SarahPotter Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 (edited) First you need to know I have 4 children and my oldest is 5. With that being said here are my options for next year: A. HOD's BLHFHG (w/ MM instead of Singapore math) local co-op science local art academy YMCA programs (if we don't get into the local co-op that I want: CC or Homeschooler's Academy) B. MM Light Blue Series FLL1 WWE1 SWO A Emerging Readers/Library time/Read Alouds SOTW 1 w/ activity book (I think I could add a co-op with this too) local co-op science local art academy YMCA programs NOTE: we are still on a waiting list for the co-op that I like the best ALSO: we are possibly considering Classical Conversations, we are touring on Friday (in case we don't get into the co-op...) ALSO: we have a Homeschoolers Academy (in case we don't like CC) which has art, music, drama and PE once a week MY Questions: Is the Language Arts thorough enough in Option A? Am I more Charlotte Mason or am I more classical? How much do I want to take on? How much do I want to put on? Do I have the ability to actually do Option B with all those little ones? And how bad do I want to start SOTW? Will it be fun if I do? Oh the decisions! Also note: I'd like to do HOD's LHTH with my 2yr old and almost 4 yr old And note: I'll have my K4'er join my 1st grader in co-op and bible/history/science/art/pe/and add OPG and read alouds of course) Thanks for letting me think out loud! What are your thoughts? Edited March 12, 2012 by SarahPotter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Jen* Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 I have 4 small children also and our first grade year with my young 6 year old (turned 6 just the month before we started 1st grade) was very similar to your option B. You can see what we have used this year in my sig. I have no experience with HOD so I can't say if doing B would be significantly harder, but I will say that if I was not relaxed this year doing what I have listed in my siggie would have made me nuts. We school year round so taking breaks or going slower because of the young kids was not a problem but would have made me freak out if we were trying to stick to a schedule. We concentrated on the basics for the first 2/3 of the year and are now spending the spring and summer working our way through science and history. My son started the year reading Henry and Mudge books and is now reading on a 3rd/4th grade level so it makes it a lot easier to do history/science when I can have him read some of the library books to himself. We are having fun with SOTW - but I will say that buying the audio cd is worth it. My son is learning a lot more from listening to it over and over again than he was from me reading and then doing the activities. He loves the activities but is still young enough that he doesn't retain much information without hearing it over and over again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidbits of Learning Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 ... MY Questions: Is the Language Arts thorough enough in Option A? Option A will be much lighter on language arts as BLHFHG does have a spelling list weekly but it does not have narration or grammar except on day 5 of each unit. Am I more Charlotte Mason or am I more classical? Option A is more Charlotte Mason and Option B is more classical. Which option are you really leaning towards and does it all hinge on your outside activities. How much do I want to take on? How much do I want to put on? I am going to be totally honest right now. Doing outside activities with 4 little ones plus your child that will be in the classes or activities is giong to be hard. You will have to schedule your school, naps, dr.'s appt.s, and much more around the outside activities schedule. I have 4 kids and I have been there. My oldest 3 are all a year apart each. Be prepared for meltdowns (both from the kids and yourself). We did a co-op for 3 years with everyone and if I could go back and talk to myself 3 years ago...I would have told myself not to do it. It didn't enhance our school any. It stressed me a lot. If I was going to do all of the outside activities above, then I would do options A. We came close to going back to school before we dropped co-op. With your kid's ages, I would say skip the co-op. Find a good homeschool group with a play day. They Y programs sound good. Classical Conversations can be good, but with your kids ages if it is like it is here then you will have to pay for childcare for everyone under 4. Again the stress of getting everyone there and on time and working around younger's needs so the older can participate... Do I have the ability to actually do Option B with all those little ones? If you focus on your oldest and don't add in too many outside activities and wait to start with your youngers until they are in kindergarten, then yes I think it is a good option. And how bad do I want to start SOTW? Will it be fun if I do? You will definitely have an academically rigorous 1st grade with option B. The two options are very different. Which do you lean more towards? Are you really stressed about the language arts? Are you really fussed about doing the 4 year history cycle in elementary? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahPotter Posted March 12, 2012 Author Share Posted March 12, 2012 Good call on the audio cd! We almost always have a book going on in the van and they are listening to a book every night to bed. (no tv rule and my husband and i listen to books every night too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabi Sabi Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 (edited) Your option B is almost exactly what we've done this year. However, we started off slowly and added more things in one at a time. The first part of the year we focused really just on the handwriting (D'nealian print and copywork), lots of reading, phonics (ETC), read alouds and math (MM- and we're nearly done with 1B already!) My first grader also began taking a weekly art class and a nature class that meets twice/month. We school year round so taking breaks or going slower because of the young kids was not a problem but would have made me freak out if we were trying to stick to a schedule. We concentrated on the basics for the first 2/3 of the year and are now spending the spring and summer working our way through science and history. My son started the year reading Henry and Mudge books and is now reading on a 3rd/4th grade level so it makes it a lot easier to do history/science when I can have him read some of the library books to himself. Yes! We waited until around Christmas to add in FLL, WWE, and SWO. Up until then we were focusing on handwriting and basic reading/phonics. Now that it's spring we're adding in more history (SOTW). Throughout the year we've casually combined science and reading by choosing lots of non-fiction, science based early readers in addition to his nature class. I'm planning on doing more intensive science over the summer when we can set up an outdoor science lab for messy experiments! We'll continue to school at a *very* relaxed pace throughout the summer. For us, I think that going year-round at a more leisurely pace is the only way for us to stay sane, cover everything that I want to cover, and still have plenty of time for taking days off, vacations, field trips, playdates and lots of downtime! Edited March 12, 2012 by Wabi Sabi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahPotter Posted March 12, 2012 Author Share Posted March 12, 2012 (edited) Honestly my biggest concern is my co-op options. I really don't like any of them. It's just that my oldest needs to get out some energy! Plus I'd like him to learn to follow direction from others. I myself like option B but I don't know if I can make it fun enough. Plus, I've proven that getting school done every day a difficult task. Edited March 12, 2012 by SarahPotter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freesia Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Honestly my biggest concern is my co-op options. I really don't like any of them. It's just that my oldest needs to get out some energy! Plus I'd like him to learn to listen to and respect others. I myself like option B but I don't know if I can make it fun enough. Plus, I've proven that getting school done every day a difficult task. I agree with the others about the co-ops. I am the director of a co-op and we have found that it is tough for the Moms who only have kids age 5/6 and under. I also want to gently suggest that home is the very best place for him to learn to listen and respect others. Co-op teachers are usually volunteer Moms with little classroom management training. They need your kids to come in listening and respecting already bc they really haven't the time in a one hour once a week class to work on this with him. If you will need to teach and co-op, do you have the energy to do that right now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahPotter Posted March 12, 2012 Author Share Posted March 12, 2012 Ok scratch the co op. Do I want open and go were there are actiites my K4er could easily join in? Or focus more on my 1st grader and do what I really want for him (option B)? I still really do like HOD and still really like the idea of holding off heavy language arts and 4 year history cycle for early elementary. Can anyone tell me by my post/responses which one I'm leaning more towards? Because I still don't know which way I want to go.:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NASDAQ Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 I wouldn't do the co-op or, frankly, anything out of the house that isn't Absolutely Necessary. Getting the young ones out of the house is not worth it. Out of the house time for us should be unscheduled and loose (let's go to the park! Let's go to grandmas! Let's go ANYWHERE and do ANYTHING other than destroy my living room some more! YAY!). My kids do only two regular activities outside the house: The oldest goes to Kumon once a week, and all of them go to the religious program at the synagogue on Saturdays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindsrae Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 I know the agony of decisions. I am pm'ing you...the programs you describe wound like we might live close to each other :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidbits of Learning Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Ok scratch the co op. Do I want open and go were there are actiites my K4er could easily join in? Or focus more on my 1st grader and do what I really want for him (option B)? I still really do like HOD and still really like the idea of holding off heavy language arts and 4 year history cycle for early elementary. Can anyone tell me by my post/responses which one I'm leaning more towards? Because I still don't know which way I want to go.:tongue_smilie: If you like the idea of holding off heavy language arts and aren't concerned about the history cycle, then I would say you are closer to option A than option B. I will tell you that it is easy to add FLL to HOD though. So if you wanted a middle ground, then I would suggest doing HOD BLHFHG and adding in FLL 1 for a bit more language arts but not too heavy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorisuewho Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 I have four children 4 1/2 years apart total. So I'm familiar with your situation. I'll just go ahead and reiterate what everyone else already said. . .don't do the coop! We do gym/swim class at the Y for my oldest and even that is a pain to come up with what I am doing with everyone else for those couple of hours. I think both of your options look good. I went with more of your option B, because I knew that would make me feel LESS pressured. If I went with HOD, I would feel like I had to get everything done that was set on the page for that day. With your option B, I could work at our own pace on each subject, not doing every subject every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitofthewomb Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 I am enjoying this thread! I am in a similar boat as you so I am loving all this advice. I think I want to hold off on the history cycle for now too but then when I feel like I am not doing my oldest justice. But reality is-there are a lot of little people in my house right now and waiting to do history and foreign language and intense science and whatever else is out there will not cause her to be behind in the long run-right??? And i am contemplating HOD too but I just don't know that I will be able to do every box every day and that will make me crazy-I think. Anyway-I have no wisdom but I hope it helps to know you aren't alone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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