repeat her 4th grade year, if we stay with ABEKA, just so we can be sure she hasn't missed any foundational information in math and language arts. She is devastated about this, but it's for her own good in the future.
On the flip side, we were thinking bridging the gap more and getting the two closer, since my son is advanced and seemingly so ready and able for the addtiional workload.

With all that being said, what are your thoughts for getting them as close to the same level as possible, but allowing my daughter to be on her grade level, as well as not pushing my son too far ahead???

I cannot wait to hear your responses. Sorry this post is so long, but I wanted to give as much info. as possible. I feel so thankful for you wonderful ladies on this board!

Hugs,
Lynn

[Allison TX]

Hi Lynn. Welcome to the HOD board.

Have you had a chance to study the placement chart yet? It is very accurate.

With the information you gave about your kids, it sounds like Preparing would be a great fit for your oldest, or possibly CTC, but I might lean more towards Preparing since the Charlotte Mason approach will be new to you. Bigger seems like it would be a great fit for your younger child, but It sounds like you may want to combine. I would be very hesitant to put your younger in Preparing because the following year (CTC) is quite a step up, and would probably require a lot of adjusting. But, if he is advanced for his age, then it may work just fine. Another option would be to use Bigger with extensions for your older. If you want to combine that may be a very good option.

I probably haven't helped you too much! It's so hard to decide. Hopefully more moms will be on soon to give you more advice.

Allison

[8arrows]

I am very familiar with Abeka. I think Preparing would be a great fit and a breath of fresh air for you. I do not think you would need to have your daughter do 4th grade again. Since you are switching curriculum, "grade level" is not so "crucial". Are you going to do Rod and Staff language? If so, you could use the fifth grade Rod and Staff book for her over two years as HOD suggests. Explain to your daughter that Rod and Staff covers topics early and HOD only suggests getting through level 6 by the end of eigth grade (which you would be on track to do). Are you switching to Singapore math? Take the placement test. My daughter could do 6th grade MUS, 7th grade TT, but only 4b/5a Singapore. Again, let her know that children place differently into this curriculum. I think your children will love the activities and pace of Preparing. We are doing it this year (8, 9 and 11 year olds). I use and enjoy parts of Abeka now and then, but for the most part Abeka can quickly suck the life out of school at our home (I must exclude 1st and 2nd grade phonics from this statement as well as their K through 2 math which have been a great attibute to our home school at times). There are different options for your children. More moms will join in to give you ideas. You are their mom, and you and your husband will know best.

[Busymomma1]

Welcome! While I don't know much about ABEKA, I will say that we did HOD for our 1st year homeschooling, did our "own thing" for the 2nd year, and then came back the 3rd year (this year). And I will say that HOD DEFINITELY brings "life" to schooling! There is a nice balance of the "fun" activities with academics. And you can so easily work with each child on their own level in different subjects (like if they are advanced in reading but behind in math... just do what makes sense, and you don't have to worry about "grade level.")

Plus, since you are making a change from what is "comfortable" for you, you will find HOD is so easy to implement. I think you will just fall in love with it! I have! I don't even consider another curriculum now... and I was ALWAYS looking at different curricula options. Do you know the main thing that has convinced me to stay (besides the creative, fun ideas)? The way Bible study and character issues are addressed within literature and history lessons. Bible study isn't just an "add on", nor is it dry. When my kids are going around the house singing about the Fruits of the Spirit, then I know I've done the most important thing.

If the Lord leads you here, I think you will love it! As I'm progressing through the guides (we are finishing Beyond this week, and start Bigger at the end of the summer), I see the "richness" of this program. Oh, I could do a commercial, trust me! ha!

Anyway, welcome! I wish I could help you with your placement questions, but I know others could do a better job of that! I'm just testifying to the JOY in these programs!

Have a blessed day!

[seekhimfirst]

Hello Lynnielou!

I thought I'd give you my two cents but only for you to ponder as you will need to decide what's best since you know your children best. My two oldest had Abeka from kindergarten in a private school setting. We started out with it midway thru this year when we moved and began homeschooling. They are finishing up their 4th grade (10yo) and 1st grade (6yo) year. My 6yo loves school so was fine, my 10yo didn't like school (or the move, or homeschooling ), and I could not stand the endless tests, drills, quizzes, and workbooks that needed to be checked and graded! After a couple months we went ahead and switched to HOD! I was unsure where to place them when we ordered. I went with Beyond and Preparing. Beyond has been great for a little more depth to American history for my 6yo. I will say though that I now know thay my 6yo could have easily done Preparing! With the amount of writing she was used to in Abeka it would not have been a problem at all. I would say she is advanced too, she is an excellent reader, zips through her math, and has good cursive handwriting. My 10yo is doing fine in Preparing. He is intelligent also, it's just that he's not so motivated to do work. HOD has definitely increased his interest/desire to read which has been great!

All that to say I would definitely consider at least Preparing to start out. If you did Abeka Bible as well then you may run into what I've heard my 10yo say some...he already knows the stories. Because history starts from the beginning he is getting a lot of Bible which we love and want but he feels as though it's not "new" stuff yet - they also have always learned Bible at home and at church three times a week. After you check the placement chart you may even see that both your children could place into CTC or both in Preparing but possibly add in the extensions at some point for your oldest. I hope this makes sense and it is just to let you know my experience and to help you be informed as you decide, like I said you'll know best! I could easily put my two together in Preparing now but as I said my 6yo is getting more in depth Am. History which I like so basically we do it all together! Yes, it makes for a longer day and I don't require either to listen to or do their siblings work but mostly they choose to at least listen to each other's history and storytime while they are doing their independent work.

[Kathleen]

I wanted to pop in and welcome you to HOD, too! I'm sure you'll find HOD to be a breath of fresh air!! We LOVE it! From what you've shared I'm thinking that Preparing sounds like a great place to start with your kids. We have thoroughly enjoyed our year with Preparing. I love the way Grandpa's Box shares the Bible stories with a fresh twist on them by leading the kids to see the "big picture" of the overall war between Satan and God. JESUS - our promised Savior - was the center of the plan. Even though the Bible stories we read weren't new...my son and I LOVED this book!

I agree that you'll want to have your kids take the free placement tests from the Singapore website if you're wanting to switch them in math.

Kathleen

[crlacey]

Welcome!
I have only used Abeka math, but from what I can tell, HOD will be a nice change since it does not have lots of drilling.
Others mentioned the placement chart which is a great place to start understanding where your kids would fit best. Here is the link for that:
http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php
Again, welcome to HOD!

[Lynnielou]

Ladies~

Your responses are greatly appreciated and are really helping me more so to making the decisions I need to. I am so nervous, yet anxious and excited about my decision to possibly make a change for my children's learning.

What I am really liking is the fact, and one of you wonderful ladies mentioned, the way the Bible and character is intertwined into the curriculum. They have had some in their curriculum, but it felt like an add-on and not the most important thing. They are used to getting Bible 3 times per week at church, but I want to have schooling and Bible/learning about our wonderful Lord, one and the same.

My other concern is not getting too anxious to put them together just to make my workload easier. I don't want to "rob" my soon to be 8 y.o. of anything he may have learned otherwise, just to get him closer to my soon to be 10 y.o. But with the amount of work he is used to with ABEKA, and that he shows thus far to be ready for the work, I don't want to miss an opportunity to "bridge the gap" between the two of them. Make sense?

So, once I decide what program I want to start the two of them in, whether it's together or separate, then I have to decide on language arts and math, is that right?
Someone asked what I was planning on using, and I suppose I have not considered that yet. I saw Drawn into the Heart of Learning, and just thought they would both go there???? What are some other options you are using?

But once the above it decided, that is all I have to do, right?

Oh, a wonderful lady mentioned "CTC"....what is this?

Thanks again,
Lynn

[Kathleen]

CTC = Creation to Christ It's the next guide in line after Prepaing.

For math: HOD reccommends Singapore (which you could change to or stick with what you're already using). HOD works with any math you choose (but I think HOD's choices are the most time-conscious and you'll most likely add time to your day if you opt for something else).

HOD has several LA things written right into the guides - dictation (for spelling), narration (written & oral), poetry, creative writing lessons, copywork, for literature study - Drawn Into the Heart of Reading, and for grammar they reccommend Rod & Staff. (I may have missed something, but that's at least most of what we did in Preparing. )

Kathleen

[my3sons]

Welcome to the HOD Board, and wow haven't you gotten some great advice here already?!? Aren't these ladies amazing?!? I also think you'd enjoy combining your 8 and 10 yo in PHFHG. We loved PHFHG! Many books out of that year are on our all-time favorites list, especially "Grandpa's Box". HOD makes my homeschooling day an overall joyful experience. My dc like school very much and enjoy what they are doing with HOD each day. The living book choices and hands-on projects help learning have depth and fun at the same time. Christ is front and center in all of HOD's guides. He does not take a back seat, but sits on His throne glorified in it all, as should be. All of this is not at the expense of academics. The academics are strong in HOD, and the way skills are taught within the context of excellent literature helps those skills be better understood and retained.

We finished CTC, Beyond, and part of LHTH a few weeks ago, and we just finished our standardized testing today. I have to say I was teary-eyed about what God has done through HOD in our home this year. Days filled with Him, with happiness, with meaningful learning, with togetherness - it was a wonderful year. I am not saying there weren't tough days, homeschooling always will have tough days, but then parenting does too. I just want to encourage you that HOD will fit well in your home, and that over time it provides an excellent path straight to our dc's hearts. It is not just "head" curriculum; the "heart" is in it as well. You've many days ahead of you to enjoy this oh-so-fulfilling way of homeschooling. Whatever we can do to help you with the details of your dc's placement (i.e. level of grammar, level of DITHOR, etc.) - let us know and we'll talk it through with you. You'll find this board is full of ladies ministering to each other because the Lord is in their hearts too. Glad you are here!

In Christ,
Julie

[Lynnielou]

Wow, yes, Julie, there are some wonderful ladies on the board, for sure~!

I am sure I will be having lots, and lots of additional questions, as I take this journey away from my comfortable/boringly predictable way of homeschooling.

I did speak to a lady that homeschools, and has tried numerous curriculums. I asked if she could take a look at HOD and see what she thought.
Her feedback was that she was concerned that my very structured way of doing homeschool, would not mesh well (I am paraphrasing here), with HOD. This is not a negative against HOD, but more about me.

She and I have a similar personality and homeschool "style"/way of doing things. She said she tried a CM style of homeschooling on two different occasions, and mid-year, panicked that her children were not getting what they needed, thus turned back to her original style of homeschooling....textbook style.
This sounds just like something I would do.
I wish I could know for sure, exactly what to switch to, and exactly what to buy. Being apprehensive is not a good charateristic to have.

I appreciate all your support/encouragement/feedback about your experiences with HOD.

Thanks again,
Lynn

[my3sons]

Lynn - I just wanted to share that when I read about the CM way of doing things, I liked what I was reading, but it did not fit my desire for structure. I also was not sure that the methods could replace my more traditional ways of teaching things (7 years teaching in ps). Oral narration, written narration, dictation, copywork, living books were all new terms to me. However, over the years of reading more and more of CM methods, I was more and more drawn to them. I began thinking how exciting it would be to teach from books that were interesting and full of life, rather than from textbooks which seemed to be quite dry and often times uninviting. I began to think with all the wonderful books out there that had been written, why was I using a textbook that seemed to be so factual that it had absolutely no "heart" to it?

So, I started switching out some textbooks with living books (and my switches weren't really even very living now that I look back and think about it). For example, when teaching the water cycle in science with my ps science students, we switched from doing the textbook to reading "Magic School Bus at the Waterworks". What a hit with the kids - and they knew so much more about the water cycle when we got done! So, being the creature of habit I am, I got the "Magic School Bus Solar System" and "Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body" books the next year, and subbed those in for those parts of the science text. We even added in experiments from there, and another huge success when compared to the handful of previous years of only using the textbook. From that point on, I started looking for good books to sub in for history as well, and by the time I started homeschooling, I knew I wanted to use narrative living books somehow.

Using living books is a HUGE part of the CM way of teaching, and there is nothing that breathes life into learning like living books. This is one of my favorite things about my switch from textbook driven curriculums. HOD has taken CM's methods and made them attainable for everyone because of the way they are incrementally taught through the years. Essentially, HOD has given CM methods enough structure to help them to be taught correctly over the years. The results of this are amazing! I've taught 15 years now. The first 7 in ps, and the last 8 in homeschooling. My last 8 with HOD and CM's methods have been far more satisfying and have also been more solid academically. CM methods seem simplistic, but they are not. CM methods done right make lifetime learners rather than dc just trying to get through school, finish the next worksheet, or pass the next test. I would have never said that I could be passionate about history - but I am now! My dc are too. They love history, and science, and reading, and writing - well, all of it and any of it that is taught in a CM style filled with living books. I know this is out of your comfort zone, but I just want to encourage you to step out in faith and try this homeschooling journey with HOD and CM style learning. I think you'd find your homeschool journey with CM will be so much more exciting and full of delight than your homeschool journey with textbooks would be! BUT, just pray about it, because the Lord will certainly direct your path better than I can.

In Christ,
Julie

[Lynnielou]

Thanks Julie, for taking the time to give me that insight. Yes, you are right, I am very, very nervous about stepping outside my "comfort zone" . Friends of mine think I will have a hard time doing this as well. But, I am strongly considering it, and with all the help I've received on this board, it makes it a bit easier.

I just received my HOD catalog, and it is much easier to maneuver than the website, since it is all new to me.

I will continue to look at all options that I run across, and try and figure out a way to start incorporating HOD, and maybe keep some of my "comfortable" ways (if that is even possible).

Thanks so much, again,
Lynn

[Busymomma1]

Oh, I love Julie's description of the CM method! While I am not as experienced as she, I see the wisdom in what she said. It only makes sense that children will learn when something is interesting vs. a dry textbook. And as for 'structure', I am a bit confused about the concern regarding structure. HOD is VERY structured. Just follow the boxes each day! It's just a 'different structure' from textbooks. While doing worksheets and completing textbooks can "feel" satisfying, I don't think they deliver results in the end. CM and HOD allow for interaction with the subjects much moreso than textbooks. There is a beautiful simplicity in the methods. So I don't think "structure" is your worry, if using HOD. I just think change might be? At least that is my impression. I think you will enjoy and your kids will learn, if you give it a chance!

[my3sons]

...HOD is VERY structured. Just follow the boxes each day! It's just a 'different structure' from textbooks...

Thanks, Tricia! I liked ALL that you had to say, but this was such a standout point I wanted to highlight it. HOD is very structured in plans, but flexible in regard to pacing and levels of difficulty. The boxes give us the structure we need to do the CM method well in the day to day. I rely on this! CM's methods are tried and true but sometimes it seems difficult to pin down how to go about doing them and about what to expect for each age level. HOD handles that beautifully by giving us the structure we need while still keeping the simplicity of CM intact. HOD does not use the more traditional formats of assessment often found in ps where dc need to be taught in mass. (Though Miss Mason did manage to do that well too with her methods! ) So, you won't find multiple choice, true/false, close passage, testing in HOD.

Instead, HOD uses assessments that are more difficult for students to pass unless they know the material well, like oral narrations, written narrations, etc. This requires much higher level thinking on the student's part and allows for no guessing. It also allows for originality and personality to be a part of assessment. I find this very refreshing, and it is what makes it continue to be a joy to teach an HOD guide a second and a third time as my 3 sons grow and move through the guides. Their timelines are all different from one another's. Their narrations show their wit and sense of humor, the different styles of storytelling they've picked up on, what they found to impact them personally, how they connected to a living book, etc. No two narrations are the same ever. Very refreshing - and so much better than my 7 years of correcting 32 students multiple choice tests each week, where every answer was a letter, and every answer should be the exact same. So, yes, excellent point - HOD is structured - in all the ways that make homeschooling happen happily in my home, but not structured in the ways that make me feel confined. I've enjoyed this talk immensely and remember well grappling with the same exact things Lynn is. Thanks for bringing up this topic!

In Christ,
Julie