Anyone feel like they are constantly reading/not challenging

[tafania]

Here is our schedule

Bible (takes less then 5 minutes)
Math (15 minutes)
Spelling (5 minutes)
Story time while she does Copy Work (10 minutes)
Read aloud (less then 5 minutes)
Reading history (15 minutes)
Science/art/geography (15-20 minutes tops)

I feel like we are reading out loud ALOT! She will not do copy work unless I am reading our storytime book. She wants to do math first thing. I guess this is working for us but it just seems like a bunch of reading!
Also, we are done with school within an hour to an hour and a half. Everything done! Shouldn't it take longer. She is not really challenged in any of it. I tested her reading skills and she tests into grade 3. SHe could read (and does if I leave the book out) the reading choices in less then 30 minutes in one sitting. Should I just move her ahead? change curriculum? Skip a grade? so she is more challenged? On the other hand I like not spending all day on school work.
What to do?? IS it normal for us to be flying through this?? She gets board when I try to dwell on a subject or get her to slow down. SHe says "I know this. What's next?"

[Mom2Monkeys]

I'm a bit distracted so if my reply gets long or choppy and my sentences don't flow, I'm sorry!

I had this issue with my dd7 who is very fast paced and gifted...I put her in Beyond as well even though she could have done Bigger. First, I'd tackle the heart issue of her not being willing to do copywork unless you are reading a story. Possibly, she is like my dd and trying to keep control?? I started using a timer and expect things to be done. If not, free time is lost as well as computer games (educational kinds). I tend to find my dd's weaknesses and focus on strengthening those...i.e. She seems to be more hands on so I have her focus less on that and more on other learning methods since those need improved. Or if she seems to do better at math if it's done after everything else, sometimes we'll tackle it first. She needs to be flexible so mom can stay sane! LOL Her weak areas also need a workout. I do storytime during lunch instead of during copywork so she can be mindful of what she is copying in order to learn from it.

You could have her do some of the reading more independently. I let me dd7 do her own history readings and usually science as well. She is in charge of looking up the Bible verses and having them ready for us to discuss. I try to find extra books in our genre that she can read independently as well (i.e. if our biography is from the girl pack, I tried to find the ones from the boy and classic packs). I know those are meant as read-alouds, but she can read on that level so I let her do it...I just am sure to not let her read the one I am reading aloud! She likes to jump ahead in the history so we end up doing 2 days worth of school at a time (which is good since we only get to doing school 2-3 times per week sometimes!) I don't do ALL the hands on stuff, but at least discuss it. Since she wants to work ahead and be independent, I've added some math workbooks for review, QuarterMile Math on the computer, Power Glide Latin Jr. and gave her two copywork options that she alternates daily (Quotes with Character & G.Washington's Rules of Civility). We don't copy the poems for now ...b/c much of our time is spent addressing/correcting character/heart issues as well as developing her social and conversation skills (many gifted kids lack in this area), so I wanted to get these quotes/lessons in her head through copywork.

It won't take long until she'll be ready to slow down...show her what she's rushing too...LOL... my daughter did slow down some when she saw the "big kid" Singapore math books and R&S grammar in the upper elementary grades.

Hopefully, my ramblings made some sense and helped some!

[deltagal]

Hi there,

I think the time my 7 yo son spends in Beyond is consistent with the amount of time you are spending. I'm grateful that it doesn't take longer, because I do need to work with our other children AND I do have other things I want us to do, such as sketching lessons, nature hike and journal, classical music and art appreciation. If my son wanted to listen to something while he did copywork I would have him listen to Classical music. I think I would take advantage of the extra time you've been blessed with to simply enjoy her and your other children - cook, go for a walk, clean the house, write a letter to grandmother together, visit a shut-in. There will be plenty of time for more bookwork soon enough. Seek God's direction for each day and each hour,

[water2wine]

I think if she is reading at that level then I would definitely go ahead and add Drawn into the Heart of reading 2/3. She absolutely should be having her own reading program. That will add a bit more time to your day and some independent work. Other things you can add are nature study or an art program like How Great Thou Art, or foreign language (we use The easy Spanish and that is CM based). Bigger will add more independent work to it. There will still be reading of course because this is a literature based program. Hope there is something here that is helpful.

[Carrie]

tafania,

The ladies are doing such a good job of helping you! I'll just chime in with a few things I see missing within your schedule that would make a difference in how challenging the program is and in how it functions.

As I go through the list below, just mentally check whether you're getting a chance to do these things or not. If you are getting them done, wonderful! If you're not doing the listed item, then definitely add it into your school day!

Are you getting a chance to use the Hide Em' in Your Heart CD along with the Bible memory work? If not, it is a wonderful complement to the verse which is scheduled into your day. Are you getting a chance to discuss the questions with the Bible verse box, along with doing the included gross motor skills for exercise? I can't imagine the Bible discussion, memory verse with CD, and practicing the verse, along with reading the devotional (once each week) lasting less than 5 minutes each day, so this is why I'm checking on these items.

Are you making sure to do the poetry activities? Each week has the kiddos suggesting titles for the poem on Day 1 before reading it, discussing the meaning and photocopying the poem to cut it apart and assemble on Day 2, adding actions to the poem for Day 3, drawing pictures that reflect the poem's meaning on Day 4, and reviewing several of their previous poems on Day 5. I didn't notice any poetry in your list, which is why I mention it.

Next, are you getting a chance to have your daughter copy an entire stanza of the poem each day? Then, by the end of the week, she'll have the whole poem copied through copywork. This results in a very neat poetry notebook at the end of the year. It also is very appropriate for a child who copies easily. My own little guy did that when he was 6.

I'm also wondering if you're getting a chance to do the Storytime activities after the readings? They add so much to the reading and actually make up a mini-literature study. These take some time to do, and I'm not sure how they'd fit within the 5 minutes you listed for the read-aloud time? The read-alouds alone take more than 5 minutes. For example, on Unit 5, Day 1 of storytime has a short treasure hunt with numbered clues, Day 2 has a narration lesson with a written summary sentence for the students to copy, Day 3 has a discussion of problem-solving, Day 4 has a study of Fear of the Lord with sharing of examples from student's lives, and Day 5 has a retelling of what was read.

The spelling lessons also took us longer than 5 minutes, as the writing and copying of the sentences used with the spelling words and writing the words with the child checking them usually took 10 minutes or more. The grammar lessons on the 5th day of each week also took us longer than 5 minutes. So, I just wanted to check if you're getting all the instructions done in the Language Arts box each week. If you are, then Hooray!

I'm also wondering whether your child is doing phonics, the Emerging Reader Set, or Drawn into the Heart of Reading? She needs to be doing one of these things for her reading instruction. So that's one more very important area to make sure you're covering each day.

In closing, I will say that if you're not getting a chance to consistently do the activities in each box, then the program does down-size to just being a short reading here and there with little to no follow-up. The activities, discussion, and follow-ups are where the learning takes place. Your little sweetie will need every one of the skills found in the follow-up activities as she heads into Bigger Hearts.

Blessings,
Carrie

[my3sons]

We're doing Beyond for the second time with our middle ds now, and we finish in about 2 hours. My oldest has done Beyond, Bigger, and now PHFHG. Doing all of the things mentioned - activities, discussions, poetry, copywork, appropriate level of reading instruction - builds the foundation for all of what will be done in Bigger. Every bit of what is done in Beyond is needed to succeed in Bigger! So, if you are already doing all of these things, and you feel you are still getting done too quickly, I would just tackle the heart issues of "boredom" and of dd saying she'll only do copywork under "x" conditions. We're always working on heart issues at our house - and attitude (whether during school or play) is often near the top of the list for one of our dc (or for me) - we are human after all.

I believe that correct placement is key as well, so you are wise to sense your dd may need a different reading level than you originally must have placed her in. Water2wine gave a great suggestion of upping that to DITHOR if that's a better placement for her.

You sound like you are at a time in life where you can linger with lessons/discussions/activities longer. I truly miss those days sometimes. When I had more time to just work with my oldest ds, I really enjoyed drawing things out, because I had time to do it back then. We'd talk longer about devotions, take more time to do the activities in more detail, laugh over the books we were reading and read slowly cuddled up on the couch, sometimes munching on snacks , we'd do copywork while listening to classical music and drinking hot cocoa, spend long times practicing our oral narrating, and read the poetry over in different voices - getting theatrical and pretending we were fabulous poets ourselves . Don't get me wrong, I still love school, but with 3 dc, teaching several HOD programs (and having one LOUD, very active toddler) - I don't get to linger like I used to. Cherish this time - and linger with things - add in some nature walks or other things you may enjoy doing - but, don't worry about whether Beyond is enough. It is if it's done in its entirety, and next year in Bigger you will be tackling tougher skills and not have the time to linger as you are blessed with now. Before we know it, our little honeys will be in middle school, and high school - and we will be longing for the days of LHTH, LHFHG, and BHFHG! My oldest sister with 7 dc (her oldest dd graduating this year) constantly reminds me of this, and it's a good thought for me to keep in mind.

In Christ,
Julie