DD placed into Bigger but struggling -- is this normal?

[kayrenee]

kayrenee, you have no idea how stressed I was about even asking these questions on the board to begin with! It was so nice of you to tell me that was the right thing to do! I was just sure everyone out there in HOD-cyber-land was frustrated with me for asking a question that has probably been asked a thousand times before. But everyone has been so helpful and willing to share their experiences and advice with me. Thank you!

Let's face it, Jenn, it's embarrassing to not know how to do this when one has older children, because we should know it all by now, right? At least that's how I feel sometimes. It's easier to stay with something that I "know" than it is to ask questions and figure out how to use something else, even if that something else might actually be a better choice.

Maybe can learn -- or re-learn -- together.

[LynnH]

I completely agree with annaz. At the beginning of every guide there are a few things that my ds can do perfectly as written right away. There are a few things where he might be almost there and just need to build towards more independence if that is what the box requires. Then there are the things that are still pretty rough and those are the things that I target as goals by the end of the year. Usually about 1/2 to 3/4ths of the way through the year he is where he should be with those also. The thing I love about HOD is that in the following guide then it expands even more on the skills that he worked so hard to master in the previous guide and pushes him just a little bit more by adding a different element to that skill.

[annaz]

Here's my two cents. My belief is that the skill-building moves from guide to guide. So if you've finished Beyond (or any guide) or are even just starting out in a guide, that what is contained in your current guide in the first week, will be what you need to achieve by year's end. No one miraculously gains that many skills between guides, but it's the skills to build up to and perfect by the time you move to the next guide. Look at it as a goal. You'll know that if they couldn't do those skills in the first week or the first semester, those daily goals on what you are to achieve will be met anywhere during the year, whether it be by semester, by 3rd quarter or years end. Work up to those goals. I think that's why so many bow out. Carrie had said to give a program 3 months. I can attest to this every year of using HOD. The kinks are out with mom and kids, and it should start to flow more easily to start really perfecting those skills required of the guide.

If we were perfect in those skills right away in every guide, then there wouldn't be any skill-building, would there?

I think I FINALLY understand. I have tried several different levels of HOD with two different children, and never did understand that they're not supposed to be able to do everything well at the beginning... until now. I think, if I'm understanding your post correctly, Annaz? If so, then that explains why I kept wanting to love HOD and make it work. I knew there was *something* about it that I've been continually drawn to. I guess I was expecting the beginning of the year to be easy -- all review, the way most curriculums do it -- and then it would get progressively harder throughout the year. But you're saying no, that it's just the opposite, right?

That would explain what is meant by each guide "building" upon the previous guide. If a student did Beyond, for example, then the END of the year would be easier for the child than the beginning... so that when the child begins Bigger, they HAVE the skills necessary to be ABLE to begin Bigger... even if it's not easy for them yet. But it'll GET easier as the year goes on.... if the parent doesn't give up too soon as I did.

Is that right?

Yes. You've got it! The guides skill-build and you perfect those skills in each guide. So the guides from year to year get progressively more difficult, but most of the skills are the same throughout the same guide. As far as I've gotten, I believe only RTR did an increase in written narration sentences in the same guide and that was in the first semester if I'm not mistaken. I can't remember exactly where. And it's been awhile that I've been in the younger guides. Don't quote me. LOL!

Yes, the end of the year should be easier, because they've perfected the skills. Then the new guide starts new skills you want to perfect. HOD starts full speed ahead, right away. Personally, I'd prefer to see a 30 week guide so there's some leeway in skill building, taking the first few weeks at a pace without feeling overwhelmed, frantic or feeling we start the year behind. With 36 week guides, there's not much room for that and I think it scares people off. I don't really care what people say, you don't have to finish every book, every assignment every year at the end of the year. I've been known to bypass the written work at the end of the year to just finish up the reading, since we've built our skills for that guide. It's very full and there's lots to do. I prefer to try to enjoy it rather than be driven by what I didn't complete at the end of the year. Unless you've not conquered the skills in that guide you can move on to the next guide by years end. Some will have a problem with that, but it's about skills, not what portion of an era they didn't read about. However, that doesn't go for the 3 r's.

[raceNzanesmom]

and never did understand that they're not supposed to be able to do everything well at the beginning... until now.

Is that right?

Right. They should have the skills needed to get started and ability to learn how to do it. My ds has used HOD since mid-1st grade. We still had to chunk up the narrations in the beginning of Bigger. Or, I'd re-state the main fact from a paragraph or two before moving on (doing it in a conversational way- that's so cool that he moved from Maine to New York when he was a boy, something like that). Give less and less help as she gets better at it. I bet you'll be amazed come spring.

Hang in there. Bigger is such an awesome guide. I bet you'll both end up loving it.

[glperky]

Jenn,

I am just wondering if you stuck with Bigger and if so, how is it going? I ask becuse we were in the same boat as you but we went down to Beyond. I think if I would have read this post, we would have stayed in Bigger. I am thinking of making some changes after the new year and wonder how things are going for you. Because of life, co-ops, and vacation we haven't done HOD since mid-October. So therefore we only got through Unit Five Day Two.

Thank you for any input you can give.

[jenn in nc]

Jenn,

I am just wondering if you stuck with Bigger and if so, how is it going?

Just wanted to let you know that I saw your question and I'm planning to reply in the morning...

Jenn

[glperky]

Jenn,

I am just wondering if you stuck with Bigger and if so, how is it going?

Just wanted to let you know that I saw your question and I'm planning to reply in the morning...

Jenn

Great, can't wait to hear from you.

[jenn in nc]

Jenn,

I am just wondering if you stuck with Bigger and if so, how is it going? I ask becuse we were in the same boat as you but we went down to Beyond. I think if I would have read this post, we would have stayed in Bigger. I am thinking of making some changes after the new year and wonder how things are going for you. Because of life, co-ops, and vacation we haven't done HOD since mid-October. So therefore we only got through Unit Five Day Two.

Thank you for any input you can give.

We did stick with Bigger, and I'm so glad we did. After the discussion here on the board and then looking really closely at the sample week of Beyond, I was convinced that Beyond would be too easy for her. She is actually a really smart and capable student, and I don't want her to be bored -- I want her to be appropriately challenged. Also, my husband really felt that she would be better off to stay with Bigger and learn the skills she needed to succeed in it. In the end I think we decided to trust the placement chart, and keep at it (she definitely placed in Bigger according to the chart, and for all our other kids the chart has proven to be very accurate).

Also it really helped *so* much to read through the responses of several ladies here on this thread who explained what I should expect at the beginning of an HOD year, and how HOD is structured. (Next year I will definitely stagger our starting times right at the beginning and give each student a chance to get used to their new HOD year before adding in another student... that would have helped me out tremendously at first I think, to get through the beginning learning curve).

So now our plan is to go about half speed, but we can sometimes do more. I honestly think that she could do more most of the time now that she has gotten used to HOD, and I'm thinking that after Christmas we'll go to almost full speed. Even at full speed she won't finish Bigger by the time this school year is finished, but I am fine with that. She is placed right where she needs to be and so we'll just move forward at the best speed for her. She is learning a lot and becomes more independent every week. She really loves school!

I did give her the history books from Beyond to read to herself (we already owned most of them) and she is enjoying those very much. We're not using those as a replacement for the history in Bigger, I just added them because she didn't get to do Beyond and the books are really good! She is narrating beautifully from the Beyond books just because she wants to tell me all about what she is reading in those, so I know she can narrate well. But she is still learning to narrate from the history in Bigger. She is getting better though. And I am getting better at stopping more frequently to allow her to narrate smaller portions; that helps. Also... part of the reason Eggleston is such a delightful author is his nuanced way of writing. He will say things in a clever way that she sometimes just doesn't get. Then I do some model narrating, and I'm hoping that in time she'll begin to pick up on those more abstract things.

Anyway... I don't know if these are the kinds of things you were wanting to know about, I feel like maybe I'm just rambling! So please let me know if there is anything I didn't answer that you'd like to know about.

Wishing you the best as you search out the right placement for your student!

Jenn

[glperky]

Thank you very much Jenn. That was a big help. I think we will be moving up to Bigger come January. I still have a couple more weeks to pray about it. I have all of the books from both Beyond and Bigger so that helps since I don't have to order anything. Thank you again for your response and time.