New to HOD

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tnahid
Posts: 531
Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 12:51 am
Location: Texas

New to HOD

Post by tnahid » Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:31 am

Hello all,

I am new to HOD, but I do believe this is the curriculum for us after researching many. I homeschooled my two boys 2 years ago when they were 4 and 6, and then they went to a private Christian school for the last two years, but we have been led to homeschool again. I now have an almost 4 year old adopted daughter as well in the mix, so she will be homeschooling also. My boys are now 6 (will be 7 in August) and 9 (will be 10 in Feb.). This past school year, they were in Kindergarten and 2nd grade, because when we started there at the school, we didn't want to push them too hard, so they started a year behind what they could have.

My question is what level to start them in this year. My youngest reads very fluently and is very intelligent, definitely already on first grade level with reading, but still has only completed kindergarten. My oldest son is an excellent reader as well, but I'm not sure about what level he should start in and whether I should try to use the same level for both. I think the Bigger Hearts would be fine for my 9 year old, but the LA, grammar, etc, would be too much for my youngest. Would it be best to use a different level for them both or should I start with Beyond for both and just add more stuff for my 9 year old? Like adding the DITHOR?

I know that LIttle Hands will be fine for my daughter, but if possible I would like to combine my older two if possible. But I don't want to add to much extra work to myself in combining them either! Any help would be greatly appreciated. The first year we homeschooled, I used Alpha Omega Lifepacs along with FIAR. The workbooks were okay, but frustrated me. FIAR got to repetitive and my oldest got very bored reading the same stories over and over. He is a very active almost ADD type child. I really need a curriculum that is very simple for me to use this year, as it will be another transition time for me. HOD does look inviting in that respect.

I was also wondering if anyone knows anything about Time4Learning math on the computer? I was thinking of doing that for my oldest and the younger probably too. Anyone know anything about it? I DO NOT like math at all myself, so I want something they can do mostly on their own. Thank you so much!

Also, I really think my oldest would especially love lapbooking. Any more info on that would be great. I am a little anxious, but feel good about it knowing that it is the way the Spirit is leading us. I can only do it by His wonderful grace.

Tina in KY
Tina
ds 11 -- DITHOR 4/5 and other curriculum
ds 9 -- Preparing and DITHOR
dd 5 -- 1st grade variety of curriculum
Wife of a loving DH 12 years
starting our 4th year of home education, 3rd year of HOD and DITHOR, so blessed...what a journey!

pjdobro
Posts: 1491
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:45 pm

Re: New to HOD

Post by pjdobro » Mon Jun 07, 2010 10:08 am

Welcome to HOD! Some people find it easier to do two programs than combine and others really like to combine the core program and just do separate Language Arts and Math. One of the first things to do to help everyone get an idea of where your dc place is to take a look at the placement chart: http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php and let us know where they place on that. That will give us an idea of what your best options will be. :D
Patty in NC

b/g twins '02 Rev2Rev 2014/15
previously enjoyed LHFHG, BLHFHG, Bigger, Preparing, CTC, RTR
******
Nisi Dominus Frusta (Without God, frustration)
Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Psalm 127:1

momof4girls
Posts: 34
Joined: Tue Jun 23, 2009 9:12 am

Re: New to HOD

Post by momof4girls » Mon Jun 07, 2010 1:00 pm

Hi Tina

I have no suggestions as I'm new here too! I just received all of my boxes last week and everything looks WONDERFUL! Just wanted to welcome you! I pray you the find the "correct" fit for your family!

Stacey in Kansas
Stacey
Married to my sweet DH (Kelly) for 15 yrs!
Blessed with 4 beautiful girls!
Klaryssa 11 (CTC & DITHOR fall 2010)
Savannah 8 (BHFHG & DITHOR fall 2010)
Victoria 5 (TRL and LHFHG fall 2010)
Isabella 3 (trying to keep up!)

tnahid
Posts: 531
Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 12:51 am
Location: Texas

Re: New to HOD

Post by tnahid » Mon Jun 07, 2010 10:46 pm

Thank you for replies. I think my youngest would go in the Beyond, and my oldest would fit best in Bigger. My youngest is not ready for the Bigger I don't think. Then, my daughter would have Little Hands. So that is three different ones! What do you think? Is this what others do? All separate?

MomtoJGJE
Posts: 1534
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 7:20 pm
Location: Gastonia, NC

Re: New to HOD

Post by MomtoJGJE » Tue Jun 08, 2010 7:53 am

You could put your middle child in LHFHG... and just do LHTH half speed or just 2 or 3 days per week or something along those lines. That would make your day easier AND it would make it where you aren't doing a guide back to back with each of your children. The other thing you could do would be combine the olders in Beyond and do their own level of LA, math, etc. It's a lot easier to beef up the material for your older than to tone it down for your younger if you are going to combine.

tnahid
Posts: 531
Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 12:51 am
Location: Texas

Re: New to HOD

Post by tnahid » Tue Jun 08, 2010 3:21 pm

Thank you for the advice! If I combined both in Beyond, how would I beef up the LA for my oldest? I know I can do the correct math workbook for his age, but how would I add to His LA? I'm just not really sure how I would do that. (Sorry, not very creative in this dept.) Could I add the notebooking aspect to all his studies and maybe buy a separate LA workbook or something? It seems like combining would be easier and certainly take less time, but I am sure that both my boys would love the one-on-one time of me just teaching them alone too. Has anyone found that to be the case?

Thanks!
Tina
ds 11 -- DITHOR 4/5 and other curriculum
ds 9 -- Preparing and DITHOR
dd 5 -- 1st grade variety of curriculum
Wife of a loving DH 12 years
starting our 4th year of home education, 3rd year of HOD and DITHOR, so blessed...what a journey!

Mommamo
Posts: 616
Joined: Mon May 05, 2008 1:31 pm
Location: TX

Re: New to HOD

Post by Mommamo » Tue Jun 08, 2010 7:09 pm

For LA you could just add the R&S book scheduled in Bigger or Preparing, and then you'd always just be a year or two ahead in that subject.
Momma to my 4 sweeties:
DD 14 - MTMM and DITHOR (completed LHFHG, Beyond, Bigger, Preparing, CTC, took a couple years off, and now she's back!)
DS 11 and DD 9 - Preparing(completed 2 rounds of LHTH, LHFHG, Beyond, and Bigger)
DD 6 - LHFHG

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

Re: New to HOD

Post by my3sons » Tue Jun 08, 2010 7:48 pm

tnahid wrote:Thank you for the advice! If I combined both in Beyond, how would I beef up the LA for my oldest? I know I can do the correct math workbook for his age, but how would I add to His LA? I'm just not really sure how I would do that. (Sorry, not very creative in this dept.) Could I add the notebooking aspect to all his studies and maybe buy a separate LA workbook or something? It seems like combining would be easier and certainly take less time, but I am sure that both my boys would love the one-on-one time of me just teaching them alone too. Has anyone found that to be the case?

Thanks!
Welcome to the HOD Board! :D We have loved using HOD in our home, and I think you will enjoy it as well. Placement is worth spending some time on, so I'm glad to see your questions here. I think you have several options here. If you'd like to combine, you can use Beyond for your core program. Your younger child would do all of Beyond. Your older child would use the right side of Bigger Hearts for his cursive, grammar, and dictation. He would also do DITHOR, which appropriately ups his reading. In this past post, Carrie had some tips for upping Beyond for a 9 yo:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3247&p=24196

I wouldn't worry about the notebooking yet, but if you want to add some of that, it would be easy to look at the history theme for the week and have him research more about it, possibly orally narrating his results to you, or possibly writing a handful of facts that he'd learned if the additional writing wouldn't be too much.

Your other option would be to have your oldest do Bigger Hearts, and your younger child do Little Hearts for His Glory. I suggest this because usually if 2 dc are doing back to back guides (oldest in Bigger Hearts, younger in Beyond Little Hearts..., they may as well be combined in the middle program - not always, but usually). So, in this scenario, your older child would do Bigger Hearts as it is written, and your younger would do LHFHG, but you would up her LA by adding in the Emerging Reader's Set from the Beyond guide, and possibly the first spelling list along with its accompanying LA activities too.

Whether you combine or not, both of these are good options to consider. In case writing is a determining factor, here is a bit about the writing:
Amount of writing in BHFHG:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3005
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1516&p=11829

Also, here is a link about combining and not combining, with ladies explaining which they enjoy and why:
To combine or not to combine:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5290

HOD is such a Christ-centered, solid, academic program that is just plain fun to teach and fun for dc to learn. I think you'll find this board to be an encouraging place to get your questions answered, and I look forward to getting to know you here! :D

In Christ,
Julie
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

tnahid
Posts: 531
Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 12:51 am
Location: Texas

Re: New to HOD

Post by tnahid » Tue Jun 08, 2010 11:30 pm

Thank you so so much for your response. After reading Carrie's past post on combining with Beyond and just upping it for my oldest, I think that is what I am leaning toward. This would be less costly for us, as we wouldn't need to buy as many books also. I also want to incorporate Contenders of the Faith for my oldest, as he loves that kind of thing. But I would still need to get the Bigger and DITHOR guides right, along with Beyond and Little Hands? So, when my oldest moves up to Bigger next year, then what would I do? Just use the extensions? A little confusing, but I think am getting it. :)

Also, what books would my 9yr old be reading independently?

Could someone tell me what exactly what all I would need to purchase to do this? Based on doing Beyond with a mostly emerging reader (maybe a little phonics work) and an independent reader, plus doing the right side of Bigger, DITHOR, and Little Hands. I would want to buy the full package with all the recommended books, but I would want to substitute the storytime books with the boys-interest set. I would love just a list of exactly what to purchase from the site. It seems a bit overwhelming to me. Thank you!

Tina
Tina
ds 11 -- DITHOR 4/5 and other curriculum
ds 9 -- Preparing and DITHOR
dd 5 -- 1st grade variety of curriculum
Wife of a loving DH 12 years
starting our 4th year of home education, 3rd year of HOD and DITHOR, so blessed...what a journey!

tnahid
Posts: 531
Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 12:51 am
Location: Texas

Re: New to HOD

Post by tnahid » Tue Jun 08, 2010 11:32 pm

P.S. Little Hands is for my youngest (4 in Sept.)
Tina
ds 11 -- DITHOR 4/5 and other curriculum
ds 9 -- Preparing and DITHOR
dd 5 -- 1st grade variety of curriculum
Wife of a loving DH 12 years
starting our 4th year of home education, 3rd year of HOD and DITHOR, so blessed...what a journey!

tnahid
Posts: 531
Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 12:51 am
Location: Texas

Re: New to HOD

Post by tnahid » Wed Jun 09, 2010 12:05 am

Sorry for so many questions. I think I have figured out the list for what I would need. Question also is: Which math would be for my 9 year old? He is going into the 3rd grade this school-year 2010. Did pretty well at school in it, but doesn't enjoy it much and neither do I. Don't want to get him too frustrated.

Also is anyone familiar with time4learning math program online? I don't know anything about singapore. Any thoughts or advice on it?
Tina
ds 11 -- DITHOR 4/5 and other curriculum
ds 9 -- Preparing and DITHOR
dd 5 -- 1st grade variety of curriculum
Wife of a loving DH 12 years
starting our 4th year of home education, 3rd year of HOD and DITHOR, so blessed...what a journey!

MomtoJGJE
Posts: 1534
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 7:20 pm
Location: Gastonia, NC

Re: New to HOD

Post by MomtoJGJE » Wed Jun 09, 2010 6:19 am

Have you done the Singapore placement test with him? If you want to use Singapore I'd have them both take the placement test, see where they fall, and start just before where they place to get them slowly into the way Singapore teaches math. Like if they place into 2A, I'd start them in 1B just to get the hang of it.

tnahid
Posts: 531
Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 12:51 am
Location: Texas

Re: New to HOD

Post by tnahid » Wed Jun 09, 2010 11:22 am

Where can I do the Singapore placement test with them?
Tina
ds 11 -- DITHOR 4/5 and other curriculum
ds 9 -- Preparing and DITHOR
dd 5 -- 1st grade variety of curriculum
Wife of a loving DH 12 years
starting our 4th year of home education, 3rd year of HOD and DITHOR, so blessed...what a journey!

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

Re: New to HOD

Post by my3sons » Wed Jun 09, 2010 11:47 am

tnahid wrote:Thank you so so much for your response. After reading Carrie's past post on combining with Beyond and just upping it for my oldest, I think that is what I am leaning toward. This would be less costly for us, as we wouldn't need to buy as many books also. I also want to incorporate Contenders of the Faith for my oldest, as he loves that kind of thing. But I would still need to get the Bigger and DITHOR guides right, along with Beyond and Little Hands?...Also, what books would my 9yr old be reading independently?

Could someone tell me what exactly what all I would need to purchase to do this? ... I would want to buy the full package with all the recommended books...
I can help you out with this! :D To do everything that is in Beyond you'd order...
1. Economy Package
2. Emerging Reader's Set
3. Basic Package (Choose either 1A/1B Math or 2A/2B math within this package, depending on which Singapore placement level dc place in; I'd guess 1A/1B for your youngest, and I know you're still thinking about whether to do Singapore for your oldest; you'd individually purchase whatever level your older placed in for your oldest)
4. Deluxe Package: Boy Interest Set

To up the LA/math for oldest, you'd order these things:
1. Bigger Hearts for His Glory teacher's guide
2. "Cheerful Cursive" or "Italic D" (we enjoyed "Cheerful Cursive, but either are good)
3. R & S English 2 (pupil text only unless you'd feel more comfortable having the teacher's guide for the answers; the next year you'd want R & S English 3 Pupil Text and the Teacher's Guide, as oral review begins in 3, but this year, you'd be fine with just the pupil text for 2)
4. "Drawn into the Heart of Reading" Level 2/3 Package (this will include your teacher's guide, your student book, and the sample book ideas list; most dc that are beginning DITHOR for the first time in fourth grade do 1 year with the Level 2/3 student book and plans to build a good foundation first, and then the next year move on to Level 4/5)
*These are the books your ds will be reading independently, to answer that question.
5. Choose a "Drawn into the Heart of Reading" book pack for your oldest ds. I'd guess he could use either Book Pack 3 (which has a reading level of third grade fifth month - fifth grade first month) OR Level 4/5 Boy Interest Book Pack (which has a reading level of fourth grade - through fifth grade seventh month)
Here are links to both to help you choose 1:
http://www.heartofdakota.com/drawn-into-optional3.php
http://www.heartofdakota.com/DITHOR45-boys-pack.php
6. Then, just remember to order whatever math he needs.

For LHTH for your 4 yo, you'd order:
1. "Little Hands to Heaven" teacher's guide
2. "The New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes"
3. "My ABC Bible Verses" (or "Big Thoughts for Little People" if you prefer)
4. "The Singing Bible"

You should be set then! HTH! :D I think you have a wonderful year with HOD ahead of you! :D
In Christ,
Julie

P.S. You can do the math placement for Singapore at:
http://www.singaporemath.com
Just click the "placement" tab at the top of the link. :D
Last edited by my3sons on Wed Jun 09, 2010 12:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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

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

Re: New to HOD

Post by my3sons » Wed Jun 09, 2010 11:55 am

tnahid wrote:...So, when my oldest moves up to Bigger next year, then what would I do? Just use the extensions?
Hi Tina! I thought I'd just answer this one separately, since my other post got kind of long. :D For the next year, you would do Bigger Hearts as your core program with the 2 of them. Your younger ds would use DITHOR 2/3, your older ds would use DITHOR 4/5. Your older ds would use BHFHG's extensions to extend his history and science. Your older ds would use PHFHG's right side for his Level 3 dictation, R & S English 3, and math (depending on what level he placed in and whether you went with Singapore or not). HTH! :D

In Christ,
Julie
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

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