Are extension packages used in place of basic packages?

[effiestuart]

In preparing to purchase for next year, I am thinking of getting the extension package for my daughter who is at the top of the age range for the particular curriculum we have chosen. If I purchase the extension package is that to be used in place of the basic package or in addition to? Thank you for any thoughts or advice!

[mamamag5]

I am curious about the answer to this as well. Initially I thought they were in addition to the basic history reading, but then there are more recommendations for written narrations for the extentions. For example, in Rev to rev the students have a written and oral narration once a week but if you add the extentions it is recommended to do two written narrations, one summary and one detailed of three to four paragraphs plus two oral narrations for the week. Thats a total of three written and three oral narrations a week. Whew. Is that the intended plan? Seems like a lot. Look forward to hearing a response.

[Gwenny]

I don't know the correct answer, but I just thought I would tell you that there are different options depending on the child. Right now for my daughter in Preparing, I have her reading the basic package with what it says to do in the guide. Then she just reads the extension books. She's at the top of the age, but not necessarily up for the extra work involved. She is a great reader though and can easily get the reading done. I don't know if that will always be the case with her, as she improves in her skills I might change that up a little. She will always at least read the extension books. Oh, I did the same thing with her in Bigger.

I'm looking forward to the answer of what Carrie intended also. I think it is that you only get the extension package but not sure. It says "Adding this optional package to the Economy Package"--the economy package does not include the "basic package"--so pretty sure you are to pick one. I love all of the books so much that I want her to read them all. If yours is a reader, you could buy both packages and just use the extension books and their activities and just read the basic package on "other time". In fact, after looking at this again and thinking about it, I will probably do that with her next year.

Blessings!

[MomtoJGJE]

From my understanding, and I might be wrong, but if you are doing the extension package you do everything PLUS the extension package. It's an extension to the guide as it is written. So you would buy everything you would use for any child in the guide, then you would also get the extension package. When doing the guide you would do everything as written in the guide, and then add in the work from the extensions.

Like I said, I might be wrong... we've never used the extension package.

[Tidbits of Learning]

The extensions are on top of the basic package. It is meant to extend the guide for a few ages/grades above the recommended age level. So that maybe an older sibling could combine with a younger sibling. It does add a lot to the day though to do the narrations that are needed to really beef up the extensions. I would not personally do them in that manner if my child fit in the age range even if they were on the older side of the age range. If your student places in the guide and is not being combined with a younger sibling, then you should not need the extension packages. You can always use them for extra reading and I have done that with a child that was on the high end of the age range for a guide while combined with a sibling, but for me...unless they are out of the age/grade range...the extensions were not necessary and only added to our day.

[Carrie]

The ladies have done a great job of talking through this question. The intention is for students to use both the Basic and Extension Packages if they are in the Extension range of a guide. Keep in mind that an older child should have a jump up in work from what is required of a younger sibling in the same guide. So, the added readings and the added follow-ups are needed to truly extend a guide. Keep in mind that Charlotte Mason required kiddos to narrate (either in oral or written form) on EVERY reading done each day. So, the guidelines we have suggested for follow-ups for the Extensions are still less than what her standard was narration-wise for just her regular students. We do add many other follow-ups with skills though to our guides that she did not include as part of her day, so the workload balances out and is more than enough the HOD way.

There are, however, exceptions to using both packages with an older student. If, for example, you have a older student who is a struggling or very slow reader, then you would choose either the Basic or the Extension Package to use so as not to overwhelm your student. Or, if you have a student who is a struggling writer, then you would downsize the follow-ups to the Extension Pack readings possibly by doing more oral narrations and less written. In that case, though, you would still need to be sure the child was doing all other written assignments required by the guide so as not to downsize too far. Or, if you had a child who was on the verge of needing the Extension Pack, then you could also weigh whether to include it or not and modify the amount of written narrations required as well. If finances are very tight, then you could choose one or the other of the packages. In the case of extreme financial duress, with an older child (who is not a struggling reader or writer), I would choose the Extension Package (in lieu of the Basic Package), simply to make sure the child is extending and getting enough. On the other hand, in financial duress for a struggling older reader, I would choose the Basic Package and either have the child try to read it himself/herself (at the RTR level on up), or have the parent read it to the child instead to relieve some of the reading burden (knowing that having the child read his own DITHR books, science, and then history would be more important).

Hopefully, this isn't confusing all of you... but there are exceptions to every case, and I wanted to share a few with you. Most families with kiddos in the Extension range do fine with both the Basic and Extension Package as intended (with the parent reading aloud the Basic and the child reading the Extensions).

Blessings,
Carrie