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Hi Everyone,

Okay, I need some advice here and hopefully I can make this make sense! I have a 2nd grader right now and we have 14 weeks left of the school year (lots of interruptions this year!) I would have liked for her to complete Bigger this year so that she could continue on in the HOD progression, finishing by the end of 8th grade, and leaving a year in there for a country study like MFW ECC or Winter Promise Children of the World. If I want this to happen, I figure I have 5 choices:

1. Start Bigger now and just be "off" schedule (meaning not finishing by the end of 2nd and catching up eventually)

2. Start Bigger in the fall and just have her glean whatever she can from the country study when I teach the other child

3. Start Bigger in the fall and add some of the country study when she is doing a year of HOD (but I fear that would overwhelm her)

4. Skip Bigger and just do Preparing next year (which she could handle, just really didn't want to skip the American History)

5. Start Bigger now, ignore the right side of the plans (just finish out what we are doing with Math and LA) and double-time the history portion to finish close to the end of second

PHEW!! I am sure this seems nutty and overanalyzing , but I just wanted to lay it all out and hope to get some great advice. So what say all of you wonderful experienced ladies???


If you even read this far, THANKS!!!

Coleen

If things are going well now, I would just continue on with the book you are in until you are finished--either now and through the summer, or now until you stop and then pick it up in the fall until finished. She is only in 2nd grade. You have lots of time, and lots can change from now until high school. I can't believe I will have two in high school next year. Time flies! We have 8 weeks left in Beyond (which is only 6 weeks ahead of you). Even with taking a week off for our new baby that is coming soon we should be able to finish by mid June, so you are only fiddling with about 6 weeks. I am sure there are multiple scenerios that would work. I hope you find the best fit for your family.

Well, I'm coming from using My Father's World and Sonlight. We have also used WinterPromise in the past. So, I know what you are feeling as far as really wanting/expecting to get that year of geography and cultures in there. I actually started MFW's Exploring Countries and Cultures twice and dropped it both times. But, as I'm looking at Carrie's guides, I'm thinking it's not necessary. She schedules geography as a regular part of every guide plus you will touch on many cultures as you study history/Bible. I've decided to forsake that year of geo/cultures.

But, I also have a strong assurance that HOD was an answer to certain specific prayers that we have prayed. So, I'm not wondering if this is what is "best" for us. My advise, for what it's worth (which is probably not much ) is to finish whatever you are doing now, take atleast a month off, and then start Biggers. I actually have as much in our current curriculum to do as you. We are only in week 14 of our current program! So, we'll be doing that through most of the summer, but I don't mind. My boys don't do well with alot of free time anyways. We'll probably do three days a week through the summer.

I'm thinking we will do Bob Jones's Cultural Geography course in ninth grade. It touches on every country of the world! Until then, I think Carrie's way of teaching geography alongside whatever else the child is learning and learning about other countries and cultures within the context of history is sufficient. Sometimes, with all the focus on history cycles and getting everything in, I forget that we still have high school!

Blessings!

Why do you have to skip anything?

Bigger 3rd grade
Preparing 4th grade
HHTT 5th grade

Confused??

Tree House Academy wrote:Why do you have to skip anything?

Bigger 3rd grade
Preparing 4th grade
HHTT 5th grade

Confused??

That's what I was thinking too.
Then 6th, 7th, and 8th would be the other 3 guides Carrie will be putting out. That takes you right up to high school.

Here is just one more scenario for you to consider... when you get to Preparing you could schedule in a geography/world cultures day on the fifth day of your school week. The Preparing guide is written in a 4-day a week format, so you would have that extra day every week to study something else. This would also give you the opportunity to see if you are satisfied with HOD's coverage of geography/world cultures and whether you need to do a separate study.

As for the 14 weeks, I wouldn't let that bother me too much, you do have the summer to get through it if you want to start next fall with a clean slate. If you go through the summer you will be done mid-July, that would leave about 6 weeks of down time before Aug/Sept rolls around.

Best wishes,
Nancy

I really do think HOD does a great job of covering geography in the context of history in the guides. My son is really connecting things this year in Bigger. It's covered once a week in this guide. Here's a past thread that talks about your geography question. If you scroll down to Carrie's post, it tells how HOD does cover geography. If it's something your family really wants to add, there are some other ideas of how to do it in that post, too.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1570&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=geography

Praying right now for your decision. I know how getting a plan in place lets you relax!
Kathleen

I was really of the mindset that we would take a year off to do only Geography as well. I really wanted to do it but as time moved on I realized Geography is so much more interesting and meaningful when it is studied along with the history. Hod really does cover Geography but if you want more what about just adding something like Geography trails or a state study type program on the side. As far as the culture goes I think that also is so much more interesting when it is studied in the context of history or Bible. Having said all that I would not sacrifice finishing Bigger for the sake of a year of Geography. BUT if you really want to have a year of Geography I think you still can. You might have to just put in a little more hear and there but you would be amazed at how fast you really can catch up when you are behind a bit. Another idea would be to maybe do it over two summers time and study only that which could be fun. But I just want to encourage you not to throw the baby out with the bath water. I think it is easy to get so stressed (and I used to be so guilty of this myself) of how are we going to fit it all in all these perfect plans we have and we push so hard to make it all come together perfect that we lose sight of what really matters now.

Whatever you decide I would really encourage you to have include finishing Bigger. Perhaps there are some other options that could be considered. Only you can know for sure what is best for you and your family. Praying for peace for you because I know that angst of trying to make it all fit. Maybe take some time to pray and ask God to show you His best plan for you and give you peace with that would be a good thing to do. I find when I come to decisions that way they are easier to stick with for me.

Tree House Academy wrote:Why do you have to skip anything?

Bigger 3rd grade
Preparing 4th grade
HHTT 5th grade

Confused??

Hi Colleen! I was thinking the above progression too. Are you thinking you'd like to have another whole year for doing a country study as well, and is that why the above progression wouldn't work? If so, I second what has been said about the geography in HOD. I think it is a stand-out part of the overall progression of HOD programs because it links so well to what has been studied in history and science. The geography gets increasingly more difficult. In Creation to Christ, Geography of the Bible Lands is used - for example - and that is a very in-depth study. Each year of HOD increases its geography learning, so it will be much more in-depth than the geography studied in the younger ages of HOD guides.

Are you wanting to take the summer off, but not sure about being in the middle of an HOD program? I may have read into your post here about that, but if that is also something you are concerned about, I just wanted to say that we do that and it's been fine. We live in SD, and we LOVE our summers off because it is some of the only truly outdoor playing friendly weather we have. Also, my dh loves to take our boys fishing, and it is a joy to be able to pick up and do that whenever he wants to during the summer. Anyway, if you want the summer off, definitely take it off without worrying about finishing HOD guides before you do. Our oldest son is on the Sept. to May plan, and finishes his HOD guides this way each year. Our middle son has been on a Jan. to Dec. plan (pretty much). He takes the summer off in the middle, and it has worked just fine. In fact, I have rather enjoyed beginning just 1 new HOD program each Sept., and picking up the one we're in the middle of for my middle ds. Since my middle ds is on the young side of the HOD guides as well, I only do Beyond with him 4 days a week too. So, eventually we won't even be on the Jan. to Dec. plan because he'll need longer than a 36 week school year (with summers off too) to make it through the guides. This is fine with me because it fits his skill level.

So, that brings me to another thought I had as I was reading your post. Are you not sure about what to do with the last 14 weeks of school now? I think it would be nice to do Bigger Hearts now and get a bit of a head start on it. You could actually start it now and do it 4 days a week. Then, take the summer off and begin where you left off, doing it 4 days a week until you finish. That should allow you to finish it by the end of May (even with some time left over). You could always use the fifth day for anything special you wanted - or just free time, which is always a hit around here.
I hope something here helped - just post again with any other thoughts you are having. We'll all help get to the bottom of it so you have a super year!

In Christ,
Julie