Placement advice for next year

[sted]

Thinking about next year:) I have a bit of a dilemma. I started my two oldest in Bigger and Bigger w/extensions. The oldest just turned 11 so will go on to CTC next year. My 9 year old just wasn't "keeping up" and holding the oldest back so I switched her to join her 6 year old sister with Beyond. They both do Bigger science however and appropriate LA, Math etc. It's worked well. However, next year, I'm stuck about what to do. I could definately combine the two middles on Bigger but we would use Preparing Science, dictation etc because they've done that from Bigger this year. I loved Bigger but wouldn't mind giving it a year's rest. So I could put the 9 (will be 10) into Preparing. She has a few delays (lots of attention issues) and not quite a fluent writer but it's come a long way! Age wise I think that would be appropriate. She'd proabably do well in Bigger too but I wanted to push her a bit. Sometimes that works, sometimes that doesn't! But, do I put my then 7 year old in Preparing? Might be a bit tricky for her although she's very bright and is currently working at a grade level above (approx. grade 2) so they aren't as far apart as they might appear. It's been good for my 9 year old to get "pushed" by her younger sister but also to feel like she's on the top of the class as opposed to competing with her older sister and feeling like she'd at the bottom Anyhow, that would leave a dilemma about what to do with the 7 year old. I have a 5 year old now but he's just working his way through Little Hands so I don't think it would be wise to combine them ?? A bit stuck....Any advice appreciated...

Shannon

[my3sons]

Hi Shannon! Well, I'd opt for combining the 2 in Bigger Hearts. I know that teaching the same thing 2 years in a row may not be so great, but this is the only year you'd have to do it, and I think long-term this would be a better fit for your 2 sweeties. The guides get more and more academically rigorous as you move through them, and I think eventually you'd lose your younger of the 2. You could look at it as a year to really cement LA skills and teach independence with the BHFHG guide. Both of those things would be oh so helpful the following year when doing PHFHG. Do you think your oldest will do well with CTC? It is a jump from Bigger Hearts to CTC, but I know you'll know the best fit there. I'm glad the switch for your dd from BHFHG to Beyond went well, and that your oldest is doing well with BHFHG. I'm sure you'll get some others to comment here, but those are a few thoughts I had thus far.

In Christ,
Julie

[sted]

Thanks for your advice Julie. Yes, I've been thinking that might be the best. I'm not worried about my oldest. I think she would have been fine this year with CTC but opted to keep them all in American History so I could learn it! (we're Canadian I think putting the middle two in Bigger would work especially if I added DITHOR next year for the 10 year old and maybe even the 7 year old. That would add an extra challenge. I also wanted to used some of the extension books to either have my 10 year old read for extra practice or to read-aloud to them. (This plan would also save money in the long run) Then the following year they would move onto Preparing although I'm not sure what I'd do for LA and Science as we'd already have done Preparing in those areas.

Thanks,
Shannon

[my3sons]

Thanks for your advice Julie. Yes, I've been thinking that might be the best. I'm not worried about my oldest. I think she would have been fine this year with CTC but opted to keep them all in American History so I could learn it! (we're Canadian I think putting the middle two in Bigger would work especially if I added DITHOR next year for the 10 year old and maybe even the 7 year old. That would add an extra challenge. I also wanted to used some of the extension books to either have my 10 year old read for extra practice or to read-aloud to them. (This plan would also save money in the long run) Then the following year they would move onto Preparing although I'm not sure what I'd do for LA and Science as we'd already have done Preparing in those areas.

Thanks,
Shannon

So you're thinking your oldest would do CTC, and your middle 2 would do Bigger Hearts right? I'm thinking this is what you are pondering now. Hope that's right! I like your ideas of adding DITHOR and the extensions (in some way) for your 10 yo, and maybe DITHOR for the 7 yo if the little one's ready. We started DITHOR half-speed with my almost 7 yo and are enjoying easing into it that way. Has your 10 yo already done PHFHG science and LA? I'm not sure I understood that correctly - sorry! If you did the PHFHG science with 10 yo already, there are science readings scheduled in the Bigger Hearts extensions - not sure if that would help somehow - maybe you could hold off on those this year and do them the next year with PHFHG? Otherwise, you could take 2 years to go through the CTC science and then you'd be finishing the second half during CTC. Not sure if any of this makes sense, or if I misunderstood who did the PHFHG science - but just throwing out some ideas! For the LA, you could just move up to the next level of dictation, grammar, etc. by utilizing the next guide if need be. You are definitely on your way to just figuring out the little details of it now, so I think the big picture of what you've selected is going to work super with your kiddos. Have a great Sunday!

In Christ,
Julie

[sted]

Any other advice

Thanks,
Shannon

[Carrie]

Shannon,

I haven't had time to read the replies, but I'm thinking that if you had to back your 9 year old up to join your 6 year old in Beyond this past year (due to Bigger Hearts being too much of a reach), then she will definitely need the practice and cementing of skills that is found within Bigger Hearts this upcoming year before moving onto Preparing. The jump between Beyond and Preparing Hearts is very large in required skills and written work.

With that in mind, I would place both your 7 and will be 10 year old in Bigger Hearts (with extensions if the extension can be read by your 10 year old). If you've already used the Bigger Hearts science then it's logical to use the science from Preparing Hearts instead (which actually works well as it is one area I think you would want to raise for your will be 10 year old anyway). It will also make sense to use the dictation from Preparing with Bigger. If your 10 year old will be ready for DITHR that would be one other area to add, if you haven't already. That would be excellent practice in raising the level of literature study for her too.

It sounds like your placement with your older child is set and will work fine, which is great! Overall it sounds like you are progressing well!

Blessings,
Carrie

[sted]

Thanks Carrie. I'm leaning towards this advice. One more question. Since we are almost done BIgger dictation (we've gone throught the spelling lists) and dictation with little trouble, should I order the Preparing guide now for further dication which I could continue till next year or just do my own?

Thanks
Shannon

[Carrie]

Shannon,

CTC contains dictation passages for Levels 3, 4, and 5. So, if you've just completed Bigger Hearts Level 2 passages, you should be able to go on to the Level 3 passages provided within the CTC guide for next year. The Level 3 passages within CTC are the same as the Level 3 passages within Preparing Hearts. Since your older child will be using CTC that should solve that issue for you!

Blessings,
Carrie

[sted]

Oh, that's great news! Thanks Carrie.

Shannon