What to do for big brother?

[happy camper]

Hello Carrie!

Okay, I have never posted on a board before and I feel terrible of even thinking of taking up your time. I have just lurked around and read what everyone else had to say but now I have a burning question that I must ask. Rather than tie you down at Book Fair this May I thought you might be able to give me some helpful hints so that I am more prepared when the time comes. I used LHFHG and BLHFHG with my daughter for kindergarten and first grade respectively. This year I thought I would try my hand for one last time to school my second grader and seventh grader together (we have journeyed on a trek around the world with MFW ECC). It really is just too difficult as they are on such different levels. I am thrilled at the thought of returning to HOD this next school year and using Bigger with my will be third grade daughter. So ... that leaves me with what in the world to do with my will be eighth grade son. I SO respect your calling and adore EVERYTHING you have done thus far with HOD but wonder if it would be too bold of me to ask what you are doing now with your oldest son (isn't he is eighth grade this year?). You actually helped me at Book Fair a couple of years ago with the whole Ambleside thing when I purchased BLHFHG but that was then. As we are approaching high school and will be completing our last year of junior high next year I thought I would just ask you for your recommendation as I so trust your opinion. I totally understand if you don't have time to respond to this one or maybe you have already answered this somewhere and I havn't come across it yet. Anyway, thank you so much for all you are doing and for all of the time and help you give to everyone.

May God continue to bless you abundantly as you write curriculum that honors Him!
Kim

[inHistiming]

Just bumping this up so Carrie will see it...just in case she hasn't.

[Sharon]

Hi Happy Camper!
Welcome to the board! I am sure Carrie will be along to answer you in a while, but I thought you might be interested to read her schedule that was posted a while ago. The post's by Carrie are a little ways down the page the first one shows her last year's schedule and the 2nd one this years schedule for all 4 of her boys.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2093&st=0&sk=t&sd=a ... s&start=15


Happy to see you here!!

Blessings!
Sharon

[happy camper]

Thank you so, so much Sharon for pointing me in the right direction! Carrie's schedules were a huge help and I figured out our boys are the same age or in the same grade anyway. I was thinking he might be a year ahead of my son, Grant. For the eighth grade next year we have been considering Sonlight but it's so expensive and it's so much to do or at least it looks a little demanding. I will be doing Bigger with my daughter, Kassidy and I don't know that I would be able to stretch that out for him. Carrie, what do you think or what are you planning for Cole? If you have time I would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you all again for your time and words of wisdom.

Kim

[Carrie]

Kim,

I am looking ahead to high school already with Cole as that will help dictate what I want to get covered in grade 8 with him. I have much that I am still pondering, but I can give you some of my thoughts for the present.

I will be using Drawn into the Heart Level 6/7/8 with Cole for literature study. Cole is just finishing Literary Lessons from Lord of the Rings this year (after a break from doing DITHR since grade 2). For DITHR next year, I'll pick harder literature selections for him to read along with it, although I'm a long way yet from deciding what those will be! Cole switched to Rod and Staff grammar late in his career, so we'll be doing all of Rod and Staff English 6 with him in grade 8. We'll also be doing Igniting Your Writing 2 with him for the composition part. He is doing Igniting Your Writing I this year. Cole does do dictation 4 times a week a year ahead of what is in our guides as well and will continue with that next year.

Since I have another son who will be doing the ancients guide, I am thinking very strongly of having Cole join us for our daily "Meeting Time" from the ancients guide (during which we'll be covering Genesis: Finding Our Roots and A Child's Geography of the Bible Lands). I'd love for him to participate with us in both those areas. In the past two years, Cole has done Rod and Staff Bible 5 and 6 for Bible and also done A Star-Spangled State study for geography.

Cole will also most likely be piloting our new Medievel/Renaissance/Reformation guide history spines for history (along with the Extension Pack readings as well). He is piloting the ancient history ones for us this year. I will continue having him write a daily written narration on his history reading, including an opinion paragraph.

We are still trying to decide on Cole's math for next year, whether to go with a Pre-Algebra or an Algebra I. We are also still trying to decide on his science coverage. We're thinking that he will do Evolution: the Grand Experiment for sure and will most likely do The Elements for an introduction to Chemistry. We're still trying to decide on the rest. This year he is doing Education Explorations Physical Science.

For Cole's extra 5th day options, he'll most likely finish Computer Science Pure and Simple, work on The Fallacy Detective, do A Child's History of Sculpture by Hillyer (from Calvert... Cole did Painting and Architecture this year and last), and continue listening and reading through 3-4 of Shakespeare plays (using No Fear Shakespeare books and Arkangel unabridged audios of them). Cole also usually did a Hands-on History Kit on Day 5 as well, as he loves projects. So, we'll continue that.

I'm not sure if this will help you in any way. Hopefully, it will give you a little direction and keep you from getting overwhelmed with too much.

Blessings,
Carrie