New Homeschooler Please help!

[MiraDaniells]

Hey all, I am a brand new homeschooling mom and need all the help I can get. I have an 8 year old 2nd grader, 6 year old kindergartner who is an emerging reader, and a 4 year old preschooler. Is HOD the way to go? I like what I see so far. I really need something easy to use. If anyone has read the Cathy Duffy book I am a Perfect Polly and it drives me bananas when I am missing something so I need to be sure that, whatever I do, I have all required resources as per the teachers guide and recommended reading. I have only been at this about a month now and I have bought different types of curriculum that had all these projects, experiments, crafts, and extra reading materials that didn't come with the curricula that I purchased. As many of you know a simple shopping trip with little ones ends up being an all day drawn out affair so it's quiet aggravating to get into the lesson and discover that I am missing this, that, or the other and then having to make a special trip to purchase the necessary supplies. I am a student myself trying to finish my bachelors degree so, at this season of my life, I need something all mapped out and ready to go. I don't have time to plan out a lesson a week in advance to find out what is needed for that particular week, especially when everyday is something new requiring its own separate shopping list.

I would be very grateful if someone could point me in the right direction.

[Nealewill]

For what it is worth, I am a box checker and was an OCD planner. I love HOD and it is perfect for us. There are no extra things you need. The supplies are easy to acquire and typically things found around the house. If I don't have it, I usually can improvise (for example, with math, sometimes they recommend using raisins or chocolate chips as counters. I hate using food LOL so I have some small colored blocks).

I used to use other curriculums where I always felt like I had to add something or I didn't have the right books around. That is never an issue with HOD. I have homeschooled now for 6 years. I used different products every year for the first four years. Last year I found HOD and I am never switching! I would just be sure to check the placement chart thoroughly and place your kids according to their skill levels. By doing this, your kids will have a fantastic year and so will you. Also, I would use only HOD products if you can. This will make your day run much smoother and your kids will progress nicely through the guides. I only mention this because when I came over to HOD, I used a different math and a different spelling. For my oldest, I switched her over at the beginning of this school year to only HOD products. My younger 2 I more recently switched everything over. What I am finding is that my day is much more balanced using their products only, my kids are growing in skills very nicely with all of their recommendations, and this makes getting the day done quickly and correctly a breeze.

[MiraDaniells]

Thank you so much for your advice. Yeah, I am an all or nothing person so if I'm doing something I want to be sure I have the full experience. I have been looking at the guide but was thinking of starting them all off on the early programs so that they experience the full HOD program and are able to build their skills at a more rapid pace. So Little hands to Heaven for my four year old, Little Hearts for His Glory for my 6 year old, and Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory for my 8 year old. Or do you think I should start them all one level up so Beyond for my 6 year old and Bigger Hearts for my 8 year old?

[Nealewill]

I think checking the placement chart is the place to start. For me, each of my kiddos are very different and ready for the different guides at different times. My oldest has always been on the youngest end of the age range but I am working to move her toward the middle. My son does well in the middle too. My youngest, even though she is in Little Hearts this year does best on the youngest end of the age range. She did Beyond when she was 5 going on 6 so I bumped her down for this year. Next year though she will start Bigger at 7.

If it were me, I would assess how much they read and how much they write. With your 6 year old, does he/she write much yet? I know you stated that this child is an emerging reader. With Beyond, they can still be an emerging reader but they start spelling and start copying poems in that level for handwriting practice and to strengthen hand muscles. In Bigger, there is more copy work. If your 8 year old is a really good reader and writes quite a bit, then considering Preparing wouldn't be out of line either. I did a review for someone earlier on the difference between Bigger and Preparing. In Preparing they are reading the history and science to themselves where as with Bigger they aren't. So your teaching time is highest with Bigger. But as long as kids are placed correctly, your day should be smooth. I am running 3 levels as well and my teaching time is at most 4 hours per day 4 days per week.

Below is a link where I discussed the differences in writing volume between Bigger and Preparing.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=16167

[countrymom]

Welcome to HOD and yes, I believe you have found a curriculum you will be pleased with. I have a bin with all the basic supplies and I just quickly glance ahead each unit to make sure there isn't something needed I don't have. That is rare, but always it is just something that could be added to your weekly shopping list. A couple of important points to note with HOD:1) it is a very thorough program with many, many skills built into each guide. This is not always noticeable at first glance, or 10th glance ( ), but as you progress through the guides you will see the skills build and see the thought and consideration put into each guide. Each guide builds on skills, which is different from many programs that are made for family participation, so placement is key. Doing the guide fully, as is, is important to help build these skills. 2) since each guide progresses, placement is key and a child "sitting on the fence" between guides is usually best placed in the lower guide.
With that in mind, I suspect your placement idea is probably pretty good. I would not go higher for your 4 yr old and would probably start 1/2 speed. Your 6 year old will have a great start with Little Hands to Heaven and that won't put him/her in the succeeding guides too early (once you hit Bigger and Preparing you start to really feel a young placement). I would ponder the placement chart for your 8 yr old. He/she might fit into Bigger nicely and that would avoid back-to-back guides, three in a row. Not that it can't be done, but it can be hard. Teaching Bigger and Preparing at the same time is definitely a load, so if you can avoid that it might save you some gray hairs. That is another reason I would take two years for your 4 yr old in Little Hands, and there are several options for that guide to allow you to do that. Those would be my initial thoughts without any placement chart information. I have a 2nd and 4th grader and we have been with HOD from the beginning and I have never looked back. Curriculum sales can be tempting, but to have such a well-designed curriculum that is so easy to use is a blessing I won't trade away

[MiraDaniells]

Wow, thank you so much. My four year old son is also in a four day preschool and will be again in the fall so I won't be hitting it too hard with him. Just on the days he doesn't have preschool and during the summer. Wasn't thinking of teaching Bigger and Preparing at the same time (I value my sanity and temporary lack of gray ) however my (tentative) plan was to start with Bigger and work through the summer then begin Preparing in the fall so we don't feel like we're starting in the middle of a series. My 8 year old is a whiz at memorizing things and likes facts and nonfiction material but makes everything super painful because he would rather be playing or doing something he wants to do rather than buckle down and study. He hates reading, much to my dismay, and has no patience for writing. So, although he may be capable of doing upper level work I tend to feel he may do better if I put him in the lower so he can breeze through it and I don't feel like I've wrestled an alligator at the end of the day.

Any thoughts on how HOD compares to other curriculum? I've looked into Sonlight also and many feel it's too heavy in one area and not enough in another however I have seen the same arguments for HOD. Thoughts? I just want to provide the best learning experience possible for my kids and make sure they are ready and able to get into which ever university they choose.

[Nealewill]

I find it to be very balanced. Obviously we are all believers, promoters and lovers of HOD and that is why where are here sharing our experience

As for several other vendors, I felt the same way. I looked at Sonlight and it seemed like it was just a bunch of reading. I actually started with Abeka and it was a total fail. Too much language arts and I honestly didn't feel like we gained much from our efforts other than complaining. I tried doing my own thing for a couple of years and that went okay but it was way too much planning. I tried MFW and liked it my first year. But then I got to the 5 year cycle where I was to combine kids and it was a flop. It was way to easy for one child and then over the head of the other. That is when I found HOD. I LOVE IT!!!! I originally chose them because of their interesting book selection. I have and will stay with them for several reasons but one of my top reasons is because of the integration of skill building in each guide. I love the independence that they gain once they are completing Preparing. I love that the hands on projects are spread over 3 days for Preparing on up. My son is really enjoying Bigger tremendously. He has taken a liking to several of the individuals in the biographical history. At the beginning of the year, we struggled a little bit with a rhythm because it was a huge change and my son struggles with language. But the notebooking has been a great fit for him. His writing has improved SO much. The grammar is right on target. Spelling is too. The storytime books are probably his favorites. I did not go with a book pack for him but have pieced my selections together for this year - I used some of the other books in DITHOR and extensions for his storytime based on what I thought he would like most. It has been great. Science is also probably one of his favorite subjects. I love the way that Carrie schedules so many living books to teach science. The books are very interesting and I like the hands on activities. They are interesting and actually enhance the learning. For me, HOD is a perfect fit. They are academically thorough and aggressive but able to be completed perfectly at each child's level. I love that the Bible is studied separately but also woven through out each subject. And I love that my kids enjoy it too. Because I jumped around a bit when I first started homeschooling, my kids have definitely settled into HOD and have expressed gratitude and thanks for me using this vendor.

[MiraDaniells]

Thank you so much! That gives me a lot of peace. Now I'm excited! I get the feeling too that you can work other curriculum in with it as well such as math or what have you. Love that. I am a big promoter of Charlotte Mason so far. Love the notebooking concept and can't wait to get rolling with it but not quiet sure how to do it yet. As a box checker I need a blue print to follow before I start out on my own.

[MiraDaniells]

What about the HOD phonics and reading? According to Cathy Duffy the phonics programs in Little Hearts are too minimal. Should I substitute with a different one?

[Nealewill]

I think it really depends on your kids. My oldest is mildly dyslexic and my middle child has auditory processing disorder.

If it were me, I would try everything in the guide as written. There are several moms on here who have been with HOD from the beginning with their own kids and have been extremely happy with their resources. HOD also encourages parents who's kids need additional phonics to use explode the code after using one of the reading resources that are scheduled. I have also seen Carrie state that with the emerging readers, kids should read and reread them again - they should practice the reading with them to make it smooth. I never did that with my kids but I have seen other programs recommend the same thing. I originally started with Abeka and they recommended doing that too. Oh my goodness, we spent way to much time reading already......so we never did much of the additional review we should have done.

For me, when I first came to HOD, I used a different math and different spelling for all of my kids and my son had to use a different reading program. By the end of my first year, my son had learned to read well enough that we used only the HOD resources. At the beginning of this year I switched my oldest over to their spelling and math but did not switch my younger 2. Well, my oldest is doing fantastic in both. I decided to use some Singapore and some RightStart all year with my youngest and finally just decided to drop RightStart. With my son, I recently just switched from RightStart to Singapore as well. It was a great decision and I am very happy with it. As for spelling, I was using All About Spelling but I encountered some issues with my middle child with this program. It just wasn't a good fit. So I dropped All About Spelling and am doing spelling as listed in the guide.

My recommendation is, that unless you are married (or at the very least love something you are already using), to try and use as many resources provided by HOD as possible. You definitely can switch things around if you wanted to but I am finding that the resource they use - like for grammar, writing and literature - can overlap quite a bit of you are using other programs. For example, they have certain amount of writing scheduled in each guide that is balanced with the written narrations as your kids go up in level. If you use something else, then your child may be doing a lot of extra writing. They schedule literature study the way they do because your child does a lot of history and science reading. So if you use another program, then your day may go a lot longer. As for math - I would recommend not jumping around unless you don't like it. If you are happy with your program, staying the course is probably best. But being mindful of the amount of time you spend on each subject each day is something to consider. I have found that the resources scheduled by HOD in general - for every subject - is very much my style and my kids style. Before coming to HOD, I did not realize that I aligned so much with the CM philosophy or that my kids would learn so well doing this method. But it has been a fantastic fit for us.

I also have spent quite a bit of time studying everything on that Cathy Duffy website. Before finding HOD, I had some major vendors picked for several areas for my kids as they progressed in grade. But now, I have been so delighted with the HOD picks, that I no longer pine over my original picks. I pine for the ones that HOD picks They have been such a blessing so far.

As for your phonics question - again, I would just try the guide's recommendation. Unless your child has a significant learning disability, they should be totally fine with the picks. And not all kids needs tons and tons of instruction. My youngest taught herself to read and never used a formal phonics program . She started reading when she was 2-3. She also does spelling with her brother but she actually doesn't need to. I am fairly certain that she has a photographic memory and is constantly memorizing the way things are spelled if she sees it and pays attention to it. Plus, HOD has a lot of skills built into the guide. They do a lot of copywork helping kids to notice spelling and grammar too. I personally think this (the skill integration and interestingness of this program) is why my kids have excelled phenomenally with this program. My kids used to buck and complain about anything school related. No one wanted to read. No one wanted to write. No one wanted to sit and listen to me read. Now they don't mind. They are so proud of what they do and complete. Now, are my kids begging to do school everyday?....only right at the beginning when we are done with summer And that lasts for a week LOL. So no, they aren't. But they do like it overall. Everyday isn't always head over heels wonderful but they like it much more than anything they did in the past. I think a big reason for that is because the skills are consistent, the schedule is predictable, and the books/activities are interesting.

I know I rambled here - but I hope it answered your question.

[TrueGRIT]

Welcome!
There is more to HOD and the phonics than meets the regular eye. You can't even began to see the benefits until you actually start doing it!
That said, the phonics are set up in such a way to move at the child's pace whether fast or slow. You just make a progression through the chosen resource , then the child can start the Emerging Reader's. Those books can be extended if necessary by adding in a supplemental book in a challenging level.
Hope this gives you an idea. You can help make it more challenging if the child needs it, but it's great as is.

[MiraDaniells]

Wow, thank you so much for all the super helpful info. Not a huge deal but one thing I've noticed is that HOD seems to be a bit stuck in the 90s in some minor areas. Would be nice to see it get a face life and maybe upgrade in technology, possibly include some DVDs or apps, get something out on ITunes or something. Not as a substitute for learning but a healthy alternative to aid in learning when not working on homeschool. Will probably purchase my materials sometime today. I'm super excited. Went on YouTube and a mom has some videos posted which confused me quite a bit though as I'm not an auditory learner and she went pretty fast (in her defense I tend to be a bit slow though). Would be super great if the Austins could post some how to videos or something. I know Carrie posts a lot the boards but it would be great if some seasoned homeschool moms gave the new moms a HOD walkthrough or tutorial.

[StephanieU]

Honestly, I don't think Carrie is really stuck in the 90s. You will find that there are audio CD and video DVDs included (especially the high school guides). You will find that the internet is used for research and also for videos, etc. It is hard to write a curriculum that uses things in iTunes/Google Play stores because those resources change daily. What exists today may not exist tomorrow. Plus, as a society, we are almost too technology focused, tot he point we can't write correctly anymore thanks to things like texting. It is very easy to ADD things in, but I don't think it is practical for Carrie to write them in to the guides with the ever changing nature of those things. I personally LOVE that Carrie has written the guides in a way that there are rarely any major changes. In the history of HOD (over 10 years!), Carrie has only had to make one significant change, and that was because two print resources for LHFHG went out of print and there was no way for families to purchase what was written in the guides.

As for a look at what HOD is like, have you checked the Weekly Check In board here on the HOD message board? Many moms are great about posting weekly.

[Nealewill]

For us - I am actually kind of anti computer learning and anti videos. That probably sounds terrible but I don't want my kids in front of a screen. As the kids get older, they do include CDs for the kids to listen too. Science in RevtoRev does use the computer. All of the highschool math options include DVDs. The Biology and Chemistry in high school have DVDs. And my oldest is responsible for typing all of her papers on the computer.

I think that using software and videos is kind of a personal style and preference. In my house, I am actually kind of glad HOD doesn't and that they use a lot of books and that they only use minimal workbooks. I only have one TV and if people have to use it, I find it distracting. As for the computer, we have 2 laptops and that is all. So I wouldn't have the resources to accommodate a lot of screen time if that were needed.

[MiraDaniells]

Yeah, I've looked over the postings. Everyone is great about that. Was just checking YouTube for any additional info. Trying to cover all my bases just to be thorough before I go all in

I also don't want my kids in front of a screen and prefer to be an involved teacher rather then involve technology right off the bat. I have looked into online homeschool programs and rejected them for that very reason. However, as I mentioned, it would be a nice alternative to have as a companion resource and as a way of reinforcing what I have taught them. I am trying to finish my Bachelors degree so would like to find educational resources for them to be involved in so they could do that in the afternoons or evenings, after their school is done for the day and I am studying, which doesn't need me and will keep them from fighting or watching nonsense on TV. We don't have anyone where we live and my husband works so I need something to occupy them for a couple hours at least. As I mentioned, it's not intended to substitute their learning but partner with it for those desperate moments. I don't allow them on the computer but do allow supervised IPad time every now and then.