Please tell me why I should use HOD!

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lmercon
Posts: 659
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:05 pm
Location: Zieglerville, PA

Please tell me why I should use HOD!

Post by lmercon » Tue Jan 22, 2008 11:31 pm

This is my first year hs my 6yo ds. I'm using another program that I thought I'd stay with forever. It has a major WOW! factor when you look at all that you get and do during the year. Yet, something is drawing me to this program. Why? What is it that makes this program better than the others? Why would I want to leave the publisher that I'm using for this curriculum? I'm sure it's all been said before, but I really need some enlightenment. I'm baffled by my own lack of decision after I thought I had found the "perfect" program(understanding that no program is perfect). I really love science, as does my son. Is the Beyond program and the more advanced ones really light with science or is it plenty? Is the scientific process taught? What about nature study, etc? So many questions! Any and all advice, suggestions, words of advice are appreciated.
Thanks,
Laura

blessedmomof4
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Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2007 4:34 pm
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Post by blessedmomof4 » Wed Jan 23, 2008 12:48 am

Hi, and welcome :)
I would first like to say that there is no such thing as "perfect" program. I have been through many over the years.

Having said that, I'll tell you my dislikes of other programs. One is busywork. Many programs seem to be written with a classroom in mind, and therefore there are pages and pages of busywork-overkill of practice. Another is overwhelming the mom with preparation time-lessons that claim to be easy to follow and wind up taking lots of mom's precious time to gather materials that are hard to find or organizing what was supposed to be organized already. Lastly, none of my kids liked using workbooks and texts all the time-real books are more fun :)

I'll also tell you what I like about HOD. All the assignments are interesting, purposeful, and age-appropriate. If you have 2 children close in age (like I do), you can use it for both of them, because each level is appropriate for a span of about 3 years in age. The manual is so well-organized. You just open the book and honestly you are ready to teach. Materials for science and other projects really ARE things you probably have at home or can get easily. The curriculum uses real books, and my kids love sitting with me on the couch and having me read aloud, and it counts for school, instead of them having to do all these workbook pages and then we hardly have time for reading together!

I love that they are creating history and science notebooks, where they record the things they learn in interesting ways, and they retain so much. Finally, for my 3rd and 4th grader, we are honestly done in about 3 hours! Younger grades are done in less. It seems to good to be true, that you can cover all the necessary work in so little time, but it works! The author just has a gift for making that happen.

I hope you have had a chance to browse the website and look at the sample pages and information that is listed. It will give you a very clear picture of what this curriculum is like. If you decide you want to use it, there is also a placement chart on the site that will help you choose the right level.

My girls and I are in our 12th week of Bigger Hearts, and this is the first time in many years of homeschooling where I did NOT have the urge to chuck what I am using mid-year (well, except for the math, as Singapore was not working out for my 4th grader :roll: ) But as for HOD, for me, it's a keeper-of course, I am biased-I detest workbooks and textbooks, and without a lot of help, I am hopelessly disorganized :lol:

Just my long-winded opinion, I'm sure you will get more at a decent hour. :wink:
Lourdes
Wife to Danforth
2 grads 9/19/92,7/8/95
2 in charter school 1/31/98, 9/19/99
3 in Heaven 8/11/06, 8/18/10, 9/13/13
Future HODie is here! 9/14/12

Tansy
Posts: 1029
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 9:11 am
Location: Texas

Post by Tansy » Wed Jan 23, 2008 2:04 am

I can tell you why I use this program.
1. Easy to use! minimal prep. I open book and Voila I'm ready, OK maybe while she is writing out her spelling worlds I'm hunting down the glitter. The things Carrie uses are normally in the house.

2. Efficient, Little hearts and Beyond took 1-2 hours per day. We are using Bigger now, when we started, it took 6 hours for a full day so we switched to half day but my dd got used to the work load and we now can do a full day in 2.5 to 3.5 hours. (that is with DITHOR)

3. Effective, I didn't want a "read to child all the time program" and I didn't want a "worksheet" program. So many curriculums out there are one or the other. HOD isn't.

4. Edifying, God is at the center. Bible verse are age appropriate and the action parts are really a great way to break up the school time.

5. Elastic, Singapore math didn't work out for my concrete minded child. using a different math program is a simple substitution. My child wants to study India.. easy to add in plenty of time in school day (see #2).

Not to mention the great group of Moms on this site to draw on!

And sorry bout all the E words I couldn't help myself.
♪♫•*¨*•.¸❤¸.•*¨*•♪♫•*¨*•.¸❤¸.•*¨*•♪♫
Dyslexics of the world Untie!
Adoptive Mom to 2 girls
http://gardenforsara.blogspot.com/
♪♫•*¨*•.¸❤¸.•*¨*•♪♫•*¨*•.¸❤¸.•*¨*•♪♫

netpea

works for our family

Post by netpea » Wed Jan 23, 2008 7:42 am

We use HOD because it works for us instead of us working hard for it. :lol:

My hubby asked me when oldest was around 1 if I would consider homeschooling and I said no way, public school worked well for me.... When my son was 4, I changed my mind. I walked into the local homeschooling store and was overwhelmed by all the choices. I was drawn to one shelf where I found Little Hands to Heaven sitting. I was hooked. We used both Little Hands to Heaven and Little Hearts for His Glory and my son loved them both. :D

Beyond was just coming out when I started doubting myself and switched curriculums, it was a disaster. Way too much work for the teacher each day and too much for my son. He hated schoolwork. :!: It was a struggle each day. I ditched the curriculum and we just read and read and did workbooks until I bought Beyond. Now schoolwork is fun again.

Carrie's programs are just the right balance of fun learning activities, read alouds, and work. They are easy to teach and enjoyable for the Kids. My son said one day, "that's it, I did it all?? I love this schoolwork". :D That's all I needed to hear. We'll be with HOD for good.

With HOD, after we finish the daily lesson, we can read more books about whatever the kids are interested in. I never found time for that with the other curriculum and yet I know they are still learning. My son regales his father with summaries of the History reading. Have him draw a picture of what we talked about and it will be very detailed, that didn't happen with the other curriculum either.

HOD just makes my day go so much better. I don't feel like I'm floundering around trying to remember what to do next. And we take it on the road with us when we visit Grandma with no problem.

Is this what you wanted to know?

netpea

One more thing

Post by netpea » Wed Jan 23, 2008 7:57 am

Oh yes, I forgot to mention, this curriculum is Christ - Centered not just a curriculum with a bible section. (That was very important to us, even if I forgot to mention it the first time around... :oops:)

water2wine
Posts: 2743
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Location: GA

Post by water2wine » Wed Jan 23, 2008 8:44 am

What I love about HOD over the others is that while I found if they are going for the Christian market they advertise that they are really going to make it all about God in everything, and in the end what I found was either a disjointed message that was not speaking to my kids hearts or extreem compromise in their selection of books. I know ultimately of course I am to teach them about God and that is my primary job but what I pick to me reflects that as well. What I love about HOD is the simple yet very meaningful way things are connected to God and the Word. When things correlate it is because in meaning they are actually connected it is not like a few words matched and some weird extrapolation was made to get to a Bible verse. When books are chosen the choice is not just the popular one even if it is secular and if a secular one is used it is not the main event of the program and is used with great care. HOD gets that while it is the parents job to shape their children's hearts, their curriculum will do that too.

I also love I am not finding any evolution in the programs and the books that are used especially in science because from other publishers I am hearing things like "but it had the best pictures so we have to pick it please pray that a better on comes along"...what? :roll: There are plenty of wonderful Christian books and if the "perfect" picture book does not work my feeling is if you are a Christian provider use the one that is good, forget the flash, and write a better manual to compensate. Along those lines I have called other providers to ask if I could substitute a history spine in Ancients and the answer I got was "well you are welcome to use our teacher guide but it certainly will not be our program so I am not sure why you would want to. The _______ writer is a Chistian _________writer does know what they are doing. And ________ were very careful about selecting________ books because they are the best to teach the era." Ok I am a little wacky I do not want to use secular books that openly teach evolution. I am OK if you think that was best for most but can we at least discuss a solution for my family and our values. HOD may do that down the line but I guarantee two things, one if I call and say I want to use something else not only will they have no problem I would bet they would have suggestions to replace the book plus tell me everything that I am going to object to in the other book before I buy it. They would find not just a way for it to work but the best way for my family and the goals I have for my kids no matter how extreme it may seem. They get that while they write the curriculum we still teach it and it has to work for us. And they get this on every level and that reflects in all the other posts you will get as well.

So that is the spiritual and keeping in line with what I feel God is asking me to teach m child aspect. The rest is easy to explain...Simple Genius! That is exactly I told my husband who has watched me spend hours on end searching for years actually and be unhappy with what I chose before even though in concept I loved it but found in practice it weighed me down and fell short in Christian content deep heart connection to me. Why did HOD work so much better and why did the kids and I love it so much more, Simple Genius. It is all the things others are saying here. Well organized yet not confining. It feels like it all comes from me. I fell like the best mom and the best teacher when I use HOD. My kids beg to do it. I have always made everything we use enjoyable. I love homeschooling. I truly found what I was called to do. I am good at taking something bad and making it good usually. But I hate to be frustrated and I hate to dread using something. We have such a short time to educate and train our children. We have such a short time to seal up all the holes and fill them with God. I want to enjoy every moment and HOD lets me not only enjoy it but know while I am feeding their hearts and minds, I am making memories that will last a lifetime.

Ok last I just want to apologize for the length I am kind of on my way out to a doctor apt for my daughter. But I want to make two more points. Mom of six kids all over the place in learning styles and ability, teaching really three to read, one with special needs, and it is perfect for me. That is how flexible and yet organized it is at the same time. Last thing is yes I am worried about academics. I want very well educated kids. I am a biologist and m dh is an engineer. It matters to us and we are very pleased with that as well. But we also balance that with the knowledge that when we meet God face to face He is not going to ask us if we covered all the History cycles and if the learned Latin. He will ask us to account for how we taught the children He entrusted in our care about Him and did we help them to really know Him initmately. Being someone that values academics I know that it does not come from a simple Bible study every day (although don't get me wrong I think all wisdom is there!). It has to be much deeper if you want to keep them out of the 70% that lose their faith in College. :shock: Because most if all of our kids will go and I am not liking the odds on that. Now is the time to teach to their hearts and minds so that later they can teach their minds but still keep their heart for Him. So everything you do has to catch their hearts and turn them to seek His face. Because in college it will not be the Bible they use to try to take your children's heart from God. It will be the Science book with the cool pictures that talks about evolution.

Whew! Sorry, But as you can see I LOVE HOD. And I wanted to give you something that might be a different. I can guarantee you that I agree with all the other great things people are saying as well. But I know you will get tons of that.

Enjoy deciding and hope you find the best for your family! :D
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)

babybryte
Posts: 46
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:54 am
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Post by babybryte » Wed Jan 23, 2008 9:41 am

water2wine

Thank you for your post. You have reaffirmed my decision to use HOD. Training my children's hearts for God is my number one priority, academics second.
Could you email me? I have a question for you. My email is: babybryte@yahoo.com

Thanks a bunch!
Blessings,
Jacquelyn


William (11) and Caroline (9), both doing Preparing, DITHOR, MUS, R&S English, Sequential Spelling, and workboxes!
Samuel, born on Sept 3, 2010 - eating, sleeping, pooping, and loving life!

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

Post by water2wine » Wed Jan 23, 2008 12:53 pm

I emailed you. We just got back. :D
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)

6timeboymom
Posts: 417
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:59 pm
Location: Iowa

Post by 6timeboymom » Wed Jan 23, 2008 3:25 pm

I love it for all the reasons listed, too. God is certainly at the center-not like some of the stuff I've used where if you put a Bible verse on the page it's suddenly CHRISTIAN. :roll:
I also love that it's easy to use, easy to understand. I have had teacher guides before that were more confusing to me then the stuff I was supposed to teach!
It's also amazingly easy to adjust to what works for MY boys. That's amazing to me-I've never seen another curriculum that has that ability. It's always "use this with this or you can't use it at all" but with HOD, I can substitute this book for that one, this math for that one, and even skip around in the day to day stuff and it STILL WORKS!
I love the CM approach; I like the fact that Carrie has put so much thought into the selections of literature and learning. I have always felt like she wrote this just for ME, which is something I never, ever found with any other curriculum.
Darci
mom to 6 great boys-"they've got me surrounded!!"
using: as much HOD as possible! :wink:

my3sons
Posts: 10702
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:08 pm
Location: South Dakota

Post by my3sons » Wed Jan 23, 2008 4:00 pm

O.k. ladies, you've got my eyes "tearing" up here! Water2wine, thank you for your very eloquent post. I'll be rereading it to remind myself of what's truly important, and I agree with every single word you've written there.

I don't know what I can say that has not been said so well already, but let me say you've got me thinking with my heart here, so what's to follow will come from that. I think HOD's curriculums are an education of the mind, heart, and soul. They are nourishment to a mother's heart. I don't want my time to be spent planning homeschool; I want it to be spent with my children homeschooling. I don't want to be modifying activities, running to the library, dashing to the store for materials, or holding my head as I sort through lesson plans. HOD doesn't have me doing those things. Mind you, it's not that I'm incapable of doing those things either... it's just not what I want to be spending my time doing.

I am HAPPY homeschooling. I tell my children I LOVE homeschooling them, and it's TRUE... not because I'm so great, not because they're so great, but because the curriculum is so great. It does what I need it to do. I have homeschooled with HOD on complete bedrest, completely sick, taking care of my sister's children after my brother-in-law's heart attack, in the midst of selling a house, moving to a new house, and in the middle of family crisis when I didn't think I could even put one foot in front of the other. I love HOD, and I feel that my purpose of bringing glory to God is accomplished through using HOD's Christ-centered curriculum with my children. It keeps my "eye on the ball", so to speak.

This homeschooling is serious business, gals, isn't it? I often think "if I mess up my kids knowing the Lord, not much else will matter".
Phil. 3:13-14: But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

May we raise up an army for the Lord teaching our children with HOD.
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

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

Post by Carrie » Wed Jan 23, 2008 5:44 pm

Ladies,

What a heartfelt thread this one is! I need to save this one to refer to when the writing days are long, and I'm needing reassurance to keep on going!

We hoped and prayed that this board would be an encouragement to others using other products, never realizing what an encouragement it would be to me!

The Lord is so good at giving us what we need when we need it most!

Blessings,
Carrie

marypoppins
Posts: 115
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:21 am
Location: OH

Post by marypoppins » Wed Jan 23, 2008 7:49 pm

Thank you for your post, water2wine (and others), I have printed this out and saved it for the next time I need a reality check about what is really the ultimate goal throughout this hs journey.

Water2wine, I wish you lived next door to me! I could really use a wise mentor mom like you close by!!! :)

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

Post by water2wine » Wed Jan 23, 2008 8:51 pm

marypoppins I wish we lived next door to each other too. I'm not sure how wise you would think I was then but it would be fun. I would love to have a close by hs buddy. 8)
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)

Dorla
Posts: 249
Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:03 pm
Location: Texas
Contact:

Post by Dorla » Thu Jan 24, 2008 2:47 pm

After using LHFHG for 10 weeks with my 5 year old we went on vacation. And now he has informed the that he hates school. Well, since quitting is not an option I had to rethink my methodology. HOD is so flexible that I am still able to stay on track and make my son enjoy school again.
Previously we were "doing school" in one sitting. Now I spread it out through the morning, skip what I think is not needed and come back to it whenever I feel it is the right time. I can also glance at the lesson plan for the day and make science, Bible, art, etc. part of our every day life.
This is why I am staying with HOD and recommend it to all my friends!
Dorla in Texas

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