Heart of Dakota -- How's is going?

[Jonibee]

I was already set with my curriculum choices this year, but that catalog still regularly calls to me. . .

 

How is your year going? :bigear:

[Edwena]

Isn't the catalog beautiful? This is our 2nd year with HOD and we still love it! There's nothing that I don't love about it. My dc feel the same. I love that we get so much accomplished each day and we are not stressed at all.

[Joyofsixreboot]

We're enjoying it. I do fiddle with it. We use CLE/MM for math and CLE for grammar. We don't do the hymns. For my 2nd grader I add in some cool historical picture books ( like How Benjamin Franklin Stole the Lightning) and my 5th grader is doing the extensions and doing more writing. It allows me to do art/ geography/projects I wouldn't do without the guide.

Edited November 3, 2011 by joyofsix

[MrsMe]

We're doing CTC and it's our best year yet. DD has done leaps and bounds in independent work and discipline. Even I'm trying to read the books for CTC, but I can't because dd keeps saying, "Mom, guess what?" That's a really good thing, except I can't get anything read!

[kwickimom]

Doing Preparing here and LOVING it! It takes us under 4 hours 4 days a week so we have time for extras and fun stuff. we are using MM and R&S and I have added in WWW on 3 days.

 

I didnt like DITHOR so we did drop that.

 

LHFHG didnt go well for my son, it was too babyish and he is not ready for Beyond. So we are patiently waiting until he is "Beyond" ready :)

[vtbowman]

We are having a great time with LHFHG! I am doing a 4 day week and that hasn't been the headache that I thought it was going to be.

[Rikki06]

We're doing Beyond and I don't love it. I feel I change too much to make it worth it BUT I do LOVE the reading lists and questions and all that. My son is doing the emerging reader and my daughter does Level 2 DITHOR (without the DITHOR--just the book selection). I also dropped LHTH for my 4yo. I won't be using it next year but that's just my preference.

[mytwomonkeys]

we started the year with HOD bigger. we've since sold it. however, the curriculum is fine. i didn't hate it or anything and would recommend it depending on what the person was looking for. i just was tweaking it way too much, and i didn't incorporate most aspects of the TM -- so it was easier to just drop it for us.

[SorrelZG]

Another drop out here (LHFHG/Beyond and LHTH) and terribly disappointed about it. It was a wonderful way to start the year but we grew apart. I'm thankful for the books it introduced us to and those are still being read. I would definitely recommend it to the right person.

[mom2jjka]

I am using Beyond this year with my younger two, and it's going well. (I do tweak it quite a bit, though ;)) I haven't decided if we're going to do Bigger next year or not. I'm just not all that excited about the book choices in that one.

[MorningGlory]

We're doing CTC and it's our best year yet. DD has done leaps and bounds in independent work and discipline.

 

:iagree:

My 10 yo son is also doing CTC. I am just amazed by how much progress he has made this year. And I am thrilled we are actually accomplishing such neat things as poetry study, painting, a timeline, and little, fun history projects. I am using other things for math, grammar, and science because I didn't want to completely rehash our homeschool in just one year. I think next year I will pick up all the HOD LA and the science. But I do think it is too late to switch to Singapore Math for us.

[twoxcell]

Our year is going great! My ds1 is about to finish unit 12 of Bigger, dd1 is in unit 3 of Beyond, and dd2 is in unit 6 of LHTH.

[Michelle My Bell]

My 2nd dd is in her 3rd year with it. She LOVES it. She has used CTC, RTR and is now working in the newest program. I didn't like the younger guides personally but I think that is because I get bored and like to switch things up. My dd works through it independently.

[krismoose]

We're enjoying Beyond. I'm using BJU 2 for reading, SWR for spelling, Language Smarts B for grammar, and reading Apologia Astronomy in place of some of the science and the occasional craft, about once or twice a week. (We did some of the same experiments this past year, and sometimes the craft isn't our cup of tea :D).

Edited November 4, 2011 by krismoose

[birchbark]

We're doing RTR and learning SO MUCH. It's our third year with HoD and I really like where it's taking us.

[Guest]

:blush: I just (as in 2 minutes ago!) bought Beyond for my ds. I have gone back and forth about it for awhile now, but I figured we had most of the books for Beyond, minus that core history package and the guide. I decided to try it out this year before handing over a larger amount next year for two programs! Crossing my fingers!

[table4five]

We are doing preparing and I love the book selections but I am not crazy about the science. So I am looking into other options. I also do not do every history project.

[tadbhoward]

We're doing Beyond and I don't love it. I feel I change too much to make it worth it BUT I do LOVE the reading lists and questions and all that. My son is doing the emerging reader and my daughter does Level 2 DITHOR (without the DITHOR--just the book selection). I also dropped LHTH for my 4yo. I won't be using it next year but that's just my preference.

 

 

This exactly.

 

I think my problem is I really need to be running Beyond and Preparing but chose to just do Beyond. I am tweaking it so much that it is not easy but rather more annoying than any program I have tried before. At this point, I have dropped all of it except for the History Read alouds and the accompanying history/geography lesson. I could do two programs next year but have decided that for the amount of time involved, I might as well do what I really want instead of HOD.

[kristin0713]

LHFHG didnt go well for my son, it was too babyish and he is not ready for Beyond

 

I've found some of this with my kids with the rhymes and fingerplays but we just skip what doesn't appeal to them. They are enjoying all the activities, I love how the Bible reading connects to everything thematically, and the science activities are short and basic. I wish there were literature suggestions that I could get at the library. I realize that since this is Biblical history that we are covering, that there is not much at the library to correspond. But there is certainly enough quality children's literature available that touches on the science subjects and character building themes. I am disappointed with the curriculum in this respect because, honestly, I don't have the time to research books to correspond with everything and we are big readers here. But, looking ahead, it seems that the older levels have a lot more literature included and optional literature packages as well.

[AnointedHsMom]

It's going GREAT!! I always try to go other routes and I always return back to HOD. I have no idea why I keep thinking we'll do something else:confused1: I am determined to stick with it for both boys from here on out. I've also just switched both boys to Singapore math. I just felt strongly at the gut level that I should switch even the older one. We are a week in and I feel like it's the best decision I have made next to choosing HOD.

 

I love HOD and everything about it!! :D

[raceNzanesmom]

We're using Beyond and LOVE it!!! :D

 

We use MUS, but only because we started it before we found HOD.

[Tenaj]

We're doing Preparing, Bigger and Little Hearts (I know, I'm crazy) but the kids are enjoying most of it and I love how everything fits together. Poetry has been a big surprise for me as my boys are enjoying it - I figured that would be the one area that would be the complaint generator. In fact, my guy in Bigger has memorized almost all the poems and the other day they were all reciting one of the poems together. The music has also been surprisingly successful. Both the kids in Little Hearts and Bigger love the music part of the program.

 

I'm not doing DITHOR, R&S or Singapore . . substituting CLE for math, reading and language arts. Also, we've been doing IEW for writing but am thinking of switching to WWE - we'll see.

[MamaHappy]

It's going pretty good I guess....I don't know. :glare:

 

I'm doing Bigger and Little Hearts this year pretty much as written. Things started out awesome, but then I decided to drop DITHOR for my oldest because I just didn't care for it at all and I felt like there was very little learning going on. Then I tried CLE Reading, which is a great program, but I felt it was too time consuming so we dropped that too. So now I'm just having my ds read chapter books and sometimes we discuss. I also decided the R&S English 2 was too easy and slow for my ds in Bigger, so I dropped it and changed to R&S English 3 which is more on his level. Now I'm starting to question everything else, lol.

 

I posted recently about Bigger's science, I have mixed feelings about it.

 

I'm also not too sure about the dictation...my ds hasn't gotten one word wrong and doesn't seem challenged at all. People on the HOD board have said this is fine and it shouldn't be too hard. But still....??

 

I do like Carrie's book choices, I don't think there has been one book we haven't enjoyed. Well, maybe the Science in Colonial America we're currently reading....it's pretty dry. But everything else has been good.

 

Anyway, sorry for rambling. :tongue_smilie: When I first started using HOD, I thought it was the perfect curriculum for me and we would stay with it for the long haul. But now I'm not so sure....

[Tenaj]

I'm also not too sure about the dictation...my ds hasn't gotten one word wrong and doesn't seem challenged at all. People on the HOD board have said this is fine and it shouldn't be too hard. But still....??

 

 

 

My guy in Bigger was not being challenged at all by the dictation , and I just kept bumping up half-levels until it got a bit harder for him. I already owned CTC to I'm using those levels but the book the dictation comes from is Dictation Day by Day and is available through Google Books. An easy way to find it is in the yahoogroup for HOD users (it's in the files section). My ds is doing the first half of Level 3 right now which seems just about right for him though I may bump him up a bit further in a bit - I think he's done about four sections right in a row on the first try again so he may need a bit more challenge.

[MamaHappy]

My guy in Bigger was not being challenged at all by the dictation , and I just kept bumping up half-levels until it got a bit harder for him. I already owned CTC to I'm using those levels but the book the dictation comes from is Dictation Day by Day and is available through Google Books. An easy way to find it is in the yahoogroup for HOD users (it's in the files section). My ds is doing the first half of Level 3 right now which seems just about right for him though I may bump him up a bit further in a bit - I think he's done about four sections right in a row on the first try again so he may need a bit more challenge.

 

Thanks for posting this, I'm going to look into this!

[MrsMe]

For those having problems with dictation needing to be more difficult, you can always use Spelling Wisdom. That's great too. Works just like Day by Day. It's $30 I think but it is downloadable and has some great blurbs!

[Tree House Academy]

We have used HOD for 3 years now and this year is going great. Older ds is doing a 5 day week with RTR so he can move on the Rev to Rev before this school year is out. Younger ds is doing a great job with Bigger Hearts for 3rd grade. I couldn't be more pleased. Curriculum is the one thing I never have to worry about!

[Dassah]

We are in the midst of CtC and Beyond this year, about 1/3 of the way done. CtC is not an easy 5th grade year by any stretch but it's solid in every subject area and I just never, ever worry that it's not enough. I'm tinkering with slowing things down a bit b/c dd is working so hard through the subjects that she's losing the joy. Working so hard, I mean, in our 5.5 hours a day slot for her to accomplish her work. I really see this as a junior high level curriculum but doable for strong academic kids. We don't skip areas (except Dithor occasionally) and we DO add a secondary read-aloud (for pleasure) plus foreign language daily. It's challenging! I am very pleased with the academic side, really love the Biblical aspect, questioning the advanced difficulty of the history although dd is doing a great job of comprehension. It's laughable to think that an average PS child could comprehend, though, and I mean that objectively. It's tough. I looked back through her notebook tonight and thought, "wow, this is amazing!". So, I'm definitely pleased but understanding why some days are a struggle.

 

Beyond is straight forward, we really have enjoyed it and we get it done. My favorite part of the day is the suggested Read-Alouds (love the selections) and the history. We did add some Apologia science because we had the time with this dd and she was begging for additional science (but, I doubt she'll remember long-term much of what she did as a 6-7 year old and I understand why heavy science is delayed in HOD!).

 

Overall, I'm loving HOD but missing some of the picture books I read with first dd at this same age range with SL and plan to add those in...someday. :tongue_smilie: I remember the Berenstein Bears book of Nature/Science so fondly and I'm sad I don't have those scheduled in for me (I don't seem to get that which isn't scheduled accomplished despite my best efforts). I'm also toying with adding in FLL (it's hard to teach old dogs new tricks) and I'm missing that element of first-second grade from oldest dd. HOD is a fantastically organized (as in, to a T) curriculum. That's the beauty and curse of it. Maybe HOD should add a few empty (write-in) boxes for "picture books" to remind me! I'm such a box checker, aren't I?! :)

Edited November 5, 2011 by Dassah

[MrsMe]

We are in the midst of CtC and Beyond this year, about 1/3 of the way done. CtC is not an easy 5th grade year by any stretch but it's solid in every subject area and I just never, ever worry that it's not enough. I'm tinkering with slowing things down a bit b/c dd is working so hard through the subjects that she's losing the joy. Working so hard, I mean, in our 5.5 hours a day slot for her to accomplish her work. I really see this as a junior high level curriculum but doable for strong academic kids. We don't skip areas (except Dithor occasionally) and we DO add a secondary read-aloud (for pleasure) plus foreign language daily. It's challenging! I am very pleased with the academic side, really love the Biblical aspect, questioning the advanced difficulty of the history although dd is doing a great job of comprehension. It's laughable to think that an average PS child could comprehend, though, and I mean that objectively. It's tough. I looked back through her notebook tonight and thought, "wow, this is amazing!". So, I'm definitely pleased but understanding why some days are a struggle.

 

HOD is a fantastically organized (as in, to a T) curriculum. That's the beauty and curse of it. Maybe HOD should add a few empty (write-in) boxes for "picture books" to remind me! I'm such a box checker, aren't I?! :)

 

I think of CTC the same way. I read parts of the History of the Ancient World and some of it was quite advanced. And dd loved it! I read it and sort of went, huh? I do believe it is quite advanced and we're using it for 5th as well. I almost worry about RTR as we have quite a long day too. But honestly, dd loves it. She keeps grabbing the Storytime books (history pack) and finishing them up in a few days. The latest God King. I asked her this morning what she was reading and she said, "God King. Mom it's so good!"

 

So we're at the top of the level of all the guides and we could have easily done Preparing this year instead of last year and really wrung out everything there was to it.

 

I really see the benefit to using something a curriculum all the way through. I will also say that I'd love to see a few more picture books too. Good ones. Ones for older kids. Doesn't everybody love a good picture book?

[abrightmom]

It's wonderful to hear of so many happy HOD families.... :001_smile: It's a definite praise. HOD hasn't gone well here and it's not because of HOD. I have continued to miss combining my children and accepting the necessary separation to have them placed in guides with which they'll thrive. Personally I am finding it REALLY important in Bigger or Preparing on up to NOT be pushing the child for the sake of combining. This is necessitating running 3 guides and eventually 4. It also puts all of the children in separate time periods. That seems to matter right now but I'm not sure it will matter later on....

 

Personally I don't love the younger guides (they're fine but not awesome like Preparing is), Bigger is okay (though, to be fair, we're only on Unit 4), and I adore Preparing. I think the guides get better and better. Carrie truly amazes me. :001_smile:

[Dassah]

I almost worry about RTR as we have quite a long day too.

 

I feel the same way. I don't recognize the RTR history selections and assume they are similar, if not harder, in their language. This is one of the reasons I feel like it might be prudent to slow her down and let her enjoy the year without rushing through. We have activities many afternoons and she must stay on a strict schedule to get things finished. Insert frustrations due to that rushed feeling.

 

I might go ahead and order RTR and see. I know we'll use it next and I'd love to read a bit of the material myself. :001_smile:

[abrightmom]

I think of CTC the same way. I read parts of the History of the Ancient World and some of it was quite advanced. And dd loved it! I read it and sort of went, huh? I do believe it is quite advanced and we're using it for 5th as well.

 

Do you ladies know the ideal or recommended age range for the Guerber histories? I think they're just lovely.

 

I'd also love to hear about Genesis: Finding our Roots. Do the CTC Moms have any thoughts? Is it advanced? I've read many reviews that consider it best for high school!! I can't imagine Carrie using a high school study in a 5th grade guide.

[Dassah]

I have continued to miss combining my children and accepting the necessary separation to have them placed in guides with which they'll thrive.

 

Personally I don't love the younger guides (they're fine but not awesome like Preparing is), Bigger is okay (though, to be fair, we're only on Unit 4), and I adore Preparing. I think the guides get better and better. :001_smile:

 

:iagree: I agree with both of these statements! It's much easier for me to combine and I would if I didn't love the upper HOD guides. I find the guides below Preparing...ummm....uninspiring...and yet I do them. What does that say about me?!?! Don't answer that. :001_huh:

[Dassah]

Katrina,

Genesis, Finding Our Roots is actually the only book we have not enjoyed in HOD. We skim through it, occasionally learn something, but don't drink it in. There is nothing wrong with it, it just seems like a guide and not very CM to me. The Guerber History used in CtC is actually an elementary text from the turn of the century, early 1900's I believe. The language was so much fuller, vibrant, expressive, and, honestly, much more academic. I doubt most high schoolers of today would understand it easily based on the vocabulary and sentence structure.

Edited November 5, 2011 by Dassah

[abrightmom]

Dassah,

 

Thank-you for your replies and insights. Goodness, I think we might just enjoy MFW's ECC this year and reconsider picking up HOD with Preparing in 4th grade. It seems like combining my children is a better path for now.... I just HAVE to leave HOD on the table. :001_smile:

[jer2911mom]

Dassah,

 

Thank-you for your replies and insights. Goodness, I think we might just enjoy MFW's ECC this year and reconsider picking up HOD with Preparing in 4th grade. It seems like combining my children is a better path for now.... I just HAVE to leave HOD on the table. :001_smile:

 

Along these same lines, how hard is it skill-wise to wait until Preparing to start HOD? What do you miss by not doing Beyond and Bigger? I would imagine narration and some dictation? Science skills? Notebooking?

 

Has anyone done MFW Adv. in 2nd, ECC in 3rd, and then started Preparing in 4th? How was the transition?

 

Thanks,

Kathy

[kwickimom]

Now, I am really wondering if we can pull off CTC for 5th. I have the TM and a few of the books and have read about how advanced it looks. I amnot sure dd will be able to comprehend a lot of it and I think I am going to have help her out a lot. I am currently searching threads for anyone that stretched CTC to 5 days or took something out of it to make it doable. There is a LOT more narrating and writing in it than in Preparing it seems. I don't like DITHOR but wanted to add in CHOLL or some other lit program next year. I am also struggling with it being SO Bible heavy for History. I at least wanted to add in the SOTW audios with a little notebooking or narration, but that would be way too much.

 

I dont want to leave HOD, but I really dont want the next few years to be a major struggle. I love Preparing because we have time for extras and we can do it well in 4 days. I am not so sure CTC is going to go like that.

[Mommyfaithe]

I dropped it. I just couldn't keep up wit 2 history programs. My little boys are actually enjoying Sonlight core W with dd. They listen to the read alouds, bible study, learn the memory verses, and do the history. Works for us....and much easier to use one program. They do not read the readers....we use CLE for that

 

Faithe

[abrightmom]

Along these same lines, how hard is it skill-wise to wait until Preparing to start HOD? What do you miss by not doing Beyond and Bigger? I would imagine narration and some dictation? Science skills? Notebooking?

 

Has anyone done MFW Adv. in 2nd, ECC in 3rd, and then started Preparing in 4th? How was the transition?

 

Thanks,

Kathy

Kathy,

 

If your kiddo fits the placement chart I think you'll be fine. We started 3rd grade with Preparing and my son was doing fine with it. He just works slow :001_smile: and I decided to put him back in Bigger because it works out schedule wise. He's also not an awesome narrator and I wasn't quite ready to tackle the written narrations. In hindsight I think he would've grown into the work just fine. I tend to panic. :D Bigger is on the easy side for him but it is enough. He can finish the work each day, it's not overwhelming to him, and it's well rounded. He likes it too. :001_smile: There's really no rush. In an ideal HOD sequence Bigger fits in 3rd grade and Preparing in 4th. Anyway, I don't have the experience to back that up but hopefully you work on the skills regardless of what program you choose.

[abrightmom]

Now, I am really wondering if we can pull off CTC for 5th. I have the TM and a few of the books and have read about how advanced it looks. I amnot sure dd will be able to comprehend a lot of it and I think I am going to have help her out a lot. I am currently searching threads for anyone that stretched CTC to 5 days or took something out of it to make it doable. There is a LOT more narrating and writing in it than in Preparing it seems. I don't like DITHOR but wanted to add in CHOLL or some other lit program next year. I am also struggling with it being SO Bible heavy for History. I at least wanted to add in the SOTW audios with a little notebooking or narration, but that would be way too much.

 

I dont want to leave HOD, but I really dont want the next few years to be a major struggle. I love Preparing because we have time for extras and we can do it well in 4 days. I am not so sure CTC is going to go like that.

 

Oh no!! Keep us posted. I remember a thread in which Birchbark mentioned her initial reaction when they started CTC. It was something like, "Oh no, what have we gotten ourselves into?" But, they jumped in and swam hard. It went very well. Her son is thriving with RTR this year after finishing CTC last year!! You have a ways to go for DD before she's going to be using CTC. Her skills will grow leaps and bounds this year. You may find she's up for the challenge. Silliness7 is also using CTC and has had a favorable report. Her kiddos are 9 & 11 I believe. I hope she chimes in at some point.

 

What is it that concerns you about the comprehension? Do the texts seem too hard for a 10 or 11 year old?

[Joyoflearning]

I've been hesitant to write an update because I'm unsure about how I feel about how LHFHG is working for us.

I didn't like the younger guides personally but I think that is because I get bored and like to switch things up. My dd works through it independently.

I'm feeling very bored with LHFHG, and feel this need to supplement everything. We started last March very slowly to get used to doing school and didn't do much during the summer. At first I loved it. The curriculum is easy to implement and supplement. It gets done. My daughter really loved the Bible portion but has not been as interested in the History for Little Pilgrims. We are now just starting the American History portion. I liked going through the Bible. I do not like the Devotional so we are using something else for daily devotions.

 

My daughter is not challenged AT ALL. She finds LHFHG to be our fun "reading time" after we do PR and RS. I suppose that it should just be fun for her at her age, but I don't feel she is learning much from just HOD. We do all the things listed in my siggy (except MTM which I need to start soon) and more to keep her moving forward. She likes workbooks and works on a few on her own. Narrations come easily to her. She likes the Burgess Books, but she likes almost any book. We finished reading Charlottes Web and she wants to read other books listed in the Beyond guide but I've been trying to save the books for when we use that guide later. She's ready for poetry and is a natural speller. She is up to par with all skills listed in Beyond. I'm the box checker and feel a need to finish LHFHG before starting Beyond. I was thinking about switching to Beyond now, but dd is already on the young end of LHFHG having only turned 5 in August. I don't mind things being easy, but I don't like feeling like I need to supplement so much. I feel like I'm exhausting reading lists from Sonlight, AO, and more. I don't want to rush my DD and I know later guides get more difficult but I don't want to hold her back (one of the reasons we homeschool). She also loves the science, art, and acting stories out in LHFHG. The Science and Art don't look much more challenging in Beyond, but she would miss acting out the stories. If there was a way I could incorporate that into Beyond, then I would probably switch over. We only do HOD 4 days/ wk anyways since we have CC weekly. I don't know that I could let HOD go because it does fill a need for me of "getting done". Next year I want to study Ancient History with CC cycle 1 and am feeling like it is going to be a lot to do SOTW with HOD. Sorry about my ramblings, but that is where I'm at and any advice or ideas are welcome.

[Another Lynn]

ETA: I should have said that I'm replying to JoyofLearning :)

 

Well, you could do SOTW 1 with CC Cycle 1. Then use SOTW 2 with CC Cycle 2. Then for CC Cycle 3 (your dd will be 8, I think?) you could try HOD's Bigger Hearts. That would have you skipping Beyond, which is a hard choice. At that point you can decide whether to stick with a 3 year cycle (like CC) or a 4 year cycle (like WTM). If you wanted a 4 year cycle you could use the 4th year to do Preparing Hearts (there would still be a lot of overlap with CC's cycle 1 that year). And then you'd be ready to re-start a 4-year cycle in 5th grade with Ancients - using HOD if you still like their guides.

 

Sorry none of these ideas help you with your current situation. If it helps I did like Beyond better thatn LHFHG, though we didn't complete either one for various reasons (life interruptions, changes in how I combined kids, needing to streamline, etc.) The good news is that you have a very bright little girl!

Edited November 5, 2011 by Another Lynn

[MorningGlory]

Now, I am really wondering if we can pull off CTC for 5th. I have the TM and a few of the books and have read about how advanced it looks. I amnot sure dd will be able to comprehend a lot of it and I think I am going to have help her out a lot. I am currently searching threads for anyone that stretched CTC to 5 days or took something out of it to make it doable. There is a LOT more narrating and writing in it than in Preparing it seems. I don't like DITHOR but wanted to add in CHOLL or some other lit program next year. I am also struggling with it being SO Bible heavy for History. I at least wanted to add in the SOTW audios with a little notebooking or narration, but that would be way too much.

 

I dont want to leave HOD, but I really dont want the next few years to be a major struggle. I love Preparing because we have time for extras and we can do it well in 4 days. I am not so sure CTC is going to go like that.

 

I will chime in.

 

We started HOD this year using CTC with my 10 yo, 5th grade son...an average student. He is now ready for Unit 14.

 

WOW! Believe me, there was a 6-8 week learning curve! The primary text for history (the Guerber text) is quite difficult...it took him a while to become accustomed to its language. In fact, there were several chapters that I had to read aloud to him and help him with vocabulary. But he is now accustomed to it! This is thrilling to me because I forsee that this son will be able to tackle harder works as time goes on...like Shakespeare...without being afraid of the language/vocabulary style. I DID NOT have this confidence before starting this year of HOD.

 

It also took him weeks to learn how to write a "written narration". We started with him dictating to me...and me writing it on a whiteboard...and then he would recopy it. This went on for probably 4 weeks. Then one day, he wanted to try it on his own. I was again THRILLED. This is not normally a motivated child. He really liked that Carrie gave him a starter sentence...that helped him so much. Then he reached the week where she stopped giving the sentence! He was in a panic, so I helped him with his start for a couple of weeks. Then this week, Unit 13, he sat down and wrote an 8 sentence narration completely on his own. His spelling is atrocious, but we are working on that. So the narration part of CTC has been a huge success with us.

 

Finally, I will comment on the time allotment for CTC. My son really struggled with this at first. So I had to make him an exact schedule to follow each day. This has really helped. I can share it in more detail if anyone is interested. He starts every morning at 8:00 and is finished every day by 2:00. He has a 30 minute break mid-morning and an hour at lunch. So you see, he completes CTC + Latin in 4.5 hours of school time. I think this is appropriate for this age. He also reads other books on his own after school hours.

 

I hope I have given some helpful info about CTC. I am SO GLAD that we stumbled across it. This curriculum...which I never thought I would resort to...has been a school-saver for this particular child. He did not do well with the eclectic style that so fit my first-born. He desperately needed a concrete plan...and CTC has fit the bill.

 

HTH!

Jetta

 

P.S. I like that CTC is "Bible-heavy", too. My son has learned so much OT history and how world history fits in with Biblical history. I know the other guides won't be that way.

[4littleones]

It is going great! We are on the second half of Bigger and we have learned a lot!

 

My 8 and 9 yo work pretty much independently on History and Science, Poetry, Music, Storytime, reading, vocabulary, Bible, etc.

 

I am with them for Dictation (HOD), Math (Singapore), Extra writing (WWE2, almost done with it!), and Grammar (R&S), History notebooking, Science notebooking.

 

Sometimes we skip the artistic expression, science experiments and geography activities, if I think they don't need it. We also supplement with Apologia Swimming creatures with notebooking which they do independently.

 

I like it that they can do things on their own and I am looking forward to Preparing that has Independent options scheduled.

 

Last year we did Beyond with the two big children and Little hands with the 2 year old.

 

Soon, the five year old will start the Little hearts guide.

 

We like HOD here!

Edited November 5, 2011 by 4littleones

[Dassah]

Jetta,

I really appreciate your response to CTC. My dd is on week 12 and although I see fantastic academic improvements, similar to your experience, she isn't necessarily enjoying it (she did enjoy Preparing so it's not a work issue). Please share with me your schedule! I'm going to institute someone elses if possible to see what I might be doing differently. I'm still thinking that I'm pushing too hard with time allotments.

 

In an answer to some other posts, I think CTC is a natural progression from Preparing. We did start easy because the independent requirements were a big jump up for us. I'm very thankful we've continued forward with Hod because it's truly a Biblically woven curriculum with academic rigor I wouldn't have been able to schedule or pull off solo. That said, it's no easy day:001_smile:. I do not want to discourage people from using it, just know that the jumps are significant from lower years.

 

We started Preparing in 4th and I feel like that was a perfect fit for my dd. Ctc seems more rigorous than 5th in some aspects. But doable if you allow the time and help where needed.

[4littleones]

 

.my ds hasn't gotten one word wrong and doesn't seem challenged at all. People on the HOD board have said this is fine and it shouldn't be too hard. But still....??

 

That's my dd, age 9, natural speller. I will soon add another program just for her, perhaps spelling power? Not sure.

 

The dictation however, is just right for ds, 8 year old.

 

 

I do like Carrie's book choices, I don't think there has been one book we haven't enjoyed. Well, maybe the Science in Colonial America we're currently reading....it's pretty dry. .

 

I loved this book! I thought dc are so lucky to read this book! Mind you, I was reading and explaining paragraph by paragraph, and they had to narrate paragraph by paragraph. The children did well with it..

 

 

Just saying..

[kwickimom]

Oh no!! Keep us posted. I remember a thread in which Birchbark mentioned her initial reaction when they started CTC. It was something like, "Oh no, what have we gotten ourselves into?" But, they jumped in and swam hard. It went very well. Her son is thriving with RTR this year after finishing CTC last year!! You have a ways to go for DD before she's going to be using CTC. Her skills will grow leaps and bounds this year. You may find she's up for the challenge. Silliness7 is also using CTC and has had a favorable report. Her kiddos are 9 & 11 I believe. I hope she chimes in at some point.

 

What is it that concerns you about the comprehension? Do the texts seem too hard for a 10 or 11 year old?

 

The text do seem a little hard. I am all for challenging especially since it will be 5th grade, but I am worried she will end up hating it and I do not want to kill her love of learning. My dd has comprehension problems though. I have written some posts about thinking that she may have a processing issue. She writes well and loves it and she can narrate, but truly comprehending is hard for her. Some of the questions in Preparing that are in the Read About History she cant answer. She is very literal and has trouble "seeing" the meaning behind things. Aesops fables are really hard for her to grasp unless I really explain them. So, I think for my dd it will be a bigger stretch than some. I do not think she will be able most of the Independent History on her own or the Read About History.

 

If I can let go of the "too much Bible History" part I think I will feel better. I am struggling with that. Its probably 90% Bible History and while I want her to know that and I know we are doing creation to Christ, I feel the need to add in some secular. I can easily do this with Usborne or SOTW, it will be too much.

 

 

I will chime in.

 

We started HOD this year using CTC with my 10 yo, 5th grade son...an average student. He is now ready for Unit 14.

 

WOW! Believe me, there was a 6-8 week learning curve! The primary text for history (the Guerber text) is quite difficult...it took him a while to become accustomed to its language. In fact, there were several chapters that I had to read aloud to him and help him with vocabulary. But he is now accustomed to it! This is thrilling to me because I forsee that this son will be able to tackle harder works as time goes on...like Shakespeare...without being afraid of the language/vocabulary style. I DID NOT have this confidence before starting this year of HOD.

 

It also took him weeks to learn how to write a "written narration". We started with him dictating to me...and me writing it on a whiteboard...and then he would recopy it. This went on for probably 4 weeks. Then one day, he wanted to try it on his own. I was again THRILLED. This is not normally a motivated child. He really liked that Carrie gave him a starter sentence...that helped him so much. Then he reached the week where she stopped giving the sentence! He was in a panic, so I helped him with his start for a couple of weeks. Then this week, Unit 13, he sat down and wrote an 8 sentence narration completely on his own. His spelling is atrocious, but we are working on that. So the narration part of CTC has been a huge success with us.

 

Finally, I will comment on the time allotment for CTC. My son really struggled with this at first. So I had to make him an exact schedule to follow each day. This has really helped. I can share it in more detail if anyone is interested. He starts every morning at 8:00 and is finished every day by 2:00. He has a 30 minute break mid-morning and an hour at lunch. So you see, he completes CTC + Latin in 4.5 hours of school time. I think this is appropriate for this age. He also reads other books on his own after school hours.

 

I hope I have given some helpful info about CTC. I am SO GLAD that we stumbled across it. This curriculum...which I never thought I would resort to...has been a school-saver for this particular child. He did not do well with the eclectic style that so fit my first-born. He desperately needed a concrete plan...and CTC has fit the bill.

 

HTH!

Jetta

 

P.S. I like that CTC is "Bible-heavy", too. My son has learned so much OT history and how world history fits in with Biblical history. I know the other guides won't be that way.

 

 

Thank you for the post! I would love to see your schedule. My dd can do written narrations, but I am afraid that she won't comprehend enough to be able to write them on her own and this will frustrate her.

 

Do you see anything that can be left out? I was thinking of leaving out a lot of the independent History, unless its Draw and Write which she loves. I was even thinking of skipping some of the Storytime to fit it the lit program.

 

Do you use DITHOR too? I really want a lit program next year but that will be a TON of reading. I dont think there is anyway we can add one.

[Mommyfaithe]

I sent mine off.....

It just didn't flow for us. My kids were just not getting it....

I really liked the book choices, so we will use those. The Bible lessons were not thorough enough. I thought I would LOVE the layout....it drove it me batty. Absolutely nutty!! Did I finish that? Should indo this box or that box first?? Oh-oh....ran out of time and we won't be doing our reading, la or math. Seriously.

 

Anyway, I know most people love HOD. Maybe it is because I have been homeschooling so long that following another plan makes me nuts. I should have known...I should have known...sigh.

 

Anyway, I kept my books....sent off the manual....and hope the very wonderful lady who is using it with her kids loves it.

 

I am using Core W with all my kiddies...an an Ambleside Online sort of way....just a quick run through World History....then we will start back on another 4 year cycle.

 

Faithe

[abrightmom]

The Bible lessons were not thorough enough.

 

Will you please elaborate on this? :001_smile:

[blessed2five]

 

Has anyone done MFW Adv. in 2nd, ECC in 3rd, and then started Preparing in 4th? How was the transition?

 

Thanks,

Kathy

 

We used ECC last year and my youngest homeschooler was in 3rd grade. She got the most out of the book basket books and Window on the World. My older two really thrived and love the program. I would not use ECC if I didn't have older kids, say 5th grade and up. Just my opinion though.

 

For HOD we are loving it!! This is the first year I separated my kids and they are doing so well. My 13y/o dd is mostly independent using RTR along with HOD science, extensions and DITHOR. She uses Saxon math.

 

Preparing is wonderful!! My 9 year old dd is really excelling in narration and dictation. We love cuddling up in the morning together to do Bible, Storytime and Read alouds. Currently we are only doing Preparing half speed with LA and Math every day. I think trying to do it all in one day would take the fun out of it. This way she can take her time in the independent boxes and really expand her skills. She also is using DITHOR 4/5 which I have been very impressed with. She loves to pick from the list of books for each genre. We are also involved in a science co-op using Aplogia A&P which keeps her busy.

 

I am still not sure what I will use for my youngest two. The younger HOD programs don't appeal to me as much and I definitely want to combine them as much as possible. But that is a few years away.

 

My older daughter wants to use HOD for HS so we will be continuing with RevToRev next year with her. My 4th grader will still be finishing up Preparing next year in 5th and that is fine with me. I think CtC is a perfect program for 6th grade or even 7th. RtR has been very challenging for my 8th grader with plenty to do and learn.

 

In all we are loving HOD and plan to use is as much as possible in the future. Thanks everyone for sharing!! :001_smile: