Whereneverever Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I'm looking for my DD2. She's already a strong reader, so I'm not really concerned about having a good phonics program. I already have math and science picked. Wwyd? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted January 22, 2012 Author Share Posted January 22, 2012 Man no one? :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I would say NOT WP. We have done several WP programs, and while I like them, I don't think that they are great for Kinder. I would say out of those that you listed either Sonlight Core A or HOD. I personally prefer the way the SL instructor's guide is set up, but you may like HOD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I think they are all great programs. :) We are using HOD with selections from SL, AO, and OFE. Also tags along with others in TOG. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristinannie Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 We used the SL P3/4 and P4/5 books for kindy/pre-K. I didn't buy the cores. I just bought what I could used. All of the books were excellent. We also picked some books off of Mater Amabilis and a few other CM sites. Those are the read alouds. We are also taking a trip around the world. We spend about 2 months per continent. I have a few core books and then we supplement with library books. Of course, I had to buy every.single.South America book because our library had ONE book on Peru and that was it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PentecostalMom Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I love SL. I have tried HOD a long while ago with my older ds and didn't like it. I prefer all of the books together and love the way the SL guide is all laid out. They also offer optional hands-on activities with each core. We pick and choose as we go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dassah Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I LOVE SL K (Core A) and HOD LHFHG so I'm no help. I've done each for K. I think the ideal would be to do both! :D BUT, for ease of use, I would probably choose LhFHG as my spine and add in many of the have-to-reads from Core A like My Father's Dragon and Ergemeier's Bible. I would also buy the Harrow CD. Oh dear! It's too hard to choose between the two! SL is probably best for multi-genre new literary works and HOD is probably best for the mom who prefers older CM lit (like Reddy Fox) and someone who wants to read at a more relaxed pace. Both are excellent but fairly different. Just to keep in mind, some SL A books are used in future HOD guides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatfishes Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I used HOD and liked it. SL looks good though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Bmom Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I am pretty sure I am going with SL. We have been the WP route and hated it and HOD looks way too easy for my kids and I would have to scratch half of it. We would also do our own LA, math, logic, and handwriting since we love what we are doing now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted January 22, 2012 Author Share Posted January 22, 2012 So, lots of good votes for sonlight. And then HOD. A negative vote for WP and no opinions on FIAR. :D Thanks! Anyone else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethanyjoy Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 We are using FIAR right now for Kindergarten. My daughter has really enjoyed some of the activities we've done to go along with the books. It takes a lot of research and planning to add those activities, though. I've tried to do it "conversationally" but she doesn't seem to enjoy it as much. We also rarely actually read the book all five days -- sometimes it is one day sometimes three or four. It just depends. Some of the books *I* don't care to read again and just don't. I am really looking at HOD's Little Hearts program for next year. It looks like just enough reading balanced with hands-on and it is already planned out for me. I've never used it so my opinion may not be as helpful as others, but I really like the looks of it! Bethany Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted January 23, 2012 Author Share Posted January 23, 2012 We are using FIAR right now for Kindergarten. My daughter has really enjoyed some of the activities we've done to go along with the books. It takes a lot of research and planning to add those activities, though. I've tried to do it "conversationally" but she doesn't seem to enjoy it as much. We also rarely actually read the book all five days -- sometimes it is one day sometimes three or four. It just depends. Some of the books *I* don't care to read again and just don't. I am really looking at HOD's Little Hearts program for next year. It looks like just enough reading balanced with hands-on and it is already planned out for me. I've never used it so my opinion may not be as helpful as others, but I really like the looks of it! Bethany Your opinion about FIAR really helps! I'm not needing a lot of planning to pull something together! Ok, that will NOT work.:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manyblessings Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 A good friend uses FIAR, and while she loves it she won't be using it next year. It took a lot of planning to pull it all together. Our family uses and loves Sonlight. We own cores P3/4 through C so far and really enjoy each one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Out of all the SL I dislike K the most. FRIAR can be a lot of work to put together all the activities, but homeschoolshare does have many of the lapbooks and activities to go with it already in templates. My DS was fed up with reading a book for 5 days, but he was also already reading really well by then too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristin0713 Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 We've been using HOD LHFHG this year for K and we are really enjoying it. We use it primarily for Bible, history, and science as I do my own thing for math (RightStart) and phonics/writing (SWR). Check out the history cycle for all the levels so that you know what to expect. LHFHG starts out with creation and goes through the Bible for history lessons until week 20 or so. Then it continues with bible study, memory verses, and devotions but the history focus moves to early American history. I have been supplementing with a lot literature from FIAR and SL lists. My DD could literally sit for read alouds all day and many of the optional read alouds have not been available at our library (they have been mostly Christian books because we have been doing biblical history; I think that will change now that we are getting beyond that). She does enjoy the Burgess chapter books which is the literature component of LHFHG but she just enjoys reading so much and those aren't enough for her. The science lessons are light, but they are fun and I don't feel like we need too much more for science in K. I do wish there were book suggestions that correlated with the science lessons, but science in LHFHG does not follow a specific theme, it is just based on what we are learning in Bible and history. I have been looking ahead and reserving library books that correlate (recent examples--shadows, camouflage). I do love how it all connects and the activities, although maybe silly, basic, or "light" sometimes, really seem to make a lasting impression. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellalarella Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 I'm doing FIAR with not much planning. And we love it. My personality does not tend toward lapbooking or making worksheets, so we use a conversational approach. Here's how we do it: On the first day we read the book and get out our large foldable, laminated map and mark the location with a vis-a-vis marker. On other days we talk about subjects that were quite thoroughly discussed in the teacher's manual for FIAR. I think the author puts quite a bit of info in there--enough for my 5 and 6 year old. Occasionally, I will look up a resource online for further study. Generally speaking, our family enjoys reading the books several days in the week. This is actually a wonderful tool for my boys because they will ask 100 questions while I am reading. By the 3rd or 4th day. the questions slow down a bit. :001_smile: There were a couple of books I didn't like but sometimes when I didn't like the book, the kids would LOVE it. The main thing that has impressed me about FIAR is that my kids feel a strong affection for the FIAR books we row. Spending time with a book really brings the love--KWIM? You know, it works this way for me as an adult, too. I can think of books that I would speed read and think they were "OK," but then I have slowly read the same book aloud to a child over a period of weeks and I would love the book. Bottom line on FIAR for me: My kids have developed a love of books. It doesn't take much time (believe me, here, I am teaching a small herd of children). I would at least see if someone would let you look at the first volume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted January 23, 2012 Author Share Posted January 23, 2012 Ok, I decided on sonlight. Thanks for all the input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Best of luck on your journey :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kolamum Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Enjoy! :) I was just about to say I would use FIAR for K-1 and then swap to SL for Core B, but I'm sure you'll love your choice and be happy with it! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted January 23, 2012 Author Share Posted January 23, 2012 Enjoy! :) I was just about to say I would use FIAR for K-1 and then swap to SL for Core B, but I'm sure you'll love your choice and be happy with it! :D Lol! My library has FIAR so I can add it in if my darling wants more. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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