I am stuggling with my upcoming Fall plans - 7kids

Benelli · Post by **Benelli** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 9:56 am

Hello. I have been using HOD BHFHG since March with my 2nd grade son. He is doing beautifully... a perfect fit. (Thanks to all who encouraged me to pull him out of PS!) Now, given the enjoyment we've had, and the leading we feel from God, we are going to be homeschooling all of our children. (Ages 9.5, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, and 8 mos.) I have placed my 5-7 year olds in "Little Hearts"... - the youngers using the K choices, the 2 olders using the 1st grade choices. My 4 yo is a strong reader, and will join them when he wants, but will do LHTH along with "The Reading Lesson" with the K boy.

My big problem is the two older kiddos. My dd just completed 4th grade at the public school, and is an excellent student. She places very strongly into Preparing... My ds would do ok with Preparing except with the advanced copywork, writing, and dictation. That's a real struggle for him, and even in Bigger, he sometimes has to have the assignments adjusted to not overwhelm him. He is a very strong independent reader, and can do some independent work, but often needs to be "refocused". So, first - put them together in Bigger with extension for dd, or Preparing and adjust his assignments?

Second issue with the above is this... Since we started Bigger in March, my son has just completed through Week 10. We just started our summer break. If we go with Bigger for both kids, how will I "catch up" my dd with LA and math, so as to be able to follow the schedule? Also, she wants to make sure she is "a grade older", and is struggling that they might be in the same program - an issue with being PS'd I'm sure.

We (my ds and I) ended the school year in the middle of "John Audubon" and our reader "The Buffalo Knife"... It was the best breaking point I could choose for where we were, because we "finished" Ben Franklin and our music. So, another question I have - continue with just those two readings (with no work), or can kids take a 2 month break and just jump back in with reminders of what happened in the book? Or, would we start back up with a much shorter Historical Fiction book for the remaining 2 weeks of HF - scheduled to be read over 10 days instead of 20?

I'm sorry this is so long, but I know you ladies will have good advice for me. I also know that without this terrific curriculum I would be even more lost than I am. I feel so confident with our direction with HOD even as a brand spankin' new homeschooler! I'm so grateful for that peace of mind... but, I do still have questions

Especially with teaching such a large crew!

Lisa

Jen in Va · Post by **Jen in Va** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 11:54 am

Okay, let me see if I can get a visual of this. I'm visual--charts and stuff always help me.

9.5
8--currently in Bigger Week 10

LHFHG
7
6
5

LHTH
4

Yep, helps me a lot. I think the plan you sketched out sounds great.

Based on what you said about your 8 yo, I would definitely put the two oldest in Bigger with the extensions for the 9.5 yo. As is often said on the HOD boards, it's easier to beef up a program for an advanced learner than it is to tone down an advanced program for a younger student.

Now, to catch up LA and math. You said she is a strong student. I checked and could not find that LA for her grade level is scheduled in the Bigger guide (I could be wrong about this--haven't done Bigger yet. I'm sure someone will correct me if I have misspoken.), so you could just start her in R&S 3rd (R&S takes a big jump at 4th grade, so I wouldn't start her above 3rd, even as a strong student, because R&S advances quickly--high school level and beyond grammar is covered by the end of 8th grade. I think using R&S grammar a grade level behind the student's actual grade level is ideal.) and at her level math. Would you use Singapore or something else? Since they are neither scheduled in the guide for the advanced student, I'd just start her at the beginning of her books when you start on Week 11 of Bigger. At her level of Singapore you need the teacher's books and textbook anyway. You could maybe have her do an extra lesson of math and LA once a week if you are worried about her not finishing the books by the end of your school year, but honestly, with R&S, which I used with both my older kids, we always finished before their other subjects, so I don't think it would be a problem. You could always skip the Review Lessons in R&S if she has the concept down in order to help quicken the pace somewhat.

IMO, LA and math are the easiest subjects to be flexible with and really allow you to customize a HOD program to fit the needs of your family. Trying to adapt Preparing for your son will stress him and you, while adapting Bigger for your daughter just means adding the extension pack and appropriate levels of DITHOR, math, grammar.

The books she will be using in the extension pack will be obviously more difficult than the ones your son will use--as will her math and grammar, so she will know that she is a grade head of her brother. I believe there are different levels of dictation in the appendix of the guide, too.

Hope I haven't muddied the waters........

water2wine · Post by **water2wine** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:11 pm

Well let me first say congratulations for your wonderful decision to homeschool all your children!

That was the best and also the hardest decision to make. That is one I am sure you will not regret. The rest of these are easy compared to that. I know for myself when coming from ps to hsing we tend to worry about a lot of details that in the end do not really matter so much. They kind of work themselves out as we go. I am saying this from my personal experience having pulled four from ps. So one thing I realized along the way is to realize that we are not trying to recreate ps in our hsing so therefore some of the ps ways I will call them do not really matter. Having one of my best friends go back to teaching in ps (and she was very anti hsing before she went, not anymore

) was one of the best eye openers. We do not want to mimic what they do so release that burden from yourself. That helped me tremendously.

Having said all that I kind of feel like this is a Carrie or someone with more experience than me question over all but I wanted to just address what maybe will or will not be a help. But I will try anyway

I think you are asking should you now dump BHFHG because you are in week ten and the older one does not want to be in the same as the younger because of "grade level". I would not if I were you. I would probably just beef up Bigger if it needs it. HOD is perfect for catering to the younger and still accommodating the older child at their needs. I might let the older read what you have read on their own perhaps and then plan maybe a week to sort of just go over things then start at week ten. I would catch them up on the History notebooking but might pick one of two science experiments to do and let them read it. During this week I would maybe have the younger one working but not progressing in the program. They could maybe also review it with the older one since you took a break. If you do not have the extension pack then you would want that and there was a thread if you need to beef up bigger more a few books you could get. Not sure you would really need this but just putting it out there. http://www.heartofdakota.com/board/view ... or+richard

On grade level. Here is how it works here. Math determines grade level and LA but LA is actually off for all my kids by a grade using R&S because it is kind of advanced. So really Math and over all capabilities. History, science, Bible and things of this nature are cyclical so of course there is overlap. I would just make sure that the older one has more responsibility and knows that more will be expected of them.

So I think actually you have more of it settled than you think. I am on a break with my kids. We are doing some Bible and character training I felt God leading us to do and though we had planned on going year round it is working out that in fact we will not and we are also partway through the program (my oldest will turn 11 BTW while suing bigger and will be in 6th grade). I think we will be fine. We'll review a bit and then go on. I feel like the skills kids forget quickest are really the Math skills and LA those are more kind of muscle memory in a way and they just require practice so we are keeping up with those skills.

So if none of that helps just want to say congratulations for making such a great decision!

Sandi_NC · Post by **Sandi_NC** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 1:47 pm

Hi Lisa,

I don't have any advice but wanted to say Hello!

I'm getting ready to start Bigger with my 3 children (we'll start next week) and we're all excited!

I know you are getting great advice from all the wonderful ladies!

Blessings,
Sandi

Post by **Carrie** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 8:41 pm

Lisa,

I definitely want to respond to you here, but I am out of time at the moment. I'll be back late tomorrow to give it some thought. Until then, any ladies who want to weigh in here that would be great!

Blessings,
Carrie

Post by **Carrie** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 10:10 pm

Lisa,

O.K., now that I have my head clear, I can give you a clear answer! First of all the ladies have given you such excellent advice. I completely agree with what they have had to say.

I would take your summer break, and then return to school, taking a week to catch your older child up in "Bigger.." exactly as water2wine outlined. I would use the extension pack for your older daughter. I would also add the higher level of Singapore math (based on your findings from the Singapore placement test that you can give at this link):
http://www.singaporemath.com/Placement_Test_s/86.htm

If you desire, you can purchase the Preparing... guide for the Singapore math schedule in the Appendix and for the dication passages for your older daughter's spelling, and the Rod and Staff English schedule. However, you can do it without those schedules in Preparing... too.

For Rod and Staff English, if your daughter has already had some diagramming at school, I would put her in Rod and Staff English 4. If she hasn't had any diagramming yet, I would put her in Rod and Staff English 3.

I would also add Drawn into the Heart of Reading Level 4/5 for her reading instruction.

Since you're already 10 weeks into "Bigger...", you'll still get to start Preparing... with your older daughter the last 10 weeks of next school year before next summer. And by then, your middle guy will be more ready to handle Preparing... too!

I hope this helps! It sounds like you have your youngers placed great in "Little Hearts..". How exciting for you to have the opportunity to homeschool all of your kiddos. Making that decision is a HUGE relief and a blessing!

P.S. I'd probably either finish out Buffalo Knife and start a new historical fiction book or start it over from the beginning when your daughter comes on board, so she can really get into the first read-aloud right away!

Blessings,
Carrie

Benelli · Post by **Benelli** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 5:22 pm

Thank you all so much for your input. I was hoping we could just continue on in Bigger, with extensions, etc. with my 4th grader. She placed in Singapore 3A, and has never diagrammed, so R&S English 3 will be perfect. I was so excited about everything, that I had already ordered Preparing, the entire package... It's all filed on my shelves! Just waiting for my Preparing manual when they come out later this summer! So, at least I'll already have it ahead of time for next year...

So, I guess at this point, I just need to check what books are in the extension package for Bigger, and order those, and I'm set. If I finish up The Buffalo Knike with my son, what other Historical Fiction book would any of you recommend for a 2 week read (so maybe a shorter book), so we can just stay right where we are starting in week 11, (which is after 2 weeks of reading of the Historical Chapter book, and day 10 of DITHOR)?

Oh, and finally...I think this may be a dumb question, but I can't seem to find an answer that is clear to me. When you say "mental math", does that mean that the whole problem needs to be worked in the head? As in, no writing down in vertical form? In the placement test for Singapore 3A (which she did not pass, actually passed 2B, so we start with 3A), there were a couple of math addition money problems where she was supposed to do mental math. She rewrote them the way she knows to do them vertically. Is that OK? Or is she going to need to re-do? With me not even knowing exactly what "mental math" is, other than memorization of facts, I'm a little confused.

Thanks so much to you all!
Lisa

water2wine · Post by **water2wine** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 6:06 pm

Benelli wrote: Oh, and finally...I think this may be a dumb question, but I can't seem to find an answer that is clear to me. When you say "mental math", does that mean that the whole problem needs to be worked in the head? As in, no writing down in vertical form?

I am not sure who said this but I will take a stab at answering because it is a term that I throw out there so just at the chance I confused you...

I think when people say Mental Math they mean that sometimes getting the answer is not a straight line. In other words there may be an extra thinking step or two in getting to the answer but it is all written in actually doing the problem. It is not meaning that Singapore has you do it in their head. I pulled four of my kids out of a ps that was very weak in math teaching. Singapore blew them out of the water. We had to go R&S and then could add a little Singapore later. In hindsight I think going a level lower and just working through it to eventually "catch up" would be what I would do now. Nothing wrong with R&S at all it did a perfect job of getting my kids on track but I absolutely love what I am seeing in my little ones with Singapore and I know math will be completely different for them. I have one with special needs so that factored in as well.

I hope that helps and does not confuse things. Hopefully other moms will answer as well.

Post by **Carrie** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 10:58 am

Benelli,

Your plan sounds great! For another historical fiction book after you finish Buffalo Knife, just take a look in the Appendix of "Bigger...". It should have several options. I just checked and it lists Justin Morgan Had a Horse, Understood Betsy, and Farmer Boy. You could also choose from those listed in "Beyond...." under historical fiction too. They're on the web as Little House in the Big Woods, Sarah Whitcher's Story, and The Cabin Faced West.

If you've never read Sarah Whitcher's Story, I would do that one as it appeals to both boys and girls (and is shorter).

Blessings,
Carrie

Homeschooling6 · Post by **Homeschooling6** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 3:17 pm

Hi Lisa,

I don't have any advice but wanted to say Welcome! Our kiddos are about the same ages. Mine are just turned 10, 8, 7, 6, 5 and soon to be 4yr old.

Mom25 · Post by **Mom25** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 12:43 pm

I don't have any advice for you--we'll be starting HOD for the first time this Fall (Preparing and LHFHG), but I wanted to say that your post brought tears to my eyes, simply at the wonderfully huge and courageous decision you made for all of your children. God is faithful and will equip and reward you beyond what you ever imagined! Praying God will bless you, and all of us, as we train our children in loving the Lord!