great progress with son in Bigger

[Gwenny]

I want to show a picture of my son's science note booking page, but I don't know how to do that. It is amazing to me. It was from Bigger unit 7 day 2. He had to copy Gen. 1:11, which is a long verse. He also drew a picture of a flower and its parts and colored it, along with a short paragraph that he copied from under the picture in the book. It's amazing that he could do that. Last year, to write a 4 word sentence was torture. There were tears (mine and his) and he was "exhausted". I never could've seen him doing all of that. His words are still written with pretty big letters and they are all different sizes--but they are there. He did the picture and paragraph before lunch, had a lunch break and then did the verse after. (with a short break halfway through the verse) He draws very well and loves the drawing so that was no problem for him.

It's all because of HOD and Carrie and Julie and all of you on the board that encourage slow and steady progress. You all encourage that if you just do what the guide suggests and keep moving on, it will come and they will progress. I would never have him doing this on my own. I also wouldn't have believed that just doing a little copywork, writing a sentence, drawing a little picture on a timeline, etc would help his skills grow into this. He would probably be a little farther along had I really done it earlier than I did. I'm getting the vision that he will be prepared for Preparing when the time comes. I couldn't see how that could ever happen. (we have a ways to go, he's only finished with unit 7) I've already decided that he will do 2 vocabulary words starting in unit 10. We started the first unit with me writing the definition--he only had to write the sentence and draw the picture. He always makes sure to come up with the shortest sentence possible. Now, he does it all for the one word and it doesn't take very long! His confidence is growing also.

Anyway....I'm so grateful to Carrie and the board. I'm not sure that I would be using the guides the correct way, or getting out of them all that there is, if it weren't for the ladies on the board.

Blessings!

[Nealewill]

I second what you are saying!

I am amazed every day at how much kids do and how much they are learning. My son is doing Bigger also and he does not particularly enjoying writing. When we first started, I would have to split up the writing for Bible at times just on the science days and then have him do the drawing separately from that. So that is breaking the assignment up into 3 sections during the day. Then he got to the point he could do the whole Bible verse without feeling overwhelmed but we still did the picture separate. Now he does the picture and the verse in one sitting. I have also seen his handwriting improve tremendously and his drawing skills improve since the beginning of the year. He is now able to read the guide to do his timeline alone. He also does not complain about writing either. He LOVES Ben Franklin so he copied that whole box from Journeys in Time about Ben on the history notebooking page for that unit. For us - this is wonderful. I love how everything is timed and age appropriate too.

And I love the hands on projects. I see you have a child in CTC this year too This week my oldest made a map of Israel and around with homemade playdough. She is finishing unit 13 this week. I ended up not having any clay or playdough at the house so I made some on the stove. Then, everyone chipped in and helped to color it with food coloring and we made 8 colors. The box took a little bit longer obviously but it was a lot of fun. My fingers still have teal, pink, blue and copper coloring on them from making that map. More importantly, she loves it too Also - have you made the sling yet? That was another fun one. Everyone took turns trying to hit a target with a marshmallow and a sling. We still have the sling and they still play with it.

I can't image our year without HOD

[Gwenny]

My daughter is really loving CtC. She just finished unit 14. She had some things that she skipped and I didn't notice--oops--so, she has been doing catch-up on those things. I haven't let her slow down on the guide, the catch-up is during her "free time". She finished unit 14 yesterday and we took today for her to catch up on things. Normally, we just go on to the next day if it's Mon-Fri. She has done 4 history projects today. I think she's had fun--but we aren't doing this again. We have both learned a lot through this catch-up time.

She is 12-and I see that your daughter is 9. I have been amazed at how young some of your children are that can do these guides. I think that because all of my younger children, and the ones from Africa, have had some type of learning issue or trauma in their lives that has set them back a little. (they are all adopted-I have only 4 bio children and the youngest is 20) My 3 yo (turned on Nov.11) will most likely be like your children-on the young side of the guides. She already knows her letters and most of the sounds. She is more like my older children. I've just forgotten. A good friend of mine was just visiting her granddaughter who is 4. She was amazed at how smart she is and is not far behind her adopted children that have major learning issues (and they are almost 10). Anyway....just an aside. There are so many factors to think about in placing the kids and they will all be so different. Also, I think that my daughter is progressing so quickly that she will be more than ready to go to the next guide. I think that in the new year I will have her doing some of the extensions as well. She's getting much faster and is definitely ready reading wise-it's just time right now.

She did the Israel map--thankfully I happened to have different colored play dough. I don't think it would've been done otherwise. You are amazing to make all of that!! I barely-and I mean barely--get any food on the table! (and I sometimes don't--it's called--find what you can....)

[Nealewill]

Food on the table - yes, we have a motto at our house .... survival of the fittest LOL.

I am getting better but I do only have 3 kids and you have 4. I have no toddlers and you have one. Life is so different with no toddlers.

Thanks for sharing about your adopted children My husband and I hope to adopt some day but we won't be doing it until our kids are almost grown and out of the house. I work for a local youth ministry doing their accounting and we run a boys house right now for kids that are homeless. Basically, in the ministry area we work in, there are a lot of couch hoppers - kids who don't have a permanent home who go from family member to family member and no place to call their own. We are currently in the process of starting up a new home for girls that are in the same place. Once my kids get older (possibly moved out of the house), my hope is that my husband and I can maybe adopt (or permanently house) a sibling group. My ultimate prayer is that God will open doors for us to also homeschool them! I have no idea what level they will place in if we do that though. You are right, it is interesting how varied the ages are on the kids in the guides. My oldest will be 10 on Nov 30th so she is 9 now but almost 10. Because she is not necessarily a natural reader and she is so young, she usually takes the first 4 units at half speed. By then, she is in a groove and ready to speed up. And even this year I didn't know how my son would do with Bigger. I had planned to go 1/2 speed for a while if need be. But he has practically changed over night it seems. He can orally narrate long portions of stories back to me. He can write a lot more. He doesn't complain. He is a totally changed child Reading is still his nemesis at times but it is getting better. My prayer is that he will be ready for the reading in Preparing next year. He has auditory processing disorder. His biggest challenge with reading is recognizing words when he sounds them out. For example, take the word said. He had a really hard time because this is a sight word. For a full year he would say it with a long "a" rather than saying it with an "e." Multi syllable words can confuse him too. And he could care less if he reads the correct word or not. He just keeps moving on not worrying about it. He is getting better but he is still rather unpredictable. I know it is in God's hands though and I just can't worry about it. Every day seems full and every day he builds in skills. So I just wake up, through prayer remind myself that this is the Lord's day and that he is in control of it. Whatever we get done we get done. And I need to make sure that the Lord is my focus and that I am in constant prayer with Him. My son has been the focus of my prayers lately and I can already see where God has been filling him with the areas I have asked. There is nothing better than begging God for those blessings and seeing Him deliver

[raindrops]

This is so wonderful! The writing was a bit of a struggle in Beyond for us, too, and now in Bigger I can see a marked improvement in attitude. DS actually enjoys cheerful cursive! And he seems to like the vocabulary as well! He comes up with some cute illustrations. I stress quality over quantity with handwriting... if he writes pretty he doesnt have to write more. Sloppy means do it again (that only happened once!)

I hope you can post a picture. I use photobucket as a host. It is easy to create a free account and upload pics... then get a link and pit it in your post. Sorry if that is not clear. Once you create an account I think you'll figure put the rest fairly easy.

[my3sons]

Thank you so much for sharing about your ds here, and also later about your dd, Gwenny! You have encouraged ME by this post. Slow and steady progress equals BIG gains from month to month, year to year, guide to guide. I am wanting to see your ds's note booking too!!! To celebrate even more with you!!! Try these steps when you get the chance...

1. Go to http://www.photobucket.com
2. Sign up for a free account.
3. Upload pics from your computer.
4. Check the boxes next to the pics you want to use.
5. At the bottom of the screen, click on "generate HTML and IMG codes"
6. Then copy the 4th. box labeled "IMG Images for Message Board"
7. Finally, paste them into your HOD post.
Just keep trying until it works! We don't mind - and we want to see your pics!

I also want to thank you for taking the time to share how this board has impacted you in a positive way. We put so much time into trying to help each other, and though we are not perfect, we long for the chance to make each person's homeschooling journey full of more joy, full of more happy memories, and full of more growth from year to year. People rarely take the time to thank others in this day and age. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking time out of your very busy schedule to encourage us as we try to help others! May the Lord bless you and your homeschooling in return.

In Christ,
Julie

[Gwenny]

Thanks Julie! I will try to do the pictures soon. We have been camping all week with no internet!! I didn't know that we wouldn't have service there. Amazing how addicted we are. Trying to unpack and do laundry and I have to help my daughter load a U-Haul tomorrow. She and her husband (and my unborn grandson-due Jan 9) are moving from 15 min away to 9 hours away.

[psreit]

Thanks for sharing. We've just gotten back into HOD, tomorrow being in unit 1 day 4 in Bigger. Remembering what my daughter did in Bigger two years ago, I am anxious to see what she will accomplish now. She has really blossomed in her artwork (of which she is very proud, especially flowers ) and her handwriting, so there will definitely be much improvement in her notebooking. It was a thread on this board that helped to bring us back here with renewed confidence, as I started and stopped HOD in Bigger and Preparing within the last two years. I also appreciate having this board for encouragement and help when needed.

Nancy, all of my grandchildren are out of state, some 5 hours and some 9 hours. So, I know how you feel. I have two on the way in 2015, so I'm going to be busy traveling.