Which one should I do?

[yayadaisy]

Hello everybody-

Okay it seems to me that doing Preparing would be the best choice for my kid all around with the exception of the LA. They are not reading on their own yet. The reading program in Beyond would be a better fit for them. So would getting preparing be okay with them and just doing the Reading for Beyond be okay? Would it be okay? I have Beyond right now. Or would it be to confusing for them? All the other areas they are up to speed in it is just the reading protion. What are you thoughts.

Sheila

[Kathleen]

Sheila,

I can't remember the ages of your kids. (I know you've got a handful. ) Which ones would you be using Preparing for? Have you done Bigger, or just Beyond? I don't actually have the Preparing manual yet...soon...so I haven't read through it. I know that HOD is totally flexible in the reading area. You probably know that in the box for reading, it just reminds you to do it. So, whether your child is doing phonics, emerging readers, DITHOR, or your own reading program, you're A-OK. Now, with that being said, I think you may be making more work for yourself if you put a child who isn't reading independently in Preparing. I know that there are parts of the guide that are meant to be done independently - like Science and part of the History. In these sections, it's assuming that your child could read the assigned pages independently and then complete the assignment on their own. I'm sure someone who has actually used Preparing will be able to help you more specifically than I have.

I'm thinking that if you haven't used Bigger, you may not want to skip it. (Maybe you're not...I just know you mentioned using Beyond.) This would give your child time to move ahead in reading and then be able to use Preparing more independently when you get to it. If you're really wanting to jump into Preparing (especially if you've already used Bigger), I'm sure it would work you'd just have a bigger time commitment yourself to do the extra reading for your child. I know you have lots of little siblings as I'm assuming this would be for your oldest, and your time is at a premium.

I'd say that for your oldest this year, you're probably at the point where it's the most teacher-intensive. Your child is at a level where the work is increasing with age and ability...but not quite ready to work independently. After this year, you'll most likely be "over-the-hump" and that child will be ready to take on more of his or her work independently giving you more time with the little ones coming up to school age. I love HOD's design to move the kids to independence as they mature while still keeping the important discussions to have with the parent. Love that!

Hopefully that made sense. You'll have to let me know if I made any wrong assumptions about your kids. I was totally trying to go off distant memory.
Kathleen

[my3sons]

Hello everybody-

Okay it seems to me that doing Preparing would be the best choice for my kid all around with the exception of the LA. They are not reading on their own yet. The reading program in Beyond would be a better fit for them. So would getting preparing be okay with them and just doing the Reading for Beyond be okay? Would it be okay? I have Beyond right now. Or would it be to confusing for them? All the other areas they are up to speed in it is just the reading protion. What are you thoughts.

Sheila

Hi Sheila! I was looking back at posts to try and refresh my memory, and it looks like around Dec. you must have started Beyond with your 2 dc, doing The Reading Lesson with them both, and focusing on helping older ds in reading and math. Is this right, or am I totally off? I have trouble keeping everything straight with everyone here on the board sometimes , so it helps me to look back. I would lean toward your 2 dc moving into Bigger Hearts next if they just finished Beyond and ds is still working on strengthening his reading and math. There is quite a bit more independent reading (and writing) in PHFHG, and Bigger Hearts did a super job of getting my ds ready for PHFHG - I think you'd find that to be true as well. Bigger Hearts is pretty meaty, and it is a great program! PHFHG has dc read the science independently, as well as the Independent History books. In Bigger Hearts, these are still read by the adult, and teaching notebooking, vocab., oral narrations, is emphasized instead. When you talk about reading, are you talking about The Emerging Reader's Set? That is included in the Appendixes of both Beyond and Bigger, and can be done during either year. I do know so much can change in 6 months though, so could you please share a tad about your dc's 3 R's after a fresh look at the placement chart? Either program would fit dc's ages, so maybe an update would help all of us chime in with better advice.

In Christ,
Julie

[yayadaisy]

I see what you are saying. When I look at the chart Bigger seems better for LA but as far as History, Sicence, and math perperaing is better. So it is a toss up. I am not sure what to do. We have done American history for two years now and wouldn't mind a change. I am not sure what to do my kids seem to fall into two places and with their learning Issues I don't want to get to far ahead, but still need to keep their interest! So hard sometimes to make a choice! If we did preparing and did a different handwriting and reading schudle would it still work. We would still do the english book, but probably not the dictation from preparing- would do the one from Beyond. Is this all going to be to confusing for us? More time to get ready? I dont' have a lot of time. I will be teaching three this year and a pre schooler with a toddler and nursing a baby. Plus two of the kids have LD so things have to be done differently with them.

Sheila

ds-9
dd-7
ds-5
ds-4
ds-2
ds- almost three months!

[my3sons]

Thanks so much for getting back to me, Sheila! That really helps! I think that Bigger Hearts would be the best program to do next year. It is quite a bit more difficult than Beyond, so you will be moving dc in that direction quick enough. I know you've done American history before, but Bigger Hearts is done biographically, so it will feel completely different than what you did in Beyond, though Beyond will give a nice memory aid to tap into overall. I agree that it is important not to get too far ahead - yet still keep their interest - I think Bigger Hearts will fit that perfectly.

I think it would take too much time to teach dc how to be independent with PHFHG, having not done Bigger Hearts first. It would be much easier timewise for you to do Bigger Hearts, as it builds upon what you did in Beyond, and skipping ahead to PHFHG would mean skipping all of the introductory skills taught in Bigger Hearts (which are then supposed to be more independent in PHFHG). You'd miss out on all of the parts that are supposed to be independent in PHFHG because you won't have taught them yet, and then on top of that, you'll have the newly independent skills introduced in PHFHG to teach too.

These are just my thoughts, however, you are the mom, and you will certainly know best!

In Christ,
Julie