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I would like some help thinking this through.

We finished Bigger a few weeks ago. Woo-hoo! I loved adding to our binders each week. We have a fantastic keepsake full of all the fun learning we did throughout the year.

Here I go again, wondering if I should separate or continue to combine the kids (ages 8, 9 and 10). There were times when my youngest struggled in Bigger. Honestly, she's always struggled a little bit being the youngest age in all the manuels.

Regardless, my oldest in ready to move on. In fact, she started Preparing a couple of weeks ago and she's just flying through the lessons, loving it.

So after working with my oldest daughter in the first couple of units of Preparing, I'm thinking Hey! my youngest can do this! I'm sure that Bigger has given her the skills to move forward. So I asked my 8 year old if she would try Preparing. At first she didn't want to. No way, Jose. One day last week we read through Grandpas's Box and she was able to answer the narration questions So that's a good sign. Today I talked it over with her and we did all the work on the left side of the page. Slowly she's thinking she can do this. So that's a good sign.

Seriously, I really need to give her some time to just build up her confidence. I'm trying to figure out what that means for her. I'm not sure if she likes doing school with her older sister who always has the answers, kwim?

Would I be insane to let my oldest go through Preparing at full speed and let my younger two work through the program at half-speed for a while?

I think it's doable. I've done that with Bigger and it was fine with me. When I first changed, I was reading the same passages to them in close proximity, but as time went on there was a longer and longer stretch between when I'd read the same thing to the older. I love reading so much, though, that it never bothered me to read something again! If you think it would be better for your youngers, I say, "Go for it!"

Right now I am combining my two oldest kiddos in Bigger {ds10 and dd7 - turns 8 tomorrow!}. My plan is to combine them in Preparing once we finish Bigger {we're over halfway through}. I do plan on taking them through Preparing at different speeds. I hope to uncombine them at some point so I plan to have ds10 do Preparing at regular speed and dd8 to do Preparing at half-speed. I asked a very similar question on this board a few weeks ago and I got some great advice: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11235.

This is quite interesting that you have mentioned this. Just this week, I have decided to go half speed with my 8yr old for a month or two, before moving her back to full speed. I now realise I should have done this from the start. My older daughter is considerably more advanced and thinks at a completely different level to my younger daughter, so we are now moving her along a full speed with her reading her own storytime and just discussing with me. My younger girl and I are going to spend a bit more time together to refine some of the skills that need a little guidance. I am not worried at all, as we are moving my older DD to RtR mid year, so it will not be a great deal of time that I am repeating work.

Thank you for your responses, ladies.

Wendi, thanks for the link. I'm going to reread it tonight when the kids are gone.

Molly, sounds like we're in the same boat with kids the same ages and abilities. We shall see how this goes!

Heart_mom, one of the reasons I posted was to see if there was a good reason NOT to do the Preparing this way. I'm glad working through Bigger at different speeds worked out for your family.

I'm glad HOD is so flexible.

I know I am late to this thread, but I just wanted to say I think you have come to a good conclusion! Doing half-speed PHFHG with 8 yo dd will let her ease into it, build her confidence, and let her begin to shine. Doing full-speed PHFHG with your older dd will cut her loose, let her be able to take off, and give her the greater independence she is ready for. Great idea!

In Christ,
Julie