What to do for upcoming 9th grader

[Jennymommy]

I'm sorry, Gratitude, I was referring to the dialogue within this thread viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15471&p=108860&sid= ... 35#p108787, wherein I see that Julie really looked at the skills you listed, as well as your desires for your dc, and came up with a possible plan that seemed as if she had listened well to you. I feel that each of us on here have our own experience and thoughts to guide us, however Carrie and Julie really have their fingers on the pulse of HOD and work hard to ensure a good fit. I wanted to give them credit for their care, and hopefully other users will put more weight on their advice as the designers of the guides. Blessings, Jenny

[Carrie]

As I think through our goals for this board, and look back over what has been shared in this thread I am reminded that all we can do when discussing placement is to give those who ask our best advice based on what they have chosen to share. Often, we ask more questions in seeking the best overall picture we can gain of the student. There are many facets to placement, and skill and age level are only part of the overall fit. Whether or not a family wishes to combine students plays a big factor. The number of guides that a family feels comfortable using plays another role. The amount of time available for the teacher to actually teach each day is another consideration. The number of hours a family can or wants to commit to schooling each day plays a big part. The number of outside interests and time commitments a child or family has that they desire to pursue as part of the day matters. The independence level of a student is another key area. The number of interruptions by babies and toddlers each day certainly must be considered. The comfort level of the mother in the teaching role plays another part. Any health issues or learning challenges or giftings are a factor. The ability of older children to read and follow directions and complete work in a timely fashion plays another part. The attitude a child may have toward different areas of schoolwork has an impact. The level of challenge a parent desires a child to have and how easily a child is frustrated plays a part. How consistent a parent is able to be or wants to be with schooling can also play a role. I could go on, but you get the picture that placement is not an easy thing.

Through the past 25 years of teaching, I have had the privilege of sitting across from hundreds and hundreds of parents and of listening to what they share with me about their children. Often somewhere within the conversation, nuggets of information arise that help give me as a teacher a fuller picture about their child. These nuggets join together to form a more cohesive picture of the child as a whole, which is helpful in navigating the placement maze. As I sift and sort through what has been shared, I am always wishing I had more information, but we must go on what a parent chooses to share. Often, kiddos could possibly thrive in more than one guide, depending on how big of a role the other factors that I mentioned in the first paragraph above play in the child's day. So, at the end of the placement conversation, after weighing all the factors, we give our best advice. At that point, it becomes a parent's job to weigh the advice they have been given. Often, even after we have given advice, the parent ends up changing things based on their home situation and the needs for the year. Sometimes, parents get underway and find they have changed their thoughts about how many guides they can handle, either dropping or adding guides. This, of course, affects placement. Sometimes, a health issue or a new baby appears, or a job situation changes or a child has a huge growth spurt between placement and the start of the school year. Other times, a parent discovers that their child knows more or less than they thought, and placement is affected.

It would be easier for me to bow out of placement and to give one size fits all advice like most curriculum companies do. However, I truly feel that each child is an individual and as such requires individual attention and individual placement. I would despair at this point in threads like these, if I didn't believe in my heart that even kiddos who have not received the perfect placement could still benefit and learn much from doing whatever guide they happen to be placed within. I do truly believe this, because I have seen it in my own kiddos! So, this gives me hope.

Due to my heavy writing schedule through the years, my Dad's two year bout with pancreatic cancer, and my own health issues, we have had to adjust to a less than perfect school placement in our own home. My oldest did more on his own than he should have. Yet, he is pleased with his high school experience. My second oldest is well placed and thrives constantly. He could have done a harder guide earlier, but he always has taken things to the next level on his own. He finds all things fascinating! My third little guy had challenges in hearing and speaking, and is a lefty made to be a righty due to a hand injury, but he thrives in the level he is in. My youngest is bright and was ready to go at an early age, yet my own lack of time caused him to move more slowly through the guides than I'd have liked. Yet, he is loving Bigger Hearts and enjoying his days.

I share this so you can know that we want the best for each child placement-wise, but the best can come in many different forms. In the end, you will know what is best for your child at this time in their lives.

I am going to close out this thread, and should the original poster wish to discuss placement further, you are more than welcome to contact us by phone. Often it is easier to gain a better picture in conversation than in the written word!

Blessings,
Carrie