Start where we left off or begin new program?

[Sue G in PA]

Hi everyone. I haven't been on the boards for a while now. Trying to take a break from hs boards as most of the time I left feeling so defeated and discouraged. Seemed like everyone was having such success with homeschooling and with HOD and their kids were happily learning, etc. Not so in our house. But I digress. I came back, not to complain or whine but to ask some advice. We stopped school for the summer and had about 6 weeks left of Preparing. It had been rough going the last month or so of school and I just needed to stop and cut our losses, kwim? For this year I am starting my 6yo and 8yo in Beyond, moving my 10yo BACK to Bigger (from Preparing) and moving my 11 and 13yos into RtR (skipping CtC as we have exhausted Ancients and I felt RtR was a better fit for them). Anyway, my question is this: Should I begin the year where we left off in Preparing (I don't want the boys to miss anything) or just skip it? I will still start my others in their new guides. Thanks ladies. I'm trying to prepare myself mentally for a smooth start to the year.

[lharris]

Hmmm, that's a good question. If you are starting the other children in their new guides, my gut would be to start them in a new guide as well. Maybe the older ones can visit Preparing when your younger ones get to it?? I think it would be confusing having some children at different "unit days" than the others. This way your school days will be synchronized and you won't have headaches or feel like you don't remember which school day your on.. But that may not be a concern for you, so I would just follow your gut instinct. It sounds like your other children will be in preparing in another year, right? So you won't waste the material. I hope you have a smoother year!!

[Sue G in PA]

Thanks for your reply, Laura. It doesn't bother me to be on different Unit days, but I am concerned about not having enough time in the year to finish RtR if I take the next 5 weeks to finish Preparing. Make sense? I pulled out the Preparing guide to see what we would be missing and I think what I will do instead of doing ALL of activities is just do CHOW and the read-alouds from now until we officially start on the 29th and try and "cram" the rest of CHOW in.

[girlboygirlboy]

We have 6 weeks of Bigger left before we start Preparing and I opted to finish up for a couple reasons:
1) I'd already paid for all of Bigger so I may as well finish it.
2) I hadn't been doing ALL aspects of the program(lots orally; skipping narrarations on occasion; etc). I thought that doing it all full out at the beginning of the new school year would prepare them for Preparing.

HTH some!