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My questions deal with using Bigger with extensions for a 10 yr old. I have placed him in Singapore math 4a but I read somewhere that you should start 1 level prior to that to help them adjust? Is that right or do I just start him at 4a? He has always excelled in math and would be entering 5th grade in ps this year. I did buy the Preparing guide to use for this. Should I buy the home instructor guide to "fun it up" like in the Bigger guide. I am not the creative type, I need all the help I can get. In the Bigger guide it talks about using dictation instead of spelling but even the dictation looks too easy for him. Should I just use the dictation in Preparing also or use the hardest dictation in Bigger and get a separate spelling program? To my knowledge he didn't do dictation in ps. Maybe I should just try all the dictation in Bigger and see how well he does with it? Basically he studies the passage, then I read it to him and he writes it (hopefully) correctly. If he doesn't get it right we do it the next day. I also purchased R&S English 3 and 4 for him because I'm not sure which he'll place in. I'm just worried because the extensions in Bigger cover history and science but don't really address English and math or that is just how I understand it. Carrie (or someone else!) if I'm wrong please correct me His reading comprehension is not good but he has no problems reading the words. Any advice you ladies can give me would be greatly appreciated

Hi mom2fiveboys!

Singapore Math-
Students who come to Singapore from another curriculum may not have the necessary background to begin at the level suggested without review from earlier levels. Singapore suggests that you use the placement tests to decide where to place students new to Singapore or to get an idea of which concepts may have to be reviewed from an earlier level. If you haven't already done the placement testing, here is the link with answers:
http://www.singaporemath.com/Placement_Test_s/86.htm

Also here is another link with a guide for helping once you've taken the placement test in determining where to place your child. http://www.singaporemath.com/Placement_Guide_s/85.htm

If you have difficulty teaching the math concepts, I would invest in the Home Teacher's Guide. (This is an area where I personally am weak and find the extra help nice.)

Spelling-
It is my understanding that you are to do either Spelling or Dictation but not both. If your son is beyond the recommended spelling lists, then you may want to give spelling a break and give dictation a try. Here's why- "Dictation practices first and foremost listening and writing skills and within the latter a range of sub-skills from letter formation to spelling, punctuation and lay-out. It can also be argued that it practices vocabulary, syntax, grammar and, when the writer reviews his or her work, reading. In short, it gives practice in almost everything. The one skill absent from this list is the speaking skill, but this too can be practised if the dictation is approached in a slightly different way."

English-
I'm sorry I can't be of much help with this. However I can tell you that I did a lot of research on R&S English and it appears to be quite advanced so only you can know where your son places but you may want to begin with the R&S 3 to avoid overwhelming him and if it seems to easy for him then switch level 4 since you've already purchased both.

Reading Comprehension-
My now 14yr old son struggled with this when he was younger. What we did was a lot of reading and then a lot of questions afterwards. I think you would find the Carrie's Drawn Into the Heart of Reading program extremely helpful if you wish to work on developing your son's reading comprehension because of it actually make him stop and think and discuss and/or do projects on what he's reading. http://www.heartofdakota.com/drawn-into.php

Hopefully you'll find this helpful...good luck!!
Natreez

okay, so i just use the dictation in bigger... and if it is too easy then use the preparing dictation. he placed squarely in the 4a in singapore-he made like 92 on the 3b test so i will try him in 4a first. i am hoping the DITHOR will help him with the reading comprehension, i just wasn't sure if i needed to do something besides that or not. thanks so much for your advice!

Welcome and how exciting getting it all ready. I pulled four out of ps so I know how nerve wracking it can me to figure out where they fit. I am not sure if you are making that transfer or not but just empathizing if you are. I wanted to direct you to this thread from Carrie on Dictation. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1795
It's a little bit of trial and error but this should help you know when you have a fit. On R&S the book really directs more than you could even need so you can relax on that one. It is an easy program to run. Finding the best fit can be a little tricky coming out of ps because you do not know if they have holes in their knowledge. However there is a lot of repetition so a basic good fit will work. I recommend looking at the table of contents where it lists the skills introduced on the level 3 and see if he has them. If so move on to level 4 and see if the first part looks comfortable to him. I fit my kids very accurately this way just by looking at online samples. Let's see on DITHR yes this will definitely help with comprehension and it is all that you need. I think you will find he improves using DITHR. On Singapore level it is a little different kind of math so some people do start a level earlier. But it is a judgment call. I think if I had a strong math student I would start them exactly where they place on the placement test. HTH I know Carrie will probably jump in and give you more help.

Welcome!

momto5boysnc,

The ladies are giving you wonderful advice! It sounds like math-wise, you have your son placed correctly in 4A/4B. You'll just follow the schedule in the Preparing guide's Appendix for that. I would also follow the schedule in the Preparing guide for Rod and Staff English. You've received wonderful advice on how best to place your son in Rod and Staff English. If he has had a moderate to strong English background in ps, I would put him Rod and Staff 4. By the end of 4, he'll be diagramming direct objectives, objects of prepositions, and prepositional phrases. If he has had a weak background in English, I would place him in Rod and Staff 3. Rod and Staff will also cover your writing assignments along with grammar, so writing will be covered as well.

As far as dictation goes, I would use the dictation in Preparing Hearts (most likely Level 3, if he has never done dictation before). If he is an outstanding speller, you can place him in Level 4 dictation passages. Dictation is harder than it looks! If your son is reapeating most passages more than once, you have him placed too high and should drop back a level. We want kiddos to feel successful. Although, the passages in "Bigger..." will most likely be too easy, unless spelling is his weak area.

As far as Drawn into the Heart goes, as long as your son can work somewhat independently and does not have significant writing issues, you can place him in Level 4/5 of Drawn into the Heart. I would do Drawn into the Heart 3-4 days a week, starting with books that he enjoys and with the genres he enjoys most as a reader. Then, next year, you will finish out the genres he did not do this year.

I would also require him to do copywork from the included poetry in "Bigger..." (doing a few lines up to a stanza a day) to work on his penmenship skills. This will be excellent practice for the upped level of writing scheduled in "Preparing Hearts..." for next year.

I would have him do all the rest of "Bigger...", including all copywork, notebooking entries, vocabulary etc. as scheduled in "Bigger...".

Blessings,
Carrie