Does this program fit in the CM way,using LLATL for language arts and Math-U-See.
Also trying to decide between a phonics program and/or Delightful Reading for my rising K-er.
I know I want to focus on reading and basic math skills, as he is learning reading now. But I am not sure what else I want to add in, or even how I want to go about reading and math lessons.
You can use MUS, but using LLATL for this program could be difficult. Most of HOD duplicates what is in LLATL throughout the subject boxes and could be confusing or redundant. It can be done if you know HOD well enough and know what to skip. It would depend on which level you’d use as well.
Knowing absolutely nothing about HOD, couldn’t you just skip the diagramming? We used Analytical Grammar for my dd and we just skipped the diagramming part of it, not because she didn’t like it, I couldn’t see the point of it. However, there are other threads out there about the virtues of diagramming.
pecangrove, I can’t really comment on HOD because I don’t know enough about it…but regarding your rising K’er and the question on math and reading/phonics, I’m wondering if you know about the reading/spelling program called Reading Lessons Through Literature by barefootmeandering press. Like you, I have a rising K’er who is eager to read. I also have a 1st grader who finished level 1 of All About Reading and is reading basic early readers…but he needs to go to the next level and I have no desire to continue with AAR for level 2…just not the greatest fit for me. I am really drawn to Reading Lessons Through Literature for the fact that it provides strong phonics reading instruction (via Orton phonogram method) AND spelling (via copywork), all in one program! I am strongly considering using Reading Lessons through Literature, and simply adding a handwriting course to reinforce proper mechanics of penmanship (Delightful Handwriting or HWT are my favourites in that area).
As for math…when my 6.5 year old was a K’er we had fun just doing math on Starfall, including written reinforcement via the printouts, and hands-on reinforcement/counting using legos, toothpicks, etc. Now that we’re in grade one, we’re doing CLE Math as a formal program, but it is remarkable to me how much he already knows just from having “played” math on Starfall.com (I had the $30/year subscription to get the full math)
Just thinking for a second on your comment about not wanting to do diagramming….from what I know, the strongest program on the homeschool market for grammar that DOESN’T teach using diagramming is Easy Grammar. I could be wrong here (there are so many programs out there) but from what I remember during my research of many programs, they all seem to lean on diagramming, with the exception of Easy Grammar (which is not known to be CM, but I did it for a year and it was relatively user friendly and the lessons were easy to adapt to keep short). In grade 3 and 4, you could definitely just do the shortened version which is called Daily Grams, and move to the full program around grade six using Easy Grammar 5/6.
I have used HOD and continue to use some of their resources. I love their notebooks and the way the schedules are laid out. It also helps me to have some activities planned out that coordinate with what we are studying, as I am the least hands-on person in the world!
All that said, there are lots of elements of HOD that I would consider more of a blend of educational styles, and not strictly CM. They use several things that I would not consider living books – more text-booky. And there are some busy-work aspects to the curriculum that we don’t particularly enjoy. Some of the book selections we found a bit dry, as well.
As with so many curriculums, you take what you love and leave out what you don’t want or need. HOD is fairly expensive (to me) and we mostly prefer the SCM materials, so we are just using the teacher’s guide and notebooks from SCM for ideas and activities. Some of the books for history are overlapping, and I wanted more science, so we are going with the HOD recommendations there as well.
I know I am like a broken record on this one, but the All Day Seminar really helped me understand the CM way of teaching the different subjects so that I could discern what we wanted to use and how. Highly recommend it!
I would say it’s a mishmash of CM and classical. The workload as you get up in levels is classical, although it’s CM based, doing small bits daily. The small bits can be very time-consuming and borderline twaddle. Not to say it’s not a good program, it is. I would look at it as a smorgasbord. I would say that LLATL and HOD are similiar. It’s all encompassing. But as you change out certain elements of HOD you start having time issues unless you’re a box checker at heart. There’s a lot to do in HOD.
As far as diagramming, HOD uses R&S Grammar and that has diagramming, but I don’t know about which programs do or do not use diagramming. Diagramming has no bearing on HOD at all in the scheme of things. It’s easy to sub math and science and a reading program. LA can be done, but you have to be careful of overlap or concepts not touched on. So for instance if you want spelling, you may not want HOD’s dictation, which is how HOD does “spelling”, but it’ll increase your daily time with the program. You can easily use LLATL for reading and bypass the reading program, DITHOR. There’s plenty of reading in HOD that I don’t find more is necessary, since we’re already working with our reading in the context of history or science. Some of the writing elements chosen in HOD overlap what R&S covers, which I never understood that portion. But since HOD doesn’t use spelling, but dictation, R&S covers some of dictionary/homonyms, etc that you don’t get in a spelling program. You just need to make sure your bases are covered.
Thank you all! I am going to have a look at the different things mentioned… I really do like HOD, so I will probably stay with it, unless I find something very, very similar at a cheaper price. LOL
Their grammar is the only thing I wasn’t thrilled with. Well, other than the math – we are giving Math-U-See a shot this coming year.
Thanks again! And if you have any other suggestions… 🙂
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