New to Preparing

[greatjoy-chs]

Hello! We will be beginning Preparing with our 10yo on Monday. Any tips, file or supply or schedule suggestions, any ANYTHING to help us or encourage us is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[StephanieU]

Hopefully this will help.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=10426
We aren't to Preparing yet, but I used a similar post to set up Bigger, and it is working well!

[greatjoy-chs]

Thank you!

[Rice]

Plan to do your first unit, at least, at "half speed". In other words, take time to look at each box, explore the new book, meet the new characters together, decide where each assignment will go (both whether you'll use paper or a notebook and where you'll keep that work), discuss the expectations of each box on each day (there's generally a pattern so most Day 1s will include similar assignments, most Day 2s are the same layout time-wise, etc.), and work through what order will work the best for you (when they will work with you, what subjects they will start to do independently and which you'll do together and work towards more independence on, etc.).

It could take a month or even longer to get in a "groove" or rhythm of what works for you and for your day to get up to full speed (completing all subjects in one school day). If it takes less than that, you can celebrate, but if it takes longer, don't be discouraged, either! Until you get to full speed, feel free to just do what you can get done in the time you want to spend on school (for us that means 8-12ish) and then stop working, picking it up the next day to complete and carry on. (ie, don't let trying to complete a day take over the rest of your life!) A common early complaint I've heard is that people feel "behind." Have realistic expectations going in that you won't complete a Unit in one week for a while - and that's OKAY!

Blessings and welcome on the journey!