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My 2 oldest will soon end Bigger and start Preparing. We school year round. I know there is a big leap in the independence level required. How do I prepare them for this?

Do they need transition time?

Thanks in advance!!

I don't have any advice...but I just wanted to say that my two oldest will be making the same transition soon too {10yo and 8yo} I plan to have my 10yo go at regular speed and my 8yo at half speed, at least in the beginning.

If they have been doing well with Bigger as written then they will most likely transition smoothly. The only suggestion I have is that you spend the first week or two going over each box with them and teaching them which ones are now Independent and what is expected of them in those boxes. Preparing is where the guide starts to become "theirs" because they now have boxes they are responsible for. Some dc need help making that transition as far as reading and following the directions. The rest of the things that are a jump such as written narration Carrie does a fantastic job of teaching those skills in the guide and starting out gently.

We also school year round, and the only thing we did moving from Bigger to Preparing was go half speed for a while with me right there with her to make sure she knew which boxes she was supposed to be working from. I'd say it was 2 weeks that we did that?

there are several posts on here about making Bigger more independent. If you wanted to do that for the remainder of Bigger to sort of prepare them, you certainly could. My daughter has been moving toward doing some of her work independently just because of neccessity as the two year gets more rambunctious.

see this one:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=6502&p=47428&hilit= ... ent#p47428

and this one:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=10561

Ok. Now I think I am realizing it is ME who doesn't want them to have more independence!! I ENJOY doing everything with them!!

mrsrandolph wrote:Ok. Now I think I am realizing it is ME who doesn't want them to have more independence!! I ENJOY doing everything with them!!

This was my sentiment too up until midway through this year. But as the two year old is getting more independent and more into everything, I have to have my dd do more independent work so I can catch up on laundry and other things.

It is a gradual progression for mom also You will still be doing plenty with them. Preparing really only has a few Independent boxes. It was just enough for my ds to feel like he was growing up some and able to handle a few things on his own.

I don't know why, but I enjoy "knowing" everything they "know" and are learning. Maybe I'm just a control freak!

I know this doesn't work for everyone, but I am a huge reader and love learning so I buy next years package now and I start reading the books on my own that he will read independently. That was very easy to do with Preparing because there weren't that many. It does get a little tougher up in the higher guides, but the books are so good that it is actually quite enjoyable. That way I can also tell him which ones I thought were really good and it kind of builds the excitement for him.

mrsrandolph wrote:Ok. Now I think I am realizing it is ME who doesn't want them to have more independence!! I ENJOY doing everything with them!!

I was reading this thread and thinking the same thing. I love doing it all with dd. She is my youngest so I am making it last...selfish reasoning I know but we enjoy the togetherness.