Back on track

[WigglesMom]

Well, after 2 weeks schooling the biggers as well as trying to fit in LHTH with my Wiggles, we are finally finishing Unit 4. I think it took us 3 weeks to do it in all. The last week of ps and then starting the biggers in home school really got LHTH out of sync.
Starting Monday we will finally begin Unit 5! WooHoo. Wiggles is excited. He had been very grumpy at being left out of school time. He was so used to the biggers leaving for ps and then Mommy working with him every morning. To top it all off, we began potty learning during the last 2 weeks and it is a roller coaster ride.
We are going to be back on track with M,W, F LHTH and T,Th Abeka Nursery worksheets next week. I had dd8 help Wiggles with the Abeka worksheets today. They are real simple like glue hole punch dots to the letter or color 4 ears of corn for 4. DD8 really liked being given the responsibility, but I think she learned a lesson in behavior from her baby brother today. I think Monday with dd8 and BHFHG will go much better now that she has seen what it is like to be on the other side of the guide teaching and not necessarily having your "student" do what you want them to do.
It has been a challenge to get going with BHFHG with her adjusting to home school and stuck in ps mentality. I have made several changes this week. I am going to be doing R&S English 2 with the girls. It is easier than trying to do separate with both of them. They will also be doing dictation together instead of spelling. We are also dropping the extensions for now. I don't know whether I will pick them up later or not. I am still requiring her to do cursive, but I may go through a cursive workbook for her to give her more practice.
LHFHG is going really well. DD7 is doing both LHFHG (left side) and BHFHG (cursive practice, dictation, Singapore 2a, and English 2). DS6 is really doing better with The Reading Lesson.
So now we start new units in all guides on Monday...
LHTH-Unit 5
LHFHG-Unit 5
BHFHG-Unit 2 (told you it has been a challenge)
I spent a ridiculous amount of time getting our schedule perfect and working well with all the kiddos. I color coded the kids and made the togethers their individual colors mixed blue+yellow=green and blue+red=purple...Hopefully this will help me at a glance. The girls will have a copy of the schedule in their binders to follow along the day.

Anyway, after 2 weeks, I finally think that we are on track and moving forward past the "tweaking" stage! Yeah!
Val

[Jessi]

Love the organization! I hope that Monday goes smoothly for you all as you've worked out the kinks in the schedule. Thanks for sharing.

[spidermansmum]

It sounds like you are doing great.I love the colour coded planner

[my3sons]

Your schedule looks lovely! I am a kindred spirit with you in the "organization" department. I love making tables, color coding them, and working out the schedule each year. I really look forward to it! If you get going and find that a different placement would have been better, be sure to check out the placement chart and adjust it if you need to. I know we chatted about some different scenarios before and can't quite remember how that all went - more than likely though, time and a mom with a plan and schedule as great as yours is, will make the days go more and more smoothly as you find your rhythm!

In Christ,
Julie

[WigglesMom]

I think our placement is falling into place so to speak LOL! I have changed it some over the last 2 weeks. When I started I was trying to up LHFHG for my middle dd7 without putting her in BHFHG b/c the girls do not mesh well together and I was worried if I started her in R&S 2 this year then she would run through them way ahead of the guides. I plan to keep her and ds6 together. ds6 was not ready for BLHFHG yet.
After almost 2 weeks of trying to up her language arts, spelling, writing, and reading...I broke down and put both girls in R&S English 2 and doing dictation together. She is also doing cursive this year. So she is doing left side and storytime of LHFHG and right side BHFHG math 2a/2b, english, cursive, and dictation. She is doing her own reading.
I had thought about doing the emerging readers schedule with her since I have it in BHFHG and do DITHOR 2/3 next year. We are reading Thank You, Amelia Bedelia right now. I haven't made a decision to keep doing reading as we are or to try the emerging readers instead.
I was trying to avoid starting her in the R&S english books yet. I was hoping to substitute until her and ds could start R&S together. I thought about using FLL with them and may still look into it when we start BLHFHG. For now though, she will continue R&S 2 with dd8.
My only major concern with this is that she will stay in 2 guides going all the way through. And it isn't back to back guides. There is a level in between, but doing it this way really fits her current abilities. Only doing 2 things with the girls together seems to be working out alright so far. There hasn't been a cat fight yet anyway.
Val

[Carrie]

Val,

When I was reading your post about your 8 year old's language arts, I was thinking that what you have her doing now in language arts fits exactly with the advice we'd given in earlier threads for your 8 year old in language arts. So, rest assured that what you're doing now in that area is just what I'd advise. I went back and looked up the old post and saw that Rod and Staff 2, Cheeful Cursive, dictation, math 2A/2B and Emerging Reader's set is what we were thinking for your 8 year old too! So, feel good that you're finding a great fit for your daughter and enjoy the journey.

Here's a link to the old thread: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3662&p=27521#p27521

Often it just takes a bit of sorting through to find what works best for each kiddo. I applaud your diligence in seeking that for your family. I love your organized schedule too.


Blessings,
Carrie