The last curriculum I'm going to look at....

[Femke]

Hi Everyone!

The last half year I've been downloading samples, READING catalogues of,well....almost all the curricula out there. Everytime again looking at the same pages, hoping they would have changed by somehow...well, they didn't I started looking into making my own curriculum, with my own book choices. I really DON'T want to do this, but if I have to I will.

Then I read Mike and Carrie's story on the first page of the catalog and it's SO similar to our story...
I do have quite some questions about HOD, hope you can answer them for me:

* I have a gifted 3yr old (38m) who is in second grade math, reading at first grade level, but because he's bilingual he doesn't understand much of what he reads Little Hands would be waaaay to easy for him (although he would love to join it with little brother for some fun). Would he be ready for Little Hearts for His Glory?

* There are some things I don't like, are they easy to replace? They are Storytime Read-Alouds, and he already did all of the Rod and Staff Preschool Books.

* I don't really like the first 3 years (sorry Carrie!) but I do like everything from Bigger onwards. So another option for us is: First years until DS is 9 doing some delight-led learning, reading lots of books and following our own language/reading and math program and have both sons starting in Bigger when they're 7 and 9. What do you think?

* When do they start to work more independently? I'm not looking forward to juggling with many guides to be honest....that's why I'm leaning towards child-led learning for the first view years

* Last question (for now ) We are using Pathway Readers/CTGE and MEP math, and I love them both. They're working for DS so I don't want to change them. Would this be a problem?

I really like what I've seen this far of HOD, and it's the first curriculum where I actually like 90% of the book choices (10% is mostly in the reader packages, so no prob)

Thank you so much in advance,

Femke

[Marsha]

If you like it all except the Storytime and you have already did the math...
then I think those are easy to replace.

[Tansy]

I'm really slow sometimes..
How old are your kids? I can't figure it out

[Bramble]

Welcome!
Have you looked at the placement chart? http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php I don't feel that I know enough about your child to say if your 3 yo could place in Little Hearts so you might take a look at that chart. I'm thinking maybe the child really could gain from Little Hands even though he is gifted. How is his fine motor? Is he gifted across the board? or strong only in reading and math?

In regards to storytime, have you already read the Burgess books? Or what do you not like about them? I guess I am just shocked to hear someone say they don't like them. We love them here! but yeah, different strokes for different folks. Yes, they'd be easy to replace but you wouldn't get the wonderful comprehension questions that are included for the Burgess books, of course. Those might really be helpful to your child as a bilingual person who has difficulty comprehending.

I am not against delight-directed learning in the early years, but I think the HOD programs are just so wonderful I don't want to miss them. Also, each guide prepares the child for the skills in the next guide. Honestly, HOD programs are delightful to my children! Don't mean to sound cheesy! We have done delight-directed, and they have never been as happy about school as they are this year with HOD. HOD provides structure that was missing in our delight years. It gives them security. They also love the books and activities, just everything really!

Juggling the guides is really not difficult. I'm using three this year. Preparing starts adding the independent work, but you can make some things more independent in Bigger as well (depending on the age of your child.)

Take a look at the placement chart and let us know where your 3 yo falls with that.

[blessedmomof4]

Hi Femke,
If I understand correctly, you have one child age 3 and the other is 5 now. I would agree with the previous poster about using Little Hands to Heaven with your 3 year old, despite his giftedness. My oldest son taught himself to read at age 3. He had an immense vocabulary at that age. Because of this, I had him doing very heavy academic work by age 4. The problem with this was that although he was at that level academically, his body wasn't ready. He was not ready for writing assignments and sitting still for long periods of time. Although he could read for enjoyment, he was not ready to read for learning. Looking back, he would greatly have benefited from a program like Little Hands, for fine and gross motor development, for listening skills, for extending his attention span, for the Bible stories, for many reasons. What wound up happening was he began to detest learning and I had to repeat a program with him the following year. He is now 18 and a college student, and I sometimes wish I could go back and start over with him
Little Hands to Heaven is only 30 minutes a day, and the Christ-centered, gentle start is worth doing, even if your little one needs you to add more books for his academics. You didn't say much about your older son. If he is already reading as well, you could do Little Heart For His Glory with him, using your own phonics and math, or adding the Emerging Readers. If he is not reading yet, you can use your own phonics or one of the recommended ones. Little Hearts as written is only about an hour and a half a day.
I hope you will consider trying the early guides. Each subsequent guide builds on the skills introduced in the one before it. Oral narrations prepare the child for written ones. Oral language practice lays the foundation for formal grammar study. Read-a-louds get progressively longer. Parent-led and semi-independent work lead into independent work.
God bless you as you make plans for your little ones. Above all, He and you know your children best

[Kim S]

I guess I am confused at what you "do" like about HOD.
It sounds like you don't want to use the math she suggests or the readers or the read alouds and you don't like the first three years.
So I am wondering if you would be better to do something on your own.

I think the years build on themselves and your children would benefit. I started my 5yo on LHFHG and probably won't use LHTH but I am considering it with my 3yo next year.
LHFHG is wonderful and I am amazed at how much he has learned.

[Tree House Academy]

I am just wondering how you "don't like the first three years" of a program that you have never even held in your hand? I think I would need to know more about why you think you wouldn't like them.

Storytime books are chosen by the parent other than in Little Hearts (and we didn't do Little Hands because ds was too old for it when we started HOD). Math and English are the two things that people often substitute for their own and this is even an option within the guide, so no worries there either.

Independent work really starts picking up in Preparing Hearts and is almost totally independent by CTC. With my older ds (who is doing CTC right now), I work, maybe 30 mins to an hour with him each day going over English and writing, doing dictation, and reading from the Bible Study/geography and Storytime books. Other than him asking questions that I need to answer, this is about all the time I spend with him. Also, Writing and English are never on the same day and Bible Study/Geography are also not on the same day. Dictation is 3 days a week.

Also, the entire program for Preparing on up is a 4 day plan with the 5th day free for co-op, discovering their own interests, special assignments, etc.

[Mom4Him]

Hi!! I'm so glad you are looking at HOD!! We searched & searched for curriculum & were about to make up our own (exhausting!!!)... when we found HOD!! And we are SO blessed!
I too would love to hear more about your kiddos!! Without knowing very much, I think your 3-year-old would still really benefit from Little Hands! Our 5-year-olds went through it last year... they already knew most of the information, but I loved the walk through the Bible- so precious, & they were really able to blossom throughout the year & grow in maturity! This also prepared them so nicely for LHFHG this year (with the reading comprehension they needed, etc.)! Little Hands (& the other guides) really teach both the minds & the hearts of our children! Our 4-year-old is now going through LHTH a second time & loving it just as much, if not more!
Also, as our children are all still young, we have had the opportunity to do 2 of the first 3 guides. They are so much richer than you first realize!! Everything works together for a wonderful learning experience! The lessons are the perfect length for our children- with the opportunity to spread things out a bit if we like (my girls love to take their time & make their art projects just perfect)! They are also learning so very much by using each aspect of the guide, & are so proud to tell Daddy each day or their learning! We do love the Burgess books at our house. To be honest, I was a bit skeptical, but after the first day, that has been a favorite part of our girls' day (& mine too)! But, I'm not sure if those are the story time options you were speaking of!
I hope some of this helps a little. Take another look- you will be surprised! Oh- and keep asking questions! Everyone likes to help around here!
Jessica

[Femke]

Hi all,

Thank you for replying, sorry it took me so long

To answer your questions: I have a 3 yr old and a 2yr old. My 3 yr old is already writing, doing grade 1 math, reading etc etc. So to put him back to not doing that, doesn't seem a good idea to me, and he loves it! So that was why I was thinking about the second level.
Indeed I don't like the first 3 books but my 3yr old did like the sample that we did... he's still singing A A A Adam, Can you believe... It is just not my thing, but that's ok: If my children like it, I will use it.
So I guess, combining both levels would be an idea? He likes to make loooooooooong days of 'school', he tires me out with it
I did have a look at the placement chart and that would make him ready for the second level. But he has already done the R&S Preschool books.
I wouldn't mind using Singapore with my little one when he is ready for it, it is just that I am using MEP with my 3yr old right now and it is really working for him now. So that's something I don't want to drop.
The burgess books: I'm not into animals talking, but again, if it would work for my boys, I'll do it!
So basically: For my 2 year old, he'd love to join in with the little hands, and go on from there. But I'm just worried that it won't be enough for my 3yr old.

Hope this helps

[krismoose]

Has he done the Rod & Staff preschool G & H books? They're available elsewhere - my ds really liked the G book. (H wasn't available yet). You could just do a page a day following the LHFHG schedule.

I'd give the Burgess books a try for read-alouds - lots of great character issues are discussed with the questions in LHFHG, and my 3 yo dd really enjoyed listening along with my 5yo. Best Wishes!

[Mommamo]

What if you just did LHTH with the two for now, and add to it reading and math like you're doing? You could even do it at a little faster speed (so say 2 lessons a day?) if your kiddos want more. I don't think that would overwhlem them if that's what they're used to.

I wouldn't worry too terribly much about the history /story time side being on the same level that your little guy is on in reading and math. I thought that it had to be that way when my dd was little. In fact, I was wanting to start her with Beyond when she was 4.5, as we'd already done another company's Kinder program, along with FIAR and B4FIAR. The difference between my dd and your ds is that while she was ahead in math (not so much as your ds though), she was still reading what she had been since 3, CVC words. (She is FINALLY past that at 7, and reading just about anything she wants, but I digress) Anyway, intellectually she could handle a lot. But the neat thing about HOD is the way everything is mixed in, which includes handwriting along with some other skills. So I'm afraid that if you moved him too far ahead, even if he could handle it intellectually, that you'd miss out on some of what makes HOD unique. So the cool thing about HOD is that you can always alter the math and the reading to make the skills fit your child. But I think the history part is very age apropriate. My dd is in Bigger, and is in the young end of the age range. It's a great fit for her. She's only a little ahead of the guide in math, but everything else is perfect for her.

LHTH is such a happy program. My 7 yo loves to do it with my younger two, even though she obviously isn't still learning her letters and numbers and colors. You could just do it with omitting some of the things he doesn't need, doubling up on your days, and doing math and reading at his level. Then, if you double up, you'd be to LHFHG in several months and you could do it as written, except again doing reading and math at his level. And I hear you on the talking animals, but it's so sweet and age appropriate for the kiddos. And I honestly didn't think I would like LHFHG (just being honest here) and really wanted to go ahead and put her in Beyond, but I'm so glad that I went ahead and did it. It was truthfully our favorite year with HOD so far. All have been wonderful, but it was just such a great program. Perfect for where she was. However, there are many times that I wish we had gone ahead and done LHTH with her, doing it twice as fast. Ah well, I know now! And again, even though we're at the younger end of the range and every time I am concerned as we move up to the next guide that it might be too much since she is quite a bit younger than others using the guides, they are written to lead into each other so well that it has just been perfect. Anyway, you know what's best for your kiddos, and I'm so glad that you've enjoyed the samples. Good luck as you make your decision!