who uses HOD?

[kiloyd]

I'll be doning Preparing and LHFHG. I haven't ordered yet, I really need to get on that.

Not sure what my questions are yet, wanted to first see who uses it. Oh, I want to know who uses DITHOR too.

[ncsweetpea]

I'm using LHTH right now.

[Mama Rophe]

I'm using LHTH and LHFHG with the 1st grade extension. We are really liking it. I can get the LHFHG done in about 90 minutes and LHTH takes me 30 minutes. It's really open and go.

[Chinamommy]

This is my 2nd year to do HOD. We did LHTH for preschool and just started LHFHG for Kindergarten. My daughter LOVES it so much. She loves the short lessons. It is truly open and go and easy to teach. I love teaching it.

[NoodleMom]

I am selling my Preparing teacher guide and some of the books and DITHOR with student books 4/5 and 6/7/8. Would you be interested in buying used?

K

[kiloyd]

I am selling my Preparing teacher guide and some of the books and DITHOR with student books 4/5 and 6/7/8. Would you be interested in buying used?

K

Yes, yes!!! PM me.

[WI Mama05]

I have LHFHG to sell if anyone is interested

Teacher's guide
(8) Burgess books
History Stories for Children
History for Little Pilgrims
The World God Made

[ncsweetpea]

I'm interested in the Burgess books if you are willing to sell seoarately.

[MomtoJGJ]

I do!!! :) But you already knew that...

I've sold several families at church on HOD too.... :)

[GlacierLily]

We are!

[mom2boys]

memememememe!!! :rockon
we've used DITHOR for all 10 years we've homeschooled. :-)
this year we are doing LHTH, LHFHG, and Bigger; I think I'm going to get Preparing for my 12 yr old.

[MomtoJGJ]

I forgot to say (for people who DON'T know) we are finishing up LHTH and Beyond sometime this fall, and then we'll start LHFHG and Bigger sometime after Christmas.

[Grover]

Im using LHTH and BLHFHG.Have previously used LHFHG

[TuneMyHeart]

what age did you guys start using HOD?

[MomtoJGJ]

I was 29 ;)

Just in a weird mood today... Julianna started with LHTH when she was a little under 3... but I started over in January of this year when I decided to combine her and Grace... she did great with it at almost 3... and Grace did great with LHFHG at 4.5... but I just didn't want to do all of that then... so I combined them with LHTH when Julianna had just turned 3 and Grace had just turned 5.

[WI Mama05]

I had started with Rachel when she was 4. She did just fine, but it wasn't *me* and had me all kinds of crazy trying to follow it. Just a personality difference :shrug3

[Grover]

:giggle 35:giggle
sorry the previous poster got me :giggle

Stan started LHTH at 2 yrs 9 months,but we are only half way through nearly a year later.I wanted LHTH to last longer -otherwise we would start LHFHG too soon.Its fun,he loves it-otherwise I wouldnt be doing it.
Nathan did LHFHG at 5 .75 years.
We are doing BLHFHG at 7.75years.
Each child is different and there is no way Nathan could have done LHTH at under 3,or maybe even under 4.

[kiloyd]

I have LHFHG to sell if anyone is interested

Teacher's guide
(8) Burgess books
History Stories for Children
History for Little Pilgrims
The World God Made

me, me!! I'll PM you

[mom2boys]

we started little hands when they were about 3; we don't get really strict about schoolwork till closer to age 8 or 9.
i usually do a whole lesson each day, but we only do school every couple days.

[kiloyd]

Looks like several of you use or have used LHFHG. I was thinking about not getting the guide and just using the two history books and getting Singapore math and a handwriting book. It's just kindergarten.

how have you liked the guide. I used Beyond and Bigger for ds and loved the open and go, I was just thinking "do I really need the guide for kindergarten?". What do you think?

[RealLifeMama]

Looks like several of you use or have used LHFHG. I was thinking about not getting the guide and just using the two history books and getting Singapore math and a handwriting book. It's just kindergarten.

how have you liked the guide. I used Beyond and Bigger for ds and loved the open and go, I was just thinking "do I really need the guide for kindergarten?". What do you think?

I really liked the art activities and the rhymes and such. They keep it fun and light, more Kindergartenish. Just reading the history books and doing the math would be too academicish, IMO. But I am sure you will naturally fill in your own fun stuff if you do that.
The history books are not a huge portion of the "Learning through history" section in the guide. There are a lot of Bible stories as the History.
That said, we used the LHFHG for 1st grade, and I have never been good to follow anything for K.

[kiloyd]

I really liked the art activities and the rhymes and such. They keep it fun and light, more Kindergartenish. Just reading the history books and doing the math would be too academicish, IMO. But I am sure you will naturally fill in your own fun stuff if you do that.
The history books are not a huge portion of the "Learning through history" section in the guide. There are a lot of Bible stories as the History.
That said, we used the LHFHG for 1st grade, and I have never been good to follow anything for K.

HHhhmmm, that might be a thought. I found HOD (thank you MOM2JGJ!) before ds was in 2nd grade so we did Beyond and then just finished Bigger.

So I've thought that if I do LHFHG for kindy with dd then she'd be doing all the guides a year younger than ds. Like she'd use Bigger in 2nd instead of 3rd. Which probably isn't a big deal since she has two levels in each book.

Your last sentence got me thinking.

[MomtoJGJ]

you could always go half speed and use it for both K and 1st.... go full speed with the right side and half speed with the left side.

I think I"ve told you this before? We are going to do LHFHG half speed 4 days a week at least for a while to let Julianna catch up age wise... Doing it that way, I'll get through with two units in 5 weeks of instruction.

[kiloyd]

you could always go half speed and use it for both K and 1st.... go full speed with the right side and half speed with the left side.

I think I"ve told you this before? We are going to do LHFHG half speed 4 days a week at least for a while to let Julianna catch up age wise... Doing it that way, I'll get through with two units in 5 weeks of instruction.

That might work. With that plan do you mean you do the right side every day and the left side every other day or something like that?

I know it doesn't really matter and she is half a year older than when Michael started. And she's already a bit ahead anyway, with phonics and math, maybe just half a year. She can read one vowel words.

If I did all of LHFHG for kindy then when I moved to Beyond I'd just do the lower level on everything.

[MomtoJGJ]

yeah, you would do the left side every other day, to spread it out over two years... you'd do the right side every day, and when you finish up with the K-level stuff you'd start over at the beginning with the 1st grade level. Just starting over the right side though... you'd be halfway through the left side.

I have no reason to do it through two grades since Grace has already gone through the K-level stuff, so I'm just trying to make it last longer alltogether.

I'll answer your email some day :)

[Mama Calidad]

We're switching to it. Expecting the books to arrive on Wednesday.

[Soaring Eagle]

Me! :D We started last week with Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory & Little Hands to Heaven. We did LHFHG last year.

[Chinamommy]

I can't imagine using HOD without the teacher guides. If I did it would not have the same feel as HOD. It would be too schoolish to me. The guides are good and make my life so much easier.

I really think you could do as a previous poster suggested. You could do it for 2 years if you want to at half speed. HOD website has message boards with more info on this.

[ncsweetpea]

I have done LHTH all last year at a slower pace. Started last week doing it at full pace. I have noticed a big difference in her interests and abilities thus far.

[Chinamommy]

I forgot to add that my daughter did LHTH starting at age 4 last fall and we just finished it up in July. I tried at age 3 but she wasn't ready. I would say that if you have a child begging to do school earlier then do it at a slow pace and use LHTH until Kindergarten.

My school philosophy after teaching preschool for 7 years is better late than early and short lessons covering the basics (CM philosophy).

[Mama Rophe]

For those of you using more than two guides at a time, like LHFHG, Beyond and bigger. How does that work out for you? I'm wanting to combine my two oldest, but Thunder is not ready for LHFHG yet, he's having fun with LHTH. Lightening really shouldn't slow down either. I think he'd get really bored. I'm thinking I'm going to end up having three kids in three different guides next year. I'd say four, but I know that lots of things change and I could possibly have combined kids at that point.

[MomtoJGJ]

could you do Lightening at full speed LHFHG and Thunder at half speed LHTH this year? The advice I would give is to have a gap inbetween guides... like don't do them back to back....

[TuneMyHeart]

will I be ok just buying the LHTH teacher's guide? I just want something quick that I can do with E (she's 4.5). I was looking for something to do 2-3 days a week.

[MomtoJGJ]

yeah, there's nothing else with LHTH except the teachers guide

[Soaring Eagle]

what age did you guys start using HOD?

I tried LHFHG with my dd when she was 5 but most of it was way over her head. So I tried again when she was 6 (last year) and boy what a different a year made. LHTH I'm using with my 4 yr old son. Short and sweet which is perfect for him. He loses interest quick and we're done by the time we are though the guide. For us, being in the middle of the ages for each guide is working out great!

[Grover]

We're switching to it. Expecting the books to arrive on Wednesday.
Wahoooo another HODdie.:hug

---------- Post added at 04:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:10 PM ----------

will I be ok just buying the LHTH teacher's guide? I just want something quick that I can do with E (she's 4.5). I was looking for something to do 2-3 days a week.
The only other things you need are a bible-Im usinthe ' A childs first Bible' and My bible.You can use your own bible-but we like pictures.Theres a devotion book that you use once a week-but you could manage without

[RealLifeMama]

I think I want to use "Bigger" this year. But last year, we did Adventures in My Father's World, and I don't want to have to do Columbus, Jamestown, early colonies, etc. I was thinking I would want to jump in with Bed Franklin, which is about Unit 9. I don't mind covering Revolutionary War again, because my kids love that.
Do you think that would be OK, or would that mess everything up for the right side of the page? Would my kids miss a lot?

[Grover]

[I have not done bigger yet]Do you thinbk you could just omit the history for the first nine weeks?

[RealLifeMama]

That is a brilliant idea!
I can't believe I did not think of that. :giggle
I am sure the kids won't mind, and I always like to sort of ease into the year anyway. :tu

[MomtoJGJ]

I haven't done bigger yet either, and I don't know how MFW Adv is set up.... but Beyond and Bigger both cover American history... Bigger uses a biographical approach, so even though it's the same time period it's taught differently. I'm not sure it would be worth fretting over 8 weeks of school unless it uses the same books....

[Mama Rophe]

will I be ok just buying the LHTH teacher's guide? I just want something quick that I can do with E (she's 4.5). I was looking for something to do 2-3 days a week.

I highly recomend getting the ABC bible verses book. It is very cute. :heart

[JustMandy]

I'm working on piecing it together. I've always been relaxed/ecclectic but need a bit more structure. Last year was a disaster. :-/

I'm really looking forward to starting it but am not in a hurry since we are still finishing last years' work.

My boys are 5 and 6 and I'm planning on starting them together in BLHFHG. They are both starting to read and although I (6) is a little ahead, they are pretty close. If I need to go slower for S, I will. Thats how I've done all their subjects. Start at the same time and let them work at their own pace.

E will be doing PHFHG.

I hope to be starting in October.

[MomtoJGJ]

Beyond has a good deal of writing and narration... compared to LHFHG.... I would hesitate putting a 5yo in Beyond.... Have you checked out the placement chart on HOD's main page? It's a lot easier (and written into the guide) to make it harder... but it loses some of its' charm if you have to take things away.

Just an example... DD1 fit PERFECTLY in Beyond year before last (she was 5.5 starting).... and we used it... I cut out some of the things that she was having trouble with, like the copywork and Storytime questions just for example. I did it again with her since I had to skip so much of it due to her not wanting to write or read or whatever.... I started last fall when she was 6.5 and she has had a blast and sailed through it with flying colors this year!!

That's not to say your kids won't do great in Beyond. But, for me, Bigger is a HUGE jump with regards to writing and math and narration and spelling that I wouldn't want them to get there too early.

[JustMandy]

I did look at the placement chart. I will look at it again. Thanks so much for your help. I'd hate to buy it and be frustrated.

---------- Post added at 06:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:12 PM ----------

I've looked again at the placement board and am more confused. They will be finishing phonics and an emerging reader by the time we start. They have been doing MUS (so have been having formal math instruction)for a year and can write all the letters, capitol and lowercase. The Read alouds we do are chapter books, and biographies.

I am afraid I'm pushing my 5 yo too much but can't imagine teaching them 2 different levels. They are so close. They are at the same reading level, a few lessons apart in math. My 5 yo doesn't sit as long as the others and can't write as well but I make allowances for that and work with him separatly when it's best for him.

I really don't know what to do...

[Gentle Journey]

I seen some of you have more kids than I do. How are you splitting them up? I'm having trouble figuring out the 4. I've got the first 2 in Bigger, but the next 2 are 3 school years apart and if we have another we're looking at at least 3 school years apart and I can't imagine running 4 programs.

[MomtoJGJ]

If they fit then go with it!! I just wanted to make sure you had looked at it carefully :) You can always slow it down if it seems overwhelming to one... do the left side one day and the right side the next for a while :)

I have my older one alone, the next two combined, and then Evie will be alone. Grace and Julianna are pretty far apart as far as abilities go, but I'm planning on LHFHG taking us a full two years to do, and by that time they will be 6 and 8 to start Beyond, which I will also go half speed for a little while (maybe the first 6 or so units)

I have no idea when Evie will start... she is brilliant, so I'm guessing next year she could do LHTH, but I'll probably wait until the year after and then take our time... maybe even let Jayden do it with her then.

Anyone after that will be worked in when necessary.

[ncsweetpea]

Wahoooo another HODdie.:hug

---------- Post added at 04:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:10 PM ----------


The only other things you need are a bible-Im usinthe ' A childs first Bible' and My bible.You can use your own bible-but we like pictures.Theres a devotion book that you use once a week-but you could manage without

We also dothe selections from the Singing Bible.

[MomtoJGJ]

Oh, I forgot about the Singing Bible. We didn't get that because we have the cd's from LHFHG and BLHFHG.... I would recommend the cd too :)

We just use our regular Bible or other children's Bible's we have here.

[Chinamommy]

When we did LHTH all I had was the teachers guide and our own children's Bible. We didn't have any of the add on's. It worked fine for us for preschool.

However, I did buy all the materials recommended for LHFHG for this year for Kindergarten. I am so glad I did. We are both loving it.

[Gentle Journey]

Do you guys use Singapore with it?

[MomtoJGJ]

I do use Singapore, but its' because that is the way I do math anyway... No matter what program I would use, that's the way I'd teach it... so I might as well use it.

[kiloyd]

When we did LHTH all I had was the teachers guide and our own children's Bible. We didn't have any of the add on's. It worked fine for us for preschool.

However, I did buy all the materials recommended for LHFHG for this year for Kindergarten. I am so glad I did. We are both loving it.

Thanks for that helpful brag that you like it. I've been wavering about buying it, since it's only kindergarten.

[Mama Rophe]

Yes, we use Singapore with it. I haven't seen any of the other math currics. Lightening seems to be doing just fine with Singapore and the activities Carrie recomends in the TM.

[kiloyd]

Anyone do Preparing yet?

[JustMandy]

Do you guys use Singapore with it?

I've always used Math U See and will continue with that. I have been using LifePac for language arts but am just "meh" about it so I'm planning on using Rod and Staff when I order.

We'll be starting Preparing as soon as we wrap up 3rd grade. :bag

[Chinamommy]

We are using Singapore Math and love it. I am so glad we chose HOD LHFHG for kindergarten. I really feel it is a good fit for our family this year. The teachers guide is EASY to follow. It is not overwhelming and great for those with ADD!:)

[Grover]

yes we use singapore

[RealLifeMama]

I was looking over the Bigger guide I have, and I am not sure that the language arts Preparing to Build 2 is quite what my DD needs at age 9. She already knows most of that. My son, who is 7, does not quite seem ready for the "right side" of the BHFHG.
I am wondering if I should get BLHFHG for him and do the right side of that for him and do the left side of Bigger with both of them.
Does anyone have a BLHFHG guide that they are ready to part with?
Are the spelling lists the same in Bigger Hearts and BLHFHG?

ETA< we have been doing Math U See but DD hates it and I want to switch to Singapore.
I don't know which one to put her in, though.

[Chinamommy]

I have heard that Singapore has online placement test on their website. Can anybody vouch for that?:shrug3

[Mama Rophe]

:raise Yes, they do have placement tests online starting with 1A

[Mama Calidad]

I got the books today and my kids are going to totally :heart this.

[ncsweetpea]

Yeah Laura! Keep us informed on how you like it! Which ones are you using?

[kiloyd]

Beyond has two spelling lists and Bigger has the spelling list that is the upper level from Beyond or dictation as it's upper level.

If I wasn't saving it for dd I'd sell it to you.

I did Bigger for ds , 3rd grade, age 8 and English 2. This year we'll do Preparing with English 3.

If your dd knows most of English 2, then get English 9.

From what I see of Preparing it would be way to much for a 7 yr old.

If your ds is not ready for the right side of BHFHG then just get the level he needs of math and English. My son was 7 when we did BLHFHG for 2nd grade and he hates writing to I did a lot orally and less writing.

Have you looked at the placement chart on the HOD site?

I was looking over the Bigger guide I have, and I am not sure that the language arts Preparing to Build 2 is quite what my DD needs at age 9. She already knows most of that. My son, who is 7, does not quite seem ready for the "right side" of the BHFHG.
I am wondering if I should get BLHFHG for him and do the right side of that for him and do the left side of Bigger with both of them.
Does anyone have a BLHFHG guide that they are ready to part with?
Are the spelling lists the same in Bigger Hearts and BLHFHG?

ETA< we have been doing Math U See but DD hates it and I want to switch to Singapore.
I don't know which one to put her in, though.

[ncsweetpea]

For those of you using LHFHG, which phonics program did you select to implement?

[Soaring Eagle]

We used The Reading Lesson and then the A Handbook for Reading from Abeka (already had it - was free)

[MomtoJGJ]

We have Reading Made Easy, and it's great... but both of my big two have basically taught themselves how to read... We've only made it about 25-30 lessons in on RME with DD2.... and we started back in July of last year. She's reading at a 1st grade level. DD1 never used phonics.

[Mama Rophe]

We started out with TYCTR100EL. That did NOT work out. So we took a totally different approach and I used Teach Your Child to Read using Children's books. That went okay, but he was getting tired of it really fast. I think he's like me. He needs to see workbook progress. I was always like this growing up. Not so much anymore. So we got the good deal on HOP and he's been doing great at that. I think part of it is that I'm not doing the talking to him during his lessons.

All three methods fit really well with LHFHG. It's really easy to just use what works for you. :D

[kiloyd]

We'll be using Hooked on Phonics. We started it last year and she could read the first few little books in it.

[Mama Calidad]

Yeah Laura! Keep us informed on how you like it! Which ones are you using?

LHTH for the 3.5yo and Bigger for the older two with the extension books for the oldest.

[Grover]

Im doing LHTH too laura-but we are doing beyond for the 7 yo

[Gentle Journey]

We're doing Bigger with the oldest two, 2nd and 4th grade. Both doing R&S 2 and backing up to Singapore 1A. My oldest's math skills are really bad. We'll move as quick as she can handle. I'd like to get through 1 and 2 with both this year. I'm going to keep going over the summer. I'm trying not to stress too much as SL recommends 1a and 1b for 6-9 yos. My oldest is not quite 9.

My youngest DD is 5 in Dec. We're doing SL P4/5 and will do little hearts next year. I bough McRuffy's math and LA already but will switch over next year if all goes well with Singapore.

[MomtoJGJ]

For that matter, I guess you'd say that HOD recommends 1A/B for 6-8 year olds because that's what's written in Beyond.

[Gentle Journey]

That's true. I still see Beyond as grade 1 in my mind and that I'm holding DD back a bit having her in Bigger because she'll never get to the last two guides.