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Just finalizing my plan for next year. I will have a 9 1/2 y.o. 4th grader starting Bigger with Extensions in the fall.
Is this all she needs:

Rod &Staff 3
Poetry copywork in cursive from Bigger
Studied dictation from Preparing (either level 3 or 4)
DITHOR 4/5
Written and oral narrations and notebooking to go with Bigger extension books (we have the manual for Preparing so I'll use the Written Narration instructions in the appendix)

Anything else? Will R&S 3 give her enough writing instruction? I didn't challenge her enough in these areas this year, so I'd like to make sure next year is really solid for her.

In addition to what you have listed in Bigger, your child will also complete a science lab sheet once weekly and create a history notebook with once weekly entries. Your child will do vocabulary cards each week as well.

Rod and Staff 3 has all of its writing lessons grouped within the final chapters, as it works toward laying a very strong foundation in grammar prior to doing much formal writing. If you are deeply concerned about grammar/writing instruction, you could always do English 4 with your child instead.

One other option would be to add Igniting Your Writing I once weekly to "up" the level of your child's writing instruction to a level that better fits your family's goals in this area.

Blessings,
Carrie

Carrie,
Thanks so much for replying! I'd forgotten about some of the other things that are woven right into the program that will help dc in their language arts skills. That was what they really needed this past year, and one of the many reasons we are SO excited about HOD
I just wanted to make sure we didn't need to start a separate writing program. I do have a copy of a consumable version of ILL, so I might just have oldest do an occasional writing lesson from that. She likes to write.
Thanks again,

I think that sounds like enough! I'm so glad you are carefully weighing that, and I do think you have put together a plan to very adequately meet your older child's needs. Enjoy Bigger Hearts - it is such fun!

In Christ,
Julie

Thanks, Julie! I feel really good about the plan for next year. Every time I pick up the Bigger Manual and look through it I find something wonderful I think it will be a great fit, both skill-wise and interest-wise, for my kiddos. But possibly even more importantly, I think it will be a really good fit for me as the teacher, which will then trickle down and bless my kids.
I was trying to choose between R&S 2 or 3 for combining my girls, and neither seemed right. Now that we plan to do separate levels, it really feels like the plan is clicking into place.
Feeling blessed...

Oh, I'm so glad! It sounds like your plan is coming together very well! We pray you'll enjoy Bigger Hearts as much as we have with our own sons.

Blessings,
Carrie