I HAVE to do it-see what HOD is like

[happyWImom]

I know I am the worst kind of curriculum flip flopper, and truly believe I do have a problem, but..... I feel I have to get HOD out of my head, and need to give it a fair shot, once and for all!

 

I have had my dc use Beyond-but we only did a few weeks of it, because I ended up finding a free TM of MFW Adv., and couldn't resist it. Then, I had every intention of doing Bigger, and had the whole pkg, but ended up doing something else. (I don't even remember what) Now, I am determined to give it a shot, especially because I have a Preparing manual here that I am drooling over, and would love to use next year! I wanted my dc to really get some of the Ancients in, but felt they wouldn't be able to handle Preparing this year, which is why we did SOTW 1 & MOH. I want to actually try doing Bigger w/out tweaking too much, which is one of my downfalls. I am going to continue with FLL instead of R&S, but try to do everything else by the book.

 

I know has been an overload of HOD threads lately, but for anyone who wants to answer, who has finally taken the plunge & been happy with it?

 

I figure I have to try it either way, and I will either love it, or finally get it out of my system, so that I can move on.:001_smile:

[oneddmanybooks]

Tammi, it's kind of funny that you and I started HOD Bigger threads at almost the exact same time today. ;) One thing is for sure - it seems that a person can't choose HOD based on reviews, as it works so well for some and not at all for others (and many in between). That is true of most curriculum, I'm sure.

 

I would suggest that you find the Eggleston books online and read some of them. If you don't like them, you could replace or add to them.

 

I hope you enjoy Bigger! There is a lot to love about HOD. :)

[happyWImom]

Tammi, it's kind of funny that you and I started HOD Bigger threads at almost the exact same time today. ;) One thing is for sure - it seems that a person can't choose HOD based on reviews, as it works so well for some and not at all for others (and many in between). That is true of most curriculum, I'm sure.

 

I would suggest that you find the Eggleston books online and read some of them. If you don't like them, you could replace or add to them.

 

I hope you enjoy Bigger! There is a lot to love about HOD. :)

 

Jan:

 

Oh, I haven't seen your thread, yet! I am going to check it out, now.

 

Thanks for the encouragement.

[Edwena]

This is our 2nd year with HOD and before that we used strictly unit studies. We all absolutely love HOD. I use a different Math program because we were already with it and the same for Spelling. With that said, it doesn't add a lot of time to our day and I'm teaching 2.

 

My advice, do it as written, sometimes something seems simple but I've come to learn, it's there to help with your dc's retention. My dc bring up things all the time that they've learned through HOD. Just yesterday, we were listening to an audio and it mentioned Francis Marion and dd said that's the man who built the tower. I said, "Who?" She then explained and I said, "Yeah, from HOD." Anyway, this was from our guide last year.

 

We are doing Bigger and have added the extension package for read alouds. Love it! It adds more time to our day, but just adds so much in general.

[keyjoh62080]

From one curriculum flip flopper to another....go for it and take the plunge you'll be glad that you did!!! Lord willing, we'll be sticking with HOD for the long haul. We LOVE it!!

 

I felt like a junky with a serious problem....the only way that I was able to resist the temptation to flip flop around and pull out and put away, then pull out and put away different things, I had to get rid of everything I had in the house other than HOD stuff...lol! I am SO glad I did because it was driving me nuts. :lol:

[Monarch Room]

I am completely obsessed with HOD too! I'm bringing home my 3rd grader, and will complete the year piecing together what I do have for him, but plan on doing Bigger with extensions with him and my younger in the fall. My HOD catalog is all stained and worn, because I carry it around with me. I know- shameless. Honestly the thing that kept me from it before was completely shallow. I couldn't get past the website or design to even look at the samples (is this blasphemous?) Anyway, I'm so excited to start. I'll keep doing SM the way we do it already (with HIG, and extras) rather than the bare bones approach that HOD does, and also will keep our grammar and writing as is as well. SO excited to try it!

[mom2samlibby]

We jumped in with Bigger last year, but didn't get through it then. I picked it up again in the fall when we started school again this year. The further we went, the more I loved it. I did love it from the beginning, but watching it come together has made me love it even more. I had to really delve in to see the pattern and the flow of it. We are wrapping up unit 24 today. My kids have progressed in their skills, so we are doing a unit in 3 - 4 days.

 

Preparing is on the shelf waiting for us to start on in mid-March.

 

It's been a really good program for us. I hope to get through as many of them as we can. I think HOD's newest program coming out this fall looks really good, but we aren't quite there yet.

 

Add't info: Here's what I love about it. I love that it's open and go. I love the short bites of info each day. My kids and I aren't overwhelmed, but are getting our school work done each day. I love how it all ties together and I love how the activities tie in with our reading, so my kids retain it better. It's been a blessing to me and my family -- we are actually getting school done this year!

Edited February 2, 2012 by mom2samlibby
ETA: what I love about it

[happyWImom]

From one curriculum flip flopper to another....go for it and take the plunge you'll be glad that you did!!! Lord willing, we'll be sticking with HOD for the long haul. We LOVE it!!

 

I felt like a junky with a serious problem....the only way that I was able to resist the temptation to flip flop around and pull out and put away, then pull out and put away different things, I had to get rid of everything I had in the house other than HOD stuff...lol! I am SO glad I did because it was driving me nuts. :lol:

 

Yes, that will be the next step. I have a few SL Cores, SOTW 2, MFW ECC, OM-you name it! The only problem is, I've sold stuff in the past, only to repurchase it. I can't afford to do that anymore!!

 

I'm glad HOD is the one for you; you can be my inspiration.:001_smile:

[Abbeygurl4]

 

I know has been an overload of HOD threads lately, but for anyone who wants to answer, who has finally taken the plunge & been happy with it?

 

I figure I have to try it either way, and I will either love it, or finally get it out of my system, so that I can move on.:001_smile:

 

I can relate. I'm a hopper too. I drooled over HOD, bought it - tried it - sold it two times. THAT was what I needed to finally know that HOD is wonderful but will never be right for us and I've been able to move on. It's got great resale value so try it for a few weeks and if you like it keep it, if not, sell it.

[Homeschooling6]

I know I am the worst kind of curriculum flip flopper, and truly believe I do have a problem, but..... I feel I have to get HOD out of my head, and need to give it a fair shot, once and for all!

 

I have had my dc use Beyond-but we only did a few weeks of it, because I ended up finding a free TM of MFW Adv., and couldn't resist it. Then, I had every intention of doing Bigger, and had the whole pkg, but ended up doing something else. (I don't even remember what) Now, I am determined to give it a shot, especially because I have a Preparing manual here that I am drooling over, and would love to use next year! I wanted my dc to really get some of the Ancients in, but felt they wouldn't be able to handle Preparing this year, which is why we did SOTW 1 & MOH. I want to actually try doing Bigger w/out tweaking too much, which is one of my downfalls. I am going to continue with FLL instead of R&S, but try to do everything else by the book.

 

I know has been an overload of HOD threads lately, but for anyone who wants to answer, who has finally taken the plunge & been happy with it?

 

I figure I have to try it either way, and I will either love it, or finally get it out of my system, so that I can move on.:001_smile:

 

I have finally taken the plunge recently and am enjoying it very much. I started Beyond with my 7.5 and 9.1 year old boys.

 

Preparing with my 10 and 11 year old boys. My 10yr. old has had a few meltdowns with the workload but oh well, he'll get use to it.

 

I purchased three HOD guides about three or four years ago and was all gung ho about starting, but it never happened. I sold my guides and went another route. I thought I'd never use HOD but here I am, using two guides and possibly three next school year.

 

To not overwhelm myself or the children I did drop WWE, Simply Spelling (which is studied dictation), and MCP Plaid Phonics for language arts. I'm keeping our current math programs and continuing AAS along with HOD's spelling/studied dictation.

 

I hope to continue with HOD for future years but we'll see.

 

[walkermamaof4]

I'm in the same boat. I think we are going to try CTC next year. I wish, oh how I wish, I had gotten beyond their website's looks and the titles of each package and read on last year. I think we would have really loved Beyond for this year, maybe more than MFW. I sure hope we love it. I own POE, SL preK-core 5 (whatever that one is now), and bought book basket books galore for Early American, Modern Times, and even 2 shelves full for Ancients and Middle Ages. I wish someone could come buy it all! Listing it is tedious, but for me mailing it all out is even worse. I too am a curriculum junkie. I am trying to stop! I wait, I forgot, I own Sea & Sky by WP too. UGH. I am still so unsure about which level to use with HOD.

 

I fear CTC may be too much for my 9 year old. He'll be 10 mid-year though. Has anyone done CTC who can comment? What is the amount of writing required? That is where I think he will struggle. But I just don't know that I can do 2 packages. And the other years don't seem to fit him or my 7 year old well given that we just did 2 years of American.

 

So for now it seems like CTC is it for us for next year. Now to find a set!

[Chelli]

I'm in the same boat. I think we are going to try CTC next year. I wish, oh how I wish, I had gotten beyond their website's looks and the titles of each package and read on last year. I think we would have really loved Beyond for this year, maybe more than MFW. I sure hope we love it. I own POE, SL preK-core 5 (whatever that one is now), and bought book basket books galore for Early American, Modern Times, and even 2 shelves full for Ancients and Middle Ages. I wish someone could come buy it all! Listing it is tedious, but for me mailing it all out is even worse. I too am a curriculum junkie. I am trying to stop! I wait, I forgot, I own Sea & Sky by WP too. UGH. I am still so unsure about which level to use with HOD.

 

I fear CTC may be too much for my 9 year old. He'll be 10 mid-year though. Has anyone done CTC who can comment? What is the amount of writing required? That is where I think he will struggle. But I just don't know that I can do 2 packages. And the other years don't seem to fit him or my 7 year old well given that we just did 2 years of American.

 

So for now it seems like CTC is it for us for next year. Now to find a set!

 

My .02 worth, if I were in your shoes I would use Preparing. It is a world history overview, so no issues with doing American history again. Plus the spine, CHOW, is easily usable for a seven year old. Just have them use their own level of math and LA. You could also use the book lists from SL cores B&C for your 7-year old as well.

 

I say this because Preparing seems to be the beginning of the skill learning (independent boxes are introduced, written narrations, etc.). I wouldn't plop him in CTC, especially if you are afraid he will struggle with writing. From what I understand there is a jump from Preparing to CTC, but maybe some of the ladies who've used both can chime in.

 

HTH

[walkermamaof4]

My .02 worth, if I were in your shoes I would use Preparing. It is a world history overview, so no issues with doing American history again. Plus the spine, CHOW, is easily usable for a seven year old. Just have them use their own level of math and LA. You could also use the book lists from SL cores B&C for your 7-year old as well.

 

I say this because Preparing seems to be the beginning of the skill learning (independent boxes are introduced, written narrations, etc.). I wouldn't plop him in CTC, especially if you are afraid he will struggle with writing. From what I understand there is a jump from Preparing to CTC, but maybe some of the ladies who've used both can chime in.

 

HTH

 

Thanks! Is Preparing way too much for 7y.o. or can he just listen in? If they both just listened in to CTC and I had 9 y.o. do some of the writing, would that work? Or is all of the history reading student-read? I was tempted to have my girls read the girl read-aloud package to themselves while I read the boy package to my boys. Thoughts?

[Tree House Academy]

I was a curriculum junkie for our first two years of homeschooling. We tried Bigger for my oldest son (5th grader at the time) and it was a flop...mostly because he was in 5th grade and, well, my 3rd grade ds is LOVING it this year. LOL

 

However, I gave HOD another shot at the begining of ds12's 6th grade year and placed him according to the placement chart (this time in CTC). I went ahead and also started younger ds (who was in 2nd grade at the time) in Beyond Little Hearts. He had done most of Little Hearts the year before and we did like it pretty well.

 

When I started with HOD that year, I decided NOT to tweek. Within just a few weeks, I was sold! Not tweeking and proper placement are KEY in using HOD, IMO. We are now finishing our second full year of HOD. We did RTR (and will start Rev to Rev before the end of the school year) and Bigger Hearts this year and I plan to continue on through high school with HOD. The education my children are getting is well-rounded and so very God-honoring. I couldn't be more pleased. It has stopped my curriculum hopping in its tracks. (Hubby is pleased about that one too).

 

ETA: As for placements, you may want to pop over to the HOD site and ask the ladies there. I am telling you, PLACEMENT IS KEY in regards to failure or success in HOD. The first year we used it, we bombed all because of poor placement on my part. I chose based on History preference...not skill.

 

I will say that the skills in each guide build up on the one before it. Listening in is fine for younger students, but you have to consider the skills they will need to actually do the work and that, by the time you get to the much older guides, history is meant to be done mostly independently with the student reading on his/her own and completing the assignments. There are lots of things to consider, and I think the best place to ask any questions would be over there. Carrie and Julie are usually available to help with placement as well. :)

Edited February 3, 2012 by Tree House Academy

[raceNzanesmom]

We're on unit 20 of Beyond and love it! Can't wait for Bigger in the fall. And I'm already collecting books for Preparing. :D

[silliness7]

I know I am the worst kind of curriculum flip flopper, and truly believe I do have a problem, but..... I feel I have to get HOD out of my head, and need to give it a fair shot, once and for all!

 

I have had my dc use Beyond-but we only did a few weeks of it, because I ended up finding a free TM of MFW Adv., and couldn't resist it. Then, I had every intention of doing Bigger, and had the whole pkg, but ended up doing something else. (I don't even remember what) Now, I am determined to give it a shot, especially because I have a Preparing manual here that I am drooling over, and would love to use next year! I wanted my dc to really get some of the Ancients in, but felt they wouldn't be able to handle Preparing this year, which is why we did SOTW 1 & MOH. I want to actually try doing Bigger w/out tweaking too much, which is one of my downfalls. I am going to continue with FLL instead of R&S, but try to do everything else by the book.

 

I know has been an overload of HOD threads lately, but for anyone who wants to answer, who has finally taken the plunge & been happy with it?

 

I figure I have to try it either way, and I will either love it, or finally get it out of my system, so that I can move on.:001_smile:

 

 

I totally get it. I had to try it too. I think in another life, in another set of circumstances it would have been my dream. Yesterday I ordered MFW Exp - 1850. I swore up and down I wouldn't do MFW because I hate to combine. But you know what, I'm combining now with my own thing so I might as well try it. Either love it and use it or get it out of my system. You do what you gotta do.

[apCrazy4Jesus]

We have found a cozy place at HOD!

 

Last year my then 10ds & 8ds adventure began with Preparing, which was awesome. 10ds did extensions. It was a bit of a challenge for my 8ds, and not enough for my 10ds.

 

This year I put my current 9ds in Bigger( plus extensions) with my 7ds. Because I knew the workload expected from 9ds in Preparing, I was able to keep this up in Bigger. I wanted to give him one more year before starting CTC. I am so glad I did this, for he has flourished so much and is ready for it now. My 11ds is doing the new RevToRev and OM how he LOVES it.

 

WalkerMamaof4: I agree with Chelli about giving Preparing a try. It is so beautiful and would greatly prepare your dc for CtC. Both Grandpa's box and CHOW History spines would work very well for a 7yr old to listen to. Make sure you keep up with skills required in Beyond or Bigger.

 

May the Lord bless you in your search.

Edited February 3, 2012 by apCrazy4Jesus

[happyWImom]

We have found a cozy place at HOD!

 

Last year my then 10ds & 8ds adventure began with Preparing, which was awesome. 10ds did extensions. It was a bit of a challenge for my 8ds, and not enough for my 10ds.

 

This year I put my current 9ds in Bigger( plus extensions) with my 7ds. Because I knew the workload expected from 9ds in Preparing, I was able to keep this up in Bigger. I wanted to give him one more year before starting CTC. I am so glad I did this, for he has flourished so much and is ready for it now. My 11ds is doing the new RevToRev and OM how he LOVES it.

 

WalkerMamaof4: I agree with Chelli about giving Preparing a try. It is so beautiful and would greatly prepare your dc for CtC. Both Grandpa's box and CHOW History spines would work very well for a 7yr old to listen to. Make sure you keep up with skills required in Beyond or Bigger.

 

May the Lord bless you in your search.

 

It's good to hear about your 7 & 9yr olds doing well w/Bigger. I was on the fence, because while my 9-soon to be 10yr old would probably be okay with some of Preparing, I figured most would be too much for her. Even though we've done WWE & FLL, we haven't done them consistantly (until this year) and we kind of delayed grammar & writing. So, I know my dd should be good with Bigger, and my ds is a big reader, he'll be good with that, it's only the writing that might be iffy. But since we did some of Beyond last year, I don't feel I could put him in that again.i

 

Thanks for the support.:001_smile:

[walkermamaof4]

We have found a cozy place at HOD!

 

Last year my then 10ds & 8ds adventure began with Preparing, which was awesome. 10ds did extensions. It was a bit of a challenge for my 8ds, and not enough for my 10ds.

 

This year I put my current 9ds in Bigger( plus extensions) with my 7ds. Because I knew the workload expected from 9ds in Preparing, I was able to keep this up in Bigger. I wanted to give him one more year before starting CTC. I am so glad I did this, for he has flourished so much and is ready for it now. My 11ds is doing the new RevToRev and OM how he LOVES it.

 

WalkerMamaof4: I agree with Chelli about giving Preparing a try. It is so beautiful and would greatly prepare your dc for CtC. Both Grandpa's box and CHOW History spines would work very well for a 7yr old to listen to. Make sure you keep up with skills required in Beyond or Bigger.

 

May the Lord bless you in your search.

 

Thanks for the input. The girls will be solidly in CTC. Are you all thinking I should do Preparing with both ds7 and ds9? It almost seems like if I am going to target both of them, that I should do Bigger like you are, even though we literally just covered most of the same books. If you think preparing would work for both, I could. For more background, ds9 turned 9 in December. He has very scratchy handwriting but can spell very well. He does 1 sentence dictations but I've never had him write more than that as we haven't done much that required it. Ds7 will turn 7 in 2 days actually. He has great handwriting but is just learning to read and spell well. So he is an emerging reader. He is half-way through OPGTTR. Would you put them in Preparing and just have ds7 listen and do his own math and grammar, or do Bigger for both and use extensions for ds9?

 

Thanks so much for all of your help!

[SorrelZG]

I tried it. It was awesome .. until it flopped. I still can't let go though.

[Edwena]

My dc are both in Bigger ages 7 & 9. I've added the extensions as read alouds (which we love), but my 9 yr. was not old enough according to Carrie to do the extensions. It's the way his b-day fell out. As a result, I don't require him the extra work with the extensions.

 

I personally would not put a just turned 7 year old in Preparing. Preparing is a big jump from Bigger IMHO. There is much more written work required. Here is a thread that compares the writing between the two programs. That is if you use HOD as it's meant to be used building skills, etc.

[KeriJ]

My dd's would be 9 and 7 next year. My plan was to put them into Bigger and have my 9 year old do the extensions.

 

But my new plan is to put my 9 year old into Preparing instead. She is really ready for more! I've decided to not really use the younger guides except as a reference for ideas. (I have 4 more dc coming up) Instead, I will focus on the 3 R's and use tons of living books (from various lists)....loosely based on Beyond or Bigger. I also plan to combine my 2nd graders on up into Apologia so that we will have one subject together. I'll probably combine for poetry and storytime as well....haven't worked all the bugs out yet.

 

I'm really excited about my new plan! In my opinion, Preparing is when it really starts to get good! I feel that I could do a version of the younger guides on my own just using the books, narration etc. Also, if we start in Preparing, they basically go through the history cycle twice before they graduate, which is fine with me. We'll probably focus on American History and geography until then.

 

Hope that all wasn't confusing. And I can't take total credit for my plan: pw23kids got me thinking! :)

Edited February 3, 2012 by KeriJ

[abrightmom]

I totally get it. I had to try it too. I think in another life, in another set of circumstances it would have been my dream. Yesterday I ordered MFW Exp - 1850. I swore up and down I wouldn't do MFW because I hate to combine. But you know what, I'm combining now with my own thing so I might as well try it. Either love it and use it or get it out of my system. You do what you gotta do.

 

Rebecca,

 

Good for you.... I'm excited to hear your review of MFW Exp - 1850. We used MFW for 2 years and they were our best school years so far. When I look at HOD (and we ARE using Bigger right now for one and a half kids :D) it is the "possibilities" that lure me in. Can we REALLY do ALL of these LOVELY activities in 4.5 hours a day?!?! :001_smile: Will my children obediently, diligently, and quietly go about their work in EVERY box, every day? For some children and some families the answer is YES! But I don't think it's a good fit for every family or kid despite a Mama's love for the "dream" that is HOD. :D It's hard to shake it and today I can tell you why HOD doesn't work but tomorrow I can write up a fabulous plan to MAKE it work. :D Today this is why HOD doesn't work here (and I only have 4 kids):

1. No placement scenario works for my crew. Not a one and I've tried several. I gotta run 4 guides by the time my youngest is in school.

2. Tight, tight structure. Some days it's a strait jacket.

3. The whole thing hinges on whether or not your child can handle the "I" boxes. If I don't have a child who can handle the "I" boxes (or I don't want them to) then our ship sinks because I have too much to do.

4. If I run 4 guides (ultimately) then I am responsible for 30 something boxes every day. Hmmmmmm. Just shoot me now.

 

That's how I feel today. Yesterday I wrote up a beautiful combining scenario that would allow us to use HOD forever. :lol:

[fourcatmom]

I know I am the worst kind of curriculum flip flopper, and truly believe I do have a problem, but..... I feel I have to get HOD out of my head, and need to give it a fair shot, once and for all!

 

I have had my dc use Beyond-but we only did a few weeks of it, because I ended up finding a free TM of MFW Adv., and couldn't resist it. Then, I had every intention of doing Bigger, and had the whole pkg, but ended up doing something else. (I don't even remember what) Now, I am determined to give it a shot, especially because I have a Preparing manual here that I am drooling over, and would love to use next year! I wanted my dc to really get some of the Ancients in, but felt they wouldn't be able to handle Preparing this year, which is why we did SOTW 1 & MOH. I want to actually try doing Bigger w/out tweaking too much, which is one of my downfalls. I am going to continue with FLL instead of R&S, but try to do everything else by the book.

 

I know has been an overload of HOD threads lately, but for anyone who wants to answer, who has finally taken the plunge & been happy with it?

 

I figure I have to try it either way, and I will either love it, or finally get it out of my system, so that I can move on.:001_smile:

 

 

Just out of curiosity (not to through the thread in a different direction) but how did SOTW 1 plus MOH work together for ancients? I have one going into 6th and we are going to be doing ancients. I originally was thinking HOD but now I am moving more towards STOW 1. Can you give me an feedback on this combination for ancient civilization?

[MathGirl]

Just wanted to let you know that I finally took the plunge and got HOD Preparing for my 8 year old in January. We have tried Sonlight and MFW in the past. Both DD and I absolutely love Preparing. It's exactly what I was looking for.

[Sue G in PA]

 

Can we REALLY do ALL of these LOVELY activities in 4.5 hours a day?!?! :001_smile: Will my children obediently, diligently, and quietly go about their work in EVERY box, every day? For some children and some families the answer is YES!

 

That statement/s just really popped out at me and made me scream...EXACTLY!. My children (except for one) NEVER obediently, diligently, quietly go about ANYTHING much less schoolwork! My ds13 HATES the "boxes". He says, "Why can't they just make one box and call it "History" instead of having a zillion separate ones?". :) Running multiple guides around here is tough. I tried combing multiple ages into Beyond as Carrie had suggested on the HOD board, but I found myself just spending more time finding extra resources for ds10. Ugh. I do so LOVE HOD, but it just doesn't work for ALL my dc. Ds12...sure. He is my "box checker". Loves the little boxes. He is a mini-me. :D It makes my ds13 crazy...as I said. Ds10 doesn't mind and my littles don't either. They like the crafts, activities, etc. But it is FULL and running multiple guides is hard work. But MFW didn't work for us either. :glare:

[abrightmom]

That statement/s just really popped out at me and made me scream...EXACTLY!. My children (except for one) NEVER obediently, diligently, quietly go about ANYTHING much less schoolwork! My ds13 HATES the "boxes". He says, "Why can't they just make one box and call it "History" instead of having a zillion separate ones?". :) Running multiple guides around here is tough. I tried combing multiple ages into Beyond as Carrie had suggested on the HOD board, but I found myself just spending more time finding extra resources for ds10. Ugh. I do so LOVE HOD, but it just doesn't work for ALL my dc. Ds12...sure. He is my "box checker". Loves the little boxes. He is a mini-me. :D It makes my ds13 crazy...as I said. Ds10 doesn't mind and my littles don't either. They like the crafts, activities, etc. But it is FULL and running multiple guides is hard work. But MFW didn't work for us either. :glare:

 

:001_smile::001_smile::001_smile:

 

Sue,

 

I used MFW 2 years and we LOVED it (First and Adventures). What about it didn't work? I know ECC didn't work for you but for MANY that is a love or hate program. It also CAN boil down to what Mom puts into it. Season of life and state of affairs at home can play in to the success in a school year.

 

I hear LOTS of good stuff about MFW's Exp to 1850 and 1850 to MOD years. Perhaps you should sell all your HOD and try again with MFW... ECC is just SO very different and it doesn't click for every family.

 

I am a miserable homeschool Mom when my kids HATE school. HOD isn't worth all that work if it isn't working well for your child. There comes a point when I think you have to meet your kid where he or she is at. I don't mean you should NOT require them to "get an education", to work hard, etc. but if a program is like nails on a chalkboard then why go on with it . . .

 

Have you listened to SWB's lecture on Homeschooling the Real Child? I love that lecture and highly recommend it. She has loads of wonderful ideas and it is high time I listen again.

 

Back to MFW: The Book Basket is a gem if you have a great library system. That made for a FABULOUS year with Adventures. I also appreciate the flexible structure and all of the hidden treasures throughout the teacher's guides. In my limited experience, there is a lot to MFW that is just not visible in samples... it is spread throughout the program. I also like that it's a BASIC STRUCTURE onto which I can add if I want to but I don't HAVE to. I also have less guilt if I drop something or re-work the weekly grid. It's soooooo nice. We can read some basic material together and then I can BEEF UP as needed for varying ages (i.e. require my logic stage student to read particular books to enhance the history portion; add encyclopedia reading & outlining for my logic stage kid; using SWB's lit lists for logic stage history; add something for science that we're interested in; lop off part of the program such as a particular science book if we happen to hate it; stick with something I don't love because perhaps there's a lesson to be learned in seeing this thoughtfully chosen resource through to the end, etc.). I also PREFER to do more explicit writing rather than so much copy work. I guess loads of copy work is very CM and I like it to a point but NOT if it gets in the way of my kiddo having energy for specific writing instruction. MFW has some copy work but it isn't nearly as scheduled or overwhelming. I'm more in control of that and I like that.

 

Then there's the terrifying excitement I feel with throwing out somebody else's plan and doing my own thing....MOH, SOTW, WTM, SL books, whatever science we want, etc. I'm THIS close.... just not sure if using MFW would be BETTER for my kids because I'm a tad scatter brained when I "plan".

 

WHAT would your DS13 prefer for his schooling? You have a few years left with that boy at home and it would be so nice for him to find his school groove. Thoughts? Can you pull him out of HOD, keeping his BASICS intact (English, writing, math, reading) and re-structure his content in a way that would work better for him? Can you allow him to omit part of the HOD guide? Is he a workbook type of kid? An on line class kid? Does he like to work independently or together?

 

Blah blah blah. I could go on and on and on. :lol: I need a nap!

[keyjoh62080]

Just wanted to let you know that I finally took the plunge and got HOD Preparing for my 8 year old in January. We have tried Sonlight and MFW in the past. Both DD and I absolutely love Preparing. It's exactly what I was looking for.

 

 

:party:

[tjlcc]

My dd's would be 9 and 7 next year. My plan was to put them into Bigger and have my 9 year old do the extensions.

 

But my new plan is to put my 9 year old into Preparing instead. She is really ready for more! I've decided to not really use the younger guides except as a reference for ideas. (I have 4 more dc coming up) Instead, I will focus on the 3 R's and use tons of living books (from various lists)....loosely based on Beyond or Bigger. I also plan to combine my 2nd graders on up into Apologia so that we will have one subject together. I'll probably combine for poetry and storytime as well....haven't worked all the bugs out yet.

 

I'm really excited about my new plan! In my opinion, Preparing is when it really starts to get good! I feel that I could do a version of the younger guides on my own just using the books, narration etc. Also, if we start in Preparing, they basically go through the history cycle twice before they graduate, which is fine with me. We'll probably focus on American History and geography until then.

 

KeriJ, that is my plan exactly! Can we be neighbors?

[walkermamaof4]

My .02 worth, if I were in your shoes I would use Preparing. It is a world history overview, so no issues with doing American history again. Plus the spine, CHOW, is easily usable for a seven year old. Just have them use their own level of math and LA. You could also use the book lists from SL cores B&C for your 7-year old as well.

 

I say this because Preparing seems to be the beginning of the skill learning (independent boxes are introduced, written narrations, etc.). I wouldn't plop him in CTC, especially if you are afraid he will struggle with writing. From what I understand there is a jump from Preparing to CTC, but maybe some of the ladies who've used both can chime in.

 

HTH

 

 

What if I use Bigger for my boys -9 and 7, and CTC for my girls? Will I always regret separating the boys from the girls? The boys will have just finished 2 years of American history. That is my biggest hinderance in diving into Bigger, that and separating them from their sisters. I think ds9 can handle CTC. He'll be almost 10 when we start it. But if I do put him in CTC, I am unsure how to meet the needs of ds7 the best. BTW, neither ds knows cursive yet. It sounds like CTC is all cursive. Does it work for someone who hasn't had cursive yet or would that alone hinder my ds9 from doing it?

 

Thanks so much! I am so baffled for how to serve my boys best!

[Chelli]

My dd's would be 9 and 7 next year. My plan was to put them into Bigger and have my 9 year old do the extensions.

 

But my new plan is to put my 9 year old into Preparing instead. She is really ready for more! I've decided to not really use the younger guides except as a reference for ideas. (I have 4 more dc coming up) Instead, I will focus on the 3 R's and use tons of living books (from various lists)....loosely based on Beyond or Bigger. I also plan to combine my 2nd graders on up into Apologia so that we will have one subject together. I'll probably combine for poetry and storytime as well....haven't worked all the bugs out yet.

 

I'm really excited about my new plan! In my opinion, Preparing is when it really starts to get good! I feel that I could do a version of the younger guides on my own just using the books, narration etc. Also, if we start in Preparing, they basically go through the history cycle twice before they graduate, which is fine with me. We'll probably focus on American History and geography until then.

 

Hope that all wasn't confusing. And I can't take total credit for my plan: pw23kids got me thinking! :)

 

Shucks :blushing: I think we both kind of came to that decision at the same time and just needed the other one to say, "Yep. That's a keeper!" :D

[jewel7123]

I also have less guilt if I drop something or re-work the weekly grid. It's soooooo nice. We can read some basic material together and then I can BEEF UP as needed for varying ages (i.e. require my logic stage student to read particular books to enhance the history portion; add encyclopedia reading & outlining for my logic stage kid; using SWB's lit lists for logic stage history; add something for science that we're interested in; lop off part of the program such as a particular science book if we happen to hate it; stick with something I don't love because perhaps there's a lesson to be learned in seeing this thoughtfully chosen resource through to the end, etc.). I also PREFER to do more explicit writing rather than so much copy work. I guess loads of copy work is very CM and I like it to a point but NOT if it gets in the way of my kiddo having energy for specific writing instruction. MFW has some copy work but it isn't nearly as scheduled or overwhelming. I'm more in control of that and I like that.

 

This sounds like a lot of tweaking to me. (That's fine, I'm a total tweaker myself, lol!) :D But I'm just wondering, why can't HOD work this way as well? Is it because of the whole daily box setup? Is that why you think you can't drop a box here or add something else there? And I'm not just talking about you personally, but all of those HOD Moms who feel like HOD is not working perfectly for them.

[Chelli]

What if I use Bigger for my boys -9 and 7, and CTC for my girls? Will I always regret separating the boys from the girls? The boys will have just finished 2 years of American history. That is my biggest hinderance in diving into Bigger, that and separating them from their sisters. I think ds9 can handle CTC. He'll be almost 10 when we start it. But if I do put him in CTC, I am unsure how to meet the needs of ds7 the best. BTW, neither ds knows cursive yet. It sounds like CTC is all cursive. Does it work for someone who hasn't had cursive yet or would that alone hinder my ds9 from doing it?

 

Thanks so much! I am so baffled for how to serve my boys best!

 

I would not put a 9 year old, even if he was turning 10 in CTC. From what I understand, the very first history book you read in that program is a high level book. Plus you do an entire Apologia science book in the first semester, and lots of notebooking, writing assignments, etc.

 

Since the 9 year old doesn't know cursive, then I would put them both in Bigger (cursive is taught in this guide) and do the extensions with the 9 year old. Bigger is a total biographical approach to American history. Possibly different than anything else they've done. One of the big things that Carrie emphasizes on the HOD boards is to not place them by what you want to study for history, but by skills and age. From what you've said about your sons they would place in Bigger.

 

Another option would be to start teaching your 9 year old cursive now, so he would have it learned before the next school year. Then put your 9 year old in Preparing and let your 7 year old listen in on the history reading, storytime, and science. Plus some of the history activities could probably be done along with your 9 year old as well. If you do this, you would eventually have to drop the 7 year old back into his own guide, but you would probably have to do that anyway even if they did Bigger together unless you have an advanced 7 year old.

 

HTH. :)

[silliness7]

Rebecca,

 

Good for you.... I'm excited to hear your review of MFW Exp - 1850. We used MFW for 2 years and they were our best school years so far. When I look at HOD (and we ARE using Bigger right now for one and a half kids ) it is the "possibilities" that lure me in. Can we REALLY do ALL of these LOVELY activities in 4.5 hours a day?!?! Will my children obediently, diligently, and quietly go about their work in EVERY box, every day? For some children and some families the answer is YES! But I don't think it's a good fit for every family or kid despite a Mama's love for the "dream" that is HOD. It's hard to shake it and today I can tell you why HOD doesn't work but tomorrow I can write up a fabulous plan to MAKE it work. Today this is why HOD doesn't work here (and I only have 4 kids)

1. No placement scenario works for my crew. Not a one and I've tried several. I gotta run 4 guides by the time my youngest is in school.

2. Tight, tight structure. Some days it's a strait jacket.

3. The whole thing hinges on whether or not your child can handle the "I" boxes. If I don't have a child who can handle the "I" boxes (or I don't want them to) then our ship sinks because I have too much to do.

4. If I run 4 guides (ultimately) then I am responsible for 30 something boxes every day. Hmmmmmm. Just shoot me now.

 

That's how I feel today. Yesterday I wrote up a beautiful combining scenario that would allow us to use HOD forever. :lol:

 

Oh yes, the "I" boxes are what did me in for sure. I thought independent was a good thing. Less of me. More ownership for them. I neglected to take into account evaluating. :tongue_smilie: With my kids, when the evaluating tanks, the ownership tanks.

 

I think we might enjoy MFW, because I absolutely don't care if we enjoy MFW. I suspect it will add some depth to what we are already doing. I am not going to freak if it doesn't because I've finally realized that I don't need it.

 

You know how we pick read-alouds now? I asked my 2nd grader to pick a book from our stack of A authors. She picked Little Women. Then I picked Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett and next my 4th grader picked Socks by Beverly Cleary. We're almost finished and then it's House of 60 Fathers by DeJong. I set the timer for 30 minutes and we read. It's first thing after lunch.

 

Nothing matches up historically or makes any kind of sense whatsoever. But the variety of it and the mystery of what the next person will choose is fun. Getting to be the one to pick is fun. Some books are re-reads or re-listens for the older kids, and some are new all the way around. Yes, my 8th grader is past Beverly Cleary. But we are discovering the joy in just being together and enjoying a story together. Family is good. Stories are good. It doesn't all have to be about getting into Harvard.

 

I am :chillpill::chillpill::chillpill:

 

 

I tell you what, homeschooling can be a long, painful, and expensive journey.

 

And everybody's journey is different. :driving:

[abrightmom]

This sounds like a lot of tweaking to me. (That's fine, I'm a total tweaker myself, lol!) :D But I'm just wondering, why can't HOD work this way as well? Is it because of the whole daily box setup? Is that why you think you can't drop a box here or add something else there? And I'm not just talking about you personally, but all of those HOD Moms who feel like HOD is not working perfectly for them.

 

:001_smile: I love HOD for its unique, skill integrated approach and it's Biblical integration. She uses fantastic books and weaves them all together. The notebooks are gorgeous! I'd like ALL of my kids to learn with HOD at the right level otherwise HOD stops being so special. It just becomes a noose. My kids won't get the meat that HOD offers if they're not ready for it. It does no good to drag a kid along just so we can "use HOD" OR to hold a kid back who clearly needs "more" just to wait for a sibling to be ready for more meat. Meanwhile, the older kid is starving. Does that make sense?

 

I don't want to do a whole lot of adjustment to bring a younger child along. It defeats the point of using HOD for me. And, HOD doesn't lend itself to "watering down". HOD recommends going with a younger guide and then "beefing up" for older students with Extensions or grade level 3 R's. Sometimes this works out beautifully. It didn't work for us; at least not yet :001_smile:. I think it is easier to take a more basic program (like MFW) that uses quality texts (i.e. Bible, Story of the World, etc.) and "beef it up" for an older child if that is needed. It doesn't feel like tweaking to me. For me tweaking would be changing out a history spine or omitting part of the guide thereby changing the focus, feel, or intent of the guide.

 

Of course a Mom can drop a box if she wants to OR substitute something. But, I'm not as concerned with THAT as I am with having to use several guides with children as close in age as mine are. While my boys don't place well in the same HOD guide they ARE able to study the same content together. It sounds weird and like they SHOULD be able to combine in HOD but they can't. I have pondered a variety of scenarios and continue to pray over those. Ultimately, I entrust the path for my family to God's care. He allows this struggle for my good and for His glory! I've gotten in the way too much; panicked too often; made hasty decisions; etc. I need to learn to rest in Him more; to pray more; to stop seeking Homeschool Perfection; to stop wearying myself with worry over the perfect books; etc.

 

:001_smile::001_smile: Good questions! I don't know what we will do but the Lord does.

[KeriJ]

KeriJ, that is my plan exactly! Can we be neighbors?

 

Please be my neighbor! :)

 

aw...I just looked at your blog and see that we're not even close!

Edited February 4, 2012 by KeriJ

[KeriJ]

Shucks :blushing: I think we both kind of came to that decision at the same time and just needed the other one to say, "Yep. That's a keeper!" :D

 

:)

[walkermamaof4]

I'm so excited. After much conversation on the HOD board, I think I am using Beyond with ds7 and Preparing with my older 3. Sounds like it will meet our needs just perfectly. Now to find them! I already have most of the Beyond books, I just need 2 books and the TM. Yeah!

[melissamomof5]

This is me! I am on year 4 with MFW and in need of a little change. Not sure if we will fall in love with HOD or enjoy the needed break and return to MFW.

 

I have Little Hands, Little Hearts, Beyond, and Bigger here. I am having a hard time deciding on whether my oldest should use Bigger or Preparing next year though.

[walkermamaof4]

This is me! I am on year 4 with MFW and in need of a little change.

 

We are on year 5 MFW. I think HOD has the things in it that I am missing in MFW, and I wasn't fond of some of the spines in MFW. THe only thing I'll miss is the hymns. I think we will keep doing them.

[melissamomof5]

We are on year 5 MFW. I think HOD has the things in it that I am missing in MFW, and I wasn't fond of some of the spines in MFW. THe only thing I'll miss is the hymns. I think we will keep doing them.

 

I kept sticking with MFW because as much as I didn't like things about the K or 1, it did teach them to read very well. Then I wasn't overly fond of Adventures, but everybody said ECC was so much different. I stuck with it to try it out. Now I still feel that as everybody says CTG is so much different than ECC I should stick it out "just one more year", but I am going to take a break after this year's ECC.

[happyWImom]

Just out of curiosity (not to through the thread in a different direction) but how did SOTW 1 plus MOH work together for ancients? I have one going into 6th and we are going to be doing ancients. I originally was thinking HOD but now I am moving more towards STOW 1. Can you give me an feedback on this combination for ancient civilization?

 

I haven't been on here since you posted this, so I'm not sure if anyone else responded, but here is my feedback.

 

I think it worked really well, and I didn't use anyone's schedule from the Yahoo group, either. I had intended to mainly use MOH and their resources & just use SOTW for reading, but ended up doing just the opposite, for which I am very glad! I would read from both SOTW & MOH, and do the activity books from SOTW and used their book recommendations. It was very easy for me to actually get history done-for once! Both of the readings usually matched up pretty well, other than an odd week here or there. I wanted MOH for the biblical perspective, so it was great.