Hi there!

I am so sorry to just be getting back to you - Carrie and I were planning for the next guide at a hotel, but it looks like you've been doing some good brainstorming here. I like your line of thinking here, and I agree.

I think your oldest 3 dc would place well in CTC, and you can have some of them do the extensions, especially the older(s). I do think dictation can work for them, and work well. I have been amazed at the progress my ds has made in his spelling with dictation. We just noted in the new guide's introduction that dc may still be finishing out dictation in high school, and that is just fine. It's a skill you just gradually work on day by day, until you complete the passages. I would use the highest level in CTC.

For R & S English, I think I'd start them in either R & S English 4 or 5. HOD suggests doing 2/3 of the work orally or on markerboard. I think this is key. Saving just a section or 1/3 of the work to be written keeps R & S English manageable, and clipping along.

I don't think you can leap ahead in grammar. It's one of those things that you just continually move through, book by book, lesson by lesson, and you just get as far as you get.

R & S English 7 and 8 are high school credit worthy, so it's not grade equivalent. Honestly, grammar is not even required for high school (which I think is nuts), but I would start them in either 4 or 5, and do it as it comes up in the plans - I'd lean toward 5.
For DITHOR, they can handle Level 6/7/8. They sound like good readers, and I think they'll do fine with that. You can use either the DITHOR book packs, or choose your own books. Personally, I love the book packs. Carrie has researched those books to the nth degree, and they're the best of the best. I don't have time (nor do I want to take the time) to search out titles for every genre for my dc (especially for my oldest - those books are L-O-N-G!)

. Here is a link to the book packs, in case that's helpful...
http://www.heartofdakota.com/drawn-into-optional5-6.php
http://www.heartofdakota.com/DITHOR67.php
Here is a link to some harder high school type options too, though I tend to choose books beneath my dc's reading levels for DITHOR, as the rest of the learning they are doing challenges them enough:
DITHOR Titles for High School:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7765&p=56997#p56997
I think "Write with the Best" will be alright for all. Older dc can take a lot from it too.

Here are some general ideas for beefing up CTC for high school...
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5400
Here is a link to counting credits for high school. This will enable counting credits anywhere from CTC - Modern Times for high school, to any other starting place on up from after CTC.
Three High School Paths within HOD…
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8208&p=59681
Your 7 yo sounds like a good fit for Beyond, but you can challenge her reading by choosing "Drawn into the Heart of Reading" for her reading instruction. Here are some descriptions of the writing done in Bigger:
Amount of writing in BHFHG:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3005
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1516&p=11829
For this reason, I am thinking dd would be well placed in Beyond, but you will know best here.

If you think dd can do the writing in Bigger Hearts, you could have dd and 10 yo ds do Bigger Hearts, and have ds do the extensions. For your 10 yo, I do think PHFHG would be a good fit. He will be able to do half of his work independently, and that will be such a nice balance, I think.

But what do you think? I hope something here helps, and I will be on the board more regularly now too, so I should get back to you sooner. Others will probably chime in too - ladies usually do - but I think many are beginning school and busy, busy, busy!
WHEW - I hope I am not overwhelming here - HOD is so easy to use - I don't want this lengthy post to make it seem as if it's not! But, I do want to help with placement. It's important, and when it's right, multiple guides work slick!

I'll check back here to see what your thoughts are!
In Christ,
Julie