Extension Package for Bigger as Read Aloud

[Cdiaz02]

Hello Wonderful HOD Mommas!

I've been part of the HOD board for 3 years I think this is my first post...you ladies do wonderful answering questions, that I haven't had to ask until now

We've been using HOD since LHFHG and my oldest is in Bigger right now, we will be lifetime HOD users that's how well it fit's my family but I am feeling right now like we could use more living books. I love reading to my children ALOT and it's our favorite part of our day. It doesn't matter how bad the day has gone, there's something about read aloud time that makes our day sweet and bring back joy!! With Bigger I feel like we could have more, personally I feel our hisotry reading is so short that there's no *spark* if you know what I mean..So all that to say I wanted to know if maybe getting the extension package would do the trick? But I also wanted to know if some of those books are in later guides? I don't want to get them if 1/2 of them will be read later on and spoil it later for us.

I've read each guide gets better each year and I know other literature curriculum's begin meaty from the younger years but HOD isn't quite like that, I know Carrie thought of us moms and gave us just enough but not too much for the younger years because we would probably be running multiple guides. I just want to be reassured that there will be enough next year and the year after that, enough for my son to read and for me to read aloud..I'm just feeling like we could definitely use a little more, and I don't want to feel that each year.. I felt the same last year, but then I had a younger tot that it didn't matter. I'm also running LHFHG with my 1st grader, but we add other bible story books in with her reading..

When we do Preparing next year, I see we can add the extension package, AND the exciting part is his readers will correspond with the History! I'm answering my own questions probably but it helps to write to you girls!

Thanks for listening to my rambling!

Joyfully!
Cristina

[LynnH]

The two books from Bigger Extensions I know are used in later guides are Pedro's Journal and Planet Earth. You also might have to be careful about content if your son is sensitive at all since they are meant to be used by older dc. I know my son didn't do Bigger so he used some from the extension package as part of DITHOR in higher level guides. I can assure you there will be plenty as you go up for your son to read and for you to read. I assume he is doing DITHOR now. You can always pick longer books for that if you want, if he is capable of reading those. In Preparing you continue reading the main history spines and storytime, but he will take over the independent history reading and the science. In CTC he then takes over the reading of the history spines and you continue with storytime. There are also other boxes such as one of the bible boxes where you read aloud to him. The amount of pages in the storytime box will continue to increase as you go up in level. In RTR-MTMM you can continue to read the storytime if you wish or you can hand it over to him. From CTC on up I have never heard any one complain about there not being enough reading. In fact sometimes I hear the opposite, that there is too much reading for the parent and or the student. My son is in the WH high school guide and the guide is written for him to do the living library (similar to storytime) box on his own, but we split the reading of that box since it is often 30+ pages and my voice wears out. I will read around 1/3-1/2 of it and he reads the rest.

[Hope]

I just want to be reassured that there will be enough next year and the year after that, enough for my son to read and for me to read aloud..I'm just feeling like we could definitely use a little more, and I don't want to feel that each year.. I felt the same last year, but then I had a younger tot that it didn't matter. I'm also running LHFHG with my 1st grader, but we add other bible story books in with her reading..

We love our read aloud story time too. I have always read aloud to our children since they were babies, and it has been a special part of their growing up. I know what you mean about loving that part of the day.

I haven't used Bigger, but I have used a number of the books that Carrie uses in Bigger as read aloud books or readers over the years. One idea I had looking at Bigger is the possibility of you using both the Classic Interest set and Boy Interest set from the deluxe package for read aloud story time. I looked at the schedule and it looks like you could do a book for story time every 10 days, instead of over 20 days, and that would put two books for story time for each genre instead of one. I haven't used Bigger; would that idea work and stay with the flow of HOD?

In DITHOR she does give the option of scheduling a book a week, or two books over 15 days, or one book over 15 days. One way to increase the reading would be to do the one book a week or two over 15 days. With my oldest I am scheduling one book a week since he is an avid reader and actually does better with details and plot lines at a slightly quicker pace then pure CM.

How old is your son for the extensions? Carrie does intend them for 10 - 11. In looking at them I have used all of them except for Bud and Me. I am not good at putting ages on books for children. The ones that have some mature content though, that I wouldn't give a 7 /8 year old, would include: A Child's Story of America (President Clinton and some other information), Almost Home (MayFlower with mature content around childbirth), Guns for General Washington (war), Freedom Train (whippings, including a child), Esperanza Rising (beloved father's death & riches to becoming a Mexican immigrant to America), and Exploring Planet Earth I think would be difficult for a younger child to understand although the content is fine. My oldest read at age 9: Toliver's Secret, Buffalo Knife, and By the Great Horn Spoon. I read aloud Pedro's Journal and Ben and Me when they were fairly young. Ben and Me is delightful, and I see Carrie has it in the classical book pack for Bigger story time. I would say reading the classic book pack and boy pack and if you really wanted more books maybe even the girl pack might be better then the extension books that are a bit older. My children seem to enjoy boy and girl books, some of the books in the girl pack were actually favorites of my boys. They both loved Footprints in the Barn that we read aloud years ago.

I think you will love Preparing. My 10 & 8 year olds are really enjoying it. So am I! I haven't enjoyed using a curriculum this much in years. The history books are engaging and take about 15 - 20 minutes to read each day. The story time books are engaging and take about 15 minutes a day to read. We have only done one extension so far, but I may pick out another. The independent history books are really good, and Pedro's Journal from Bigger extensions is one of them. These are meant to be read independently, but I may read a few aloud. They are strong readers so sometimes I do choose to read a little more aloud since it is part of our family life. The science is also read independently, so he will have plenty of reading. DITHOR books are books that my children are finding very engaging to read.

In CTC my son is reading his own history spines, which truthfully lets me run the second guide. I am reading aloud though the Genesis Roots and Geography book. These can lead to discussions. The Genesis Roots is apologetics and can lead to much discussion at times, and has been good to go through together. The science is independent reading. I am reading the story time aloud to my son. He could easily read these books, but it is so special to still get to read stories to my 12 year old and I find this one on one bonding time is important at this age. Like Bigger, if you wanted more books, CTC has three book packs. So if you found the history books taking less time as read aloud books for story time she does also have the girl and boy pack scheduled in the guide that could allow for extra. My son is reading the extensions independently. DITHOR he is on the one book a week plan so he gets plenty of reading, which for him works. My husband is reading aloud the Boy's Design from RTR and then I assign the work that goes with it. I know that is from the next guide up, but the time has been good for my husband to have some intentional mentoring with our son at the age of 12. There really is plenty of reading in HOD from what we are finding.

HOD is delightful. Books have been a major factor in my children's upbringing, and we are finding HOD enough reading aloud and silent reading. Especially with the two guides going that adds even more to our day.

I hope something I wrote helps.

[Cdiaz02]

Thank you Lynn and Hope! I didn't think about content with the extension packages, and although some things are ok, you mentioned a few that I would have to edit or omit. And I do have to recognize that the reading will increase, and as the guides get heavier and he needs to be independent I cant be the only one to read to him. And as Lynn said there will be plenty He hasn't started DITHOR yet, he's doing the emerging readers set and still doing AAR3, he was a later reader and has actually overcome dyslexia, visual and auditory processing!! But I loved the idea Hope that I could just go ahead and purchase the other storytime books and read more from there. He loves the boy interest set, but I wanted to get the girls set for our girls coming through the guides in the future. So that sounds perfect actually! -Why didn't I think of that? Thanks ladies!!

[Mommamo]

When my oldest was in Bigger, we did at least 2 of the recommended books for each genre, and often all 3. With my next two who are currently in Bigger, we are doing just one story time package (well, we are just doing books that looked interesting to both since we already had most of them, but just one each time as opposed to 2 or 3), but my oldest is doing the extensions read out loud. He is almost 10. We are doing the extensions because he needed them, needed the extra content. You might be fine reading them out loud to him--my younger kids do occasionally listen in. He's even doing fine with the Exploring Planet Earth, but we spread out the week's worth of reading over 5 days, and he is listening and following along fine. He also has dyslexia, but isn't yet doing the ERs. We were doing AAR 2 with him, but he hit a wall with it, so we are now doing Barton and he's doing SO WELL but isn't anywhere near doing the ERs yet. My 7yo in Bigger is doing the ERs.

[StephanieU]

A few are storytime options. I know Ben and Me is in the classic package and there is one in the boy package. I think the history ones other than Pedro's Journal and the big book would be fine to add as read alouds as time permits. I just wouldn't stress if it gets to be too much.

[MelInKansas]

We too have used the younger guides and are probably HOD users for life. I'm not 100% on high school yet but I am not the type to plan that far ahead. I figure a lot can change between now and then, with me and with the kids. Anyway....

Adding more Storytime titles is a great idea and hopefully that will fill your extra reading time that you want to have. Before I go to homeschool conferences or book sales I always make a list of all of the recommended storytime titles and DITHOR book pack titles that I don't already have and look for them, used or for deals if possible. All of the recommended books are so excellent and have been enjoyed greatly, especially when read on the level they were picked out for by Carrie. She has such a gift for writing curriculum!

As to what's ahead I think you will like Preparing on up even more. In Preparing there are the titles the child reads themselves (History extension maybe it's called?) and the Storytime has an option for History add on which I have done for both Preparing and CTC - your storytime then goes along with the history period you are studying and it all fits together and works together so beautifully. There is plenty of reading, but what is also wonderful is that it's not just all reading (as some other curricula are) and the activities, notebooking and such that they do means they really understand and synthesize the information. They can tell you about the time periods and have thought deeply about them. They aren't just consuming information they are doing something with it. And it has been a blessing for me as my oldest has grown in independence with her school work, to really see her blooming and taking ownership of it, and also the burden that takes off of me (of course I am busy taking care of the younger siblings, but that used to derail school completely and now it doesn't have to). Anyway, prayers you will continue to be blessed by this wonderful curriculum.