Placement for ds8/3rd Grade in Bigger or Preparing??

[bethany]

Hi....I'm new to the board, but have been homeschooling my ds8 and dd6 for 3 years. I'm considering HOD for next year for both dc (1st grade & 3rd grade), but am having trouble deciding where to place ds8....in Bigger or Preparing. Our background is ds used Little Hearts and Beyond for Kindergarten and 1st grade. I was hoping to combine dc, so we are using MFW Adventures this year. Combining doesn't seem to be working very well for us, so I'm planning to separate them again next year. My dd will be using Beyond for 1st grade. My ds, according to the placement chart, seems to be ready for Preparing, except that we are just now starting cursive. He is used to copywork, narration and dictation, as we've also used Writing With Ease 1 & 2 and FLL 1 & 2. He really dislikes writing of any kind, however, so I'm concerned about that aspect of putting him in Preparing. I would say he is an advanced student, with the exception of not liking to write. He has a good understanding of grammar and can write well when he puts his mind to it, so this may be more of a behavior issue than anything else. I also am hesitant to put him in Bigger because we've already done two years of US History with Beyond and MFW, and we'd both like to do world history. Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Bethany

[my3sons]

I too have found it is easier not to combine, and we are enjoying our homeschooling with HOD so much! I'm assuming you checked out the placement chart for dd and have peace about placing her in Beyond. So, focusing on your ds, the writing is an important consideration. Writing skills are an integral part of learning as dc grow and mature, and writing is one of those skills that honestly has to be gradually gained over time so dc truly can become proficient at it. It just can't be rushed, as much as we moms so wish it could sometimes! Having 3 sons myself, I do believe that these fine motor skills do just often come later to boys. As hard as it is to do, I would try to throw out the historical time period in this decision, and instead focus on whichever guide best fits your ds skillwise. Choosing based on proficiency in skills will make a good fit for not only this year, but also for every year to follow. It is what will help ds gain independence, and also what will help free up time for you to teach new skills each year as he matures. If dc cannot do what the guide is asking them to do well this year, they will not be able to do what the next guide is asking them to do the next year, and around and around we go. Here are some threads that describe the writing in BHFHG and PHFHG...

Amount of writing in BHFHG:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3005
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1516&p=11829

Amount of writing in Bigger vs. PHFHG:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3602

Another good thing to do when trying to choose between Bigger Hearts and PHFHG is to print off the first week of plans for each of them...
http://www.heartofdakota.com/pdf/BHFHG-first-week.pdf
http://www.heartofdakota.com/pdf/PHFHG-sample-week.pdf

Read through the plans and see if your ds can really do all that is asked of him to do in each box of plans. When reading through the PHFHG's plans, especially carefully read through the "I" boxes, and see if he can read the material, follow the directions, and complete the skills independently in a fairly timely fashion independently. Likewise, consider the "S" boxes, and see if he can be semi-independent with those, with you helping him get started, but with him finishing quite independently with success. I would be more prone to place a child lower than higher in HOD, as the academic skills are incremental and and an important part of the learning progression from year to year. Can you share your thoughts when you get a chance about all of this, and then we can all chat about options better with you? Of course, prayer is the very best help in finding answers. I have prayed you will have clarity in your decision of what is best for your dc - HOD provides a wonderful way to homeschool our dc - but placement is our best friend in getting the year off to the right start! You are wise to spend some time choosing carefully. Hope something here helps!

In Christ,
Julie

[bethany]

Julie,

Thank you so much for your response and the links. They are very helpful. Yes, my dd(6) places perfectly into Beyond next year with the Emerging Readers set. For ds, I printed out the sample weeks for both Preparing and Bigger. My first impressions after going through the week of Preparing was that it is just right for ds. We would use it with DITHOR 2/3. I also am leaning toward Preparing after reading the thread comparing the writing in Bigger vs. Preparing. Although ds complains about writing anything, he is currently doing about the same amount of writing that is in Bigger this year. I'm also hopeful that learning cursive will make writing easier for him. We've only started cursive about 3 weeks ago, but so far he says he likes it because he can write much "faster & smoother" than printing. Since we won't be starting until September, that still gives about 5 months to work on cursive, and ds will be 8 1/2 then as well. I'm going to have dh review both programs this weekend to get his input and continue praying about it before making a final decision. Thanks again for your help.....this board is really a blessing.

[my3sons]

Glad to help - It sounds like Beyond and PHFHG would be a good fit for your dc! Praying for you as you ponder!

In Christ,
Julie

[Carrie]

Bethany,

I just wanted to welcome you back to HOD! We're glad you're here! Feel free to ask away if you have more questions.

Blessings,
Carrie