First Day Fiasco (scroll down for 2nd day success!)

[Tidbits of Learning]

Well, I started PHFHG with my ds11 today. I decided not to start with my younger ds this week as ds11 needs me a lot. He has dysgraphia/dyslexia. He hasn't done awful but it is slow going. I am starting him several weeks before we will start with the girls. First off, it takes us about an hour before we even start our day with HOD to do his OT (occupational therapy) exercises. This is about 30 minutes longer than I thought it would take us. I think we will get faster with his OT once we get in a rhythm. I had to look at the book for each exercise today and feel that once I get going with it that it will go faster. After OT, he does Click N Spell and Keyboarding on the computer. This is timed and takes 30 minutes total. I have a pretty schedule drawn up even giving extra time for the recommended times, but after this morning I think this will be a work in progress to get to the times needed vs. our actual times. So far this morning he did OT (took an hour), Spelling (used timer took 15 min.), no keyboarding this morning (had issues with computer cd), Reading about History (went well and time allotted as I read to him), Storytime (went well and time allotted as I read to him), History Project (went well took a lot longer than time allotted), Research (was a big fiasco for so many reasons---took a long time), we had lunch, and now he is working on Ind. History Draw with Writing (taking a long time---just set timer)...
Here was our big time issues and motor skills issues-
1. Computer issues
2. Cutting took forever (I drew the shield outline for him to cut)
3. Staring at the paper forever until I drew some examples on the markerboard for the shield...after he had some examples, it went quickly.
4. Draw with Writing-very self-conscious about drawing and very visual and overlooking reading the actual directions. He was just looking at the pictures and winging it.
We probably wasted an hour or more with the Keyboarding CD and then the Research issues b/c of parental controls on his laptop. We probably took an hour or more to get the History Project and Ind. History complete after lunch. Some of this was dawdling and focus issues as well. I am wondering if I shouldn't call it a day as we have been at it since 9 am and we will just have finished the left side and it is 2 pm. His language arts and math are also time consuming as he uses programs recommended for his dyslexia/dysgraphia. We will be using HOD dictation and DITHOR.
So it is 2 pm and I am writing this post as he is supposedly drawing his tree for draw and write after guidance on the plant drawing. Once he is done with that, we will have completed the left side. He is complaining of hand fatigue as well. I am leaning towards doing either math or language arts and calling it a day and picking up tomorrow with Bible Study, Poetry, Dictation, DITHOR, either math or language arts (whichever we don't do today), and Science. I hadn't planned to start 1/2 speed, but I can't see us finishing in a decent time otherwise for quite a while. I just told him we would do a 1/2 day today and a 1/2 day tomorrow. Sent him for 20 min. free time then we will do math. I gave him the choice of math or language arts and he chose math for today. So is this a good plan for 1/2 speed with him for now?

[FiveLittlePeaches]

I'm sorry you felt your first day was a fiasco.

I just want to encourage you to look at this from a different perspective. I never expect much the first week or two since we're just easing into things. Research is a box that I know will improve by the end of the year. Remember, these are skills he needs to learn and master by the end of the manual. He isn't supposed to be able to complete day one of week one perfectly. Cheer up! It sounds like a regular first day at our house!

[Molly]

I just want to encourage you, you have done a great job, as has he. That sounds like an awful lot of extra stuff you have going on as well. Is is possible to leave the keyboard to the end of the day? One thing I have found with one of my girls is that I need to go over the instructions really carefully, and like you often have to give her an example. I have come to the conclusion if I give her guidance now, later on she will have the skills there to just get on with it herself. Please relax and enjoy learning with him, trust that God has shown you HOD in order to bless your family.

[MelInKansas]

Ugh! I feel your pain! I had a first day like that when I started Beyond last summer. I had ordered the wrong math book. There was at least one other critical supply that I had not gotten. All that made me frustrated, so I had to skip some things and frantically order two materials and wait a week for them (as I wasn't quite desperate enough to pay an extra $11 for next day or something).

If I were you, I would call it a day at that point. Pick it up again tomorrow. Work on your computer issues if you can before then.

And as another person said, be encouraged you are going in the right direction. Encourage your DS for his diligence through difficulty. I think it usually takes about 3 weeks for us to hit a good stride and me to feel like I (and the kids) have a grasp of what is going on and what is supposed to go on each day. Give yourself some grace. I will say a prayer for you right now.

[Tidbits of Learning]

I appreciate the encouragement. I was getting pretty down about today and stressing how in the world I am going to juggle the other 3 kids if a 1/2 day takes this long with him. I am just not sure how to do 1/2 speed PHFHG while keeping up the 3 R's daily. We do have to add in a lot but I have made schedules so that they shouldn't take longer than HOD's plans. I am hoping to test him into Singapore Math next year. I am much more nervous about adding in everyone else after today. Worst case scenario is I spend the next 3 weeks working with him individually and start the other 3 kids on the 27th.
At least I managed to turn off parental controls on the laptop...well after I called hubby and he walked me through it. The great news is math went very well and very quick. So he is done and relaxing now.

[LynnH]

I think with all the extra you need to add that I would go at 1/2 speed for awhile if you can figure out how to do that. My ds with dysgraphia just traced the things in Draw and Write Through History for almost the entire year. Otherwise it was just such a struggle for him it wasn't worth it. By the time he got to CTC he was able to visualize it better and follow the directions. My only other thought is do you plan on doing keyboarding every day? If I felt I needed to add something like then I waited until we got the flow of the guide and then I could usually pick 2 days that were not taking as long as the others and he would do the extra thing on those days. For the keyboarding summer always seemed to work better for us to do that for some reason.

[Tidbits of Learning]

I have tracing paper. I may let him trace the draw and write. That sounds like a really good plan right now. I like the idea of waiting on keyboarding until he has the swing of the guide better. Multi-step instructions are hard for him so the tracing sounds like it would really help. Now that we have started, I can tell he will need time to learn how to do the science independently especially for the experiments with multi-step instructions.
I am excited about tomorrow. He felt really successful today finishing his work. I could tell he was less stressed than with the charter. I am just going to get a plan for going 1/2 speed.

[MelInKansas]

1/2 speed sounds like a really good plan. You can bump it up when he seems like he is ready for more. I have really enjoyed 1/2 speed (with math every day) so far.

[Samuel'sMommy]

Sorry your first day was so crazy! I agree with the others. With everything else you have going on, half speed is probably a good plan till you get into the swing of things. Just keep moving forward and I'm sure you guys will get a good rhythm going soon.

[Tidbits of Learning]

Today went really well. Just my being mentally prepared to do 1/2 speed made a big difference. We even started DITHOR. I am able to incorporate HOD's dictation and DITHOR into his Reading plans for his dysgraphia/dyslexia. We used HOD's dictation and then use DITHOR for his 5-10 min. of oral reading and reading comprehension with his Diane Craft OT exercises. I didn't realize until today that it would work out so great and we would be able to just add them in during his OT time. We are dropping keyboarding totally for now. He had a really good day and it was pretty laid back and fun. My kids always love the one small square books for science. He is reading George Rogers Clark for his DITHOR biography. We have the cd for the Bible verses but he is used to the New Revised Standard Edition of the Bible so we had to get out my KJV and look up the verse since it was so different. He enjoyed listening to the cd, but stumbled over reading the KJV version. The NRSE version seemed to be easier for him. Since we tied so much of his language arts from HOD into his OT time, it seemed like a really short day.

[MelInKansas]

Hooray! I'm glad it went so well for him today and it sounds like both of you were a lot happier. That's great that HOD fit in with his OT so well too! As far as Bible version, only use the CD if it is helpful, if it is confusing because you are memorizing another version then use the version you prefer. I had read/heard a lot of good ways to help with memorizing, one was to read it quickly over and over on a recording to listen to. Listening to that helps it get in your head or you get the rhythm of it. I don't remember if Preparing suggests this or not, but all the previous guides have had us create hand motions with the verses, which really helps my kinesthetic DD with the memory work.

[my3sons]

Today went really well. Just my being mentally prepared to do 1/2 speed made a big difference. We even started DITHOR. I am able to incorporate HOD's dictation and DITHOR into his Reading plans for his dysgraphia/dyslexia. We used HOD's dictation and then use DITHOR for his 5-10 min. of oral reading and reading comprehension with his Diane Craft OT exercises. I didn't realize until today that it would work out so great and we would be able to just add them in during his OT time. We are dropping keyboarding totally for now. He had a really good day and it was pretty laid back and fun. My kids always love the one small square books for science. He is reading George Rogers Clark for his DITHOR biography. We have the cd for the Bible verses but he is used to the New Revised Standard Edition of the Bible so we had to get out my KJV and look up the verse since it was so different. He enjoyed listening to the cd, but stumbled over reading the KJV version. The NRSE version seemed to be easier for him. Since we tied so much of his language arts from HOD into his OT time, it seemed like a really short day.

Oh good!!!!! I'm so glad. My heart was going out to you here as I just read this post, but then I got to this part and felt a huge sense of relief. First days often aren't our best ones. In fact, with HOD, we've found that the beginning is the hardest, as we are learning the routine of a new guide and tackling new skills while refining older skills. The middle of the year is a great place to be in an HOD guide. When you said Just my being mentally prepared to do 1/2 speed made a big difference, that really resonated with me. I had to go to half-speed for Beyond with Emmett, I had to realize that half-speed was what I could do, rather than always trying to get more done. My Dad is going through a lot right now with his pancreatic cancer and in home hospice care, and other things in life are busier now as well. I have had to accept that this is what works now. Next week, I'll be going half-speed with Riley training him to start RTR, and then full-speed with Emmett in Beyond (and full-speed with Wyatt in WG). I think that you hit the nail on the head with mentally being prepared to do 1/2 speed. So true! I am praying that things continue to go smoothly. Feel good about what you are accomplishing! A joyful, successful half-speed day of homeschooling can be better than a harried, stressful full-speed day. With HOD, I've always found the middle to the end of the guide is easier for us that the start. It is because we have found a routine, the things that are to be independent are working very well, and our dc have begun to strengthen the new skills being taught. I hope this helps - have a relaxing Sunday refreshing for tomorrow, and wish be luck with my first day with RTR tomorrow (and I'll mentally prepare to do half-speed for that instead of thinking I'll do more ).

In Christ,
Julie