High school extensions for 5th year?

[Tiffini]

I believe this has been addressed before, but I wanted to verify and make it more clear for myself and I thought others may have some of the same questions. My twins will just finish the whole 5 year cycle in the 8th grade which is perfect. But I am combining my three kids currently and my oldest will only be finishing year 3 in the HFHTT series in the 8th grade. I really don't want her to miss out on the following two years. So...will there be extensions included that will be enough for high school level work or would she just need to go on to a high school program at that point?

Part of my reason for asking is that I confess I wonder if I am holding her back by combining her with my youngers. We are doing Bigger this year together and we have absolutely loved it. They love learning together and I love the bonds that they are making. It makes my life easier to combine them and honestly we all really enjoy it. I want to continue this way. But, I see the books coming out in the first year of Ancients and I know my dd is ready for them (will be 6th grade next year). Am I holding her back by making her wait two more years to get to those books?? And will she miss out on the stuff in the last 2 years if it is not high school equivalent? I see all the wonderful resources and I feel somewhat like I'm cheating her by not allowing her to go right into those books next year. (At this point, we are all doing Preparing together next year - 2 4th graders and a 6th grader).

Can you give me some reassurance, Carrie or anyone else - your thoughts on this?

[inHistiming]

Well, I don't know if I can reassure you, but I can tell you we are thinking about the same thing. We combined our 3rd and 5th graders in Bigger...this year and we have loved it. However, I wonder if my ds (6th next year) needs to go ahead and move up to the new ancients guide next year. I have looked at the package and read over everything about it on the site and it looks like he would fit squarely into the program, although I know he would enjoy Preparing...too. After reading messages on the boards over the last week or so, it seems there are several of us who are wondering the same thing. It would certainly be easier for me if I kept mine combined, because we'll have an infant in the house by then as well as my ds 5 doing LHFHG. But, I don't want to just do what is easier, I want to do what is best, and I'm thinking moving him might be best. We still have time to pray about it, and it will be even more clear once we can get a look at the inroduction and week at a glance pages once they are up. As far as completing the cycle, my son still won't do that if we move him up, he'll end up being one guide short I think? But I'm trying not to be too concerned with that right now. My main thing is I want to be sure he is right where he needs to be in learning how to write properly, etc. and it looks as if he will be learning skills more on his level in CTC. I'm hoping Carrie will be on here soon to answer these questions because I'm also unsure about what to do. Just wanted you to know you're not alone.

[Tiffini]

Thanks for your reply, InHisTiming. It sounds like you are exactly where I am. We have loved this year so much, but I'm questioning combining next year. It is hard to think of not combining, but I want to do the best thing as well. As far as Bible and writing goes, my oldest is beyond what the Preparing guide is working on. I don't want to hold her back in that area. I want her to be able to grow according to where she is at. Would it harm her to not do it? Probably not. But is it the best thing for her? I would really, really miss doing our science, history, poetry together. I guess that is why I'm leaning towards staying together, but I just wonder... I appreciate your thoughts on this.

[inHistiming]

It is tough to think about lettng ds do much on his own...I want the independence for him and for myself, but I also want to be included and know what he is learning. I think I might be reading all of his books ahead just so I know exactly what he's learning...and that would probably be a bit much for me. That was one reason we included him in our HOD studies, because he showed great interest, it's so much fun, and they really retain the info. AND I am involved in their learning. So do I keep him in Preparing...which does have extensions for his age, or do I move him up with the plan of creating more independence in him? I know dh nor myself want to do too much hand-holding and hinder him in any way...I guess more prayer is needed, and a quiet heart and mind so I can hear Him. I'll keep you in my prayers too that you'll soon get a clear picture of what to do for your family.

[Carrie]

Tiffini and inHisTiming,

When looking at whether to combine your kiddos or not, it is always important to honestly look at your upcoming year and see what you have on your plate. If your kiddos have been combining well, and you are making sure that you have your 3 R's firmly in place for your kiddos, then you really are doing fine by combining them (as long as they are very close to the age ranges we have listed on our guides).

When I switched from Sonlight many years ago with my oldest son, we had to repeat a history cycle he had done before, and it also meant that he would no longer finish the history cycle that I deeply desired for him to finish before high school. I had to let go of that in order to do the best job of meeting his needs at the time, while still balancing that with my overall plan for meeting the rest of my family's needs. I do understand what a struggle that can be! My oldest son is now in 7th grade, and he will not finish the last part of the history cycle before high school either. I am no longer worried about that. He is progressing very well, continues to test outstanding in his standardized tests, enjoys his school, and is challenged overall.

It's important to realize that it isn't necessary for kiddos to be challenged in all subject areas every day. It would be exhausting if that were so. Some skills are meant to be review, others are meant to be new, and still others are meant to be mastered. Balance is what is most important.

In looking at your upcoming school year, if your current year has been going well and you feel good overall with the progress being made, then I would count that as a success. Combining is an art that works well for some and not very well for others. It takes the right combination of kiddos, the right balance of ages, and the right type of parent/teacher to pull it off. If you have somehow achieved that balance, then rejoice in that fit.

We've never been able to pull off combining well with the age ranges at our house (7th grade, 4th grade, an almost 1st grader, and a just turned 3 year old). Our kiddos are just too far apart in age to combine well. Within the listed age ranges on our guides, we do feel that combining will work well. So, be careful not to make more work for yourself, if it isn't really needed. Take a good hard look to see if combining is going well, and if it is, enjoy that journey.

Blessings,
Carrie

[Carrie]

I also wanted to mention that since 9th grade is typically a geography year, it will be easy to add a geography study to the third or fourth year of our cycle in order to make it high school worthy. We also will have recommendations for the other areas as to how to make sure you're covering what is needed for 9th grade. We will most likely not look at combining with 10th grade, as that starts to be more rigorous requirement-wise.

Blessings,
Carrie

[deltagal]

Carrie,

I haven't really begun to chew on high school...yet. But I hear of quite a few people beginning high school credits in 8th and even 7th grade. Do you see any merit in that? Will that be part of your HOD plan?

[Tiffini]

Carrie, I really appreciate your insights on combining - it is very helpful to me. This year of combining with Bigger has gone very well for us overall. My kids enjoy learning together and it does make life easier for me. I think where I am struggling is that my dd could get so much right now out of some of the resources that are in the Ancients guide that is hard for me to have her wait another year. I don't want to hold her back from gleaning what I know she could from the content of that year. I also wonder if we would have deeper conversations on a spiritual level with Bible time and if it would be more helpful for her to interact on that higher level than we do when we share that time. She is a deep thinker, but is quiet when others are talking - and her younger siblings talk more than she does. We do talk a lot one on one throughout the day anyway, so we do get relational time that way. I'm probably making it harder than it is.

InHisTiming, thank you for your words and prayer. What a blessing to have someone I've never met pray for my curriculum choices! Wow, God is so good. I can completely relate to what you shared about the independence part. It is hard not to want to do it all along with them - because it is so much fun to learn and read those things, too! But it is so good for them to move on to that independence. There is a joy and a sadness as they grow up. I pray that you, too, can make a clear decision on what is best. I know that really either way will be just fine and God will teach our kids what He has already planned out for them from the beginning of time.

[Carrie]

Tiffini,

I completely understand what you're saying about having that heart-to-heart time with your daughter dealing with the Bible. I agree that is a blessing to have time to do! I also get what you're saying about your daughter being ready for more difficult resources. I knew my oldest son would be ready for that too, so he's always had more of his own plan that suited him well.

I firmly believe that the ancients guide will lend itself to being done MUCH more independently than our previous guides, so it could be a good time to move your daughter up to doing more of her own program (if you feel she's ready). However, I do think it is important to be realistic with what you have on your plate for the upcoming year too, so you'd want to take a good hard look at your schedule and make sure you could still devote the needed time to the ancients guide to make it interactive. Otherwise you wouldn't really be gaining that heart-to-heart time you're wanting with the Bible area.

I always have to gaurd against making my oldest too independent, because he can be, and then missing out on the interaction I desire to have with him.

Just some food for thought as you're pondering.

Blessings,
Carrie