Need help deciding between CTC or RTR

[speedmom4]

Hello ladies,

I love love love HOD. I have purchased SO many other programs over the years. I have been homeschooling for 13 years and am about to graduate our first daughter! Woo-hoo!! Unfortunately I didn't hear about HOD until a couple of years ago. But I have lots of other history programs on my bookshelves but truly none of them has been as in depth and comprehensive as HOD. My husband was very confused about why I don't want to use our other programs that are just collecting dust. We had a conversation about how far the boys have come since we started HOD. He agreed that they have made so much progress and I attribute that to HOD and just being consistent.

We are finishing Preparing with my two boys. We have taken two years to finish since we did most of it at half speed. My boys are now in 5th and 6th grades. My older son has been doing well with the extensions for Preparing and it has been a perfect fit for my younger son. In the fall they will be in 6th and 7th grades They really work well together and I want to keep them together with HOD. There are many aspects I love about RTR like the books about puberty and the Medieval Writing Lessons. But I am a little concerned that it will be too much academically for my 11 year-old. I think CTC would probably be a better fit but I keep looking at the chart and realizing that we might not be able to do all the programs if we don't skip something.

If you have already done CTC was it challenging? Is there a big jump in skill level from Preparing to CTC to RTR?

Thanks,
Elise in NC

[speedmom4]

Anyone???

Elise in NC

[LynnH]

I felt the jump from Preparing to CTC was a big jump! The reading level is much more challenging, as is the length of the readings. The dc now do all the history and science readings on their own and their is a significant increase in writing. The jump from CTC to RTR is a smaller one in my opinion. It is a jump, but just not as large as the one from Preparing to CTC. I think the expectation are higher for RTR as far as the quality of work and the level of thinking is deeper. It sounds like your youngest is doing well as placed so I really would hesitate to jump him a guide. Why mess up a good placement. For your older it sounds like the extensions are going well. If you do CTC full speed next year then you could reassess things. At some point you made need to separate them since your oldest will go to high school a year earlier. You may decide at that point to skip a guide for him, but I don't think I would do it earlier. There are so many good skills built into all those guides that really help set a solid foundation for high school.

[speedmom4]

Thank you Lynn,

Your insight is very helpful. I agree that if the jump is significant from Preparing to CTC we should start there. I am so pleased with both boys' progress and I don't want to frustrate them or me!

Thanks for responding!

Elise in NC