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I'm a little confused about the targer age for extensions. We will be doing Bigger with 3rd and 4th graders. Obviously 3rd grader will do the program as is, but I had assumed my 4th grader needed extensions since it is a 2nd/3rd grade program. But...she will not turn 10 until spring and so she will be 9 through most of the school year. The same thing will be true the following year with Preparing...a 10 year old fifth grader. So my question is--- should we do extensions, not do extensions, or do parts of extensions?
Hmmm...we were already considering bumping oldest ahead to CtC after our first HOD year. That way all our dc would be in the exact middle of the age range of each of 3 programs, which is how they place on the chart. By that point the oldest would be quite independent, so 3 would seem manageable. But that is next year, so we'll cross that bridge when we get there
Carrie, i'm so thankful that you have created these wonderful programs that give us options to find the best fit for out children!!!!!!!

I think it is probably going to be a matter of your personal choice. I looked at the extension books. Child's Story of America is a fourth grade book published by Christian Libery Press for it's 4th grade year. But all the rest of the books are late 5th grade reading level. If you were ONLY doing A Child's Story of America (as is the case with Christian Liberty) it would probably be fine for 4th grade.

However, HOD adds in so many other resources, activities, assignments, etc. That effectively takes the history to higher level. I'd mentally set aside A Child's Story of American and ask yourself if your daughter can handle all the other books listed in the extension pack. If not, then I wouldn't think twice about letting my daughter just do the Bigger portion. I've poured over that TM (son is using it in the fall) and it would have given even my daughter a full history year.

My son will be 10 yrs old in 4th grade this fall with Bigger. I'm going to use Child's Story of American & Exploring Planet Earth from the extension pack. I was going to order it all but with us starting DITHOR too I felt it would be too much. Using these two books will increase the history & science for an older child but will not add a ton of extra reading. There are not any extra activities scheduled in the extension, just the books to read. So, that's what our plan is! I hope that helped.

Both Daisy and Kim gave you great advice. Truly you could go either way, since your daughter is 9 turning 10. Since that is the case, if your daughter is an avid reader, who reads well on her own, I'd add the Extension Pack. If she is not a reading lover, or is not a very strong reader, I'd lean toward omitting the Extension Pack (or toward selecting a few titles as Kim mentioned).

Bigger Hearts is a very meaty program even without the Extension Pack, so you won't need to worry if your daughter is getting enough.

Blessings,
Carrie

Thanks Daisy, Kim and Carrie
I think we'll give it a try with the extensions, and if it's too much we'll cut back. At the beginning I might read A Child's Story of America aloud to her. She is a very strong reader but can be quite sensitive.
I've also had a passing thought that I could get the Independent Reader Package from Preparing for her to read instead, since they are specifically for 3rd/4th grade. There wouldn't be any tie-in with the rest of the history we're studying, of course.
So, for now i think we'll start her off with Bigger with Extensions next month, and tweak if it's not working.
Thanks again,