Keeping kids in the same time period? Thinking ahead...

[kayrenee]

I've been studying the Intro and first week sample lessons for RevToRev, as I'm considering using it with my middle girl next year when she's in 8th grade. (She's in 7th now and using something else for the RTR time period.) But as I was reading through RevToRev, and have been reading some threads here, it's occurred to me that it's meaty enough to have my high schooler do it too, with extensions. (She'll be in 11th grade at the time.) It would save me SO much money to be able to do this!

Then I got to thinking about my youngest. She's a 3rd grader doing Bigger this year (just starting it today), but I wonder if it would be better to wait and have her do the left side of Bigger next year when her sisters are also doing American history? I had the (possibly dumb) idea to do the left side of Preparing with her THIS year, and then switch back to Bigger next year. Has anyone else done something similar... gone in reverse order like that just to keep your kids all in the same time period? Or are Bigger and RevToRev different enough that doing them simultaneously wouldn't provide much benefit?

This idea of intentionally keeping them on the same time period used to be something I was really hung up on, but not so much anymore. I was just curious if any other HOD moms with a wide age range do it this way.

It also occurred to me that the older two would be doing two years of American back to back (I think? is there a year of modern American planned after RevToRev?), while the youngest would only have the one year with them, so the following year they'd be on different timeframes anyway.

Just thinking out loud here.....

[water2wine]

I've been studying the Intro and first week sample lessons for RevToRev, as I'm considering using it with my middle girl next year when she's in 8th grade. (She's in 7th now and using something else for the RTR time period.) But as I was reading through RevToRev, and have been reading some threads here, it's occurred to me that it's meaty enough to have my high schooler do it too, with extensions. (She'll be in 11th grade at the time.) It would save me SO much money to be able to do this!

Then I got to thinking about my youngest. She's a 3rd grader doing Bigger this year (just starting it today), but I wonder if it would be better to wait and have her do the left side of Bigger next year when her sisters are also doing American history? I had the (possibly dumb) idea to do the left side of Preparing with her THIS year, and then switch back to Bigger next year. Has anyone else done something similar... gone in reverse order like that just to keep your kids all in the same time period? Or are Bigger and RevToRev different enough that doing them simultaneously wouldn't provide much benefit?

This idea of intentionally keeping them on the same time period used to be something I was really hung up on, but not so much anymore. I was just curious if any other HOD moms with a wide age range do it this way.

Hi Kayrenee. I am one of the ones using Rev2Rev this year for high school and did the same with RTR last year. That definitely works with extensions and we added some of the things Carrie suggested. It was a very full program and I think just as on target or really even more like challenging. My daughter loved it. So I do really think you could have the 7th grader and the 11th grader using the same program and could continue to do the same in the years to come as long as you beef up in the areas Carrie advises, you will be more than fine. In fact that is our plan with our oldest.

For the younger and trying to match the same time period I think you are going to be off on that one. It could be done if you really beefed up Bigger and there is a thread on that in the beefing up section. I did that with the same child who is doing Rev2Rev. I think you are right when you say that Bigger and Rev2rev are different enough that it will not really matter. And it is not probably going to be the best use of the guides for your youngest. The great thing about it is meeting them at their level. I understand about wanting the unity but I am telling the truth when I tell you all my kids feel very unified just doing HOD together. We do read story time together and we have a Bible routine that unites us all in God. The kids are all watching what the other ones are doing and I even find my older ones doing activities they did before again with my youngest two just for fun. We did not have that kind of unity with a one size fits all. It seems like it should be the other way around but in practice they really are most excited when it hits them at their level and that excitement passes on from kid to kid. Truly having that story time together and a little bit of Bible along with the fact that HOD programs are a lot like each other really does keep the closeness in a big family using many guides.

Then there is the other part. Even if you are just doing the left side of one and the right side of the other. Eventually what is expected on the left side changes and it starts at Preparing so you would be going backwards there then your child would be making the jump from Bigger to CTC and that is a huge jump even if they did Preparing on that side there would be a year between when they would be at Bigger. I think that would be hard. It would require that you use Bigger in a way that allows them to make that jump and that would be as Preparing is written. In the end I am not sure it would be worth it. To me it takes what HOD is out of it. But only you can decide.

Welcome back to HOD.

[kayrenee]

Then there is the other part. Even if you are just doing the left side of one and the right side of the other. Eventually what is expected on the left side changes and it starts at Preparing so you would be going backwards there then your child would be making the jump from Bigger to CTC and that is a huge jump even if they did Preparing on that side there would be a year between when they would be at Bigger. I think that would be hard. It would require that you use Bigger in a way that allows them to make that jump and that would be as Preparing is written. In the end I am not sure it would be worth it. To me it takes what HOD is out of it. But only you can decide.

Welcome back to HOD.

Oh, I didn't even think about that! Great point. You may recall that I attempted CTC with my middle girl two years ago, but it was a big jump from what she'd been doing to CTC. So even though the time period was what I wanted, it was just too much for her. Plus *I* was trying to put too "extra on her plate, too. I don't want to make the same mistake this time around. Stepping into this carefully....

While we're chatting, can you tell me in which week of RTR you begin using MOH 3?

[water2wine]

You may recall that I attempted CTC with my middle girl two years ago, but it was a big jump from what she'd been doing to CTC. So even though the time period was what I wanted, it was just too much for her. Plus *I* was trying to put too "extra on her plate, too. I don't want to make the same mistake this time around. Stepping into this carefully....

While we're chatting, can you tell me in which week of RTR you begin using MOH 3?

I did remember that. Preparing really is the vehicle to get kids ready for CTC. I am a little worried that a trip of Bigger in between would be like year long summer break of skills forgotten. I'd hate for you to have that frustration.

MOH starts Day 1 Unit 15. So a little less than half way through. I'm doing RTR again with my younger set this year. Really looking forward to it.

[kayrenee]

Thanks! My 7th grader is doing MOH 2 right now, and I was thinking about getting the RTR manual and whatever other go-alongs I don't already own to begin using at the point where MOH 3 picks up. Then she'd be ready for RevToRev in 8th grade.

[water2wine]

Oh so I think you understand you would just be using the last half of RTR then jumping on the full Rev to Rev because that follows the MOH path you are on? That is interesting. You might have some stuff that is going to cut on and off and be half way through with RTR. I've never looked at it with that in mind. I can see how you would go there though. I hope you really enjoy it and it works well for you.

[kayrenee]

Oh so I think you understand you would just be using the last half of RTR then jumping on the full Rev to Rev because that follows the MOH path you are on? That is interesting. You might have some stuff that is going to cut on and off and be half way through with RTR. I've never looked at it with that in mind. I can see how you would go there though. I hope you really enjoy it and it works well for you.

Yes, because I can't afford to buy another TM or more books right now. Waiting until it picks up with MOH 3 (which we already own) gives me another 15 weeks to save up for it.

[water2wine]

One little disclaimer on what I said above because I do not want anyone to come and see this and perhaps have it lead them astray. There is a flow and a skill level that is built in the guides from beginning to end. It may be challenging for most kids to come half way into a guide and have it flow and be the "perfect" fit or be prepared for the skills that would have been taught in the first half of the guide that they would then be expected to have in the last half of the guide. So just to say that doing half a guide is an unusual solution. But you know and God leads you best for your family and I have had some pretty unusual solutions that have worked for me. Just want to acknowledge though that it would not be the recommended standard path.

[water2wine]

Yes, because I can't afford to buy another TM or more books right now. Waiting until it picks up with MOH 3 (which we already own) gives me another 15 weeks to save up for it.

That makes total sense and I know you can make that work well for you. And please don't take what I said above wrong. I just don't want to throw someone who is not familiar with HOD off. You know what I mean. Different things work for different people.

[kayrenee]

Yes, because I can't afford to buy another TM or more books right now. Waiting until it picks up with MOH 3 (which we already own) gives me another 15 weeks to save up for it.

That makes total sense and I know you can make that work well for you. And please don't take what I said above wrong. I just don't want to throw someone who is not familiar with HOD off. You know what I mean. Different things work for different people.

Yep.