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We are having a wonderful year and I would like some feedback from those who have done both of these guides.
Thanks!
Linda

Doing them both this year and you definitely will! They are wonderful. Makes me really excited to do RTR next year!

Hi Linda.

We used Preparing last year and loved it! Then we went backward a little and used some of Bigger Hearts this past fall, long story .

Now we are using CTC and absolutely love it! I think this is our favorite guide so far. I was so worried that The Story of the Ancient World would be too difficult for my younger son (10), but so far he is doing fine with it. We are all learning so much Biblical history. I keep telling my husband that *I *want to take this course right along with my boys, because it is so great. I so wish I had been taught with a program like this when I was younger.

Now, we are only finishing up week 4, so we are not too far into it, but I am really impressed! I think you will enjoy it just as much, if not more than Preparing.

Allison

We are going through Preparing...and CTC right now....in Unit 5 this week. We love it, and I really like how they are both dealing with World History. For me, that helps solidify and make connections, so I'm learning and remembering the details better! I am also looking forward to RTR...

We did PHFHG last year and CTC this year. Loved them both! I like how some of our teacher-directed lessons change each year, and how each year dc make strides toward independence in skills, while still always learning new skills too. It keeps things familiar yet fresh each year. I think CTC will be your new favorite next year!

In Christ,
Julie

Linda,

I'm thrilled to hear how much you're enjoying Preparing Hearts! It is fully doing it's job then of preparing your kiddos for the study of Christ that is coming in CTC.

We have enjoyed CTC in a different way than we enjoyed Preparing Hearts. The exciting hands-on projects are still there, but there is also the addition of the beautiful full-color notebook (for which the child will finally be of the age where he/she can produce something worthy of keeping in the long-term).

The kiddos are also growing and maturing and taking on more responsibility in CTC, which can be bittersweet but is also needed as they move closer to their teen years. I can see my sons rising to the challenge and being glad for the opportunity of not needing me for every part of their day anymore.

The read-alouds continue to be enjoyable, but we have moved into higher level content and application. We've also been having tremendous discussions within Genesis: Finding Our Roots and the Geography of the Bible Lands, which I am thoroughly enjoying. The boys are ready to discuss more now, and I can almost see their minds making connections. The fruit is truly beginning to show from the previous years of study as my kiddos move into CTC. It is a joy to behold, although with my second son I'll always have to do more hand-holding to keep him on task than I did with my first.

I am also thoroughly enjoying our time with DITHR, as the boys are really thinking deeply about the character traits and applying what they're learning to their reading. They are in a whole new stage as learners, and our discussions are much richer and their answers more thorough and soul-seeking. I can see them becoming young men before my eyes.

The daily quiet time habit is a blessing to me as I watch my boys strive (not always easily) to find a quiet place to focus and be with the Lord. I'm praying the habit of a quiet time will be instilled in them much younger than it was instilled in me.

Last, but not least, we are seeing great progress in their writing. The years of Rod and Staff grammar are paying off, and both boys are writing things far beyond what my kiddos in school ever did. This isn't because my kiddos are truly gifted in this area, it's truly just systematic preparation for writing from copywork, narration, dictation, and grammar. On the whole, these skills paired with the readings from consistently living books, do more to prepare good writers than any writing program.

So, long story short, we pray you will enjoy the fruit of Preparing Hearts as you travel through CTC.

Blessings,
Carrie