yet another HOD thread...CTC, RTR come and discuss

[kwickimom]

I waiver back and forth from HOD to doing my own thing almost daily. SIGH

 

LOVE HOD mostly (hate the Science) and I am just not sure about CTC. We are also sick of Ancients (did SOTW1 last year and then Preparing had some too). I just think its too Bible heavy and too time consuming.

 

I want to combine my 1st grader and 5th grader next year for as much as possible. My 4YO will be going to half day preschool and I have the opportunity to get a lot done in the mornings.

 

We are thinking of moving onto Medieval. I was going to just do SOTW 2 and beef it up, but what I want to beef it up with is most of the RTR books. SIGH.

 

Should I take a year off of HOD and do something else? I would love to come back to RTR. I dont like MFW. I was thinking of trying ECC but I looked at it and dont like it at all.

 

I really dont think we can make it through a year of CTC, but we have the perfect opportunity to do a 4 year rotation before high school and that would leave my 1st grader with a perfect second 4 year rotation.

 

I also dont think I can do 2 separate history's and I dont want my dd doing history on her own. GAH.

 

 

What I really want is SOTW lined up with HOD so that I can use HOD as the "beef up" part for my 5th grader. Should I try this?

[MyLittleBears]

This is exactly what held me back from trying HOD. I did not want to do separate history for each child for the sake of time, so we tried MFW ECC. That was a bomb for us. In retrospect I wish I had just gone into CtR instead but our bad year left a bad taste with us for MFW. I know many people love it and I like them as a company but I also thought it was too time consuming(history 4x week is way too much IMHO) and I did not care for the science. We are doing SOTW 1 w/AG and some of the readings in Biblioplan but I could easily get away w/ just SOTW. I combine all my dc and do it 1 to 2x per week max. It leaves much more room for other subjects and actually gets done. I think sometimes as parents we fall in love w/the idea of a curriculum that may not be realistic for us on a day to day basis. Sometimes it just a good learning experience.:tongue_smilie:

 

It did occur to me to do HOD the corresponding SOTW for the youngers, once.

Edited January 24, 2012 by MyLittleBears

[Sue G in PA]

We were in the same position after doing Preparing. We had already done Ancients ad nauseam. Luckily my boys were 12 and 13 and ready for RtR anyway so we skipped CtC without any problems. Your 4th grader will be on the low end for RtR and unless his skills are right on and he places squarely into RtR...I would NOT recommend skipping CtC. Your goal with HOD is independence. The skills do build on one another and you will likely be doing more hand-holding with a 5th grader in RtR than if he was older. Make sense? If you want to combine (and those ages are difficult to combine b/c of the wide span), HOD wouldn't be the curriculum to use. I would just use SOTW 2 as you mentioned and some of the books from HOD RtR for your 5th grader (The Famous Men of books would be good and if you could get your hands on Diana Waring's What in the World Vol. 2 CDs they would add a lot, too). You could also use some of the historical novels as read-alouds (from HOD). As I said thought, that age span would be rather difficult to teach together unless you are simply hoping to give your 1st grader a "taste" of the Medieval period (which is fine!).

[jewel7123]

So you're saying you would use SOTW for your younger and RTR for your older? I say go for it! That's what I hope to do in a few years. I really do NOT want to do different time periods, but keep us all together and on the same "page". I also would think you should have no problem using the Apologia science with your 1st grader, since astronomy is supposed to be the easiest of the books and I know many have used it with that age. If you decide to try this, I will be anxiously listening to hear how it goes. :D

[DianeW88]

I make my own units by combining the best of Winterpromise, KONOS and Trail Guide to Learning. It's worked beautifully. I use the Winterpromise guide as my basis, then mix everything else in where needed. It works MUCH better with different grades levels (especially widely spaced children like 1st grade and 5th, for example....neither HOD nor MFW works well with age separations like that) and isn't difficult to plan or implement.

 

www.winterpromise.com

 

http://curriculum-for-homeschool.com/learning_series/

 

www.konos.com

[jewel7123]

I make my own units by combining the best of Winterpromise, KONOS and Trail Guide to Learning. It's worked beautifully. I use the Winterpromise guide as my basis, then mix everything else in where needed. It works MUCH better with different grades levels (especially widely spaced children like 1st grade and 5th, for example....neither HOD nor MFW works well with age separations like that) and isn't difficult to plan or implement.

 

www.winterpromise.com

 

http://curriculum-for-homeschool.com/learning_series/

 

www.konos.com

 

This sounds like it would be a lot of work. How do you keep it from being so if you are essentially combining three different programs in to one? :bigear:

[jewel7123]

What I really want is SOTW lined up with HOD so that I can use HOD as the "beef up" part for my 5th grader. Should I try this?

 

I should add I think this would work as long as your 5th grader is ready for RTR and able to handle the work, or you're willing to adjust the workload accordingly. If and when I try this, my oldest will be in 6th with a 4th and 2nd grade siblings who'll do SOTW or CHOW, fun picture books, along with whatever parts of RTR they can handle.

[abrightmom]

kwickimom,

 

Do you want to use RTR in 5th with SOTW for your youngest OR are you looking for an idea to implement for a year so you can start RTR/SOTW 2 the following year (6th/2nd)?

 

Do you want to use RTR "as written" with the HOD guide or just the history book list as a supp. to SOTW 2?

[Chelli]

I thought about trying something similar for my kids, but what is holding me back is that the only one who would get to do all of the guides as written is my oldest with the youngers just following along doing STOW at their level and moving into ? once they get past the STOW age.

 

I love HOD and want to give all of my kids the benefit of doing the guides as written. So for now I've decided to not put any of my children into HOD until they reach the Preparing guide (eventhough we are loving Bigger). That way the ones in HOD are starting the program once the Independent boxes start so that I can free up some time to work with the youngers. I will keep my younger ones doing the same science as the ones in HOD (Apologia books), but take a more picture book/story approach to history until they jump into Preparing.

 

But I've also toyed with trying to combine mine for history and science doing a more CM approach like Simply Charlotte Mason, but I think I would wind up teaching three sessions that way (one of them together to introduce the topic, one for the younger on their level, and one for the older on their level). To be honest, I kind of like having mine doing their own personalized school with me. It gives me one-on-one time with them so they feel special and they really enjoy jumping into each other's activities when they can.

 

Sorry for the rambling....just talking things out in my head :D

[DianeW88]

This sounds like it would be a lot of work. How do you keep it from being so if you are essentially combining three different programs in to one? :bigear:

 

Well, I'm one of those sick people who LOVES curriculum planning. :lol: It really isn't too tough. I use WP as my spine, then add in KONOS activities where I want them, reading, geography and science from TGTL, and sometimes an occasional extra read-aloud from Veritas Press that matches up with the time period (just because I like their books).

 

So, for example, we're doing Lewis and Clark now. I use the weekly guide for WP. However, WP has scheduled "Little House on the Prairie", which we've already read. So, I'm substituting with "The Cabin Faces West" which is what TGTL uses for this time period. I'm also using the science from TGTL (which is weather, important to Lewis & Clark) and adding interesting experiments from the KONOS units on weather and mountain men. I'm also adding in parts of the "Indians" unit from KONOS, so we're studying the Sioux.

 

TGTL has great geography lessons, so I'm adding those in and using their activity suggestions for studying the states. KONOS breaks down the country into regions and studies their customs, history, etc. So for New England, while we studied the maps and state cards from TGTL, I added in books about lobsters, cranberry bogs, making maple syrup, and lighthouses from KONOS and did a few of their activities to make it a more rounded look at our country. This was all added in with WPs weeks on colonization and the American Revolution, which focused on the northeastern section of the USA. We also added in some books focusing on the native American tribes in that region of the country with a couple of KONOS activities.

 

It sounds waaaay more complicated than it is. And, it is easier for me since I've already accumulated all of this curriculum over the years. I have it, so I might as well use it, right? :lol: I sit down with the WP guide to get the basics for the week, then use TGTL and KONOS to supplement the plans.

 

There's no perfect curriculum out there.....might as well tweak what you've got into one. It's what most of us do anyway. :D

[jewel7123]

 

There's no perfect curriculum out there.....might as well tweak what you've got into one. It's what most of us do anyway. :D

 

I agree with you there. I wish I could come up with a HOD/MFW/TOG combo. :D

[kwickimom]

kwickimom,

 

Do you want to use RTR in 5th with SOTW for your youngest OR are you looking for an idea to implement for a year so you can start RTR/SOTW 2 the following year (6th/2nd)?

 

Do you want to use RTR "as written" with the HOD guide or just the history book list as a supp. to SOTW 2?

 

Not sure LOL!!! I kind of want to just go into RTR so we can just keep going, but I was worried about the work of CTC so I would be NUTS to skip into RTR right??

 

I could just do a geography year.

 

I think I want to do RTR as written (maybe tweaking some things)with SOTW2 added in for the younger, but I am not sure if I should do that next year or wait a year.

 

SIGH.

 

Every night I think..drop HOD and simplify and everyday as we delve into Preparing I want to stick with HOD. :001_huh:

[Lovedtodeath]

 

I waiver back and forth from HOD to doing my own thing almost daily. SIGH

Me too. :grouphug: Thanks for the thread!!

[hmschooling]

I thought about trying something similar for my kids, but what is holding me back is that the only one who would get to do all of the guides as written is my oldest with the youngers just following along doing STOW at their level and moving into ? once they get past the STOW age.

 

I love HOD and want to give all of my kids the benefit of doing the guides as written. So for now I've decided to not put any of my children into HOD until they reach the Preparing guide (eventhough we are loving Bigger). That way the ones in HOD are starting the program once the Independent boxes start so that I can free up some time to work with the youngers. I will keep my younger ones doing the same science as the ones in HOD (Apologia books), but take a more picture book/story approach to history until they jump into Preparing.

 

But I've also toyed with trying to combine mine for history and science doing a more CM approach like Simply Charlotte Mason, but I think I would wind up teaching three sessions that way (one of them together to introduce the topic, one for the younger on their level, and one for the older on their level). To be honest, I kind of like having mine doing their own personalized school with me. It gives me one-on-one time with them so they feel special and they really enjoy jumping into each other's activities when they can.

 

Sorry for the rambling....just talking things out in my head :D

 

This is something I've considered doing, and b/c of life circumstances I am now doing it by default. I will start my 3rd grader next year in either Bigger or half pace Preparing. Or just continue with the basics like we have been and practice some CM style skills while I work with my will-be-6th grader next year in CTC. Then I'll have my K'er doing basics and a 3yo running around wild. My DS that will be in 3rd will be able to read well and I'll have him just reading the DITHOR level 2 and/or 3 books and probably some of the books for Bigger if we aren't doing the full guide.

[hmschooling]

Not sure LOL!!! I kind of want to just go into RTR so we can just keep going, but I was worried about the work of CTC so I would be NUTS to skip into RTR right??

 

I could just do a geography year.

 

I think I want to do RTR as written (maybe tweaking some things)with SOTW2 added in for the younger, but I am not sure if I should do that next year or wait a year.

 

SIGH.

 

Every night I think..drop HOD and simplify and everyday as we delve into Preparing I want to stick with HOD. :001_huh:

 

I'd wait a year before doing RTR. And I'd be working on solidifying written narration skills and following directions from a guide quite well.

 

Sometimes my life is just so much we can barely get to school, so I think regularly that I just need to drop doing a program (PHFHG) and focus on basics but just like you, when we do a day of PHFHG, I just love it and all the skills woven in and want to stick with it. It's a lot of work, but I don't think it's HOD...I think it's parenting and homeschooling!

[abrightmom]

 

SIGH.

 

Every night I think..drop HOD and simplify and everyday as we delve into Preparing I want to stick with HOD. :001_huh:

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

I'm tormented by these nighttime thoughts. I can't combine and I won't run 3 guides!

 

You should evaluate at the end of the school year. Maybe you can start RTR in the new year, halfway through 5th and start half speed. I don't know. It's really up to you and you'll have to wait and see.

 

CTC scares me and it prevents me from combining my boys. :D

[kwickimom]

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

I'm tormented by these nighttime thoughts. I can't combine and I won't run 3 guides!

 

You should evaluate at the end of the school year. Maybe you can start RTR in the new year, halfway through 5th and start half speed. I don't know. It's really up to you and you'll have to wait and see.

 

CTC scares me and it prevents me from combining my boys. :D

 

aww man, I was hoping you would just tell me what to do :lol: Why does starting halfway through a year or whatever freak me out? I could totally do that. I could also just do CTC and get over the Ancients AGAIN. My daughter has fallen in love with Greece.

 

I am also not putting a kid in HOD until Preparing. Thats why I really wanna combine. can you believe I am now looking at MFW CTG and up? GAH :001_huh: