What, exactly, are extensions?

[great2bhome]

I see that there are extension packages of books for older students. Besides those, what else is in a guide that beefs up the program for the extension age range?

[lucsch]

The extensions include oral and written narration assignments. Most of the extension books are at a higher reading level and more appropriate for that higher age range.

We've found, with Bigger, how well they add additional depth to the history studies. That level has an extension book or two that cover science, too. I am not sure if the upper levels do.

Sometimes a book in the extension package may be used later in DITHOR or an upper level. For example, the science extension book from Bigger, Exploring Planet Earth, is also used in RTR. In that specific case, there is another choice for science, so if you have already used the book, you can use the other science option.

[great2bhome]

Thanks for the information, Lucinda.

[my3sons]

I see that there are extension packages of books for older students. Besides those, what else is in a guide that beefs up the program for the extension age range?

The extensions, in general, extend the area of history for older students. They have their own schedule in the guide's Appendix. At the beginning of the Extension Package schedule in the Appendix, there is always a list of suggested follow-ups students are to rotate through as an assessment for their extension readings. These follow-ups change from guide to guide, increasing in difficulty and length appropriately for dc's age and maturity. The follow-ups also include some LA skills as they are assessments like 'write a short summary,' 'give a detailed oral narration,' 'write a 10-12 sentence narration,' etc. Each follow-up assessment is described clearly at the start of the directions for the extension package in the Appendix. So, some LA skills are extended as well. The extensions are meant to be done independently, so this is another form of extending - dc being responsible to independently follow a reading schedule and rotation of follow-up activities for the extensions.

Each HOD guide schedules multiple levels of dictation, R & S English Grammar, Singapore Math, and Drawn into the Heart of Reading. So, these areas can easily be extended for your older student as well. If you have any more questions, or this doesn't fully answer your question, please keep asking! We like to help here.

In Christ,
Julie