Beefing up Bigger

[Marcee]

My DD is loving BHFHG.

She is asking for MORE! I was not expecting this. I know there is an extention of books. Is it just more reading?

Any suggestions?
Thanks girls:)

[blessedmomof4]

Yes, the Extension Package for Bigger consists of 16 books for the child to read independently through the year, extending the History and Science areas. The schedule of readings is in the appendix of the Bigger Hearts Guide.

[Marcee]

Hmmmmmmmmm...............I'm wondering if I should have put her in Preparing Does Bigger become more challenging or require any more time once you get farther in to the year?

[blessedmomof4]

Well, the Bigger extension books range in reading level from 4.5 to 6.5, so they are pretty challenging. But to be sure, you may want to review the placement chart for Bigger and Preparing and see which one your daughter fits best in, especially on the first page of the placement chart. How long is it taking you per day for Bigger right now? When I used Bigger it was done in 2 1/2 to 3 hours a day, but Preparing takes us about 4 to 5 hours for us, no extensions on either. There is definitely much more writing in Preparing, so you want to be sure your daughter is ready for that.

[Marcee]

Preparing mentions that the child should know letter formations for cursive. My DD does not. I also do not think she is ready for all of the writing in Preparing. I'm going to time school with her tmw. It certainly doesn't seem like it's taking us more than 2 hours. Even with interuptions from DS. (I school her first for now). She loves schooling and even wanted to do more after dinner tonite. I SO don't want her to lose her excitement.

[my3sons]

I'm so glad to hear your dd is doing so well with Bigger! I've come to believe dc asking for more school is a very good thing. It seems to get them through the winter or through the longer stretch once they are in the middle of school. I don't know that I'd add a bunch to Bigger Hearts, as it's a full program already. Could you please remind me how old your dd is, and what unit you're in of Bigger Hearts? I think that would help me ponder advice more carefully with your specific situation in mind. But either way - hooray for dd loving school! Way to go dd, and way to go "mom"!

In Christ,
Julie

[Marcee]

I'm so glad to hear your dd is doing so well with Bigger! I've come to believe dc asking for more school is a very good thing. It seems to get them through the winter or through the longer stretch once they are in the middle of school. I don't know that I'd add a bunch to Bigger Hearts, as it's a full program already. Could you please remind me how old your dd is, and what unit you're in of Bigger Hearts? I think that would help me ponder advice more carefully with your specific situation in mind. But either way - hooray for dd loving school! Way to go dd, and way to go "mom"!

In Christ,
Julie

My DD is 8, but turning 9 on Sept. 24th. Today was our 2nd day of Bigger:)

[Bramble]

Well the workload will pick up some with notebooking assignments for science and history. I'd encourage your daughter to spend her free time learning more on her own or planning her own projects if she desires more, instead of doing more formal work. More schoolwork will come soon enough with the older guides!

[Marcee]

Well the workload will pick up some with notebooking assignments for science and history. I'd encourage your daughter to spend her free time learning more on her own or planning her own projects if she desires more, instead of doing more formal work. More schoolwork will come soon enough with the older guides!

This is a great idea!! Now for my dumb question What would be some fun ways for her to extend her learning besides the computer? How would we go about finding projects for her to do? "Project" ideas are not my strong suit

[inHistiming]

There are lots of lap book ideas online if you do a search or you may find other projects online that go with the time period. You could have her read a book (like the Little House books) and find a project/lap book online to go with it. She could work on these at her own pace in her own time and still learn more as she does it. I found free lap books for the Little House books here:

http://www.squidoo.com/little-house-lapbook

You may want to check it out. We are going to be starting with On the Banks of Plum Creek because we've already been reading that book anyway. Just a suggestion. HTH

[my3sons]

Thanks for sharing your dd's age - that does help so much. Based on her age, I think just going all out on what Bigger has to offer would be a challenge, as well as fun to do! For example, having her do all 3 vocabulary cards, rather than just 1, and letting her really get into the illustration/representation of the definition part of it would be an easy way to get the most out of that skill. Another area to encourage creativity and attention to detail would be in the history and science notebooking. Having her draw and color things carefully, as well as label them, is an excellent way to get the most out of notebooking. I had a mom show me her dd's notebooking for Bigger Hearts, and I was amazed. They were like artwork. You can also encourage her to continue the experiment she did each week in science, by trying a new twist on it and testing her hypothesis. My dc have sporadically done this from time to time, and it's scientific learning at its best. "Drawn into the Heart of Reading" is one area that can easily be upped just by choosing longer books, more difficult books, or by going all out on kickoffs and final projects. What level is she doing, what did you do for your first kickoff, and what book is she reading? Last year, we went all out on our DITHOR projects and had a blast! My ds really learned to plan projects from start to finish, and I tried to focus on really helping him learn skills to be able to do this. One other area to encourage attention to detail and creativity is in the rotating history box. The timeline can really turn out to be a lovely keepsake. My middle ds's timeline is turning out so beautifully - he really takes his time to do it with a personal flourish. How does your dd do with her oral narrations? This is an area that can be improved and improved upon year after year! How is she doing with her oral narration tips in the Appendix? Those can help move a child along nicely in this area. I'd really encourage you to get the most out of Bigger Hearts rather than add on more, as there are a lot of skills in Bigger that need to be fine-tuned and honed into excellency. Having only been through a few days of plans, I think once you've been through a month and had the chance to really work on helping your dd do her utmost on each skill taught, you'll see some real opportunities for attention to detail and excellent workmanship!

In Christ,
Julie