Can we skip bigger?

[Mumkins]

We're looking forward to Beyond in the fall. But I'm considering skipping Bigger as it seems like it's mostly another year of US history. However, I'm concerned about the non history and geography stuff they will miss. Is there a big jump from Beyond to Preparing?

[water2wine]

I could see why you might want to being from Canada but there is a lot you would be missing. It is not just the history but the character and the Bible applied to the History that is really valuable. Also they do learn some independence and then there is a jump in skill level to Preparing that your kids might not be ready for if they are on track for Bigger. So I would encourage you to really consider keeping on track for what is appropriate for their skill and age and then I might embellish the part of history there that relates to Canada as well. Maybe somebody here can suggest how to do that. I am not enough of a history buff to do that. But just wanted to say that there is a lot beyond history that you will miss. I have seen how the character and Bible has impacted my children's lives. It has been huge. I would hate to see you miss all that.

[Tree House Academy]

This year, we did CHOW for an overview of World History (We were not using HOD at the time). This coming year, we are doing Bigger, and the next year, we are skipping Preparing and going to HHTT. However, this is a very unique situation involving a much older child coming from a different curriculum. I would not recommend doing this with a younger child who has spent time in HOD. I can assume you would lose a LOT by skipping in that way. My younger son is 5.5 and starting in Beyond. He will go through each program as it is written from here on out.

Best of luck to you.

[Kathleen]

If I'm looking at your signature right, that would mean that you'd be starting Preparing with a little guy that would be 6, soon to turn 7, right? I think that would be too much of a jump and would make school much harder for your kids. I think there are a lot of skills that are introduced and expected to be more independent when you get to Preparing. I'm thinking about the vocabulary assignments right now...my son has grown in his ability with that SOO much this year. I know the writing in Bigger is pretty ramped up from Beyond...and then even more in Preparing.

I hope I'm not sounding discouraging here. I'm just thinking of the great year we've had. School is fun!! (But it was a good fit, and I don't want you and your kids to go from loving it to dreading it because you leaped ahead and it was tough.) I'm thinking TreeHouse has a little different situation beacuse her child actually places in HFHTT skill-wise NOW, and she's not jumping there until next year.

Maybe you could find some biographies or historical fiction of Canada and read them alongside Bigger during the same time frame? (Sounds like a lot of work...but if you were up to it in the next year and a half, it could really enrich your study when you get there.) All right that's all my brain-power for the night.

Kathleen

[Mumkins]

I guess it would be a bit much to put a 7 year old in preparing. Though I do have him a grade ahead in Math and reading. I'll just have to buy it early and put together sme reading and activites to go along with it.

[Carrie]

Ladies,

I just wanted to pop-in to this thread and agree that having a 7 year old in Preparing Hearts would not be a good fit, due to the level of independence and the level of writing required to complete the guide well. Each guide incrementally prepares kiddos for the next guide in line, so we would rarely recommend skipping a guide.

We are different from companies such as Sonlight, where it is standard fare to flex from program to program and to do them out of order if needed to group kiddos together. At Heart of Dakota, we are specifically targeting writing skills in the history and science portion of our guides to the ages listed on the guide (including formal teaching of oral and written narration, guided questions, specific notebooking and copywork passages, age-appropriate experiments and vocabulary, etc.). Our projects and activities are also targeted toward the skill level of the ages listed on our guides.

Since our guides are so much more than a reading schedule, it's really important for moms to take a good look at their "whole" child, rather than only the areas of history and science when placing kiddos within our guides in order to be successful with them. While we realize that those coming into Heart of Dakota from another program may have special situations that may require some creative scheduling, we do want make sure that moms know it is not standard advice to skip a program or to do the programs out of order. Skipping a guide would be a rare exception.

Blessings,
Carrie

[Tree House Academy]

My post above was edited after reconsidering my unique situation. Please disregard my earlier advice as I realize now (especially based on the different situations and the age of your child vs the age of my older who is coming from a different curriculum) that you would definitely be much better to NOT skip any manuals. My younger son is starting in Beyond this year and he will progress through the manuals as they are written. Carrie put a lot of love, thought, and planning into these and I definitely do not want to suggest you break the building blocks of the program apart. I suppose it would be like building a tower of blocks and removing one block from the middle. Whereas, with my older son, it is more like starting the tower after several blocks have been laid....