Question

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Blessed
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Aug 01, 2008 1:56 am

Question

Post by Blessed » Fri Aug 01, 2008 2:28 pm

Hello,
I am new to the HOD message board and I have a quick question. First, here is a little background info. I am looking for curriculum for my preschool boys (ages 2 and 4), my kinder daughter (age 5 1/2) and my second grade son (age 7). I am looking for a Christian curriculum with a Charlotte Mason approach that is very user friendly (I also have a baby so I don't have a ton of prep time). My 2nd grader is very interested in the states, so I am wanting to study these with him (along with some broader American history) this year. I have decided on LHTH for my preschoolers, but am having a hard time deciding between My Father's World Adventure curriculum or Beyond for my kinder and 2nd grader (I am thinking it would be tough to do two seperate curriculums and both read independently). I am so impressed with HOD, but cannot tell if it covers the states. Any advice? Ultimately, I am praying for guidance and wisdom in selecting a curriculum that will work for my family and the multiple ages that I am teaching to. Thank you for your time!

Blessed Mama of 5

holyhart
Posts: 557
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:16 pm
Location: ~New Hampshire
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Re: Question

Post by holyhart » Fri Aug 01, 2008 2:49 pm

Hi Blessed...welcome! :D

This thread may help a little in the are of MFW vs. HOD...
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1446

As for whether the states are covered or not in Beyond I can't help you (I'm using LHFHG), but I'm sure some of the other wonderful ladies will be able to!
~Kelly~
wife of CB since 10/99
mother to:
~Evelyn Grace 5/03
~Joshua Ryan 11/05
~Lillian Rose 8/08
~Caleb Charles 8/10

Blessed
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Aug 01, 2008 1:56 am

Re: Question

Post by Blessed » Fri Aug 01, 2008 3:15 pm

Thank you so much, Holyhart!
I read the thread that you recommended and it was so helpful! I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to me and share the wisdom of the thread with me. I have really been wrestling with my decision and your reply has given me some great things to look at and pray about. Thank you and have a great weekend!

Blessed Mama of 5

stellar
Posts: 29
Joined: Wed Jun 11, 2008 4:57 am

Re: Question

Post by stellar » Fri Aug 01, 2008 4:25 pm

I had a hard time last year deciding between Beyond and MFW Adv. Beyond does not cover states, MFW does. I prayed and went with HOD. I loved it. :-)

Kari

jensmom
Posts: 119
Joined: Sat May 17, 2008 3:14 pm
Location: GA - Metro Atlanta

Re: Question

Post by jensmom » Fri Aug 01, 2008 4:34 pm

I will be using Beyond for my dd who is 6. I am adding the State Funbook from http://www.statehistory.net/. This site was recommended by Carrie for fulfilling the state requirements for older students. I will use the funbook for our state for 1st grade, my homestate for 2nd grade and my dh's homestate for 3rd grade. Then later I will use the older version for more in depth study of our state.

You can read the entire thread about state requirements further down on this page.

HTH,
Judy
2nd year HODie/homeschooler - Using Bigger for 2nd grade
dd - 7 - June '02
Metro Atlanta

Carrie
Site Admin
Posts: 8125
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2007 8:39 pm

New to HOD: Questions

Post by Carrie » Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:48 pm

Blessed Mama of 5,

I split your post off the end of the Preparing thread and reposted it below so that it didn't get buried in the other thread! Then, I noticed you already posted on the board separately! :oops: I'll just merge this thread with your other one, so all responses will go in the same place! We're glad you're here! :wink: You'll find the moms on the board to be very uplifting and encouraging! :D

Blessings,
Carrie

Hello,
I am new to the HOD message board, but I have been staying up late at night trying to research and decide on curriculum for my preschoolers (age 2 and 4), my kindergartener (age 5.5) and my second grader (age 7). I have been going back and forth from the My Father's World website to the HOD website (for my kinder and 2nd grader) and both of the choices appeal to me. I think I have settled on my choice of LHTH for my preschoolers. Has anyone had experience with the MFW curriculum and the HOD curriculum and can you give me guidance in this area? I am looking for a Christian curriculum, Charlotte Mason approach, unit study with ease of use (I also have a 4 month old). Thank you in advance for any wisdom you can provide!

Blessed Mama of 5

netpea

Re: New to HOD: Questions

Post by netpea » Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:51 pm

I'd start here:
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1446
Julie did a wonderful job of comparing and contrasting MFW and HOD.
:D

water2wine
Posts: 2743
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2007 7:24 pm
Location: GA

Re: Question

Post by water2wine » Fri Aug 01, 2008 9:00 pm

Ok I was posting the same thread for you. :D But I will also say that I have done most :D of MFW K. It is one you either love or do not love. I did not love it. It made me crazy. Others love it. So look at that one in particular very hard to make sure you will love it and it is at your child's level. I found it hard to adjust. I purchased another complete program to use with my then 3rd and 5th graders. I prepared for the entire year and read through the entire manual only to realize it really would not work for us. My reasons were a lot of what is listed in the thread you have been referred to already. Having said all that I am not saying MFW is not a good program it just is not a good fit for my family. I believe it is a quality program. It's just not a good fit for us and we happen to love HOD. I think personally the easiest way to pick one over the other (including prayer) is to look at the basic philosophy of each and how they are run also look at the focus of each program. They are very different in many ways and hopefully there is something in those differences that can give you peace either way. :D I know other moms will have more help for you. I know for me one prayer God has really honored is the prayer for Him to show me what He wants me to teach my children. I pray that you find a clear answer as well.
All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children. Isaiah 54:13
~Six lovies from God~4 by blessing of adoption
-MTMM (HS), Rev to Rev, CTC, DITHR
We LOVED LHFHG/Beyond/Bigger/Preparing/CTC/RTR/Rev to Rev (HS)

Blessed
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Aug 01, 2008 1:56 am

Re: Question

Post by Blessed » Sun Aug 03, 2008 10:45 pm

Thank you all so much for the insight and responses to my question. I have decided to use LHTH for my preschoolers and Beyond with my Kinder and 2nd grader. I will supplement with some study material for each state. Thank you for the link to the state history website! How wonderful to have you all to turn to for advice and answers to my questions. I really have a peace about using HOD next year, and I am excited to be a part of this wonderful, uplifting message board. One more question for now....since my kinder daughter is reading independently, do you think I am making the right decision to group her with my 2nd grader in Beyond? I would love to do LHFHG with her for kinder, but I don't know if it would be too much to balance LHTH, LHFHG and Beyond all in one year. Has anyone tried this? If so, how did it go for you? Thank you, ladies! What a blessing you all are!

Blessed Mama of 5

inHistiming
Posts: 1301
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Location: Central VA
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Re: Question

Post by inHistiming » Mon Aug 04, 2008 6:46 am

I have not tried to do 3 programs, but I know others have and said it worked fine. I do know that LHTH is only set up to take about 30 minutes to do. LHFHG, I think, takes about an hour, and Beyond takes 2-2.5 hours. So total time would just be 4 hours if each program took the longest estimated time to complete. There should be some overlap; like each child working on Math at the same time, etc. so it probably would take less time. I will be doing LHTH with my youngest, and Bigger with my two older kids. So, for me, that will mean 4-4.5 hours. My goal is 4 hours, so hopefully we can get in our groove and meet that goal most days. :) I don't know if this has been helpful at all, I hope it has. I'm sure there will be others that have done this that will have more accurate information for you.

gracelikerain
Posts: 199
Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2008 5:49 pm
Location: NY

Re: Question

Post by gracelikerain » Mon Aug 04, 2008 8:14 am

Welcome Blessed Mama! :D

I am new to HOD too. I will be doing preparing with my 2 oldest girls who will be 8 & 10 soon & LHTH with my 4ds.
I wanted to give you a link to a great study of the states to add on the Beyond. Now I have never done this state program but it looks great! check out http://www.kreativesimplicity.com/ It looks very simple to use & fun!
Looking forward to getting to know you as you school your dc! :D


Blessings,
Georgette~
Isaiah 54:13
Blessed with 5 awesome gifts from God!
Trail Blazing 4 HIM!
dd-12-CTC
dd-9-Preparing
ds-6-LHFHG
dd-3-tagging along & keeping life real fun!
ds-5 months

my3sons
Posts: 10698
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:08 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Question

Post by my3sons » Mon Aug 04, 2008 12:08 pm

Blessed wrote:Thank you all so much for the insight and responses to my question. I have decided to use LHTH for my preschoolers and Beyond with my Kinder and 2nd grader. I will supplement with some study material for each state. Thank you for the link to the state history website! How wonderful to have you all to turn to for advice and answers to my questions. I really have a peace about using HOD next year, and I am excited to be a part of this wonderful, uplifting message board. One more question for now....since my kinder daughter is reading independently, do you think I am making the right decision to group her with my 2nd grader in Beyond? I would love to do LHFHG with her for kinder, but I don't know if it would be too much to balance LHTH, LHFHG and Beyond all in one year. Has anyone tried this? If so, how did it go for you? Thank you, ladies! What a blessing you all are!

Blessed Mama of 5
Hi Blessed Mama of 5, and welcome to the HOD boards! :D I think you've made a great decision. :D I do think that you could do 3 HOD programs, but I also think it is well worth trying just the 2 first. You could begin with LHTH and Beyond... and give it a month or so. If your kindergartner seems to fit with LHFHG better after you've given Beyond... a try with her, then you can always order LHFHG later and start that then. Giving Beyond... a trial run with the 2 of them will also help you to assess the dynamics of the 2 of them working together; I think that makes a big difference in what is best too. If it is a very competitive type feeling and one of the 2 of them feels like they're not measuring up to the other, then have younger dd make the switch to LHFHG. If the 2 of them gel well, and love to work together, and it's going well for both of them, HIP! HIP! HOORAY! Keep 'em both in Beyond...! If you never try it, you may always be wondering if it would have worked great just to do 2 programs instead of 3. I'd be very casual about how you go about talking about it to your dc if you make the switch later though: something like, "I just really want time alone with you dd in kind., and I think LHFHG is too fun to pass up doing with you" rather than, "Beyond... didn't work for you, so now you have to do LHFHG", like a demotion. NOT, that you would ever do that on purpose, but I have caught myself subtlety saying things such as this once and awhile, and it's tough to undo once the words have come out! I'm probably the only one that blunders my words sometimes this way, but in case I'm not the only one that sometimes sticks my foot in my mouth, I thought I'd throw that out there. I'm so glad you are here, and I think you are going to LOVE HOD!

In Christ,
Julie :lol:
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie

Samuel'sMommy
Posts: 647
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Location: TN
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Re: Question

Post by Samuel'sMommy » Mon Aug 04, 2008 1:41 pm

I don't have any advice for you as I only have one little one, but I wanted to welcome you to the boards! The ladies here are great and can help you out with anything you need!
Stephanie
Wife to Adam for 25 years
Mom to Samuel (18 - freshman in college), Isaiah (8), and Judah (4) through the miracle of adoption
Using and loving LHTH & BLHFHG

Loved using LHTH, LHFHG, BLHFHG, BHFHG, PHFHG, CTC, & RTR!

Carrie
Site Admin
Posts: 8125
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2007 8:39 pm

Re: Question

Post by Carrie » Mon Aug 04, 2008 6:47 pm

Hello Blessed,

I agree that I would try combining first and see how it goes. So much depends on the dynamics that my3sons mentioned. There are moms on the board here that combine and moms that do not. Both work for families, so you'll have a built in support system no matter what you do! :D

We pray HOD will be a blessing for your family. :D

Blessings,
Carrie

Blessed
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Aug 01, 2008 1:56 am

Re: Question

Post by Blessed » Tue Aug 05, 2008 8:00 am

Thank you ALL so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to respond to my questions! I am so grateful that the Lord led me here and I am excited to order LHTH and Beyond and let the blessings unfold!

Blessings to you all,
Blessed Mama of 5

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