Need help thinking through placement with Bigger

[Sandi_NC]

I'm pretty sure that Bigger is *overall* the best placement for us, but I am needing some assistance anyways!

My children are about to have birthdays. Between Feb 4th and March 4th, they will turn 11 (Wm), 10 (Liz) and 9 (Anna). Putting their ages aside, they all vary greatly with their abilities and that is where *I* struggle the most, knowing where to place them.

I feel that Anna needs the biggest chunk of my time and attention right now. She struggles with some LD's and I'm ashamed to admit that I've not spent the time with her that she needs. She has almost completed her phonics work and is learning to read. She can copy sentences (finished ETC bk 1 and 1.5) and has finished Singapore 1A/B. But she is still very much a struggling reader and writer. When I read aloud, she can usually narrate back the main points but struggles with giving her own opinions or finer details. She struggles in math as well.

Lizzie is a very proficient reader and speller. She devours books and is quick to discuss them with me. She doesn't like to write (mostly because I've not made them write anything ) but will narrate back to me just about anything and everything she reads. However she has gone through spurts lately where she has started to write her own mystery stories. She has finished Singapore 3A/B and is working through Cheerful Cursive. She is currently doing Spectrum wkbks in LA 3 and Reading 4.

Wm can read, but doesn't like to. He will often skip over, or guess at a word while reading, instead of sounding it out. He also does not like to write but does some writing in his Spectrum wkbks LA 3, and Reading 3. He has also completed Singapore 3A/B. He can also narrate back broad points but we've not done any writing of our narrations.

We are basically using workbooks because I've made such a mess of things and was desperate for something for them to *do* for school.

Wm and Liz have worked through R&S English 2 orally with me.

Having looked at the charts (and reviewed the notes I took many months ago when I spoke with Carrie) I feel that Bigger would still be a very good fit for all 3 of my children, using the extension pack for Wm and Liz. I'm afraid Preparing would be too much of a jump for Wm and Liz because of the writing and grammar involved. Those are areas we are very weak in. And Preparing would be completely overwhelming for Anna. I'd like to keep them together if at all possible, but how do I give Anna the individual assistance she needs?

Please help me think through what to use! And am I on the right track with Bigger? And then how do I place Wm and Liz for math and grammar since they have already done R&S 2 and Singapore 3A/B.

Thank you so much!

[Sandi_NC]

Bumping up ~

[Carrie]

Sandi,

It does sound like Bigger is still the best placement for your 3 kiddos. I would add the extension pack for Liz, since she likes to read, and I would most likely not push William to read the history extension pack books at this point.

As far as Anna goes, I'm thinking she would be best served by either doing the first spelling list provided in the Appendix of Beyond, along with the gentle grammar lessons scheduled in Beyond, OR by doing the second (more difficult) spelling list in the Appendix of Bigger and doing Rod and Staff English 2, as scheduled in Bigger. You would know better where she fits in those areas. Anna also will be able to move onto the Emerging Reader's Set scheduled in the Appendix of both Beyond and Bigger when she finishes her phonics. She'll be able to do Singapore 2A/2B along with the hands-on lessons scheduled in Bigger's math box too. I would most likely add a handwriting workbook for her, rather than doing the copywork scheduled in Bigger (until her fine motor skills get stronger). We carry A Reason for Writing 'A' which may work, otherwise any handwriting worbook will do.

As far as Liz and William go, it sounds like they are ready for Rod and Staff English 3 for sure and could possibly begin English 4 instead, doing it more slowly. If your kiddos haven't had any diagramming, you may want to begin with 3 and do it with both of them very steadily. If they have had some diagramming, you could start with English 4 instead. Either way, you will want the Preparing Hearts guide for the right side of the plans, just for the English 3 and 4 schedule, the dictation passages provided in the Appendix for Spelling, and the Math 4A/4B schedule. You will want to add Drawn into the Heart of Reading for both Lizzie and William, but especially for William. This will be where you will focus on strengthening his reading skills. I would do Level 4/5 with both Lizzie and William, but do it only 3 days a week, as scheduled in Preparing Hearts. If William does not like to write, you may wish to do a half of the writing in the DITHR 4/5 Student Book for him, moving into him doing more writing by year-end. There will be enough writing in Bigger's other subjects to get him copying. The discussion is very important in DITHR, so don't let him get bogged down in the writing. This will take care of your language arts and math for Liz and William.

Priority-wise getting Anna reading and writing well is first. Make sure you schedule this at a time in your day where you will never miss it. I do this with my own little guy that I am working on reading and writing with this year. Next, in your priority list is William's reading. Schedule DITHR at a time in the morning when you will not miss it. Make sure you leave enough time to listen to him read to you and to discuss the assignments in an enjoyable way. Next, in your priority list in William and Liz's grammar instruction. Everything else will fall further down the list of priorities.

You may want to look at my post to MamaMary, paying attention to the suggestion to think of each kiddo's 3R's instruction in 30 minute increments. Linked here: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2557 One way might be for you to do that with your own kiddos too, having one 30 minute meeting with each of them in the day and one time where they're all together for the left side of Bigger (making sure not to have Anna do the writing in Bigger or it will overwhelm her).

If you have other questions, feel free to post.

Blessings,
Carrie

[6timeboymom]

I just thought I'd jump in with our Bigger experience, if it helps any!
I am using Bigger with my 13 yr old, 10 yr old, and 8 year old.
13 is very much a hands on kid. He balks at workbooks, texts, directed learning. He thrives on one to one, personal contact, and hands on learning. He doesn't write well, he reads at age/grade level or so, and can grasp mathematical concepts extremely quickly. He is doing Bigger with the extension pack, DITHOR level 5/6, and a different math program. I also give him a more difficult dictation assignment and spelling words/vocabulary words.
10 is a textbook/workbook kid. He is a very good reader, grasps concepts easily, is probably grade level or above, but rushes through to "finish" He is doing Bigger as written with the extension packs and a seperate math and I give him more difficult spelling, vocabulary, and dictation assignments. (Basically 13 and 10 are doing the same work!)
8 is the one we refer to as our polititian-because he's going to tell you what you want to hear, as well as try to find anyone else to do it FOR him! He's a begining reader; just because he basically refused to let us know he could read before now. He does Bigger as written, with the dictation/spelling as assigned, and a different math program. I think we are going to switch to Singapore soon, though. He's using the emerging reader's set, too.

That's how we make it work for part of our crew anyway!