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Bigger driven pre-anxiety :)

Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2014 3:58 pm
by PoppyD
Hi ladies,
I am getting my final couple of months of research done before buying all our curriculum in the spring. I feel great about CTC for my rising 5th grader but I'm getting more anxious about doing Bigger with my rising 2nd grader. I'm concerned it will be too teacher intensive while also teaching a 5th grader and kindergartner. Can anyone speak to this?
Thanks!
Poppy

Re: Bigger driven pre-anxiety :)

Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2014 10:11 pm
by MelInKansas
I know how you feel! I was feeling that way about starting Bigger while doing Preparing and LHFHG. What will you be doing with your Kindrrgartener? I would encourage you to take a breath and put it in God's hands. If this is where He is leading you then He will supply what you need. For one thing HOD saves you so much time in planning and preparation that you will be enjoying some great activities with your kids and soaking up the learning time you spend together. I think HOD is so thorough and yet doesn't take a lot of time to get done each day. Is there a specific reason why Bigger gives you anxiety? There is a lot of work there and it is all done with you, but it is really fun because you get into real experiments, and real notebooking which is so cool. My dd is so proud of the things she has made and done.

One recommendation if you are starting 3 new guides at once is to stagger the starts so you can work more intensively with those older ones to get them started off on the right foot. CTC especially, it may take that child some time to get used to the workload and understand what is required of him /her. Give each one two weeks before you add in the next child. Or some people prefer to start half speed for 4 weeks or so. Just be aware that starting up is always more intense and it gets easier in about 3-4 weeks.

Re: Bigger driven pre-anxiety :)

Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2014 11:14 pm
by PoppyD
Thanks for your response Melissa. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my kindergartner yet. I was thinking little hearts. But we are halfway through The Reading Lesson now and I'm starting AAR and the kindergarten Singapore math in January, so I'm not sure Little Hearts will be a good fit.
I think the anxiety is that I will have to spend all my time with the one doing Bigger. Yet I know the others will need and want my time too. We are struggling now to get it all in and they are combined for history, science and bible. So just wondering how this will work. You have good suggestions about staggering the start. And of course trusting the Lord more with this is good too
Thanks for replying!

Re: Bigger driven pre-anxiety :)

Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2014 11:20 pm
by Rice
Feeling the same here. 12yo is moving down from CTC to Preparing (Dysgraphia and Executive Functioning problems) and 10yo DD is moving from Preparing down to Bigger (very delayed reading skills) while 9yo is staying in CTC and 7yo in LHFHG. I don't think there's any way there'll be enough of me to go around (never mind for the preschooler & 2 toddlers) but it just wasn't working the way it was. Nothing I can do now, though, till the books come in a week or two (it's all ordered now), except maybe change my signature, lol. Then comes the challenge of trying things out and making up a workable schedule.

You are not alone. :)

Blessings,

Re: Bigger driven pre-anxiety :)

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 7:40 am
by Gwenny
Poppy, are CtC and Bigger the guides that in which your children place after going over the placement chart? If so, it will be great. Starting the guides at 1/2 speed is a great way to get started. It gives everyone time to adjust and learn what to expect in the guides. There is quite a bit of independence in CtC. That's why it's really important to place them in the correct guides. :)

You could wait to start Little Hearts for 1st grade-or even just wait for several months after the other guides start and you feel like you are ready to start. What you said about the kindergartener sound like a fit for Little Hearts.

Rice--had you already thought about the 9 yo doing Preparing with your 12 yo? I know it's taking time to get correct placements, but once you do, it's so wonderful. It's so hard when the kids have some learning issues--it's hard to see them struggle.

Re: Bigger driven pre-anxiety :)

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 8:42 am
by PoppyD
Thanks Nancy.
Yes, I am pretty confident CTC and Bigger is where they will place. Obviously this is for next summer as a start, but they pretty much fit there now. Perhaps a little more growth first but we are working a lot in the areas needed anyway. Particularly writing. I am going to the convention in cincinatti in April and hope to spend some time with Carrie and Mike making sure this is the right placement.
I definitely want to be hands on with my kids. I don't want to get out of having to snuggle, read, and do projects. I just don't want to primarily be focused on one child with so much work that I can't help the older one. Make sense?
Poppy

Re: Bigger driven pre-anxiety :)

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 8:57 am
by Gwenny
That does make sense! I hear you there. :) If they are placed well, that won't be a problem at all. People say "teacher intensive" for Bigger, but that doesn't mean a long arduous process. :) It's just enough. I'm really enjoying it will my guy right now. Also, the time with him is a great time to be with just him--it isn't just work that we drudge through. We have great talks, we love doing story time together just us and there are lots of hands on things.

I met Carrie and Julie once at a book fair in Arlington, TX--they are wonderful. So glad you'll get to see them.

Re: Bigger driven pre-anxiety :)

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 1:47 pm
by Rice
Gwenny wrote:Rice--had you already thought about the 9 yo doing Preparing with your 12 yo? I know it's taking time to get correct placements, but once you do, it's so wonderful. It's so hard when the kids have some learning issues--it's hard to see them struggle.
Yes, they have been doing CTC together since September and the 12yo is not handling it. He could (probably) handle half speed but can't do full pace. In the last 3 days, the 9yo has done almost 3 days of CTC (less 5 subjects) and has missed most of one day of school as he went somewhere with his dad. The 12yo still has 13 subjects left to complete to get 3 days finished and he didn't miss any time at home and even worked some afternoons. The idea of switching to Preparing has affected this somewhat, I believe - maybe he's not trying quite as hard this week, but he's not even doing Extensions this week, either. He's not able to make the transitions and stay focused enough to even do the work the 9yo is doing.

I think the 9yo is well placed, despite his young age. He's reading at a grade 7/8 level (with comprehension, I believe) and find his math easy (he's at grade level in that). His one area that needs growth is the amount of writing, but he is already making progress in that since starting in September. I believe CTC gives him the challenge he needs. (Not sure if he would measure on the gifted scale or not but I never did try to teach him to read!

It is very strange to consider having him in a level above his older siblings (I had originally tried to place them differently, in fact, in a few different ways) but I just don't see value in bringing him down. If things get too tough for him in the future I would consider adding in Extensions (from a lower level maybe, for mature content reasons) and doing a slower pace or even going back to do Preparing with Extensions but I don't see that needed right now. He's looking forward to not having to share books with his (often domineering) older brother!
Gwenny wrote:If they are placed well, that won't be a problem at all. People say "teacher intensive" for Bigger, but that doesn't mean a long arduous process..
With someone who was almost handling Preparing, will Bigger be more teacher-led/intensive than that? Dare I hope she might be able to do more independently (and thus make room for teaching one more guide every day)?

Thanks for helping me talk through it all.
Blessings

Re: Bigger driven pre-anxiety :)

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 3:13 pm
by LovingJesus
PoppyD wrote:Thanks for your response Melissa. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my kindergartner yet. I was thinking little hearts. But we are halfway through The Reading Lesson now and I'm starting AAR and the kindergarten Singapore math in January, so I'm not sure Little Hearts will be a good fit.
I think the anxiety is that I will have to spend all my time with the one doing Bigger. Yet I know the others will need and want my time too. We are struggling now to get it all in and they are combined for history, science and bible. So just wondering how this will work. You have good suggestions about staggering the start. And of course trusting the Lord more with this is good too
Thanks for replying!
Our last curriculum had my children combined for Bible, history, science, and even some LA. I don't miss those days at all. I too struggled to get it all done when they were combined for the content subjects. I still start our day with some short combined Bible, but then it is on to HOD. :D

I am better able to meet their needs as individuals when they are uncombined. I don't have to worry about holding my oldest back to 2nd grade content, or pushing my 2nd grader into content she isn't ready for. I can let them do math and LA at their own paces no matter what guide I choose (my second grader is doing Bigger LA with Beyond for example). I find this works better overall for our family.

I have read many times the recommendation to not do Bigger and Preparing at the same time. Other than that I have not read Bigger as being too teacher intensive. I think with Bigger and CTC and LHFHG you would be fine. If you are needing to feel relief though and it is overwhelming you perhaps you could start with Bigger and CTC. Then just keep doing what you are doing for K for now, and place your K student later into HOD once you have the other programs up and running. What do you think?

I hope that helps. :D

Re: Bigger driven pre-anxiety :)

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 4:50 pm
by PoppyD
That's kind of what I am thinking. I may let the kindergartner listen in with the Bigger content when it seems appropriate and then work on more age-specific stuff with her separately. I think that is probably a wiser choice for me going into heart of Dakota.
Thanks for all of your thoughts and suggestions.

Re: Bigger driven pre-anxiety :)

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 10:19 pm
by MelInKansas
Bigger takes about 2.5 hours to do, all told, each day. That is once you get into a good roll with it, not at first. I agree with what others have said, its not that intense at all, if the children are well placed. Talking with Mike and Carrie at convention about your placement would be ideal. You could definitely keep the K kiddo with the Bigger kiddo on art projects, science experiments, and things like that. My 5yo loves those. The readings too if the younger one is interested, but they are usually too long and involved for my 5yo. Keep the younger one going with TRL and math and handwriting. If you do decide to do LHFHG later with that one its no problem if he/she is done with TRL or Singapore K level, you would just keep going with what they are ready for at that time.

Its a time investment for the years of Bigger and Preparing to get them ready to start soaring independently in the years to come. Depending on your CTC students level of readiness and desire to work independently, you may end up still needing to invest more with that one too as you get going with it. But I wish you many blessings in this next leg of your journey with them. I love seeing how each of my kids is growing and spending individual time with each one doing school. I am sure you will love it too.

Re: Bigger driven pre-anxiety :)

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 10:23 pm
by MelInKansas
Also its not that you have to sit by the child's side the whole time. They can often finish up on their own once you start them on a math page or notebooking assignment. Its mainly that you are still always directing the subjects and making sure the directions are followed correctly, etc. I hope this makes sense.