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blessedmomof4 wrote:Bigger as written is more like 2 to 2 and a half hours YAY!! Also the appendix of Bigger Hearts has detailed directions for studied dictations and oral narrations, so no sweat even if you have no previous experience. We've actually been HODies until this semester, so we've got the dictation and oral narration just fine...it's the written narrations I"m concerned about! The Extension schedule and follow-up suggestions are also in the appendixSeriously? I had to have looked over them a dozen times now then! I'll have to look again. LOL I do see the reading schedule but didn't notice to follow ups in there. , and extension books are meant to be read independently by your child. They might add about another 20 to 30 minutes of work for the older child. Your older child could certainly do the science box independently, to give her more challenge. If you are using the HOD recommendations for language arts and math (we will be using R&S 2 and 4 and Math Mammoth), you could get the next guide up (Preparing) to help with scheduling and to provide higher level dictation passages (She's almost done with level 2 dictation so we will just use our PHFHG guide for level 3 when the time comes), since the appendix of Bigger contains a schedule for Singapore Math 3A and 3B, and dictation passages are "level 2". Preparing has dictation levels 2,3, and 4 and a schedule for Singapore 2,3, and 4 in the appendix, and the daily lessons schedule Rod & Staff Grammar 3 and 4. CTC has R and S Grammar 4 and 5 in the daily plans, dictation levels 3, 4, and 5 and a schedule for Rod and Staff 6 in the appendix, along with schedules for Singapore 3, 4, and 5. You should have each child make their own timeline and vocabulary box. I think the copywork is sufficient in Bigger, but if you felt the need to, you could add a handwriting program like Cheerful Cursive My son will be using CC, but my DD already knows cursive...guess the poetry copywork is plenty along with the other writing???? or the Italic Handwriting.
Looks like you have a good plan in place, and I know you are eager to start, but relax Since they are in public school for now, take the time to refresh and renew, and focus on other areas of life Be careful not to overload yourself or your kids-I know you want what's best, and you are a fabulous momma for that! Thank you

Mom2Monkeys wrote:We'll be doing BHFHG this fall with our 2nd and 5th graders. I have some questions about using Bigger with my 5th grader...

I know Bigger is intended to take 3-3.5 hours, but how does doing it with 2 children change that? Other than the obvious separate math, LA, and one in the ERS and one in DITHOR4/5.
*If you are using all of HOD's LA and math (can't remember here if you are), I'd say 4 hours at most, and probably once you are in a routine, more like 3 hours. I'd either have a round table style of doing math and LA with the 2 of them, or I'd have them each take a 30 minute turn or so playing with toddler and baby, while you teach LA/math to the other one. I think either of these plans would help streamline your time. (They do in our home.)

Where do I find info about what the assignments are and how to do them for the extension readings?
In the appendix of Bigger Hearts

How do I guide her in her written narrations if we've not really gotten those skills learned yet (for either of us )
I can't remember, do you have the PHFHG guide? If so, you can parallel the plans in the Reading about History box for this. If not, you can read this post I just posted for an idea of how to start, keeping in mind it's for CTC, and PHFHG only has dc doing 3-5 sentences:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8390

Do I alter the science lab sheet assignments for her in any way or just have her do them as assigned in the science box?
No, you can use the sheet as it is written, the same steps for the scientific method are followed in PHFHG and CTC as well.

Since she is a 5th grader, should I have her do more of the reading on her own? Possibly doing some of the reading aloud for her and her brother? I don't want to alienate her by sending her to do work on her own since we are looking forward to learning together...but I do want her to have some sort independence.
You could have her read the science to them, but I'd hang on to the history and read that myself to them. She could also read the Storytime book to them, if you would like, maybe during breakfast, lunch, or snack time, so their mouths are busy and she can read without them talking. Other than that, the extensions and DITHOR on her level will be enough reading for her.

She needs to be doing copywork, and I know for the most part she can finish copying the poem in one to two sittings. So, what should we do, if anything, to add copywork for the other days? She is a messy writer and needs practice in careful, correct writing. She writes either super neat and super slow, or super messy and super fast. Perhaps we should just have her do copywork over the summer prior to starting Bigger?
You could plan 2 days of poetry copywork for her in BHFHG, and then have her write 1/3 of her grammar, and do the extension follow-ups. BHFHG has them write their Bible verse each week, and there is a healthy amount of copywork in the notebooking assignments as well. I think this would be enough.

I know many moms use one core guide, and bump up the basics by using the right side of another guide. How is it I'm using Bigger with my 5th grader and not using the right side of another guide? LOL How did we arrive to that and is that right? Will using PHFHG with a 6th grader work without adding in the right side of CTC? I know Julie (my3sons) and I discussed my options for writing instruction already, but beyond writing, is just using the extensions and not using the right side of the next guide correct?
I think at this younger age it is not such a focus, and I already noted why in the other post to which you are referring. But, that being said, you can easily add Igniting Your Writing for your dd to alleviated that concern. It is an excellent writing program. It is open and go, not teacher intensive, and fun to teach. There are 3 levels to choose from within IYW, basic, intermediate, advanced, so you could do basic this year, intermediate the next, and advanced the next if you wanted.

With two kids, do we have two separate time lines and two separate vocab boxes?
Yes, I would. They need to each be able to do these skills, and it will also allow them to use their own creativity in their assignments.

How much time do the extensions add from Bigger? And what of my time is required for the assignments for the extensions?
That depends how quickly dc read, and how well they do with independent work, but I'd ballpark it around 20=25 minutes.


On a side note, I decided to reassure myself of combining by doing about 15-30 minutes of Bigger each evening with my kids now, to make sure my DS7 will be able to handle it. We did Reading About History and the activity last night...I let him play with an abacus (math guy ) while I read and talked about the places on the wall map as we read. He enjoyed it! He did great! He even gave a primitive narration to Dad about Columbus and the "sea of darkness". He knew the names of all the continents for the activity, and really enjoyed finding and tracing them. I think he's going to do wonderfully! He wants to do more tonight Since my DD9 already did the first 10 units or so of Bigger, I think I'll continue on with him as we are able at night, with her listening in while playing with the baby in the entryway (gated and used as play area) right beside the school room so he's gaining the skills and she's getting the review from when she did it before. Doing it this way means we may get two full days (not the basics of course since he's doing that in school) each week, so we may get about 6-8 units done before they are out for the summer. Then maybe we'll a little each day or two over the summer to get our groove going and pick up strong in August. I want to be ready to move forward come August since we'll only have 4 days per week for school, so I really like the idea of training him in these skills very slowly now. He also enjoys the time together, which is far different than the time we "spend together" doing homework from public school. We will of course, be starting him on Unit 1 Day 1 in August for him in grammar, cursive, spelling, and math activities. I think this will work out fine... ??
Smart idea, Tamara! I think this is an excellent way to begin to train ds and review for dd. I do think this is going to work out well! HTH!

my3sons wrote:

Mom2Monkeys wrote: I know many moms use one core guide, and bump up the basics by using the right side of another guide. How is it I'm using Bigger with my 5th grader and not using the right side of another guide? LOL How did we arrive to that and is that right? Will using PHFHG with a 6th grader work without adding in the right side of CTC? I know Julie (my3sons) and I discussed my options for writing instruction already, but beyond writing, is just using the extensions and not using the right side of the next guide correct?
I think at this younger age it is not such a focus, and I already noted why in the other post to which you are referring. But, that being said, you can easily add Igniting Your Writing for your dd to alleviated that concern. It is an excellent writing program. It is open and go, not teacher intensive, and fun to teach. There are 3 levels to choose from within IYW, basic, intermediate, advanced, so you could do basic this year, intermediate the next, and advanced the next if you wanted.

In Christ,
Julie