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My three middle boys are combined in Preparing right now. I wanted my younger two to have an independent science experience, but they weren't quite ready for the science when we started. So, I used some of the textbooks from CLP that are used in the younger guides. They read some and did a notebook page twice a week and a narration twice a week. Once they both worked their way through all of those that we had (3 books), I started them on Unit 1, Day 1 of the Preparing science. They are doing well, except for my struggling reader. However, we are working hard with him, and I do expect him to be able to read the selections from CTC next year (he may not do all the writing.)

Anyway...we are doing CTC next year, and I was wondering if I should just buy each boy his own science set. I know that I'll have to start doing this eventually, so they can have their own experiments and such. I could also stagger them, in order to allow sharing of books. I could go either way, and I'm leaning toward buying three sets. We have four other kids, and I'll combine some of those at some point, so I'm sure I'll need extras.

Is there a way you can stagger their schedules to allow them each a time period to use the books? Such as one is allotted 9-10 to have the science book while another has that 9-10 slot to have the independent history. Maybe you could get away with only 2 sets of books instead of 3?

When my older were doing Preparing and CTC, I just had them alternate, it wasn't a big deal. We just switched back and forth. For three, you could maybe have one do history while one does science and the other does math, and rotate that around.

I think it depends on what's easier for you as you look at your day. If you would like the 3 of them to do the reading at the same time, and then the experiment to follow at the same time, then 3 sets would be nice. If you would like to stagger them and would rather have them do it on their own, then 1 set would suffice. I was thinking that they could rotate materials reading Science, History, DITHOR, and possibly Storytime (unless you are doing the reading for all of them for that). I'd probably get each student his/her own teacher's guide before getting each his/her own science set of materials. But, maybe you were already thinking to do that anyway.

In Christ,
Julie