HI all,
I'm new to the board and to HOD. I've been reading a great deal about HOD in just the last week and am quite excited by what I see. I'm currently using MFW ECC With my 11, 9, and 7 year old sons, but for a variety of reasons which others have already posted I'm interested in exploring using HOD. I do feel that my 11 and 9 year old are learning quite a bit with the geography piece of ECC and are making progress on the basics, but the literature and science pieces are not coming together. My 9 and 7 yo are still quite tender-hearted and playful and I feel that I'm missing some opportunites with them. I would like to somehow finish up the geography piece of ECC - we've only covered 2 continents, but I would like to begin dipping into the deep well of HOD. Does anyone with any insight and experience have any suggestions on how I could begin a transition? A bit more about my boys - my 11 yo works extremely well independently and reads on an 8th grade level. His grammar and writing instruction have been minimal. My 9 year old reads on 3rd grade level, has a difficult time working independently and has had no grammar and writing instruction. My 7 year old is still in the middle of phonics (1st grade level) and doesn't work independently.
With Joy!
Florence
Transitioning from MFW ECC to HOD
Transitioning from MFW ECC to HOD
With Joy!
Florence
My blog: http://florencebrooks.com/
Began HOD 1/2009
Currently using: Bigger, RTR, Rev to Rev and MTMM
Florence
My blog: http://florencebrooks.com/
Began HOD 1/2009
Currently using: Bigger, RTR, Rev to Rev and MTMM
-
mamaloves4
- Posts: 69
- Joined: Sun Oct 12, 2008 3:09 pm
Re: Transitioning from MFW ECC to HOD
Hi Florence,
I have made the transition from MFW to HOD just this past week and I just jumped right in! What happened is that I bought LHTH for my 4 year old and DITHOR for my 9 year old and fell in love! sooo I started looking at switching everything else. I was using the Adventures program with my 9 and 6 year old, but what I found happening is that their personalities were not conducive to teaching them the same things and consequently my 6 year old was riding on the tails of her sisters driven, motivated nature and she was not really learning anything for 'keeps' . Anyway, I prayed, talked to my husband, put my stuff up for sale and it sold and I ordered and now here I am. I love it. Of course it has only been a few days, but the way things are set up just flow with my personality--quick, short, but effective!!, plus my need to have some quiet mamma time in the afternoon. As for your questions about read a louds. To be honest, i didn't have the cash to buy all that I wanted, so what i decided to do was by the read a louds for Beyond and read those at lunch for everyone's benefit and then save up the money to buy the independent reads for the Preparing level, and just skip the read a louds at that level (not that I really wanted to do it that way, but I can't have everything I want (if I knew how to put smilies in, I would, but am basically computer dense). Anyway, I hope that answers your questions, there are a lot of ladies on her who have a lot better advice and experience, but that is mine and I am loving the change. have fun and blessings to you as you make a decision that works best for your family!
Jessica
I have made the transition from MFW to HOD just this past week and I just jumped right in! What happened is that I bought LHTH for my 4 year old and DITHOR for my 9 year old and fell in love! sooo I started looking at switching everything else. I was using the Adventures program with my 9 and 6 year old, but what I found happening is that their personalities were not conducive to teaching them the same things and consequently my 6 year old was riding on the tails of her sisters driven, motivated nature and she was not really learning anything for 'keeps' . Anyway, I prayed, talked to my husband, put my stuff up for sale and it sold and I ordered and now here I am. I love it. Of course it has only been a few days, but the way things are set up just flow with my personality--quick, short, but effective!!, plus my need to have some quiet mamma time in the afternoon. As for your questions about read a louds. To be honest, i didn't have the cash to buy all that I wanted, so what i decided to do was by the read a louds for Beyond and read those at lunch for everyone's benefit and then save up the money to buy the independent reads for the Preparing level, and just skip the read a louds at that level (not that I really wanted to do it that way, but I can't have everything I want (if I knew how to put smilies in, I would, but am basically computer dense). Anyway, I hope that answers your questions, there are a lot of ladies on her who have a lot better advice and experience, but that is mine and I am loving the change. have fun and blessings to you as you make a decision that works best for your family!
Jessica
Jessica
married for 12 years to Chuck
dd10--Creation to Christ
dd7--Beyond
ds4--LHTH
dd2--filling our days with joy and LHTH fingerplays and stories
married for 12 years to Chuck
dd10--Creation to Christ
dd7--Beyond
ds4--LHTH
dd2--filling our days with joy and LHTH fingerplays and stories
Re: Transitioning from MFW ECC to HOD
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for your reply. As I've continued to look at this and pray about this. I'm feeling led to go in this direction.
I'm going to purchase Little Hands for my 4 year old. She is eager for some structured school time and these materials will be perfect.
I'm going to use Beyond Little Hearts with my 7 year old . He appears to be a perfect fit for this program. He's in Singapore 1B, is completing phonics, can copy with ease and is very diligent. I'm also going to use Beyond with my 9 year old. This was a tough call, because he fits really well into the Bigger level, according to the placement chart but on the lower end. As I look at the basics I would like for him to complete the emerging reader's set and he just began working in Singapore 2A. I think he would do well in Bigger - especially the Science - BUT I think he'll do fine with Beyond.
I'm contemplating letting my 11 yo continue to work with MFW ECC, but I'm going to add in the Independent History and Science assignments from Preparing, in lieu of the Science from ECC. He's not reading the amount of literature in science and history that he has in the past and could benefit from this schedule of readings. I'll then roll him completely into the HOD ancients program with extensions when it comes out in 2009.
We will use the MFW ECC materials for geography on our 5th day for everyone. I'll condense the readings (somewhat), and we will continue to play our geography games a couple of times a week. The children really are taking off with this piece of the ECC program. Where we seem to be lacking is each week I feel that I need to create a secondary plan for my 7 and 9 year old, because the ECC material -in some ways - is a little dry for them. And my 11 year old doesn't connect with the ECC science and likes to have a reading plan of living history books.
Anyhow - let me know your thoughts...
With Joy!
Florence
Thanks for your reply. As I've continued to look at this and pray about this. I'm feeling led to go in this direction.
I'm going to purchase Little Hands for my 4 year old. She is eager for some structured school time and these materials will be perfect.
I'm going to use Beyond Little Hearts with my 7 year old . He appears to be a perfect fit for this program. He's in Singapore 1B, is completing phonics, can copy with ease and is very diligent. I'm also going to use Beyond with my 9 year old. This was a tough call, because he fits really well into the Bigger level, according to the placement chart but on the lower end. As I look at the basics I would like for him to complete the emerging reader's set and he just began working in Singapore 2A. I think he would do well in Bigger - especially the Science - BUT I think he'll do fine with Beyond.
I'm contemplating letting my 11 yo continue to work with MFW ECC, but I'm going to add in the Independent History and Science assignments from Preparing, in lieu of the Science from ECC. He's not reading the amount of literature in science and history that he has in the past and could benefit from this schedule of readings. I'll then roll him completely into the HOD ancients program with extensions when it comes out in 2009.
We will use the MFW ECC materials for geography on our 5th day for everyone. I'll condense the readings (somewhat), and we will continue to play our geography games a couple of times a week. The children really are taking off with this piece of the ECC program. Where we seem to be lacking is each week I feel that I need to create a secondary plan for my 7 and 9 year old, because the ECC material -in some ways - is a little dry for them. And my 11 year old doesn't connect with the ECC science and likes to have a reading plan of living history books.
Anyhow - let me know your thoughts...
With Joy!
Florence
With Joy!
Florence
My blog: http://florencebrooks.com/
Began HOD 1/2009
Currently using: Bigger, RTR, Rev to Rev and MTMM
Florence
My blog: http://florencebrooks.com/
Began HOD 1/2009
Currently using: Bigger, RTR, Rev to Rev and MTMM
-
Mom2Monkeys
- Posts: 1410
- Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 6:31 pm
- Contact:
Re: Transitioning from MFW ECC to HOD
That sounds like a great plan! Very well thought out 
We just transitioned from ECC to HOD. My 7yo found much of it dry as well and it wasn't conducive for multi-level learning with wide age spans including little ones. We loved the geography though! We also did MFW K and 1 and oh how I wish I had found HOD first! I started burning out after MFW 1 and changed curriculums several times until we found HOD...now I'm ready to homeschool long term...high school here we come!! LOL. I'm sure you will LOVE HOD as will your kids. LHTH is so fun and my ds is learning so much even though he already knows his letters and sounds. Beyond has been incredible for my dd and I can't see us using anything other than HOD!
We just transitioned from ECC to HOD. My 7yo found much of it dry as well and it wasn't conducive for multi-level learning with wide age spans including little ones. We loved the geography though! We also did MFW K and 1 and oh how I wish I had found HOD first! I started burning out after MFW 1 and changed curriculums several times until we found HOD...now I'm ready to homeschool long term...high school here we come!! LOL. I'm sure you will LOVE HOD as will your kids. LHTH is so fun and my ds is learning so much even though he already knows his letters and sounds. Beyond has been incredible for my dd and I can't see us using anything other than HOD!
~~Tamara~~
Enjoying HOD since 2008
DD15 long-time HODie finding her own new path
DS12 PHFHG {dysgraphia, APD, SID}
DS9 PHFHG
DS6 LHFHG
DD new nursling
Enjoying HOD since 2008
DD15 long-time HODie finding her own new path
DS12 PHFHG {dysgraphia, APD, SID}
DS9 PHFHG
DS6 LHFHG
DD new nursling
Re: Transitioning from MFW ECC to HOD
Florence,
Welcome to HOD! We're glad you're here!
I think your plan sounds workable with a few suggestions. I think your 7 year old sounds like he'll fit great in Beyond. I think your 9 year old can also do the left side of Beyond and the Storytime part from the right side of Beyond along with your 7 year old. However, I think you should add in the right side of Bigger for your 9 year old. This way he will have Rod and Staff English 2 scheduled, which is a great formal introduction to English. He'll also have the dictation passages in the back of Bigger for spelling and have Cheerful Cursive or Italic scheduled to learn cursive handwriting. He will have the scheduled activities for Singapore 2A/2B in the Bigger Hearts daily plans and the alternative schedule for Singapore 3A/3B in the Appendix. You most likely would also want your 9 year old to do the science as scheduled on the right side of the Bigger plans in order to get the science up to an appropriate level for a 9 year old. Last, you will want to eventually add Drawn into the Heart of Reading for your 9 and 11 year olds. You could wait to do this later in the year or even next year, after settling in with your other subjects, but it is something you will want to do eventually as they'll need the literature study.
Your 11 year old could do the parts of Preparing you mentioned, although you may find that by adding on only the Economy Package to your plans, your son could have a very full HOD program for not much more money. The Preparing Hearts guide is already included in the Economy Package. That way your 11 year old son could do all of the history related activities, along with the science. If you had to opt out of something in Preparing, I would skip the Extension Package and the Basic Package, plus you wouldn't need the Deluxe Package either. In essence, you'd be getting the Economy Package for Preparing with the science adder. You'd need to have your math covered, either using the scheduled Singapore Math 3A/3B or 4A/4B, or using your own math. You would also want to add a Rod and Staff English text 3 or 4 to get him going on grammar. Both are scheduled in Preparing. You could use the provided passages in the back of the Preparing guide to cover his spelling. Later you would want to consider Drawn into the Heart of Reading for literature study. If not this year, than next year for sure.
On the 5th day of each week, you could add your ECC for all your kiddos as planned.
I just wanted to post some options to get you thinking through the best use of your money and the way to cover your bases too. If you get a chance to pop back and respond, I'd love to hear what you're thinking!
Blessings,
Carrie
Welcome to HOD! We're glad you're here!
I think your plan sounds workable with a few suggestions. I think your 7 year old sounds like he'll fit great in Beyond. I think your 9 year old can also do the left side of Beyond and the Storytime part from the right side of Beyond along with your 7 year old. However, I think you should add in the right side of Bigger for your 9 year old. This way he will have Rod and Staff English 2 scheduled, which is a great formal introduction to English. He'll also have the dictation passages in the back of Bigger for spelling and have Cheerful Cursive or Italic scheduled to learn cursive handwriting. He will have the scheduled activities for Singapore 2A/2B in the Bigger Hearts daily plans and the alternative schedule for Singapore 3A/3B in the Appendix. You most likely would also want your 9 year old to do the science as scheduled on the right side of the Bigger plans in order to get the science up to an appropriate level for a 9 year old. Last, you will want to eventually add Drawn into the Heart of Reading for your 9 and 11 year olds. You could wait to do this later in the year or even next year, after settling in with your other subjects, but it is something you will want to do eventually as they'll need the literature study. Your 11 year old could do the parts of Preparing you mentioned, although you may find that by adding on only the Economy Package to your plans, your son could have a very full HOD program for not much more money. The Preparing Hearts guide is already included in the Economy Package. That way your 11 year old son could do all of the history related activities, along with the science. If you had to opt out of something in Preparing, I would skip the Extension Package and the Basic Package, plus you wouldn't need the Deluxe Package either. In essence, you'd be getting the Economy Package for Preparing with the science adder. You'd need to have your math covered, either using the scheduled Singapore Math 3A/3B or 4A/4B, or using your own math. You would also want to add a Rod and Staff English text 3 or 4 to get him going on grammar. Both are scheduled in Preparing. You could use the provided passages in the back of the Preparing guide to cover his spelling. Later you would want to consider Drawn into the Heart of Reading for literature study. If not this year, than next year for sure.
On the 5th day of each week, you could add your ECC for all your kiddos as planned. I just wanted to post some options to get you thinking through the best use of your money and the way to cover your bases too. If you get a chance to pop back and respond, I'd love to hear what you're thinking!
Blessings,
Carrie
Re: Transitioning from MFW ECC to HOD
If you get a chance to pop back and respond, I'd love to hear what you're thinking!
Carrie and others...
I'm thinking great minds think alike
When I ran the numbers last night, I knew my "idea" was a no go, so I've been re-hashing and I've been really feeling pulled by the Bigger Science piece for my 9 yo, so you've hit on all the parts that I have been pondering. If I followed this would my 9 yo then go into Preparing next year?
Let me chart this out - run the numbers and I'll get back to you.
Thank you for these good thoughts - all of you!
With Joy!
Florence
Carrie and others...
I'm thinking great minds think alike
When I ran the numbers last night, I knew my "idea" was a no go, so I've been re-hashing and I've been really feeling pulled by the Bigger Science piece for my 9 yo, so you've hit on all the parts that I have been pondering. If I followed this would my 9 yo then go into Preparing next year?
Let me chart this out - run the numbers and I'll get back to you.
Thank you for these good thoughts - all of you!
With Joy!
Florence
With Joy!
Florence
My blog: http://florencebrooks.com/
Began HOD 1/2009
Currently using: Bigger, RTR, Rev to Rev and MTMM
Florence
My blog: http://florencebrooks.com/
Began HOD 1/2009
Currently using: Bigger, RTR, Rev to Rev and MTMM
Re: Transitioning from MFW ECC to HOD
If your 7 and 9 year old did the Beyond scenario that I mentioned above, then next year your then 8 and 10 year olds would move into Bigger. Your then 8 year old would do Bigger as written, and your then 10 year old would do the left side of Bigger and the storytime box from the right side of Bigger with your then 8 year old, but your then 10 year old would do also do the right side only of Preparing... including the Preparing Hearts science.
In this way, you could keep your 7 and 9 year olds together for all history related subjects, but would still get a good fit overall in all other areas.
Blessings,
Carrie
In this way, you could keep your 7 and 9 year olds together for all history related subjects, but would still get a good fit overall in all other areas.
Blessings,
Carrie
Re: Transitioning from MFW ECC to HOD
O.k. Florence - I am flying high because I am thinking the same exact thing as what has just been said (which means I have a great mind, right?deltagal wrote:If you get a chance to pop back and respond, I'd love to hear what you're thinking!
Carrie and others...
I'm thinking great minds think alike
When I ran the numbers last night, I knew my "idea" was a no go, so I've been re-hashing and I've been really feeling pulled by the Bigger Science piece for my 9 yo, so you've hit on all the parts that I have been pondering. If I followed this would my 9 yo then go into Preparing next year?
Let me chart this out - run the numbers and I'll get back to you.
Thank you for these good thoughts - all of you!
With Joy!
Florence
) Seriously though, I agree with customizing the programs in the ways aforementioned. I think using the right side of the plans of Bigger... to up the material for your 9 yo would provide a great fit. Many HOD moms are doing this, with various levels and various guides, and enjoying that flexibility. HTH - and I'm so glad you are a part of the HOD boards - Welcome!In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie
Re: Transitioning from MFW ECC to HOD
Florence,
I'm not sure if I understood your post correctly about which part you were thinking was the no-go, but if I've misinterpreted it, just point me in the right direction and I'd be glad to respond to what you're thinking.
Blessings,
Carrie
I'm not sure if I understood your post correctly about which part you were thinking was the no-go, but if I've misinterpreted it, just point me in the right direction and I'd be glad to respond to what you're thinking.
Blessings,
Carrie
Re: Transitioning from MFW ECC to HOD
Hi Carrie,
I meant when I added up my initial idea it was TOOOOOOOOO expensive, but your idea is MUCH better and more affordable. I charted it out last night and laid out the sample lesson plans and even pulled together a "new" schedule for us using the HOD lesson plans and we played with it today. The schedule came off smoothly and was very enlightening about where we could be doing a better job. So, I'm in. I'm in the process of pulling together materials now. I must say we're very blessed by a very fine library where I live with a lot of the recommended books and I have quite a few, as well. My plan is to start my pre-schooler as soon as her materials arrive. Start Beyond/Bigger with my 7 and 9 yo the first of December. And start my 11 yo in Preparing by January 1, if not mid-December. Thank you (and everyone else) SO MUCH for all your comments you've helped me immensely and I'm quite excited!
With Joy!
Florence
I meant when I added up my initial idea it was TOOOOOOOOO expensive, but your idea is MUCH better and more affordable. I charted it out last night and laid out the sample lesson plans and even pulled together a "new" schedule for us using the HOD lesson plans and we played with it today. The schedule came off smoothly and was very enlightening about where we could be doing a better job. So, I'm in. I'm in the process of pulling together materials now. I must say we're very blessed by a very fine library where I live with a lot of the recommended books and I have quite a few, as well. My plan is to start my pre-schooler as soon as her materials arrive. Start Beyond/Bigger with my 7 and 9 yo the first of December. And start my 11 yo in Preparing by January 1, if not mid-December. Thank you (and everyone else) SO MUCH for all your comments you've helped me immensely and I'm quite excited!
With Joy!
Florence
With Joy!
Florence
My blog: http://florencebrooks.com/
Began HOD 1/2009
Currently using: Bigger, RTR, Rev to Rev and MTMM
Florence
My blog: http://florencebrooks.com/
Began HOD 1/2009
Currently using: Bigger, RTR, Rev to Rev and MTMM
Re: Transitioning from MFW ECC to HOD
I'm so glad that it worked out for you! I wasn't sure if what I posted was as clear as mud. I'm excited that you'll get a chance to use HOD with your kiddos!
If you have other questions, just ask away. The moms on the board are SO helpful and encouraging!
Blessings,
Carrie
I wasn't sure if what I posted was as clear as mud. I'm excited that you'll get a chance to use HOD with your kiddos! If you have other questions, just ask away. The moms on the board are SO helpful and encouraging!
Blessings,
Carrie