inHistiming,
Your questions always make me smile!
You are truly a planner after my own heart!
Since this is a question that is also very near and dear to my heart, as we're balancing 7th grade, 4th grade, kindergarten and a 2 year old this upcoming year... I'll do my best to answer based on what the plans are shaping up to be right now (always reserving the right to adjust as the guide progresses)!
At this point in time, on the "Learning Through History side of the page, we're planning for the kiddos to read their history spines independently (which will be the top left-hand box). We're also planning for them to do a scheduled follow-up assessment of some kind that goes with their history reading mostly independent as well. This may include adding to a "prophecies that were fulfilled through Jesus" chart, writing a written narration, adding to a timeline, and copying a quote. This will most likely be the top right-hand box. There will also be a corresponding hands-on project broken down over 3 days, similar to Preparing, with a possible 4th day for doing a short, guided oral presentation of the project. The project will be quite independent. The bottom box on the page will be an independent history box as well, including things like listening to "What in the World's Going on Here" (audio presentation by Diana Waring), notebooking from Draw and Write Through History (to sketch and copy), making possible notebook entries from other resources, doing some activities from "Geography of the Bible Lands" and some other notebooking things we are still considering.
The only truly teacher taught box on that side of the plans will be a "Meeting -type" box which will utilize "Genesis Finding Our Roots" read aloud twice weekly with discussions and "Geography of the Bible Lands" with oral narrations. Of course, for those of you who love to do more with your kiddos, you can choose to read more or do more of the boxes with your kiddos, but they will be designed to be completed independently for those of us who need that option!
The boxes on the right side of the page at this point will include more teaching time:
Storytime will be sheduled from excellent literature 3-4 times a week. This is scheduled for the parent to read-aloud. Dictation and Drawn into the Heart will also be scheduled 3 times a week. These will be semi-independent. Creative writing lessons will be mapped out twice a week and will be semi-independent as well. A daily Bible quiet time will be sheduled for the kiddos to do on their own. This will be completely independent as the deep Bible discussions will come from the "Meeting" time in "Genesis: Finding Our Roots". The Poetry Study will also shift toward being much more independent. Math will remain semi-independent. Science will be independent.
So, you can see we are moving toward training kiddos to take over much more of their own education. We will be leaving the teaching time for teaching needed new skills and for discussing those things that are most important for that particular year of study.
I hope this helps put your mind at rest! I know it was a relief for me to map it out and see how much the kiddos will really be able to do on their own (with training of course). An added benefit is that it will be flexible enough for those who love to "do it all" alongside their kiddos to use and enjoy our plans too!
Blessings,
Carrie
I am just curious...how independent will the next guide be? I know Preparing... is helping them get ready to become more independent. I'm just wondering how much time the teacher (Mom) will be spending with the child(ren) in the new guide as well as the ones after that. I was just thinking about the future, and how I'll be able to manage when I have 2 teenagers ( I know, HOD doesn't go that far), a tweener, and a K'er. I know...that's way down the road, but I had to ask! 
Anything to enlighten me will be greatly appreciated! 
I guess if Michelle Duggar can manage with 17 (almost 18) children then I can manage with 4!