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Skip Preparing?

Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 8:24 am
by srp1997
Hello all,

I've just joined the message board this week. I hate wasting someone's time with a repeat question, but my searches aren't bringing up an answer to my situation. I have two boys - 7(soon to be 8) and 10 (newly). This year I have been doing BHFHG with both boys. Because we already were midstream in several programs, I did not do the right side of the plans except for Science and Storytime. We are in a co-op group, one day a week, called Classical Conversations. They have a three year history rotation which looks like the following: yr.1 - Ancients to Middle Ages, yr.2 - Middle ages to current day world history, yr.3 - U.S. History. For obvious reasons, BHFHG was a perfect match for us as we worked through year 3 of that program. By the way, both boys are very artistic and enjoy the notebook pages.I am trying to make one or two of the HOD programs work for us this year.

The placement chart almost puts my upcoming 3rd grader between Bigger and Preparing. He is just finishing phonics. He reads quite well, but I chose to do one more year of our phonics program while doing Bigger. He hasn't done cursive, but his penmanship is incredible when he is doing his best. Grammar and Math put him into Preparing.

The placement chart has my upcoming 5th grader doing extensions in Preparing or CTC.

I am trying to determine whether one or both of my kiddos should skip Preparing to go into CTC which would be an overall match for our semi-Ancients focus in our co-op. The history they will be doing in co-op will be exactly as follows: doing all the veritas timeline cards, memorizing locations of Ancient civilizations geography (fertile crescent to Muslim empire plus countries of Africa, and S. America) and memorizing 24 history sentences including: from 10 commandments/7 wonders of the world/ through 1822. Obviously from this date, I just realized, the history is not only Ancient history.

My questions are as follows: 1) what is your best suggestion for a fifth grader? 2) do you think that the third grader would be o.k. in Preparing? 3) Would you ever suggest for a third grader to do CTC? 3) Can someone point me to threads about organizing the day and getting everything done without taking too long? Especially if extensions are involved.

Thank you,
Sarah

Re: Skip Preparing?

Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 8:02 pm
by Carrie
Sarah,

Welcome to the HOD board! We're glad to have you here! :D

I'm so happy that you've had a chance to use Bigger Hearts this year and that you've had a good year. As you're looking ahead to next year, you'll find the placement chart very accurate in helping you find the best fit for your kiddos. From what you've shared, I would definitely put your third grader and fifth grader in Preparing Hearts with extensions. Since it is a one-year overview of world history, you'll find it a good fit for what you're studying in your co-op but more importantly will find it a good fit for your kiddos overall. :D

We wouldn't recommend hopping ahead to CTC from Bigger, as the level of independence required for CTC and the level of the readings in CTC will be a large step up from Bigger. Your kiddos will need Preparing Hearts to prepare them for the work to come in CTC. :D

While you could place your older student in CTC if desired, we typically don't recommend running two programs that are right next to one another in line if there is any chance that your kiddos could be combined by using the extension pack. So that is what we'd recommend. Now, it's up to you to determine what you think is best! :wink:

Blessings,
Carrie

Re: Skip Preparing?

Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 8:24 pm
by my3sons
Hi Sarah - and welcome to the HOD Board! :D It is great to hear you've had a wonderful trip through Bigger Hearts. :) I think that PHFHG (with extensions) would give you the best combining scenario. We are just finishing PHFHG, so it is fresh in mind, and I think it would fit your dc well. I also think it would mesh with your co-op learning, and yet still be a nice fit in the day to day. Your younger ds would be able to grow into the reading portions of PHFHG rather than possibly be overwhelmed by that in CTC, and it would fit his grammar and math so nicely. He could do cursive as well, and he would LOVE the notebooking in PHFHG! :D Your older ds would be challenged with the extensions for PHFHG, and he places there well already anyway. :D We did PHFHG with our third grader this year, and he enjoyed it immensely - I would not have been comfortable doing CTC with a third grader; I think it would be far too difficult - but that is just my thoughts. I think PHFHG is a very full program and with the extensions fits a fifth grader very well! :) Here is the link to a wonderful thread about schedules:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2093&p=16049

These are the thoughts I had for you wanting to combine your dc, and I do think it would work very well for them - but you are mom and will know best!

In Christ,
Julie