New guides for part of high school?

[hsmom4]

In planning, I'd like to keep my dc together as much as possible. I feel my oldest two will be easiest to keep together most of the way through schooling as they are only a little more than 2yrs apart. One of my ideas has them landing in CTC when they are in 4th and 7th grade (they would be 9/10 and 12)...but, my oldest dc would finish the cycle in 10th grade. Will there be extensions for a 15yo 10th grader in the last guide? Would I have to add anything particular? We will of course be moving up through R&S Grammar and I guess I'll need to start Write With The Best for the oldest before starting CTC. Can this possibly work? Is the science enough if there are extensions or is it suggested to add a science program for an older child?

Would it be wise to stop in 9th with the next to last guide and move on to a 3 year history program for 10-12th (like Notgrass or Trail Guide to Learning, as I hear they are going to have 3 high school books out by then).

[water2wine]

Here's a thread that might be helpful for you. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3366&p=24883&hilit=Notgrass#p24843

[hsmom4]

Thanks for the link.

I can understand that CTC could not count toward high school credit, but my oldest would only be in 7th that year, but in 10th during the last guide. The max age without extensions on that one is 14 and mine will be 15 and 10th grade. So is it possible to use the last two guides with some tweaking for 9th and 10th seeing as how my dc will only be one year older than the recommended age range?

Would CTC be too much for a 4th grader that will turn 10 a little less than half-way through it?

I really want to keep them together. I never have and this year, taking an easier year and doing a more 3R's approach and adding in some together lessons for science/history/Bible is bringing them to a new level in their relationship. They are truly becoming friends...I love it!! I want to keep it up b/c they have been my two that really clash. My younger two are more years apart, but same grade levels apart due to where bdays fall and how that affects the public school grade level idea. So, I am hoping to do the same with them later, keeping all together for a bit longer. (youngest two aren't really doing "school", but well on their way).

[my3sons]

Would CTC be too much for a 4th grader that will turn 10 a little less than half-way through it?

I can answer this part of the question. My ds was 9 when we began CTC this year, and he'll turn 10 about a third of the way through it. He's been doing great with it! I will say if a 9 yo child is not a fairly good reader and is not pretty good at following directions for independent work, that CTC would take more time to grow into. Having used HOD before using CTC has really helped my ds be successful with CTC. So, if a child has done well with PHFHG (having done the things independently that should be done independently), he will do well with CTC. My ds is loving it, and so am I!

As far as your other question, I think you'd have to weigh what your goals are for your dc. High school can look very different depending on what a person's goals are for their dc. There isn't one right path necessarily (IMO ). For instance, if you are hoping your dc will attend Harvard and get a law degree, you would want to be very rigorous in your selection of high school materials. If you are going to encourage your dc NOT to go to college and would like to focus more on a different avenue (i.e. them owning their own business, them studying to take an exam to be able to do something career-wise instead, etc.) then your course selections would be very different. My dh and I are still wading through this and will probably continue to do so until the time comes we actually need to help our dc make a decision. Doing HOD's guides within the age ranges noted in the manuals should prepare dc to be able to be on track to do high school and move on to college if they so desire. Other than that, I guess looking at the manuals, your state's requirements, and your family's goals would be helpful in deciding. I'm sure Carrie will answer when she has time and will better be able to guide you in your decision. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful!

In Christ,
Julie

In Christ,
Julie

[water2wine]

I can understand that CTC could not count toward high school credit, but my oldest would only be in 7th that year, but in 10th during the last guide. The max age without extensions on that one is 14 and mine will be 15 and 10th grade. So is it possible to use the last two guides with some tweaking for 9th and 10th seeing as how my dc will only be one year older than the recommended age range?

I'm sorry I misunderstood you. That is my plan actually. I plan to use it all the way through even with my oldest and I have asked Carrie about it. I live in a state that has no requirements whatsoever than certain subjects be covered and a certain amount of time and days. I am thinking as long as we do math LA and science at a higher level we are good. So I plan to use the very last guide in 10th grade. I will ask Carrie if suggests recommended reading to add on the side and she has helped us this way before, it worked great. So I am all about doing that for my family. Using CTC this year and sort of imagining that things will progress each year I think it will work for us. I am big on Bible, big on connecting God to everything, science for my oldest is on the beef up for us anyway because of her goals being that she wants to go into medicine, and the rest is really designed to use what you want anyway. So I am all about doing that. If you have state requirements for high school it might be a completely different story but for us there is not even unit requirements so it works just fine for our children's goals. And when I glanced at the SATs I did not notice History on it unless you chose it as a subject test. I know we all revolve our life around history but it's something to think about.

So I think if it works for your state you might want to beef up science and do of course LA and Math on grade level, why not. If that works for your state. Works fine for mine so that is our plan. And I will tell you that we are doing different science for CTC (because of my daughter's goals my other kids will use it as written next year). It is still a great program with science being from another program. It is still very full and worth doing HOD. This is my oldest and she is in 7th grade, she is a book worm and just loves doing CTC. In fact she tries to bargain with me to read on her own the stuff that is supposed to be read aloud. So it is still very appealing even if you leave the science out.

OK hope I am actually answering what you are asking this time.

[hsmom4]

LOL water2wine. That was a helpful answer It's nice to know someone is going before me!

We live in a state with certain high school requirements, but not times/days in session. DC has to put in a certain number of "hours" to earn credits. This is required if they wish to "graduate". I'm hoping my children will go to college as well, so I know they require certain subjects to be taken as well. I also wouldn't have a clue where to go for 11th and 12th grade beyond continuing our science, LA, and math. I like the look of CornerStone Curriculum's world view courses which takes a 3 year span to do it all, as well as Notgrass History-- World and American in 2 years, but still have to take the Notgrass Gov't which is a semester, and perhaps could be taken alongside one of the other two. (it's a credit req) I don't want to have to cram things in for those last two years to make sure to get all the right credits...I know HOD would cover many, many of them so long as we beefed up math/LA/sci.

It's amazing how much what we do now, affects what we do later! Oldest doesn't want to wait to start CTC, but we'll see. It would sure help this mom to keep my kids in pairs.

[8arrows]

The Cornerstone Worldviews is three syllabuses, but it can acutally span 4 years. The second book can be split over two years (One year would be a heavy load.). Probably more info than you needed, but maybe it will be helpful in some way. We are using Worldviews year 1 for my two high schoolers this year.

[water2wine]

It's amazing how much what we do now, affects what we do later! Oldest doesn't want to wait to start CTC, but we'll see. It would sure help this mom to keep my kids in pairs.

It feels that way sometimes doesn't it. And I completely understand keeping your children in pairs if possible. I look at the years where we will be beefing up as years to potentially add more biblical worldview oriented material. Perhaps some of the cornerstone material could be worked that way as well. For instance you might not want to do every book but maybe mini survey of some of the books and add that. Or you could spread Notgrass government over a year rather than a semester. I see the two years we will be off in grade level actually as a gift because we will still be thoroughly covering the History through HOD but there will be room to add as well. I know I can add other books for my child to read on their own to HOD and probably still be able to add more worldview material as well especially since we will be on a 4 day schedule. Anyway just a different way of looking at it. Sometimes you can still get what you want by reworking it a bit and not doing everything of the extras or stretching it out a bit longer than intended. You are looking at covering the same kinds of things as I am with wanting to do Notgrass in the later years and add worldview material. So I completely understand about wanting to cover it all. It might not all work out perfect on paper for the future now but I think when you get there you might find that things can still be worked out to cover parts of all you want to cover or cover what you want in a different way still using the things you like. I am looking ahead and looking into what we want to use but I am also looking at what we use now and making sure that I do not sacrifice a perfect fit now for a possible fit later either if that makes sense.