27 Reasons NOT to Buy HOD...

[Heather in VA]

I'm trying to decide against HOD ... and VP history, for that matter ... would you ladies please help, not hinder? :lol:

 

Ok - how's this. My daughter is going into the 3rd grade. Your kids are much younger. VP history shouldn't start until 2nd grade. i know many figure why not just start earlier but I do think that VP's recommendation to wait until 2nd is spot on.

 

And for HOD, at your kid ages the focus in phonics/reading and math. You don't need all of those extras mapped out for you especially since you are of the mindset that some of those mapped out activities are a little odd. I haven't really looked at the academic part of the younger HOD but I don't think it's necessary.

 

I can't remember if you are a PR person or not but if you are here's what I'd do. Do PR. Do math. Read a bunch of great books. Pick ones from the lower levels of HOD. Pick ones from Living Books. Just read them. Begin informal narration work so they are getting used to that.

 

THEN when he's ready for VP history or HOD at the Bigger level (or both if you are Katrina and I)... then move into more formal history and integrated history/skills studies.

 

Does that help not hinder? And I'm not just making it up because you said not to hinder. I really do believe you don't need either HOD or VP right now.

 

Heather

[abrightmom]

Ok - how's this. My daughter is going into the 3rd grade. Your kids are much younger. VP history shouldn't start until 2nd grade. i know many figure why not just start earlier but I do think that VP's recommendation to wait until 2nd is spot on.

 

And for HOD, at your kid ages the focus in phonics/reading and math. You don't need all of those extras mapped out for you especially since you are of the mindset that some of those mapped out activities are a little odd. I haven't really looked at the academic part of the younger HOD but I don't think it's necessary.

 

I can't remember if you are a PR person or not but if you are here's what I'd do. Do PR. Do math. Read a bunch of great books. Pick ones from the lower levels of HOD. Pick ones from Living Books. Just read them. Begin informal narration work so they are getting used to that.

 

THEN when he's ready for VP history or HOD at the Bigger level (or both if you are Katrina and I)... then move into more formal history and integrated history/skills studies.

 

Does that help not hinder? And I'm not just making it up because you said not to hinder. I really do believe you don't need either HOD or VP right now.

 

Heather

:iagree: with Heather's line of thinking here......

[Guest RecumbentHeart]

Ok - how's this. My daughter is going into the 3rd grade. Your kids are much younger. VP history shouldn't start until 2nd grade. i know many figure why not just start earlier but I do think that VP's recommendation to wait until 2nd is spot on.

 

And for HOD, at your kid ages the focus in phonics/reading and math. You don't need all of those extras mapped out for you especially since you are of the mindset that some of those mapped out activities are a little odd. I haven't really looked at the academic part of the younger HOD but I don't think it's necessary.

 

I can't remember if you are a PR person or not but if you are here's what I'd do. Do PR. Do math. Read a bunch of great books. Pick ones from the lower levels of HOD. Pick ones from Living Books. Just read them. Begin informal narration work so they are getting used to that.

 

THEN when he's ready for VP history or HOD at the Bigger level (or both if you are Katrina and I)... then move into more formal history and integrated history/skills studies.

 

Does that help not hinder? And I'm not just making it up because you said not to hinder. I really do believe you don't need either HOD or VP right now.

 

Heather

 

This is basically what I was thinking of doing if I went the VP route. It hadn't yet occurred to me that I could do something similar and go the HOD route.

 

What I was planning was, after we're done with LCC K, I'll move on to LCC 1st. We started in February and I want to get onto the regular school year. I had considered going straight into LCC 1st then starting LBC 1st (either with the guide or just the book list ... keeping the HOD catalog for the book suggestions too) the following Fall. If it's as easy to do as Foundation year (being very CMish, I'm expecting so) it would be a very simple way of continuing our strong focus on the 3Rs while having those extras to enjoy as we have time. LBC history starts in 2nd with Egypt and goes through until 6th just like VP but it runs American History alongside. Oh my ... don't get me thinking that I could do both the way you ladies are doing HOD and VP ...

 

With this plan though I can leave the HOD vs LBC plan until we are approaching 2nd grade and just do VP either way ... maybe.

 

hmm ...

[Lovedtodeath]

With this plan though I can leave the HOD vs LBC plan until we are approaching 2nd grade and just do VP either way ... maybe.

 

hmm ...

Now see I didn't even notice the ages of your kids. K 1st and 2nd are covered as long as you get phonics, penmanship, math with WWE for comprehension, literature and writing. Do something fun for science, maybe a 9-12 week course and don't even worry about scheduling or finishing.

 

For science and history we never finished anything in those grades.

[Heather in VA]

This is basically what I was thinking of doing if I went the VP route. It hadn't yet occurred to me that I could do something similar and go the HOD route.

 

What I was planning was, after we're done with LCC K, I'll move on to LCC 1st. We started in February and I want to get onto the regular school year. I had considered going straight into LCC 1st then starting LBC 1st (either with the guide or just the book list ... keeping the HOD catalog for the book suggestions too) the following Fall. If it's as easy to do as Foundation year (being very CMish, I'm expecting so) it would be a very simple way of continuing our strong focus on the 3Rs while having those extras to enjoy as we have time. LBC history starts in 2nd with Egypt and goes through until 6th just like VP but it runs American History alongside. Oh my ... don't get me thinking that I could do both the way you ladies are doing HOD and VP ...

 

With this plan though I can leave the HOD vs LBC plan until we are approaching 2nd grade and just do VP either way ... maybe.

 

hmm ...

 

Yea I played with LBC in the first grade. I actually have the guide in digital form. If you want it I can email to you. Just PM me your email address. To me doing VP self-paced and HOD combo is like doing LBC (two streams of history) but with books and skill focus that I like better. Plus I can not tell you how amazing the VP self-paced stuff is. If I had to school my youngest next year with only $250 in budget (without being able to sell anything to get funds to buy other stuff) I'd spend it on the VP self-paced and teach her the rest from what I have on the shelf. It's that amazing. Of course that might be a bit easier for me to say since I have 2 older kids and a decent amount of stuff on the shelves LOL. But still - it's amazing.

 

If you are looking for something a bit more than just reading and oral narration and your oldest can read, I absolutely loved VP First Favorites. When they can read that level book (you can see them on the VP website) and are ready for some copywork, it's a very fun program. It's workbooky and some say too schooly but my 2 younger ones loved it. There is copywork. There are some workbook things and some crafts. It's really fun and the books are wonderful. We didn't do every workbook page. Sometimes the copywork was a bit long so they only copied a bit but still. It was well worth it. I had the guide split open and put on a spiral so it would lay flat for the written work and then just photocopied the pages that had to get cut up for crafts.

 

Oops - I'm supposed to be making this less stuff to choose from aren't I?

 

Heather

[SnowWhite]

I think you said there is a student schedule? I also remember my main concern was that HOD gives you assignments based on the reading and I was worried that WP didn't have that as much. The WP notebook pages take care of that?

 

There *is* like one notebook page each week based on the reading. WP mostly expects you to listen to oral narration, CM style. Of course there are also quiz pages in Planet Earth after each chapter and then there are hands on activities in other resources.

[Lovedtodeath]

There *is* like one notebook page each week based on the reading. WP mostly expects you to listen to oral narration, CM style. Of course there are also quiz pages in Planet Earth after each chapter and then there are hands on activities in other resources.

Okay, thanks. Is there guidance as to when to do the narration? We might do WWE with it. hmmm...

 

Well I am not selling the product, just using it. I don't need to pick it apart and analyze every feature, kwim? I am sure that with WWE and HOD under my belt I can figure assignments out rather easily.

[Guest RecumbentHeart]

Now see I didn't even notice the ages of your kids. K 1st and 2nd are covered as long as you get phonics, penmanship, math with WWE for comprehension, literature and writing. Do something fun for science, maybe a 9-12 week course and don't even worry about scheduling or finishing.

 

For science and history we never finished anything in those grades.

 

I was thinking when you mentioned combining a 5yo in Preparing that perhaps you didn't realize my oldest was 5. :)

 

I do feel I've got it covered with the 3Rs and that's pretty much how we "do" science and history at the moment - interest led science and reading through CHOW slowly.

[Guest RecumbentHeart]

Yea I played with LBC in the first grade. I actually have the guide in digital form. If you want it I can email to you. Just PM me your email address. To me doing VP self-paced and HOD combo is like doing LBC (two streams of history) but with books and skill focus that I like better. Plus I can not tell you how amazing the VP self-paced stuff is. If I had to school my youngest next year with only $250 in budget (without being able to sell anything to get funds to buy other stuff) I'd spend it on the VP self-paced and teach her the rest from what I have on the shelf. It's that amazing. Of course that might be a bit easier for me to say since I have 2 older kids and a decent amount of stuff on the shelves LOL. But still - it's amazing.

 

If you are looking for something a bit more than just reading and oral narration and your oldest can read, I absolutely loved VP First Favorites. When they can read that level book (you can see them on the VP website) and are ready for some copywork, it's a very fun program. It's workbooky and some say too schooly but my 2 younger ones loved it. There is copywork. There are some workbook things and some crafts. It's really fun and the books are wonderful. We didn't do every workbook page. Sometimes the copywork was a bit long so they only copied a bit but still. It was well worth it. I had the guide split open and put on a spiral so it would lay flat for the written work and then just photocopied the pages that had to get cut up for crafts.

 

Oops - I'm supposed to be making this less stuff to choose from aren't I?

 

Heather

 

Thank-you! That would be so helpful.

 

What is the difference in skills focus between LBC and HOD? I feel like I can't get a good grip of LBC with just what is available for preview on the website and this is something I've very curious about considering how much I hear people raving about the skills HOD teaches and builds.

 

I will check out the VP suggestions, although it's not in our immediate future and yes it's true, you aren't being too helpful in that particular sense - I may have to put you on ignore. :lol:

[Leimarie]

Ooohhh!! Thank you for this. Taking notes for my up and coming 2nd grader's schedule.

 

Does anyone have a copy of Revival to Revolution in their hands? Is this new for fall? Maybe they aren't even ready to ship quite yet since it's still April. I'm wondering which resources are scheduled in the first 16 weeks so I can spread out my purchases. No discounted package pricing for me. :glare:

 

I don't have Rev to Rev but I will share that I priced out purchasing the packages from HoD vs purchasing as much as I could through Rainbow Resource and came out with a better discount than if I just went with the packages from HoD. Not sure if that helps at all, just wanted to share my "research" since I need to find the BEST deal for all of our supplies. :) There were very few books that weren't available through RR (aside from the guides) so I't keeping my HoD order down as much as I could and taking advantage of free shipping with RR.

[Lovedtodeath]

I don't have Rev to Rev but I will share that I priced out purchasing the packages from HoD vs purchasing as much as I could through Rainbow Resource and came out with a better discount than if I just went with the packages from HoD. Not sure if that helps at all, just wanted to share my "research" since I need to find the BEST deal for all of our supplies. :) There were very few books that weren't available through RR (aside from the guides) so I't keeping my HoD order down as much as I could and taking advantage of free shipping with RR.

I actually noticed that the majority of the HOD books are at my library. That was a welcome change compared to some other programs.

[ElizabethAnn]

I'm in the same boat you are. I've decided to use CTC with my 6th grader next fall. I did the same exact thing you did, priced all the books on RR. You save by just taking advantage of the free shipping. I'm hoping that I may find some of these books at a used curriculum sale. I just don't know if I can wait that long to get my hands on the teachers guide.:lol:

[Heather in VA]

Thank-you! That would be so helpful.

 

What is the difference in skills focus between LBC and HOD? I feel like I can't get a good grip of LBC with just what is available for preview on the website and this is something I've very curious about considering how much I hear people raving about the skills HOD teaches and builds.

 

I will check out the VP suggestions, although it's not in our immediate future and yes it's true, you aren't being too helpful in that particular sense - I may have to put you on ignore. :lol:

 

EEkk.. please don't put me on ignore. I'll try to be good. :-)

 

Since I haven't used HOD I can only guess based on my research and what I'm hoping to find there based on what I am being told.

 

LBC is more CM in it's approach to LA work and it's book choices. LBC isn't quite as strictly "old books only" as AO is but the book choices in HOD are more varied than LBC. This is something I prefer about HOD. To me old doesn't always mean better. I have used some of the more traditionally AO/CM type books with my girls and sometimes they are fine but sometimes they are just old. For younger kids I think that as long as the book is a quality book it doesn't have to be old-fashioned. LBC also doesn't guide you with what to narrate, what to dictate etc. HOD is very scripted that way. Both explain narration and how to do it. HOD tells you exactly what to do for copywork and dictation. With LBC you choose the passages yourself. HOD has a daily, very specific schedule. LBC gives you a weekly list. You decide how much and which subjects each day. There is nothing wrong with either approach. It's a matter of preference.

 

What I see with LA is that LBC sticks with the CM approach. Even when they add a separate grammar resource they use Intermediate Language Lessons. This is a very CM approach. HOD uses Rod and Staff. They take a more classical approach to grammar. This is more along my lines of thinking. I like CM approach to grammar young, but to me grammar needs to be formally studied.

 

I think the grammar and the step-by-step scripted, layout approach are the biggest differences. To me that is important. It's far to easy for me to let the really important skills of narration, copywork, dictation etc go when it's not chosen for me and specifically scheduled.

 

Heather

[Heather in VA]

I'm trying to decide against HOD ... and VP history, for that matter ... would you ladies please help, not hinder? :lol:

 

Oh and if you really want something to deter you from HOD, I had someone tell me they didn't know what I saw in the program and said it was disgusting. So obviously not everyone thinks it's good.

 

:lol:

[silliness7]

I don't have Rev to Rev but I will share that I priced out purchasing the packages from HoD vs purchasing as much as I could through Rainbow Resource and came out with a better discount than if I just went with the packages from HoD. Not sure if that helps at all, just wanted to share my "research" since I need to find the BEST deal for all of our supplies. :) There were very few books that weren't available through RR (aside from the guides) so I't keeping my HoD order down as much as I could and taking advantage of free shipping with RR.

 

That is good to know. Whatever I can't get from the library I am going to scour around for the lowest price. What a pain! Oh well! Such is life. I'm seriously thinking that no one has Rev to Rev yet which is O.K. because I don't have any money yet. :tongue_smilie:

[Leimarie]

about half of the books are available through my library (woohoo!!!) and I haven't check ILL since the system is down. I plan on making a list to print out for my purse and then hit the local Goodwill shops and The Book Thing to see what I can score for free (or close to). ;) Plus I need to scour our bookshelves to see what we already may have. LOL

[home'scoolmom]

Rev to Rev manuals won't ship until August. You can only preorder now. The rest of the package can ship now, just not the TM. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on one too. :)

[Guest RecumbentHeart]

EEkk.. please don't put me on ignore. I'll try to be good. :-)

 

Since I haven't used HOD I can only guess based on my research and what I'm hoping to find there based on what I am being told.

 

LBC is more CM in it's approach to LA work and it's book choices. LBC isn't quite as strictly "old books only" as AO is but the book choices in HOD are more varied than LBC. This is something I prefer about HOD. To me old doesn't always mean better. I have used some of the more traditionally AO/CM type books with my girls and sometimes they are fine but sometimes they are just old. For younger kids I think that as long as the book is a quality book it doesn't have to be old-fashioned. LBC also doesn't guide you with what to narrate, what to dictate etc. HOD is very scripted that way. Both explain narration and how to do it. HOD tells you exactly what to do for copywork and dictation. With LBC you choose the passages yourself. HOD has a daily, very specific schedule. LBC gives you a weekly list. You decide how much and which subjects each day. There is nothing wrong with either approach. It's a matter of preference.

 

What I see with LA is that LBC sticks with the CM approach. Even when they add a separate grammar resource they use Intermediate Language Lessons. This is a very CM approach. HOD uses Rod and Staff. They take a more classical approach to grammar. This is more along my lines of thinking. I like CM approach to grammar young, but to me grammar needs to be formally studied.

 

I think the grammar and the step-by-step scripted, layout approach are the biggest differences. To me that is important. It's far to easy for me to let the really important skills of narration, copywork, dictation etc go when it's not chosen for me and specifically scheduled.

 

Heather

 

One of the big reasons DH chose HOD over LBC was the explicit, daily instruction in narration, copywork and dictation. I know all about things not getting done if they're not specifically scheduled so I wonder if I would need this too. At the very least it seems like it wouldn't hurt but a lady in another thread mentioned that check boxes make her feel rebellious and I think that's how I may feel about so much scripting. :tongue_smilie:

 

I see that there is at least more instruction in LBC than is apparent by the sample. It seems that they tell you how to do it in general and then tell you when/with what to be doing it in the first week of the term and from then on out just give you the readings until something changes, requiring new instructions. Hmm .. Is that the liberty I desire or a recipe for not getting things done? That is the question. :lol:

 

Regarding the book choices, I have settled on using the HOD catalog for suggestions whether I use them or not. I really liked their science (the very subject most ppl seem to consider lacking happens to be one of the biggest draws of HOD to me :tongue_smilie:).

 

Oh and if you really want something to deter you from HOD, I had someone tell me they didn't know what I saw in the program and said it was disgusting. So obviously not everyone thinks it's good.

 

:lol:

 

:blink: I'm wondering if that came with an explanation but I'm afraid to ask. lol

[Heather in VA]

One of the big reasons DH chose HOD over LBC was the explicit, daily instruction in narration, copywork and dictation. I know all about things not getting done if they're not specifically scheduled so I wonder if I would need this too. At the very least it seems like it wouldn't hurt but a lady in another thread mentioned that check boxes make her feel rebellious and I think that's how I may feel about so much scripting. :tongue_smilie:

 

I see that there is at least more instruction in LBC than is apparent by the sample. It seems that they tell you how to do it in general and then tell you when/with what to be doing it in the first week of the term and from then on out just give you the readings until something changes, requiring new instructions. Hmm .. Is that the liberty I desire or a recipe for not getting things done? That is the question. :lol:

 

Regarding the book choices, I have settled on using the HOD catalog for suggestions whether I use them or not. I really liked their science (the very subject most ppl seem to consider lacking happens to be one of the biggest draws of HOD to me :tongue_smilie:).

 

 

 

:blink: I'm wondering if that came with an explanation but I'm afraid to ask. lol

 

It's funny about the science. I am really into science and this particular daughter is too so the science in HOD bothered me a little - thinking it was pretty light. But the more I look at it and the more I think about it - I do like what they have laid out. Having it "lighter" makes it more doable as well as leaving time for the countless science activities and books she is always pulling off the shelves.

 

It sounds to me like you are drawn more to HOD. What are the things you really like about LBC? Sometimes when you start leaning some way you didn't think you wanted, it can help to really think about what you love about your original choice and see if that is still what you love.

 

Heather

[Guest RecumbentHeart]

It's funny about the science. I am really into science and this particular daughter is too so the science in HOD bothered me a little - thinking it was pretty light. But the more I look at it and the more I think about it - I do like what they have laid out. Having it "lighter" makes it more doable as well as leaving time for the countless science activities and books she is always pulling off the shelves.

 

It sounds to me like you are drawn more to HOD. What are the things you really like about LBC? Sometimes when you start leaning some way you didn't think you wanted, it can help to really think about what you love about your original choice and see if that is still what you love.

 

Heather

 

Ack .. you ask big questions. I'm going to be looking over everything and searching my soul to come up with answers ... then I'll be back. :lol:

[silliness7]

Rev to Rev manuals won't ship until August. You can only preorder now. The rest of the package can ship now' date=' just not the TM. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on one too. :)[/quote']

 

AHA!! Well, that explains the lack of responses. Perhaps I should put a call into customer service.

[silliness7]

a lady in another thread mentioned that check boxes make her feel rebellious and I think that's how I may feel about so much scripting. :tongue_smilie:

 

 

 

I feel the same way about other people's check lists which is one reason I'm planning to transfer the work into my own schedule (leaving out things that don't jive...but I'm not planning on many of those)

 

I'm militant about my own to-do lists. :gnorsi::gnorsi:

[Guest RecumbentHeart]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heather in VA

It's funny about the science. I am really into science and this particular daughter is too so the science in HOD bothered me a little - thinking it was pretty light. But the more I look at it and the more I think about it - I do like what they have laid out. Having it "lighter" makes it more doable as well as leaving time for the countless science activities and books she is always pulling off the shelves.

 

It sounds to me like you are drawn more to HOD. What are the things you really like about LBC? Sometimes when you start leaning some way you didn't think you wanted, it can help to really think about what you love about your original choice and see if that is still what you love.

 

Heather

 

Ack .. you ask big questions. I'm going to be looking over everything and searching my soul to come up with answers ... then I'll be back. :lol:

 

OK, placing scripting or not completely aside since it's not a reason for me to pass up HOD ..

 

I want to take a slower trip through history. TOG and HOD spend 3 weeks in Ancient Egypt compared to a year in LBC and VP. That's huge. I really want to meander through and add books here and there. DS has had a fascination with ancient Egypt since he first encountered it in CHOW and I have been looking forward that year once he is older. He is fascinated by the other stories of the ancient world as well so we need more time just in general. As soon as he heard the story of the hanging gardens of Babylon he started planning his own garden on the roof (he was serious, too). I want to give him a chance to follow those rabbit trails without overwhelming myself. It just suits us both more to take the longer route. If my next child coming up isn't so into history, I'm fine with them doing a whole lot less.

 

What I'm wondering now is, what do you think of adding just the VP history cards to this?

[abrightmom]

TOG and HOD spend 3 weeks in Ancient Egypt compared to a year in LBC and VP. That's huge.

 

What HOD program were you looking at? I'm intrigued by this.....

 

My DS is going to do OT/AE online with VP alongside his HOD. However, that brief exposure is intriguing. I will have to look over CTC's TOC for the units and see what they are studying exactly. Actually, now I'm completely preoccupied with this!

 

Any HOD Moms know more???? :001_smile:

[Guest RecumbentHeart]

What HOD program were you looking at? I'm intrigued by this.....

 

My DS is going to do OT/AE online with VP alongside his HOD. However, that brief exposure is intriguing. I will have to look over CTC's TOC for the units and see what they are studying exactly. Actually, now I'm completely preoccupied with this!

 

Any HOD Moms know more???? :001_smile:

 

I was looking at the contents of CtC at the start of the week sample.

[Heather in VA]

I absolutely loved doing a whole year of Egypt with VP this year. I thought it would get dull but it didn't. There is so much Bible history along with it and it was taught in such a way that it was just a seamless study of Bible and Egypt together. It's been great. I think this is why I will not give up my VP history. I may use other programs that include history but VP will be what I rely on for our deep history studies. It's just done so well.

 

I will be on and off the boards tonight - My oldest is coming home from Haiti!! Yippee.

 

Heather

[Guest RecumbentHeart]

I absolutely loved doing a whole year of Egypt with VP this year. I thought it would get dull but it didn't. There is so much Bible history along with it and it was taught in such a way that it was just a seamless study of Bible and Egypt together. It's been great. I think this is why I will not give up my VP history. I may use other programs that include history but VP will be what I rely on for our deep history studies. It's just done so well.

 

I will be on and off the boards tonight - My oldest is coming home from Haiti!! Yippee.

 

Heather

 

W00t! :D

 

I have a friend's VP history and Bible cards on loan and will be looking them over after dinner tonight :)

[Lovedtodeath]

I was looking at the contents of CtC at the start of the week sample.

Preparing spends a great deal of time on Ancients including Egypt. :) If Ancient History is something you really love, then I would go with SOTW.

[Heather in VA]

Preparing spends a great deal of time on Ancients including Egypt. :) If Ancient History is something you really love, then I would go with SOTW.

 

Overall VP spends more time on the Ancients than SOTW - taking 2 years. But SOTW is a better choice if you prefer to keep your Bible studies separate from your history.

 

Heather

[Lovedtodeath]

 

Overall VP spends more time on the Ancients than SOTW - taking 2 years.

Oh yeah, I remember looking at VP now. :001_smile:

[CountryGirlShake]

#7 - If you really like lots of planning and will miss having to do that.

#8 - If you want to spend all day doing school with your kids. HOD is intended to be efficient, combining skills, and therefore doesn't take as long as other programs might.

#9 - If you like shopping for supplies each week. While you can still do this for fun, most of HOD's necessary supplies are found around your house.

 

:D

 

I think I'm finally committed to HOD now :)

[mom24boys]

Yay Faancyme! That's great. What guide are you thinking about doing? Was it LHFHG for this year? Glad my "Reasons Not to Buy" were helpful to you! ;)

 

I hope you love it as much as we do!

[SorrelZG]

This is a really long thread.

 

What I'm finding really interesting as I read through is being able to look at what people have planned for next year or are now doing 2 months after the original discussion. A lot sure happens in two months!

[Twilight Woods]

It just doesn't work for our family.

My DD didn't like it

I apparently don't like being told what to do

It can be an expensive mistake.

Love religion...just not in everything we do for our day.

[Guest ivybox]

What in the world is HOD?

[daybreaking]

What in the world is HOD?

 

Heart of Dakota

 

http://heartofdakota.com/

[EgoElfWife]

But in order for HOD to work here, especially with 4 guides (if you're counting the very 1st one) I would just take HOD's lesson plans and write them in my own lesson book divided out by independent work and "with mom" work. Of course, I reserve the right to leave something out and add something in (Latin, for sure) ...doing R&S at our own pace, substituting Saxon math. Is this the amount of tweaking that makes HOD lose it's beauty?

 

Are you kidding me?

 

I mean I know that obviously FOUR guides work for you.

 

But yeah, most mothers do not have time to write everything out in their own book especially when it should be open and go.

 

I'm doing two MFW this year and I'm only going to be able to do it by photocopying (allowed by the copyright for my own use. I need it for records) and then adding in each childs math and l.A. otherwise I would be crazy.

[silliness7]

Are you kidding me?

 

I mean I know that obviously FOUR guides work for you.

 

But yeah, most mothers do not have time to write everything out in their own book especially when it should be open and go.

 

I'm doing two MFW this year and I'm only going to be able to do it by photocopying (allowed by the copyright for my own use. I need it for records) and then adding in each childs math and l.A. otherwise I would be crazy.

 

Well, I did take the plunge and order 3 of the 4 guides I need. The 4th one won't be shipping until August, so I'm waiting. The reality of the situation now that I have guides in hand is that I don't have to re-copy the 2 youngest guides. They are open and go. My 4th and 6th graders will be sharing a guide and in order for their school day to be "open and go" I did have to come up with a different format. I found a form on Donna Young's site and once I figured out the best way to format it, it didn't take long at all to get our first 7 week term typed and printed. Many of the directions just say see Science Box Unit 1 Day 1. But since some of the boxes have multiple choices, one or two boxes we're tweaking a bit and also adding in Latin and a Spelling/Vocab workbook, substituted math, etc. etc. My independent workers really do well with a very concrete checklist which HOD is NOT. Not for a student. It's fine as a teacher's manual. I don't care for it as a student checklist. Plus the sharing aspect makes it a little trickier. We don't work well all together in one central location. My dc like to make a pile of their books and go off in their own corner.

 

Now 8th grader will get his very own manual. And he was really drooling over the sample and the whole idea and look of the boxes. It's possible I could hand him his guide with a few added sticky notes and he'd be O.K. I'll have to wait until I see the guide.

 

So my verdict is open and go for mom, yes. Open and go for the independent student, not so much. I do wish it was set up differently to accomodate independent usage. Maybe in future editions this will be addressed. But that part is easily tweaked to still get the HOD content I want. I should add that the "open and go" aspect of HOD was never one of it's big draws for me. I've been using Truthquest History and anyone who is familiar with the amount of planning and decision making that that takes can really appreciate the burden-lifter that HOD is while adding in so much more as far as what to DO with the book after you have read it. So just HAVING lesson plans even if that means writing them in your own planner is HEAVENLY. :D

 

However, one could add that to one of the 27 reasons. :001_smile:

If you don't like writing out To-Do lists for your independent learners especially those who are sharing a guide HOD might not be for you.

Edited June 22, 2011 by silliness7

[SorrelZG]

Rebecca, I'm curious - could you explain further what the problem is with the boxes and the independent learner? It just seems to me that the boxes are a "to do" list that can be checked off as they're completed but I understand that other people don't do well with the layout of the guide and so I'm wondering if that is the issue for you or if it's something else.

 

Please understand I'm really just curious, not criticising - I just want to understand what you're saying and I'm not and it's driving me batty even though it ultimately doesn't affect me one way or the other.

 

Oh, and not sure if this is of any use whatsoever but when I first did LHTH but substituting math and the letter recognition box I made sticky notes with the name of the curriculum I was using on it and I would stick that in the box I was subbing out. Call me anal, but that kept me sane - it's funny how something like a box I'm not following could bother me so much. So, for example, I would have a sticky note over the day's math box saying "Saxon 1: next lesson" (I self-pace math) and at the end of the day I would move that sticky note to the math box for the next day.

[Donna T.]

I used two guides the first year that we did HOD and will be using two guides next year. My oldest did Preparing with the Extensions and the program was completely "open and go" for him. He had no difficulty using the IG and just checked the boxes off as he worked through the guide. We did add some things (R&S Spelling, Greek) and substituted our own Math, but that was very easy to do... he just penciled those things in to his guide (in the boxes that matched the "subject") as we went through it. We didn't plan it all out beforehand, we just did the next thing that needed to be done. By the end of the year even my 7 year old was pulling out his own guide, reading the boxes, and getting his work started on his own. I only used about half of the boxes in his guide and it didn't bother me at all to leave boxes undone. Both of my kiddos enjoyed their guides and are looking forward to their new ones. CTC does have more choices but they aren't anything that I feel like I have to plan far ahead... once you decide if you are going to read the assigned Storytime or choose a book from the listed genre (for example), you are all set until those books are completed. So, you aren't making choices everyday, just every once in awhile.

 

HOD can be "open and go" without much fuss, atleast it was for us. I sure hope it's as simple for us this next year. I think it will be. I will be making some substitutions for my oldest but my youngest will be using it pretty much as is.

Edited June 22, 2011 by Donna T.

[silliness7]

Am I'm thinking this is how it will be with my 8th grader. But the sharing will be a hassle with my 4th and 6th graders and the things I'm adding in or subbing or tweaking aren't the same. They are not in the same spot in R&S for example so putting in a sticky for both. AAGGH!! I did try that at first. That was my first thought and after I did that for 2 days there was so much flapping around I couldn't flip through the book without the stickies folding over and that was driving me batty.

 

If I have time later I'll get the guide out to answer the pp more specifically. I'm very excited about HOD. But it does have to fit into my way of doing things. I'm not going to change the way I've figured out how to homeschool and the way I LIKE to do it for pretty boxes. :D

[silliness7]

Rebecca, I'm curious - could you explain further what the problem is with the boxes and the independent learner? It just seems to me that the boxes are a "to do" list that can be checked off as they're completed but I understand that other people don't do well with the layout of the guide and so I'm wondering if that is the issue for you or if it's something else.

 

Please understand I'm really just curious, not criticising - I just want to understand what you're saying and I'm not and it's driving me batty even though it ultimately doesn't affect me one way or the other.

 

Oh, and not sure if this is of any use whatsoever but when I first did LHTH but substituting math and the letter recognition box I made sticky notes with the name of the curriculum I was using on it and I would stick that in the box I was subbing out. Call me anal, but that kept me sane - it's funny how something like a box I'm not following could bother me so much. So, for example, I would have a sticky note over the day's math box saying "Saxon 1: next lesson" (I self-pace math) and at the end of the day I would move that sticky note to the math box for the next day.

 

And I think I can do the sticky note thing with my 8th grader who will have his very own guide. I'm not sure yet. But there just wasn't enough room in the other guide to squeeze in the extra assignments for 2 kids (because many were different for the 2 of them - math, grammar, reading, poetry, spelling, Latin, vocabulary) Now that's just nuts! :D

 

So, I'm looking at my guide now, looking down the boxes.

Reading about History - as is

History Project - as is

Independent History Study - as is

Storytime - since the 3 of us will do this together it would just be a Skip This Box kind of thing. No big deal but cluttery.

Bible Quiet Time - This is actually as is but since a large portion of it is the guided prayer I just thought it would be weird and schoolish to take this big old TM with all their school assignments in it and pray. I LOVE the information here but definitely wanted to change it up. I took the prayers and made bookmarks - one for each unit - for them to stick in their Bibles. I guess it's still a little schoolish since it's on their school ToDo. But I was wanting to make it more devotional.

...and we do the Bible Memory in the car. We're almost done with Philippians 2 in fact. I'll probably order Phil. 1 when I order Rev 2 Rev. It's amazing how fast you can memorize with music. LOVE this approach!

Bible Study - they do this with me so another cluttery Skip This Box

Language Arts - This is the box that gave me so much trouble because both Reading AND Grammar/Writing are packed into this one box. I like to go over the grammar/writing lesson with them before they do the assignment and when I was trying to figure out DITHOR some days the teacher would be necessary before the lesson, some days after the lesson and some days the teacher was not needed. Then dictation is in here which is teacher directed. This box gave me huge fits trying the sticky note thing. The semi-independent nature of it is what drove me batty. I really needed to separate it into THEIR portion and OUR portion and clearly delineate THEIR independent responsiblity on their checklist. And when I had less students it was O.K. to put grammar lesson on their checklist and when they got to it they could come to me and I could sit down within the next 5 min. and give them a grammar lesson. But I can't do that anymore. I have to schedule out a grammar lesson time for each kiddo or it just won't get done. We will run out of time.

Science Exploration - as is

Poetry - This is the one box I do not like at all. I totally substituted our own thing.

Math - We use Saxon, but that is not a big deal. Easily remedied with a sticky note, except I'd need two.

Then somewhere I'd have to let them know what their Spelling workbook, Vocab workbook, Latin workbook, or at the very least remind them to do the next page and have them check off somewhere that they did it, as well as instrument practice.

 

It just got way too complicated and cluttered. I did think of making a separate to-do just with the extras. But I thought if I'm going to make them a to-do how much more work could it be to add HOD stuff onto it. Well, it wasn't much at all and it keeps them working off of just one to-do list instead of from the guide AND a list. And I did not type out all of the directions from each box. I just wrote see box for Unit 1 Day 1, for example. So they'll still have to figure out how to share a bit. I'm probably going to have the book laying out on the table with strict instructions that it not be moved.

 

HTH

[Tree House Academy]

If you don't like writing out To-Do lists for your independent learners especially those who are sharing a guide HOD might not be for you.

 

 

I am totally :confused: here. You mean you had to re-write the daily instructions for a 6th grader using CTC? We used CTC last year and my ds was in 6th grade and he used the guide himself completely. I didn't write out anything extra. The only things I did with him were storytime (15 mins), geog/genesis study (10 mins), English/Writing - getting him started (10 mins), and the occasional help with a history or science project. I mean, truly, it was open and go and oh so independent for my older son. HOD starts drawing out independence beginning in Preparing where the boxes marked "I" are done solely by the student and instructions are written to the student. As the levels go up, the number of "I" boxes increase and the number of "t" and "s" boxes decrease. Soooo.. your comments on writing out some schedule beyond the guide definitely leave me scratching my head.

 

ETA: In reading the post just above this one, I think you are talking about a schedule more like I do with my workboxes. My ds has an excel sheet each week with the workbox # and then whatever he needs to do for the day is listed under the box. Many of them are combined boxes that say, "Unit 1, Day 2" or whatever....but it gives me somewhere to schedule his extras (French and Art). If this is what you are talking about, then I do understand.

Edited June 23, 2011 by Tree House Academy

[silliness7]

I am totally :confused: here. You mean you had to re-write the daily instructions for a 6th grader using CTC? We used CTC last year and my ds was in 6th grade and he used the guide himself completely. I didn't write out anything extra. The only things I did with him were storytime (15 mins), geog/genesis study (10 mins), English/Writing - getting him started (10 mins), and the occasional help with a history or science project. I mean, truly, it was open and go and oh so independent for my older son. HOD starts drawing out independence beginning in Preparing where the boxes marked "I" are done solely by the student and instructions are written to the student. As the levels go up, the number of "I" boxes increase and the number of "t" and "s" boxes decrease. Soooo.. your comments on writing out some schedule beyond the guide definitely leave me scratching my head.

 

ETA: In reading the post just above this one, I think you are talking about a schedule more like I do with my workboxes. My ds has an excel sheet each week with the workbox # and then whatever he needs to do for the day is listed under the box. Many of them are combined boxes that say, "Unit 1, Day 2" or whatever....but it gives me somewhere to schedule his extras (French and Art). If this is what you are talking about, then I do understand.

 

I'm not sure what workboxes are exactly. Mine is just a single sheet of paper that lists all of the work for the week on it and most of the HOD things just say see Unit 1 Day 2, like you're saying. No, I did not re-type out all of the instructions. Sorry that was confusing. But I needed a to-do for the "other" stuff and also more room to flesh out the reading portion. So while I was at it I just put the HOD stuff in there. I'm thinking I MIGHT not have to do this with my 8th grader who will have a guide all to himself. I'll see when I get it. I seem to have made lots of people go :confused: . I'm very sorry. I apparently didn't explain it very well. I was distracted by the picture in my head of my TM with a dozen stickies on one day marked F-do this, K-add this, until there were so many stickies I couldn't even tell what was going on. :lol: Must have made me incoherent.

 

ETA: Also I'm not sure if I mentioned that I have two students in CtC sharing one guide so I don't know how they would be able to use it as a personal checklist. I can totally see my son mistaking my dd's checkmarks for his own and trying to get out of work. In a perfect world I could assign them each a different colored pencil, but in my world we have a hard enough time finding ANY pencil, let alone one that is the proper color.:D

Edited June 23, 2011 by silliness7

[SorrelZG]

Ok, I get it. Thank-you for taking the time to explain that. I was struck quickly with the image of excessive sticky notes falling of and flying all over the place. :lol:

[lovemy9kids]

Wow....what a thread! I have been going back and forth for a month now on whether to switch from TOG to HOD. My oldest graduated this year, and my 11th grader will be going to a private school (Lord willing). My 9th grader will be doing MFW AHL so he is all set. But then I have my 6th, 5th, 2nd, and 1st graders to think about (plus a toddler and a 4 month old to figure out what to do with :001_smile:). I love the idea of HOD, but I seriously doubt that I could pull it off. I am prone to feeling overwhelmed and can easily start to feel like I am sinking. I am desperately trying to find something to make my life easier next year so I don't feel this way 75% of the time (no fun!) I was thinking about putting the 6th grader in her own guide so she can work independently, and then putting the 5th grader in his own guide but let the little ones tag along for history, bible, and story time. This all sounded like a good idea until I started adding everything up. Seriously, how do people afford this? And am I understanding you correctly that you cannot copy the pages for another child in your own family? How does that work? Do you buy another guide each year or have the child coming up just use a guide that has been written all over by the previous child? I figure with TOG, at least I can buy unit by unit as I have the money. You know, a little at a time. Also, you can copy things from the DE so easily and as many times as you want to. The one thing I don't like about TOG is that for me, with this many kids, at different levels, I HAVE to use the library extensively. Our library system is good and has most of the books, but I get completely burnt out staying on top of the ordering/pick-up/returns etc. They REALLY should have some kind of optional book package. But that is another issue. I really like how writing is so interwoven in HOD. Writing never seems to get done here because I just do not have the time to stay on top of copywork, dictation, narration etc. One thing that caught my attention with HOD is that it seems the writing is a part of nearly everything. Every time I get settled on a decision, I get second thoughts and change my mind. I'm just not going to buy anything till I'm truly at peace. Which won't be hard because I don't have the money right now anyway. ;) I wish there was a way to make TOG a little more like HOD (with the writing woven into the subjects.) I know they(TOG) have a "writing component", but to me it always seems very separate from the reading assignments. Especially for LG and UG students.

I guess I'm just getting my thoughts out of my head, hoping it will clear things up for me. If any of you have some advice, ideas, encouragement, anything you think would help.....I'm all ears.

 

Thanks so much:001_smile:

[lovemy9kids]

:bigear:

[abrightmom]

And I think I can do the sticky note thing with my 8th grader who will have his very own guide. I'm not sure yet. But there just wasn't enough room in the other guide to squeeze in the extra assignments for 2 kids (because many were different for the 2 of them - math, grammar, reading, poetry, spelling, Latin, vocabulary) Now that's just nuts! :D

 

So, I'm looking at my guide now, looking down the boxes.

Reading about History - as is

History Project - as is

Independent History Study - as is

Storytime - since the 3 of us will do this together it would just be a Skip This Box kind of thing. No big deal but cluttery.

Bible Quiet Time - This is actually as is but since a large portion of it is the guided prayer I just thought it would be weird and schoolish to take this big old TM with all their school assignments in it and pray. I LOVE the information here but definitely wanted to change it up. I took the prayers and made bookmarks - one for each unit - for them to stick in their Bibles. I guess it's still a little schoolish since it's on their school ToDo. But I was wanting to make it more devotional.

...and we do the Bible Memory in the car. We're almost done with Philippians 2 in fact. I'll probably order Phil. 1 when I order Rev 2 Rev. It's amazing how fast you can memorize with music. LOVE this approach!

Bible Study - they do this with me so another cluttery Skip This Box

Language Arts - This is the box that gave me so much trouble because both Reading AND Grammar/Writing are packed into this one box. I like to go over the grammar/writing lesson with them before they do the assignment and when I was trying to figure out DITHOR some days the teacher would be necessary before the lesson, some days after the lesson and some days the teacher was not needed. Then dictation is in here which is teacher directed. This box gave me huge fits trying the sticky note thing. The semi-independent nature of it is what drove me batty. I really needed to separate it into THEIR portion and OUR portion and clearly delineate THEIR independent responsiblity on their checklist. And when I had less students it was O.K. to put grammar lesson on their checklist and when they got to it they could come to me and I could sit down within the next 5 min. and give them a grammar lesson. But I can't do that anymore. I have to schedule out a grammar lesson time for each kiddo or it just won't get done. We will run out of time.

Science Exploration - as is

Poetry - This is the one box I do not like at all. I totally substituted our own thing.

Math - We use Saxon, but that is not a big deal. Easily remedied with a sticky note, except I'd need two.

Then somewhere I'd have to let them know what their Spelling workbook, Vocab workbook, Latin workbook, or at the very least remind them to do the next page and have them check off somewhere that they did it, as well as instrument practice.

 

It just got way too complicated and cluttered. I did think of making a separate to-do just with the extras. But I thought if I'm going to make them a to-do how much more work could it be to add HOD stuff onto it. Well, it wasn't much at all and it keeps them working off of just one to-do list instead of from the guide AND a list. And I did not type out all of the directions from each box. I just wrote see box for Unit 1 Day 1, for example. So they'll still have to figure out how to share a bit. I'm probably going to have the book laying out on the table with strict instructions that it not be moved.

 

HTH

Rebecca,

 

Currently, you are my Homeschool Mom Hero. Way to go....I really admire your "verve". Is that the right word?! :001_smile: What did you decide regarding DITHOR? Mine is for sale...sniff sniff. It just won't fit here....I labored with it, read and re-read, pondered, prayed....and nope. Not happening!

 

Please share what it is about the poetry box that won't work. I love how you think things through.....

 

What do your kiddos do independently and what do they need you for? Have you opted for some materials that take some teaching burden off of you? How do you manage the Bible studies? Separately, together, or done independently by your student? What about Latin and English/grammar?

 

Again, you're very inspiring! I know you don't feel like you are most days....but you are. :001_smile: I am sad to hear that the pencil thing isn't likely to improve. It beats me how I can buy a box of 40 Dixon Ticonderoga pencils and a bag of 25 awesome red erasers only to NOT be able to find ONE decent pencil and eraser a few short months later...:glare: The Costco pack of 250 seems more sensible now....

[abrightmom]

Wow....what a thread! I have been going back and forth for a month now on whether to switch from TOG to HOD. My oldest graduated this year, and my 11th grader will be going to a private school (Lord willing). My 9th grader will be doing MFW AHL so he is all set. But then I have my 6th, 5th, 2nd, and 1st graders to think about (plus a toddler and a 4 month old to figure out what to do with :001_smile:). I love the idea of HOD, but I seriously doubt that I could pull it off. I am prone to feeling overwhelmed and can easily start to feel like I am sinking. I am desperately trying to find something to make my life easier next year so I don't feel this way 75% of the time (no fun!) I was thinking about putting the 6th grader in her own guide so she can work independently, and then putting the 5th grader in his own guide but let the little ones tag along for history, bible, and story time. This all sounded like a good idea until I started adding everything up. Seriously, how do people afford this? And am I understanding you correctly that you cannot copy the pages for another child in your own family? How does that work? Do you buy another guide each year or have the child coming up just use a guide that has been written all over by the previous child? I figure with TOG, at least I can buy unit by unit as I have the money. You know, a little at a time. Also, you can copy things from the DE so easily and as many times as you want to. The one thing I don't like about TOG is that for me, with this many kids, at different levels, I HAVE to use the library extensively. Our library system is good and has most of the books, but I get completely burnt out staying on top of the ordering/pick-up/returns etc. They REALLY should have some kind of optional book package. But that is another issue. I really like how writing is so interwoven in HOD. Writing never seems to get done here because I just do not have the time to stay on top of copywork, dictation, narration etc. One thing that caught my attention with HOD is that it seems the writing is a part of nearly everything. Every time I get settled on a decision, I get second thoughts and change my mind. I'm just not going to buy anything till I'm truly at peace. Which won't be hard because I don't have the money right now anyway. ;) I wish there was a way to make TOG a little more like HOD (with the writing woven into the subjects.) I know they(TOG) have a "writing component", but to me it always seems very separate from the reading assignments. Especially for LG and UG students.

I guess I'm just getting my thoughts out of my head, hoping it will clear things up for me. If any of you have some advice, ideas, encouragement, anything you think would help.....I'm all ears.

 

Thanks so much:001_smile:

 

Have you considered MFW for your younger crew???? Goodness, the Book Basket is DONE for you. No planning, no decision making. I found it so easy to use and it enriched our studies immensely. There is a lovely grid to follow each week with a light day on Friday to be used for 3 R's or to wrap up the week. She offers ideas for teaching olders AND youngers....the notebooking pages, timeline pieces, etc. are all done for you. All of your readers can participate in Bible Study reading and history/science reading. Your olders can lead the science experiment times. You can pencil in what you want to for writing and perhaps accomplish it because the planning and book decisions are made for you. You can photocopy the weekly grid, write in the individual assignments in the 3 R's categories, and pass them out to your students. The time saved and the stress relieved may enable you to be consistent with writing which is SO critical. MUCH more important than a rigorous history program. You can add WTM recommendations for literature for each age/grade or use ideas from various sources such as AO, VP, or HOD.

 

As I was reading your post (plea for help :001_smile:) I thought MFW. It's not perfect but then no curriculum is. Curriculum is a tool that enables you to teach your children. Mama being able to manage the day and teach the important subjects is so very important. If TOG is too big then I urge you to move on....I am finding in my own little homeschool that quite often "less is more" because I am a MUCH better Mama & Teacher to my kiddos when I am NOT a basket case. Funny how that works :D.

 

Blessings as you ponder & pray! I know how tough these decisions are and how it feels to struggle.....

[lovemy9kids]

I am finding in my own little homeschool that quite often "less is more" because I am a MUCH better Mama & Teacher to my kiddos when I am NOT a basket case. Funny how that works :D.

 

..

 

I really see the wisdom here..........thank you so much for taking the time to help and encourage me. So much more I want to say, but I'm typing with one hand while I'm nursing the baby :)