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I have yet to decide for sure if we will be combining my older two next year or putting our oldest in CTC and the next oldest in Preparing...but if I do use CTC, I need help knowing what to order. My son will be in 6th grade. I noticed that when it comes to the read-alouds there is a statement on the site that says 6th and 7th graders should read the extension pack, listen to the read alouds or do both. Does this mean if I want to I could just have him read the extension books on his own and NOT do the read alouds for history? Since he would be the only one using it would we need to go ahead and get the history read alouds too?

I've only read the same thing you have...so I'm sure someone who knows more (like Carrie or maybe Julie ) will be able to clarify more.

From what I read, it looks like you have a choice for extending the history for an older child - the student reading the extension pack, or you reading aloud the history set of read alouds. I'm guessing that Carrie wouldn't reccomend skipping the storytime section of the plans all together. If you were wanting to just get one set of books there, I'd say if you got the history read-alouds it would be your best bet. Then, you'd be using the storytime box and extending the history learning for your son.

OK, that probably got you no further in understanding it than before...
Kathleen

Oooh I am taking my post back because I see what you mean. It does say that. Well I ordered it the way we will use it I guess! I am all for more is more better. Maybe this is another one of those cases where she is trying to give options so that if people need to economize they can. We went ahead and ordered the extension to be read, the history interest to read and parts of the boy and girl interest to be read for fun or in DITHR which ever they pick or I might read them aloud too because I hate to miss out.

Hope you find the best mix for you!

inHistiming,

We are thinking that older kiddos who are using CTC will need to have either the Extension Package or the History Interest Read-Alouds or both. The decision of which one(s) you desire for your kiddos to have depends on finances, sensitivity of the child, and your family's personal convictions on the more mature content matter covered within books set in the ancient time period.

We are assuming that you are reading aloud one of the choices for the Storytime box of the plans, so if you're not doing the History Interest Set, we're thinking you'll be doing the Boy Interest or Girl Interest read-aloud set instead. The one exception to this would be if you are teaching more than one HOD program and would like to only do one storytime read-aloud with everyone. Then, you could omit the Storytime read-alouds from CTC and do one of the younger Storytime options (like Beyond's or Bigger's with everyone together).

Is that clear as mud?

Blessings,
Carrie

Okay, so we need books for reading aloud for the story time box. Am I understanding correctly that the student would read either the extension or history set (or both ) on his own?

Carrie wrote: The one exception to this would be if you are teaching more than one HOD program and would like to only do one storytime read-aloud with everyone. Then, you could omit the Storytime read-alouds from CTC and do one of the younger Storytime options (like Beyond's or Bigger's with everyone together).

Wow there's an interesting idea. I am so glad we get all these choices! How fun.

I am confused now.
So, is the extension books not scheduled at all? When do you know when to read them? Do you read the read alouds (either the history, boy or girl read alouds) during the story time block-depending on which ones you chose? I guess I am just confused on how to use the extensions. I am new to HOD and never used a guide before so maybe this is not that confusing I could just be making it that way.

Thanks!

Linda,

If the extensions are done the same way in CTC as they are in Bigger, then they are located in the appendix. It is scheduled by the day and you would just refer to that if you were using the extensions. Does that help?

I don't think it is really going to be all that confusing really. She is just giving us choices and since few publishers do that we all don't know what to do with it, hahaha! I think she is trying to be respectful of the time period and give people options for mature material of the time period. So you have some options for the read alouds to substitute out the history specific and still get the genre if your kids are younger or you are wanting to not hit the history detail in depth and then the option of doing the extension pack for the older children to read but she is warning us not to read it aloud to a younger audience as some of us have done with Bigger and Preparing. To me the best program is always going to be to have the read alouds and you pick from three choices and then have the older kids do the extension on their own. The options for the read alouds is nice in case as Carrie said you want to read more because you love it, or combine two programs like say Beyond and CTC read aloud time in which case you would not want the history interest as your read aloud because it would be too mature for the Beyond crowd. That is what I am seeing anyway. The great thing about HOD is you can't possibly mess it up as long as you just follow the guide. Believe me I would have by now if it were possible. It's great no matter how you do it.

I bought the history set to read aloud to my daughter. As she is right on the curve (age 11) I only bought some of the extensions for her to read on her own. Yes, they are scheduled in. In the previous guides the extension packs are scheduled in the appendix--I am assuming it will be the same in the new guide. Then, I bought books for her to read for DITHOR. I will have youngers in Bigger, so if I wanted to, I could have included her in the Bigger read alouds instead of her own. Then I would have bought the extension pack for my daughter to read by herself to extend the history and books for her to read with DITHOR. Carrie is just allowing choices. As I understand it, pick either the history, girl or boy reader sets (just one) for story time (unless you are including this child with the read alouds from a younger guide). Then decide whether you want the child to do the extension pack. Then, pick books for DITHOR. That is my take on it at least.

I'm so sorry ladies if I have made this more confusing than it should be! In the guides it actually all makes perfect sense. Thank you water2wine and 8arrows for helping ease the fog that I have created!

inHistiming and horsinaround,

The older child would read the Extension Pack books on his/her own according to the daily schedule laid out in the Appendix of CTC. The parent would read aloud the chosen set of Basic Package books (History Interest, Boy Interest, or Girl Interest) to go with the Storytime box of the plans.

Better?

Blessings,
Carrie