I have only bought the start up science for 7 & 8 yr olds, but I am looking at the 3&4 for my oldest dd. I can't wait to see what you share when you finish. I did buy an old 3a, but could only get the "textbook" part. I like it and plan to read through it with my oldest. I can't wait to hear about the new series though. What is RR and do they have all of the Singapore Science?

My kids are 9,8,6, and 2 I have a very strict schedule for HOD or else I would literally be teaching all day. We are schooling from 9am-2pm including lunch and recess. It isn't finishing HOD or scheduling that is making HOD hard for me. My school age kids are very close in age each one a year apart or almost the biggest age gap with my school-aged children is a little over 2 yrs not even a 2 1/2 yr age gap and we are doing 3 guides and 2 different history cycles that will be 3 different history cycles eventually. Being in different history cycles, I think it would get confusing for my 6 and 7 yr old to be listening in to American History while they are studying World History if that makes sense. The history cycle is what is frustrating about HOD with 3 kids in 3 guides and b/c of the skills required I can't just put them all in the left side of one guide. BHFHG would be too much for my youngers and LHFHG wouldn't be enough for my oldest. I am already supplementing with Science for LHFHG. Well actually, we don't do LHFHG science at all. I prefer secular science b/c I am not young earth and HOD avoids anything that conflicts with the young earth theory. MFW doesn't do this as much and seems to give more freedom of whether you want to include other theories or leave them out at your own discretion. I'm not really that big on tweaking. If I buy a guide and then I have to add here and there and don't use this and that and then all I am left with is say the math schedule or following their history, then I kind of feel I could have saved money and mix and matched all by myself. The other things I feel the need to tweak with HOD is with Language Arts. We are using First Language Lessons. I am not all that fond of Rod and Staff English for various reasons. We tried R&S 2 this year, but I have switched to First Language Lessons instead. I find HOD's spelling lists to be really easy and the dictation so far is super easy also. I don't see it improving their spelling and grammer from doing HOD's spelling and dictation alone. In Math, we are way ahead in our HOD guide and I have to keep tabs for each kid in different guides. This isn't too bad, but I wish I would have just bought the HIG for Singapore and used that instead to schedule our math. I have found the activities in HOD to seem young and do not really explain the Singapore Method. If I take extra time one on one for our math or language arts to clarify or help, then my schedule is shot. We are schooling 5 hours right now and that is without my youngest in a "real" school year. Once we add him in, I can see it adding on another hour at least with HOD. Here are my cons of using HOD 1. My oldest child will always be in a guide by herself 2. My youngest child will always be in a guide by himself 3. We will always be in different points on the history cycle with all the kids 4. Light spelling and vocabulary 5. American History in back to back guides BLHFHG and BHFHG 6. DITHOR is overwhelming and is used in all the guides from BHFHG on up-so I would be needing a different reading program. I can't make a similar list for MFW b/c I have never seen it in person. I have only downloaded samples. I have made a supply list in word up to unit 14 I think from a template someone else used for LHFHG supply list. It would be easy to fill in the rest of the way if you want it pm me. We are on unit 9 and I have just been trying to keep ahead of where we are as I go with the list. Oh yeah buy stock in masking tape you will go through a ton of it. What is drawing me to MFW- 1. The history cycle and keeping everyone on the same cycle 2. They seem stronger in Language Arts (spelling, vocabulary, and grammer) 3. They use SOTW and I am really intrigued by using it. 4. They don't avoid topics as much to stay young earth...it is your decision if you want to include it or avoid it or discuss it with your viewpoint I appreciate everyone's replies and viewpoints. It is really helping me to see the differences in the programs by people who have done them and by some who have tried both.

Yes, that is what I have found out. I am actually using 3 guides right now with the 4 kids and there is no way to combine them any differenlty b/c of the skills required for each guide. I also feel the activities seem younger than the history spine, but the children aren't ready for the older guides. Oh and my kids are 9,8,6, and 2. I have went to the MFW board and the HOD board and read, but to be truthful it was recommended to me to go to a non-affiliated board (by a friend) and see what kind of answers I got. I did get a wealth of knowledge from both boards. I liked the fact that no one with a vested interest in the curriculum could reply here. I think that makes a big difference. You are getting replies from people in the same position as you are and there is a different feel to a non-affiliated board. It is a while before next term and I have to finish using what I already have and then I am going to make a decision. So I hope the replies, opinions, and experiences keep coming. I am going to make a more informed decision before purchasing anything this time.

Hi, I will introduce myself first. I am a SAHM of 4 kiddos. We just started homeschooling this last year. We chose HOD and while I do like it I am having a hard time with this many kids. With my kid's ages, we are doing 3 guides between 4 kids and that is the best we will ever do with combining. We are doing LHTH, LHFHG, and BHFHG right now. It seems as if I am playing musical children while we school. Send one kid out, bring 2 to the table...you get the picture. I have been looking at MFW recently and like that I could keep all the kids together for history and science. I have searched and read a lot of HOD vs MFW posts and such. Has anyone done 3 guides with HOD and not felt overwhelmed? I know a lot of large families do MFW pretty well. Not that 4 kids is large :lol: I have almost totally decided that we will try something else next term than HOD and MFW looks appealing. I was just wondering if anyone had left HOD for MFW b/c of not being able to combine easily? or if someone had went from MFW to HOD and what your reasons were? I guess I am just looking for some pros/cons here from somebody that has btdt. I am trying to research more before purchasing again and make sure that I am making the right decision. Thanks for any advise/help in advance.