Needing Help with Placement?

[LovingJesus]

I was thinking of Preparing or CTC for my ds8, turns 9 this summer, for next fall. My last thread showed me clearly that CTC is not a good idea, but that Bigger might actually be a better way to go.

My question now is whether Bigger or Preparing would be better for him? We didn't start Kindergarten until just after his sixth Birthday so next fall he will be in 3rd grade. He is now just finishing ADV with MFW, which is a American History over view and state study.

The thing I am impressed with from my last thread is the strength of HOD in the writing portion of the program. I read one post that mentioned copying paragraphs in Bigger. He has never copied anything close to the length of a paragraph.

He reads somewhere between a 8th - 9th grade level or higher, with great comprehension. His writing is not, of course, keeping up with his reading skills. He does mental math easily and is working in Singapore 2B.

The writing in ADV was as follows:
*copy work of the Bible memory verse every two weeks. Usually two sentences in length.
*Primary language lessons has copy work and dictation but it is not every week. We usually did the very long dictations one sentence a day until it was completed (they can easily be a paragraph in length). The copy work and dictation came up periodically in between grammar, picture study, and conversation lessons. The copy work we also did 1 - 2 sentences at a time.
*Spelling program had weekly dictations of one sentence in length.
*Did Italic cursive on our own
*Added Rod and Staff English 2

He doesn't like the physical act of writing, and I haven't pushed it. We seem very behind in this area. He gives great narrations or dictations for me to type.

One questions:
1. If Bigger is the answer are we as behind as I feel?

He found ADV to be 'not enough' note booking or history or Bible or enough information that he didn't already know; he truthfully didn't like it very much. How do I meet his desire to learn and improve his writing so I can get him to the content that he appears to want and be ready for? I do notice that Bigger has a lot more US History than ADV; so in some ways it may be a good answer since he has been begging for more US History.

Do you think Bigger or Preparing would be better? I have looked at the placement chart and it seems to point to Preparing, but then I read the post about copying paragraphs in Bigger and was unsure.

Thank you for your time and help!

[MicheleW]

It is so hard when you have a child with such varying skills--reading at 8th or 9th grade level! Wow!

I think I would consider Preparing (possibly even with the extension set for higher reading) and then just tweak the writing part. You could start out slowly only having him do some of the writing it expects and then work at increasing over the year. Preparing is a wonderful overview of world history woven together with Bible history. It is a fascinating year and I learned almost as much as my kids did!

You could even start out half-speed and just see how it goes. If he is doing well, you could always bump up to full-speed later on. Just an option.

Good luck!

[my3sons]

Your ds can do "Drawn into the Heart of Reading" to meet his need for a challenge in reading with either BHFHG or PHFHG, so that need will be met nicely either way. I've been impressed and so pleased with the writing skills taught incrementally from year to year in HOD too. It has helped improve our sons' writing very nicely from year to year. This past thread describes the difference in writing skill level between BHFHG and PHFHG, in case this would be helpful in making your placement decision...

Amount of writing in Bigger vs. PHFHG:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3602

Other differences between BHFHG and PHFHG are the independent skills needed. In PHFHG, dc read their own science and half of their own history independently. They have several "I' independent boxes to read directions for and complete on their own in PHFHG, so being able to follow multiple step directions is a necessary to skill to have intact too. In BHFHG, the parent does the reading for history and science, and there is less independent work. PHFHG has dc doing written narrations and creative writing lessons, so that is an increase in skills between guides too.

I am hoping this may help you know which would fit ds better, but I'd love to hear your thoughts after you read through the above link and the differences mentioned between BHFHG and PHFHG! What are your thoughts?

In Christ,
Julie

[LovingJesus]

Your ds can do "Drawn into the Heart of Reading" to meet his need for a challenge in reading with either BHFHG or PHFHG, so that need will be met nicely either way. I've been impressed and so pleased with the writing skills taught incrementally from year to year in HOD too. It has helped improve our sons' writing very nicely from year to year. This past thread describes the difference in writing skill level between BHFHG and PHFHG, in case this would be helpful in making your placement decision...

Amount of writing in Bigger vs. PHFHG:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3602

Other differences between BHFHG and PHFHG are the independent skills needed. In PHFHG, dc read their own science and half of their own history independently. They have several "I' independent boxes to read directions for and complete on their own in PHFHG, so being able to follow multiple step directions is a necessary to skill to have intact too. In BHFHG, the parent does the reading for history and science, and there is less independent work. PHFHG has dc doing written narrations and creative writing lessons, so that is an increase in skills between guides too.

I am hoping this may help you know which would fit ds better, but I'd love to hear your thoughts after you read through the above link and the differences mentioned between BHFHG and PHFHG! What are your thoughts?

In Christ,
Julie

Thank you so much for the help Julie. The link was VERY helpful to read. So from looking at the link I would say in all honesty that Bigger is about twice as much writing as ADV with MFW and Preparing is about three times as much writing as ADV. So either way it is a significant increase and difference. I was reading more of Carrie's educational philosophy & the HOD catalogue today; I really love how she puts so much importance on making history His Story. I also am very impressed by the writing. Our first value is to teach Jesus Christ. In addition, my first academic goal is to teach solid writing & communication skills; HOD clearly places a high importance in this area and develops it from one guide to the next.

He is ready for the increased independence of Preparing, but it clearly is more than that. When I looked at the writing laid out so well my first thought was that either would be a very big jump. Writing was not a focus of the ADV program that we are finishing.

So...Beyond is a 1st/2nd grade program, but seems much closer to ADV that is a 2nd/3rd grade program. They even use the same Pioneers and Patriots book as a history spine. So this may be why on my other thread of Preparing versus CTC so many moms were mentioning Bigger when they looked at what he has done for writing. Now I see!

He would like more American History. I added books to read to ADV, but he was still disappointed by not learning more and having more pages in his note book for American history. For ADV we did about 10 note book pages total, and many state sheets that he colored, for the history part of the program. So the history note book pages were much less than once a week.

What were you thinking Julie after reading a list of what he was writing this year? It seems like Bigger might be a better idea. What are your thoughts?

Thank you!

[my3sons]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts here! I do think your ds would really enjoy doing Bigger Hearts, and I feel this placement would be a good choice. In my mind, I always think Bigger Hearts is a key teaching year for me. I welcome it. It is a launching year of sorts. We work together, partnering on many important foundational skills that will gradually become more independent and higher level in the subsequent years and guides. We build on that Bigger Hearts year every guide after it. I think you will find that your ds blossoms this year - it will be exciting to see! I would not feel he is behind, but rather that he has not yet had a full opportunity to wow you with all he can do - and I bet he does wow you! Writing is one of those areas that reacts to intentional repeated use like a muscle, daily continued use of it in small increasing amounts develops that strength until before you know it, you've got strength you never knew you could have. Your ds will surely develop and sharpen his writing skills this year within Bigger Hearts and with your encouraging guidance as his mama and his teacher. Then next year - watch out! He'll be writing more and more and honing that skill with success.

I really think your ds will enjoy the creative freedom within a flexible structure that the notebooking in Bigger Hearts plans for. He will get to do one notebooking assignment in history and one notebooking assignment in science every week - and, they are different every week - no runoffs. Not to mention, there is creative leeway in the timeline sketches, the vocabulary cards, and the science logs where dc draw their procedures for experiments in their own way. It has been neat to look back at my older ds's notebooking pages and compare them with my middle ds's notebooking pages now. They are different and showcase their own styles, but they still clearly show they understood what they learned. HOD is great about providing valid, varied assessments that still allow for individuality and style.

So, Bigger Hearts should be a great fit for ds! If you would like extra reading for him in the area of history and science, Bigger Heart's extension package of books is excellent. However, it is not necessary, as it is more for 10 and 11 yo. I just thought I'd mention it as it has been a great relief for me to get HOD's extension packages as free reading for my dc, since I struggle with finding good, solid, living books for them to read in their free time. Just so you know, the Singapore 3A/3B math is scheduled in the Appendix of Bigger Hearts too, so you'll be set there as well.

Now, all that's left is to get to enjoying the start of your HOD journey with your ds in Bigger Hearts! I can't wait to hear about it - please keep asking questions though if you have any more. We like to help each other out here!

In Christ,
Julie