How much independent work in Bigger?

[girlboygirlboy]

Looking ahead to what the schedule will look like next Fall. I will be doing Bigger w/my 9yo & 7yo, but also will have a just-turned-5yo doing a light K year(Saving HOD for next year for him:). The 5yo will sit in with us during Bible and storytime. But I'm wondering if there is any HOD work that the olders can do while I am working with the younger, and how much time that will buy me. If not, maybe I will have to look more at chores or some independent reading time. Thanks!

Jennifer
mom to girl10(going to cs in the fall), boy9, girl7, boy4.5

[my3sons]

I remember in school growing up that K-2 looked and felt quite different from Grades 3-5. In fact, many books are leveled that way, to be either appropriate for K-2, or 3-5; Grades 6-8 looks and feels quite different from 3-5 too. I say that because Bigger Hearts is approaching that Grades 3-5 bracket, so it will feel more rigorous than the K-2 guides, which is appropriate for those ages. Here is a portion of a past post where Carrie noted the times for each part of Bigger Hearts. I added the teaching time it's taking me in bold behind the times she listed:

Once we hit our stride this year with "Bigger..." the plans have been pretty much broken down into the following time increments at our house:

Cursive = 5-7 minutes (1-2 minutes)

Drawn into the Heart of Reading 20-30 min. total (including reading time - we only read one chapter a session) (10-15 minutes)

Math = 20 minutes (10 minutes)

Reading About History Box (8-10 min.), Bible Study Box (5- 10 min.), and Bottom left corner box of "Learning Through History" (15 min.) done in one sitting totaling 35 min. (Note: Art days take a little longer.) (15-20 minutes)

Dictation (5 min.), Poetry (5-10 min.), Rod and Staff English (10-15 min.), and Storytime (15 min.- We read aloud only one chapter a day. Some moms do more!) done in one sitting totaling 35 min. (20-30 minutes)

Hymns at lunch (5-10 min.) (5-10 minutes)

Science (after lunch - 15-35 min.- depending on whether there's an experiment or a notebooking entry or just oral narration) (15 minutes)

I need to be up front in saying that I am a no-nonsense, check-it-off type teacher and don't stray far from the planned lessons, so these times can vary widely depending on whether or not you enjoy going off on bunny trails with your lessons.

The wonderful thing about our guides is that no matter what teaching style you are, you can tweak the program to work for your family. Being the no-nonsense type teacher, I need the "fun, hands-on activities" all planned out for me or they don't get done.

A few years back, I did BHFHG and LHFHG together. It was not hard to do, but with these levels since dc are quite young, there is not a whole lot of independent work - and there shouldn't be as it usually ends up being twaddle if there is. We finished in about 3 to 3 1/2 hours each day that year. If you put in some time in teaching the younger levels well, it pays huge dividends in the subsequent guides. HOD keeps the time allotments short, so the overall day is not long, and that makes it pretty easy to do. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

[water2wine]

I did Bigger for 3rd and 6th grade. I was able to make some of the science and the history projects fairly independent in our house. I think it depends on how able your children are to follow directions and read independently. I often times let my kids do those boxes on their own and just kept my hand in it when they needed my help. There is a lot of time though after you have explained Math and LA that they can be working independently and I usually used those times to teach LHFHG to my younger two. Just a couple ideas. I think you will find in practice it works out really well when you are doing it to be able to have time to help the little ones and still be there for the Bigger kids when they need it as well.

[lovedtodeath]

Thanks so much for that schedule Julie!

[my3sons]

Glad to help!
In Christ,
Julie

[Carrie]

Jennifer,

This thread gives some suggestions on what we did to move our son toward more independence during his year with Bigger:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4632

Blessings,
Carrie

[girlboygirlboy]

Thx so much - you answered my question and more! So looking forward to the Fall!

[momofgreatones]

Julie - are the numbers in bold your total time instead of the number before it, or are the numbers in bold time that is added onto the numbers before it? Sorry I can't figure that one out!

Thanks!

[Busymomma1]

HI Jennifer
Just wanted to say "hi", and note that I'm in the same position as you! I'll be doing Bigger with a 9 (by the fall) and 7 y/o, with a nearly 5 y/o in LHTH and doing TRL and "whatever" else... like you, perhaps a "light K year". Since my youngest son's b-day is October, he'll miss the Ohio cut-off for Kindergarten age, technically. And like you, I feel it can be a challenge to work with the youngest. It's OK with my oldest, as she can be fairly independent. But my 7 y/o is still working on his reading, so I still need to do a lot with him. It can really be a juggling act! But anyway, just wanted to say hi, and welcome! We'll be on a similar journey!

I read Carrie's link about encouraging independence, and I found it very helpful, too.

[my3sons]

Julie - are the numbers in bold your total time instead of the number before it, or are the numbers in bold time that is added onto the numbers before it? Sorry I can't figure that one out!

Thanks!

The numbers in bold are the teaching/overseeing portion of the total time Carrie posted. They are not in addition to her times, but a portion of her times. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

[momofgreatones]

Gotcha! That's a useful number to have, thanks! I'm still fine-tuning my schedule after all these months!