Sharing TM when combining olders?

[Mumkins]

I'm just looking ahead, hopeful we can come back to HOD soon. I see as you go further, you soon have the student working almost independently. I combine my two oldest, plus I don't like sharing my TM. I don't want it getting wrecked, lol. And I like to be able to look over it even while they may be using it, just to see that everything is going ahead as planned.

How you handle this?

Carrie or Julie- Any chance they'll ever be a student manual for sale if you've purchased your TM directly from HOD so you know we aren't just trying to get away with using that and not the full TM?

[Kathleen]

Mumkins,

I think if I were you, I would love to have a guide for each of my kids using it by CTC maybe? I don't know if you've looked closely at any of the upper guides yet or not, but the guide really IS the student manual at that level. It is written directly to the student, and tells them exactly what is expected for each and every box in their day. I still used the guide for the teacher directed boxes and to follow up on my son's work every day, but really he had FAR more need of the guide than I did. There was really no reason that I needed the guide during our day. When I was checking in with him during our meeting times, I just slid the guide my way and had him show me where he was. I have to say that I LOVE the way that HOD is teaching my son how to follow directions and complete step-by-step projects. I can see progress by leaps and bounds from when we started Preparing to now, when we've just finished RTR!

Kathleen

[MicheleW]

I had two kids in RTR this year. They did it almost totally independent except math, grammar and dictation. They shared one TM. The TM sat on the kitchen table, as did the books for RTR. They would come in, look at the TM to see what pages to read, grab a book and go read. Sometimes they read in the living room and sometimes they read in their room, but they always put the book back in the box when they are finished. Then they consult the guide again quick and grab another book. Once in awhile they needed it for 3-5 minutes while they copied a quote into their notebook or something, but this generally did not interfere with the other boy. If it did, he would just say, "Can I peek at the Extension History pages quick?" and the other boy would let him look at it quick.

Not that there's anything wrong with having a TM for each kid, but I just couldn't justify the extra money just so they wouldn't have to wait a minute for their turn to look at it.

Just my 2cents...

[Mumkins]

That's the thing. The cost. I wouldn't mind if it were $30 or so. But another $80 is a lot. Especially since my other's aren't combined. I guess we'll see how it goes.

[LynnH]

I really don't see any reason why it can't sit on the table and the two of them look at it as needed. My ds just leaves his on the table and reads it and then does what he needs to do, checking back for additional instructions. I have seen where people slide page protectors over the pages if you are worried about the guide getting messed up. Also usually by the time the dc are in CTC and up they should be able to understand that the guide is something they need to take good care of. A pp was right though that from CTC on up it is really written more to them than to you. They need it for the all the I boxes. I think also it gives them that sense of ownership of school. The "this is my responsibility" to do these things feeling. If that makes sense.