HOD? If so, what??

[PoppyD]

Hi ladies,
This is my first post here. We have been using sonlight for 3 years and I have been reasonably happy. I, personally, get so excited when I look at the full scope of what we would learn if doing sonlight. And I love reading. And I'm not a crafty, experiment type mom. However, I feel like what I had hoped for out of homeschooling isn't happening. I feel like my motto is "HURRY!! WE ARE BEHIND AGAIN!!!" Every day. I feel like we don't sit and rest with a book because we have 5 more things to read aloud plus math and grammar. Science flew out the window months ago. I don't use their language arts or bible. I kind of feel like I love sonlight so much because it's all I know. And I fear changing to something else because it won't be "sufficient." But I crave lighter but deeper, if that makes sense. So I guess my first question/plea for advice is about taking the plunge and moving over to HOD. I am a very "check the box" person. Moving curriculum gives me he heebie jeebies because my check box of what each child will hit through senior year will be "messed up." And I didn't have a great education growing up, although I have basically spent the last 20 years pouring over books myself and learning so much that I missed. I don't want my kids to miss out on quality education.
Ok so that's my thoughts on changing.
Second - if I do switch over, I'm not totally sure where to land. I have a 9 year old girl who has done 2 years of world history with SL and this year we are doing core D - first half of American history. It irks me to not finish it up. As far as other subjects, she is doing rod and staff English. 3rd grade. She is doing horizons math - 3rd grade. I also have a 6 year old girl that is doing kindergarten but is a phenomenal reader and doing K math - horizons. Sorry - I don't like Singapore.
I also have a 3 1/2 year old DD. She is interested in reading and knows most letter names and sounds,
So....where would you suggest beginning?
Sorry - that is so long. Thanks for listening and helping me out!
Poppy

[StephanieU]

It sounds like HOD might work perfectly for you. Before deciding which guides to us, look at the placement chart (http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php). Once you see where they place based on skill, you can post that information and maybe more moms can jump in and help.

[annaz]

Well, I can't really help with placement, because I only have one child. However, if you're looking for "lighter" HOD is not light. It is a very full day. Now if you're interested in books that really count and go deep, without reading a ton of books for the sake of reading a ton of books, then HOD will work. It is very well rounded; for all ways of learning.

[PoppyD]

No, I don't mean lighter in that way. I want a full, excellent curriculum with good literature and good quality in all the subject areas. By lighter, I guess I mean just less rush. I'm not doing a good job explaining this but we just feel bogged down and always hurrying to the next book. Not sure if that helps or not.

[PoppyD]

Oh and based on the placement, it seems to be suggesting Preparing for 9 year old. Beyond for 6 year old and Little Hands for almost 4 year old. Or Little Hearts.

[annaz]

No, I don't mean lighter in that way. I want a full, excellent curriculum with good literature and good quality in all the subject areas. By lighter, I guess I mean just less rush. I'm not doing a good job explaining this but we just feel bogged down and always hurrying to the next book. Not sure if that helps or not.

You are safe. We never hurry to the next book, because HOD chooses only the good ones. LOL! Quality over quantity.

[MelInKansas]

I have not used Sonlight so I can't compare them except for what I have heard from others. HOD has boxes to check, oh yes it does, and they are all right there before you. I think HOD does a great job of balancing your school day, so it is not "too much." But by Preparing level, there is a lot of work for you and the child to do (and Preparing is one of the more teacher-intensive guides, the successive ones will give the child more independence so the time spent with you is just in checking work, discussing what they have read, making sure it is all going smoothly for that older one). One thing I decided was that I was not too serious about having to finish one guide per year (because doing that was too much and felt way too hectic, just as you described with SL). I would rather do everything and enjoy it than worry about finishing the guide in a year. Am I messing up my plans for high school? Hopefully not. In HOD there are many kids who graduate high school and since the high school guides aren't even finished they do something else, or they take the younger guides and make them high school credit worthy. I am focussed on meeting my DD where she is at and giving her as much as I can to grow and be successful with what she is learning now and not worried about the far future. I know at some point I will have to plan all that stuff, but not yet. I think even if I made plans either it would stress me out not feeling like I would be getting there like I should be, or something would change in the process and I would not be able to do what I had planned anyway.

HOD will be more crafts and activities, they are planned out for you in the guide and they serve very important purposes in developing your children's skills. I don't always see the purpose until later, but I have seen in our progression through HOD that each activity really is important, even if I feel my child "already understands" or "doesn't need that." That's another reason I am committed to finishing it all, even if that means I don't do one guide a year. Other people feel differently on that, I am sure, and many do one guide a year.

You really do get to chew on books and enjoy them and go deep in your understanding of what you are reading. That part is great. I think the reading aloud time is somewhat less, because of the other things scheduled which are more active.

I pray God will give you wisdom in your decision process. I love HOD. I am so glad God led me to it when my oldest was a preschooler. The Bible centered, Christian worldview centered, guided learning is really wonderful and I am so thankful for all my children have learned.

[annaz]

Awesome post, Melissa!

[PoppyD]

Thanks ladies! Please keep the ideas coming.
Also, if we do decide to switch to HOD, can you tell me if I need any of these extras? We were planning to add them with SL along with rod and staff English.
-rod and staff spelling
-EIW for writing
-Latin
-God's great covenant for Bible

Thanks!

[christina32344]

HOD for that age level does not have foreign language. So, if you wish to teach Latin that will have to be added into your day through another curriculum.

[StephanieU]

Other than the Latin, you won't need to add anything. HOD included spelling/dictation, which is enough for most kids. It also included age-appropriate writing and Bible study, so you do not need to add those either. I think foreign language would be the only thing HOD is missing in the guides (and I don't think there is a one-size-fits all option for language, so it is probably a good "oversight" on Carrie's part).

[Nealewill]

I agree - you definitely wouldn't need to add anything unless there was a vendor you loved very much you would prefer to use rather than the vendor recommended for that subject. We never do "both" - ie Singapore and another math program.

For us - I think we picked Heart of Dakota for science and history and there I do not change ANYTHING. You can easily substituted your own math and language arts if you wanted but I find I do like their selection. But if you are using R&S already, that is schedule in the guide. I like their writing because they use different vendors for different years and I like that they don't do much formal writing until Preparing. So in Preparing they use a weekly written narration, a weekly writing assignment based of the poetry study, and then the writing in R&S for that year. After that, they still continue with the written narration and R&S writing but then they add a different vendor for writing each year. So CTC, they have Write With the Best Vol 1. Res to Ref uses IEW Medieval Writing. Rev to Rev uses The Exciting world of Creative Writing. And then MTMM uses Write with the Best Vol 2. I love that they use so many different vendors because it is great looking at writing from different styles IMHO.

I saw you mentioned that you have to end up skipping science and always feel behind. I think you will love HOD because it is so well balanced and hopefully you won't feel behind. In Preparing with my oldest, she is done with her stuff in 4 hours max per day. And I only spend 1.5 hours with her on school max. With my littles they are done in 2 hours max and I am working independently with them on math and reading but the rest is the same. The only time we get behind is if I just don't do school that day. I also work from home so I can't spend my whole day working on school. That won't work for me at all! So HOD is written that once your child reaches the level Preparing, they are reading a lot of the material themselves. My oldest DD is not a spectacular reader either but she has shined with her reading assignments. She loves the books and she rarely complains about volume. And I don't think the volume is excessive either for her. She has done very well. She also has remembered a lot of the stuff she has learned.

For us - we find this curriculum to be the prefect fit. It is very balance time wise, the activities they do with the curriculum don't cost an arm and leg to do, the kids can work independently, and the kids enjoy what they are learning and doing. I love it!

[my3sons]

Awesome job helping, ladies! I really like the spread of your guides from a teaching standpoint... PHFHG, Beyond, and LHTH. Very doable and sounds like a fantastic year ahead of you! Carrie writes HOD so any math can be used, so just enjoy using your Horizons. The rest would be covered already, unless you would still enjoy adding Latin. A few things I love about our homeschooling with HOD...
*Balance! Every day has a balanced amount of seatwork, hands-on (that is purposeful yet fun), writing, reading, skills, discussions, etc. Not heavy on any 1 thing (i.e. reading aloud)
*Christ-centered! Impossible to 'drop' Bible from this - inherent in everything - a way to live we love.
*Proper placement for all! All of my dc doing school that fits each of them exactly; shorter days for littles with shorter attention spans and longer for older with more mature needs!
*Open and go! I never plan ahead. Never. Even with one in high school, one in middle school, and one in first grade.
*Heart and head! We get to the heart of things and have made some special memories along the way, but academics is strong and our dc love books.

HTH! But be sure to ask more questions as needed!
In Christ,
Julie

[PoppyD]

I do have 2 more questions.
1- what does HTH mean?
2- what would you say the primary difference is in Preparing and CTC in terms of what would need to be more age appropriate? I like the idea of CTC because we have never done anything like that really. But I don't want writing and other things like that to be too hard.

Thanks! You are all so helpful!

[my3sons]

HTH = Hope that helps!

I did a comparison of skills in PHFHG and CTC here that may help...
Comparing PHFHG to CTC in Skills:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=12582&p=90658#p90658

In Christ,
Julie