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I am excited to get going with school this year. We are on a different more year round schedule this year. I am thinking RTR will be super easy open and go like all the rest of HOD. I pretty much just do the prep Carrie suggests in the into of the manual and open and go from there. This year we have had some difficulties to overcome unrelated to school so I am just wanting to make our start day super easy. Have you found any things that really helped make it smooth. Just curious mostly. We are super excited to start HOD again this year! I've got two of my favorites Bigger and CTC with RTR this year. I know it's going to be a great year!

I am not doing RTR, but we are loving CTC. Just wanted to wish you a wonderful school year!

Thank you Rebecca. I appreciate it. CTC is such a great program. I am so glad you are loving it!

How exciting you are getting ready to start RTR! As far as starting RTR, I decided just to print the Medieval History Based writing lessons resource pages right away and put them in a binder. I also decided to print the Map Trek CD all at once too, which was quick to do beforehand and saved a little time in the day to day. One thing I like is having several blocks of teaching time with my RTR ds. Then, at the start of the second block of time, I have him bring his guide and Student Notebook, and I spot check the boxes he's completed to be sure they're completed in their totality. This is a quick way to check if he's on track. I check it once more at the end, but more on my own, as those boxes have things he hands in to me, and it's easy to see if he's done them properly or not. I also let him do his Bible Quiet Time independently first thing in the morning in his bedroom, before school time "officially" starts. He likes this, and I try to do my Bible Quiet time then too. Those are just a few tips that have been helping me out with RTR. It's an awesome guide - I think you'll really enjoy it!

In Christ,
Julie

Hi!

We started our school year by finishing up CTC, but when it came time to do RTR, we did a mock run through. We sat down with the books and guide and went through each box (in the order that she would do them each day) and talked about what was expected about each one. Then when dd11 started RTR she felt familiar with following the guide. I also did this with CTC last year and it really helped make a smooth first day.

Enjoy RTR--we are enjoying it, history is not my dd favorite thing, but she is enjoying Peril and Peace. (I do too!)

Jess

Great ideas! Thanks!

my3sons wrote: It's an awesome guide - I think you'll really enjoy it!

That is one thing I never doubt when we crack open a new guide. I know it is going to be awesome. My dd is really excited to use it this year. And my other kids are excited to use Bigger and CTC because they have seen their sibling/siblings use it. And I am a mean mom. You can look but you can't do until it is "your" program.

water2wine,

It's good to see you! We're underway with RTR as well. I need to post my schedule soon! We're working out any bugs in the schedule right now but it is going well. The transition from CTC to RTR was a pretty smooth one here.

I also printed all the maps from the Map Trek CD and put them in a binder prior to beginning RTR. In the science binder, I put in all the needed paper for each tabbed section ahead of time as well (copy paper for the notebooking, lined loose-leaf paper for the written narrations, and photocopied 35 lab forms for the science experiment section).

I typically put the books being used in one cabinet, while the books waiting in the wings to be used later go in another cabinet. Since the history books rotate from Famous Men of the Middle Ages to Peril and Peace or Monks and Mystics and the The Story of the Middle Ages, I put all of those in the cabinet of those books being used right now.

I also used the first day of Drawn into the Heart of Reading as a time to allow my 6th grader to choose which of the books he wished to start with first, and then we did that genre first. In that way, he got a choice about where to begin, what to read, and jumped right in.

When planning my times for grammar/writing/DITHR, I made one time block in the morning for Medieval Writing (and then will do grammar as scheduled in the guide in that time block when there is no Medieval Writing lesson - like on Day 4). Then, I made another time block for DITHR (and will do grammar in that time block when there is no DITHR like on Day 2). It works out that I can follow the plans exactly that way and still only have two time blocks devoted to grammar/writing/DITHR each day. Anyway that may be clear as mud, but it helped me in my schedule!

Have a great start!

Blessings,
Carrie

Carrie thank you so much for the clear direction.I completely understand what you are saying about the writing and DITHR. I really appreciate all the tips! We're excited to get going. Tomorrow is print and prepare day. Yippee!