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So, I'm Half talking through this, half asking for chime-ins lol. I think you know the drill around here This was our first year in HOD. We are using two guides, Bigger for my overachieving 2nd grader, and Preparing for my on-track 4th grader. So far so good. Admittedly, we're behind unit wise, due to a fall deployment, their Winter Ballet performances, and unplanned trips.

Here's my deal: My 4th grader will be 10 in march. He is doing well in preparing, as it neither seems too easy, or two hard. I am tossing the idea of him skipping CTC based on it's timeline placement. My concern with him, is that we are planning a cross country move in the Fall, well after the school year has begun, but not close enough to the holiday season. We have talked about schooling this year right up to the move, then making the move our "fall break" instead of a summer break since we will be driving cross country. Then starting back up after the holidays (once everything has been unpacked and settled). This would put us about 12 week behind, and force us to school through the summer again, and begin the next guide immediately following the completion of said guide.

i.e. finish PHFHG sept 2013--->start CTC Jan 2014--->start RTR Sept 2014

But that seems too packed! I was thinking maybe skip CTC, and do RTR at half speed instead.
I'm not worried about moving into preparing with my DD, because she's already ahead. Even if she slows down in Bigger for awhile, she'll be fine.

That said, has anyone moved from preparing to RTR? OR had a 5th grader in RTR? And, in full disclosure, it is 2:30am, Mid deployment, and I have been seriously over analyzing this all day. It could be the stress talking.

In anycase, thanks. If you read this far, you deserve a klondike bar.

It sounds like he is perfectly placed in Preparing this year. I would not skip CTC then. It is a big jump from Preparing to CTC. The reading significantly increases in challenge and amount and the writing increases quite a bit also. Then there is another jump from CTC to RTR. Not so much as far as reading level, but in the amount of reading as well as there is another big jump in the amount of writing. There is a huge difference between Preparing and RTR. CTC really lays the foundation for the 4 upper guides. If it is possible you could always school 5 days a week and that would get you through a guide a little quicker. The only way I would ever skip CTC is if it was a child above the age level for Preparing and they were finding it way too easy.

My thoughts are with Lynn. My DD11, almost 12, is currently in the last 8 units of Preparing with extensions. We are skipping CtC but that is because the work level is below where my daughter ultimately needs to be, she is also doing 10 - 12 sentence narrations at least twice a week with her extension work and another 6 - 7 sentence narration once a week with them. If your son is enjoying preparing and it is the right level of not too hard/not too easy, it sounds like he is in the perfect place. One way you can move through a little quicker if that is your concern, you could do a 5 day week and it would ease the time pressure in terms of the number of weeks per year you are doing, iykwim. I pray you find the right solution for you and your son.

You are both right. I spazzed a bit there didn't I lol. Ok. I'm back to reality now. Thanks

can we still have a Klondike bar? My mom and I used to have them together for a snack. I agree with just progressing to CTC. It is easy to over analyze, isn't it. I do it ALL the time. Give yourself some grace and enjoy the ride!

I've been considering the same thing. Except my son is 10 in 5th grade doing Preparing. I was considering skipping CTC just to get him up where he will do the high school guides for high school. He is a very good reader though. I still don't know what I'll do. He does extensions with Preparing now. I also have him do alot of the reading for History and Storytime on his own now. He is more than up for being independent.

8arrows wrote:can we still have a Klondike bar? My mom and I used to have them together for a snack. I agree with just progressing to CTC. It is easy to over analyze, isn't it. I do it ALL the time. Give yourself some grace and enjoy the ride!

Of course! I wish I had one right now. Sadly, I've de-junked my kitchen for the sake of a romantic homecoming. I could kick myself

My ds is 13 and if in ps he would be in 8th grade. However due to his late May birthday and other factors I am not sure I am going to consider next year high school. However if I do he will only be doing MTMM, not the geography guide and honestly I will be tweaking very little. The only thing that isn't high school credit worthy is the science as Carrie has stated and I am not worried about that. He will still get 3 solid years of High School Science. The other area I am figuring out is Lit.. If I felt the need to skip a guide in order to do all 4 of the high school guides then I think it would be easiest to skip MTMM or possibly Rev to Rev. There didn't seem to be as much of a jump in skill level from RTR to Rev to Rev. I also feel like Rev to Rev is pretty close to high school worthy now so skipping to the Geography guide seems like it would be fairly easy to do. Having done CTC and RTR I just feel like they are pretty foundational in establishing skills that will be important all the way up through high school.