Preparing: Independent History and Extension Question

This is where new posts begin. All questions or discussions about any of Heart of Dakota's curriculums start here. If you wish to share a one-time post about your family's experience with our curriculum, you may post under the specific curriculum title (found beneath this "Main Board" heading).
Heart_Mom
Posts: 473
Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2010 11:35 am

Preparing: Independent History and Extension Question

Post by Heart_Mom » Sat Dec 10, 2011 12:51 pm

Hi!

I'm (still) considering bumping my 4th grade/10 year old son up to Preparing soon and I have a couple of questions... :D :D :D He's currently in Bigger on about Unit 14 or so. (I have Preparing on my shelf just waiting for him!)

1. Since he's still currently in 4th grade, if I start Preparing in January is it enough for him to just be doing the Independent History on his own, or should he be doing the Extensions instead?

2. If I wait until he's in 5th grade to do Preparing, would he need to do both the Independent History and the Extensions readings?

3. I read in the Preparing intro that if he is able to do "Reading About History" readings on his own that I should encourage him to do that. Does that apply to the Storytime box as well? I would love to read both of those boxes to him each day, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to fit them both into our day.

4. I'm having a hard time deciding whether to move him up in January, or just wait until August and finish Bigger out. He's doing very well in Bigger; most of it very doable for him. Really, the only thing in Bigger that's a little bit of a challenge is copying passages. I know that Preparing has more copywork... I'm not sure if this would be good for him (more practice!) or if it would just frustrate him. Any advice for me?

I think that's all for now!

Thank you SO MUCH! :D :D :D
Blessings,
Elisabeth

ds - 17
dd - 14
dd - 12
ds - 9
dd - 5 (Little Hearts for His Glory)

Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

Heart_Mom
Posts: 473
Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2010 11:35 am

Re: Preparing: Independent History and Extension Question

Post by Heart_Mom » Mon Dec 12, 2011 3:46 am

Bump! :D :D :D
Blessings,
Elisabeth

ds - 17
dd - 14
dd - 12
ds - 9
dd - 5 (Little Hearts for His Glory)

Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

LynnH
Posts: 1846
Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 12:41 pm
Location: OH
Contact:

Re: Preparing: Independent History and Extension Question

Post by LynnH » Mon Dec 12, 2011 9:53 am

Preparing doesn't have just more copywork it has more writing over all. The dc start written narrations 1x a week and then also start with creative writing using Poetry. The passages in the copywork can be very long at times. Also you start doing Draw and Write Through History which has the drawing and copywork. If he is doing well in Bigger except for the writing then it may frustrate him to jump up to Preparing where so much more is required. I think it would have to be a dc that was just really bored and way underplaced to stop a guide midway and jump to the next one. So many skills build on each other and make going to the next guide a smooth transition. My ds did Preparing when he was technically a 5th grader and I didn't require the extensions. I did have him sometimes read the Usborne book as an add on because he is a visual kid and this helped him visualize things.

As far as doing their own reading you can have them read the history reading on their own as long as you still do the follow up activities and discussions. This is where you do Grandpa's Box and that book led to some really good discussions about God's plan for salvation. It actually took less time for me to just read it to him then if I would have had to find time to read it on my own so I could discuss it with him. I wouldn't have him do the storytime reading on his own, especially if you have him do the history readings. That would be a huge jump from Bigger in how much independence is expected. I am pretty sure it isn't until RTR that Carrie says the dc can take over storytime if they want. We are doing RTR, but I still do storytime with my ds because we both still enjoy that time together since he does so much of the other things on his own.
Mom to:
dd 22 college graduate and employed as an Intervention Specialist
ds 18 US2, Loved Preparing, CTC , RTR , Rev to Rev, MTMM ,WG, WH and US1
http://www.graceandfur.blogspot.com/

Larissa
Posts: 153
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 7:47 pm

Re: Preparing: Independent History and Extension Question

Post by Larissa » Mon Dec 12, 2011 12:10 pm

I absolutely agree with the previous reply. I promise you that you will not be sorry if you see Bigger through 'til the end. It more than adequately prepares them for Preparing Hearts and the fruit you will see come from it is amazing!

My son is doing it as a 4th grader, however, he did Bigger in it's entirety as written, which is what ultimately prepared him to succeed with the guide this year. Written narration was difficult in the beginning, but now in week 12 it is a joy! Spending the past year in Bigger really helped to segue way into written narration. I did buy most of the extension books. We do Preparing as written, using English 4, Math 4a and 4b, and DTHOR. I do the History Readings and Storytime, he does independent History. I use the extensions with him as "for fun" reading time. I cannot keep enough books around the house for my boys to read ... they love to read so much. So he reads the extensions during his rest time each day. If he doesn't get to it, that's okay. He is getting a thorough enough History without them. He really loves them, though, so it's a bonus for us!

Preparing will be just as adequate a 5th grade program as a 4th grade program with or without extensions. Enjoy Bigger this year - it's also a fantastic program ... although I admit, that I am loving Preparing even more than I loved Bigger. :)
Larissa
Wife to Rich (14 years)
Mommy to Martin(9)(Preparing), Aaron(7)(Beyond), Jonathan(5), and Rosalie(3)

Heart_Mom
Posts: 473
Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2010 11:35 am

Re: Preparing: Independent History and Extension Question

Post by Heart_Mom » Mon Dec 12, 2011 1:02 pm

LynnH wrote:Preparing doesn't have just more copywork it has more writing over all. The dc start written narrations 1x a week and then also start with creative writing using Poetry. The passages in the copywork can be very long at times. Also you start doing Draw and Write Through History which has the drawing and copywork. If he is doing well in Bigger except for the writing then it may frustrate him to jump up to Preparing where so much more is required. I think it would have to be a dc that was just really bored and way underplaced to stop a guide midway and jump to the next one. So many skills build on each other and make going to the next guide a smooth transition. My ds did Preparing when he was technically a 5th grader and I didn't require the extensions. I did have him sometimes read the Usborne book as an add on because he is a visual kid and this helped him visualize things.

As far as doing their own reading you can have them read the history reading on their own as long as you still do the follow up activities and discussions. This is where you do Grandpa's Box and that book led to some really good discussions about God's plan for salvation. It actually took less time for me to just read it to him then if I would have had to find time to read it on my own so I could discuss it with him. I wouldn't have him do the storytime reading on his own, especially if you have him do the history readings. That would be a huge jump from Bigger in how much independence is expected. I am pretty sure it isn't until RTR that Carrie says the dc can take over storytime if they want. We are doing RTR, but I still do storytime with my ds because we both still enjoy that time together since he does so much of the other things on his own.
Thank you for your help! :D Now that you mention it, you're right that the writing is more overall. My son is doing the Bigger extensions with written narrations currently. I guess I'm concerned that he might not be getting "enough" in Bigger. My son is still "behind" in math and grammar, so I tend to get anxious about that. (For the record, he was behind before we ever started HOD, and has improved leaps and bounds since we started HOD in Fall of 2010!) I know that I need to teach him where he is, though! It could be a lot to go to Preparing right now... and pushing him beyond what he's ready for would not reap a good harvest!

As far as the reading, my son loves to read and would be capable of reading the History and Storytime alone. I would much prefer to read them to him, mainly for the fun times reading together. I just get concerned about fitting it all in each day.

Thanks so much!
Blessings,
Elisabeth

ds - 17
dd - 14
dd - 12
ds - 9
dd - 5 (Little Hearts for His Glory)

Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

Heart_Mom
Posts: 473
Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2010 11:35 am

Re: Preparing: Independent History and Extension Question

Post by Heart_Mom » Mon Dec 12, 2011 1:08 pm

Larissa wrote:I absolutely agree with the previous reply. I promise you that you will not be sorry if you see Bigger through 'til the end. It more than adequately prepares them for Preparing Hearts and the fruit you will see come from it is amazing!

My son is doing it as a 4th grader, however, he did Bigger in it's entirety as written, which is what ultimately prepared him to succeed with the guide this year. Written narration was difficult in the beginning, but now in week 12 it is a joy! Spending the past year in Bigger really helped to segue way into written narration. I did buy most of the extension books. We do Preparing as written, using English 4, Math 4a and 4b, and DTHOR. I do the History Readings and Storytime, he does independent History. I use the extensions with him as "for fun" reading time. I cannot keep enough books around the house for my boys to read ... they love to read so much. So he reads the extensions during his rest time each day. If he doesn't get to it, that's okay. He is getting a thorough enough History without them. He really loves them, though, so it's a bonus for us!

Preparing will be just as adequate a 5th grade program as a 4th grade program with or without extensions. Enjoy Bigger this year - it's also a fantastic program ... although I admit, that I am loving Preparing even more than I loved Bigger. :)
Hi, Larissa!

Thank you for your post! :D You're making me seriously consider sticking with Bigger!

My son is currently doing extensions with written narrations in Bigger. His written narrations have gotten better, however, I only require about 4 or 5 sentences. Just today he mentioned how the written narrations were so difficult when we started in August, but that they have gotten much easier. That was an encouragement to hear!!! :D
Blessings,
Elisabeth

ds - 17
dd - 14
dd - 12
ds - 9
dd - 5 (Little Hearts for His Glory)

Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

Heart_Mom
Posts: 473
Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2010 11:35 am

Re: Preparing: Independent History and Extension Question

Post by Heart_Mom » Mon Dec 12, 2011 1:27 pm

I've been chewing on this a bit more in my few quiet moments in the middle of the day here :D ... He struggles with some academic areas, so I get anxious about how best to proceed with him. I want to challenge him, but not frustrate him!

I think it boils down to this ... if my 4th grade/10 year old son is getting "enough" in the way of History, Science, and Writing doing Bigger with Extensions (including the written narrations); I think it's okay to stick with Bigger for longer. If he really needs more, then I'm willing to bump to Preparing, even if it's very challenging in the beginning.

He needed Vision Therapy back in 2009, which greatly helped him. But since we didn't realize he had a vision problem for a while, he ended up being behind in some areas ... and he's still catching up. I'm feeling like I'm constantly running a race, trying to get him up to where he "should" be. I'm probably anxious about this much of the time. (Time to read Philippians 4, huh!?!)

Here's some other info to give you a better picture of where he is:

He is nearing the end of learning cursive ... just learning the capital letters now. We're just nearing the the end of R&S 2. (I know this is "behind", but I plan to do R&S grammar year round with him, so I think it will be not problem to finish level 6 by the time he ends 8th grade.) He's doing DITHR Student book Level 2/3 with books that are a 4/5 Level. After a couple more units at level 2/3, I may bump him up to 4/5. (I'm using different programs for spelling and math.) He LOVES to read; it's not uncommon for him to read a book like "The Indian in the Cupboard" or "By the Great Horn Spoon" in one day, and with good comprehension. He is extremely creative: wiring complex electronics and making things that actually work! He's also very verbal (practically born talking). People who interact with him always assume that he is above grade level, probably because his vocabulary and general knowledge are excellent.

I'm open to thoughts and suggestions! :)
Blessings,
Elisabeth

ds - 17
dd - 14
dd - 12
ds - 9
dd - 5 (Little Hearts for His Glory)

Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

Larissa
Posts: 153
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 7:47 pm

Re: Preparing: Independent History and Extension Question

Post by Larissa » Tue Dec 13, 2011 11:58 am

I completely understand that feeling of being behind. I would just suggest that you not worry so much about him being in English 2 right now and feeling like you need to catch up. Technically, Rod and Staff is complete through English 8. In the later guides, English 5 is scheduled to take 2 years to complete (along with a separate writing curriculum). English 6 is also scheduled to take 2 years to complete. I assume (although not certain) that English 7 and 8 will be scheduled to be completed from 9th-12th grade. (Anyone who knows for sure ... please speak up! I do not intend to misrepresent)
My point, though, is that you have a lot of wiggle room to get caught up. Once you start Preparing you can do English 3. CTC - English 4. Res to Ref - English 5. Rev to Rev - do the first half of 6 - And by this time you are all caught up!
My 3rd grader went straight into English 3 last year after just completing the light grammar from Beyond and he didn't have any trouble whatsoever. It met him right where he was. So, if you ever feel like the English 2 isn't enough for him, you can go ahead and bump him up to English 3.
I wouldn't worry at all about feeling behind with him!
Larissa
Wife to Rich (14 years)
Mommy to Martin(9)(Preparing), Aaron(7)(Beyond), Jonathan(5), and Rosalie(3)

Heart_Mom
Posts: 473
Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2010 11:35 am

Re: Preparing: Independent History and Extension Question

Post by Heart_Mom » Tue Dec 13, 2011 3:33 pm

Larissa wrote:I completely understand that feeling of being behind. I would just suggest that you not worry so much about him being in English 2 right now and feeling like you need to catch up. Technically, Rod and Staff is complete through English 8. In the later guides, English 5 is scheduled to take 2 years to complete (along with a separate writing curriculum). English 6 is also scheduled to take 2 years to complete. I assume (although not certain) that English 7 and 8 will be scheduled to be completed from 9th-12th grade. (Anyone who knows for sure ... please speak up! I do not intend to misrepresent)
My point, though, is that you have a lot of wiggle room to get caught up. Once you start Preparing you can do English 3. CTC - English 4. Res to Ref - English 5. Rev to Rev - do the first half of 6 - And by this time you are all caught up!
My 3rd grader went straight into English 3 last year after just completing the light grammar from Beyond and he didn't have any trouble whatsoever. It met him right where he was. So, if you ever feel like the English 2 isn't enough for him, you can go ahead and bump him up to English 3.
I wouldn't worry at all about feeling behind with him!
Thanks so much for your encouragement, Larissa! I really appreciate it! :D We do have time to catch up! :D
Blessings,
Elisabeth

ds - 17
dd - 14
dd - 12
ds - 9
dd - 5 (Little Hearts for His Glory)

Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

my3sons
Posts: 10702
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:08 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Preparing: Independent History and Extension Question

Post by my3sons » Tue Dec 13, 2011 7:16 pm

Heart_Mom wrote:Hi!

I'm (still) considering bumping my 4th grade/10 year old son up to Preparing soon and I have a couple of questions... :D :D :D He's currently in Bigger on about Unit 14 or so. (I have Preparing on my shelf just waiting for him!)

1. Since he's still currently in 4th grade, if I start Preparing in January is it enough for him to just be doing the Independent History on his own, or should he be doing the Extensions instead?

2. If I wait until he's in 5th grade to do Preparing, would he need to do both the Independent History and the Extensions readings?

3. I read in the Preparing intro that if he is able to do "Reading About History" readings on his own that I should encourage him to do that. Does that apply to the Storytime box as well? I would love to read both of those boxes to him each day, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to fit them both into our day.

4. I'm having a hard time deciding whether to move him up in January, or just wait until August and finish Bigger out. He's doing very well in Bigger; most of it very doable for him. Really, the only thing in Bigger that's a little bit of a challenge is copying passages. I know that Preparing has more copywork... I'm not sure if this would be good for him (more practice!) or if it would just frustrate him. Any advice for me?

I think that's all for now!

Thank you SO MUCH! :D :D :D
Heart_mom - I think there is much to celebrate here! Your ds had some vision therapy concerns, and you managed to get to the bottom of that and get him the help he needed. He is doing well reading, and is moving along in cursive writing, grammar and math. As Larissa pointed out, just by steadily moving forward with these at full-speed, you can keep moving him along at a fair clip. He sounds like he has many talents for using his hands well, and using words well with a large vocabulary. He is doing well with Bigger Hearts and its extensions. It sounds to me like it would be worthwhile to complete Bigger Hearts with extensions. However, I wanted to share this comparison of the writing in BHFHG and PHFHG to get your thoughts on this...
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3602

Right now, your ds is making steady progress and growing more and more in many important skills each day. When you read the above writing requirements for PHFHG, does it seem like he would benefit from finishing the writing requirements in BHFHG prior to moving into PHFHG? If so, I'd probably do that. Or, does it seem he is fully ready for PHFHG? If so, I'd probably do that.

If your ds is not already doing so, he can definitely read his own Science books in BHFHG, as well as begin to move toward doing that box more independently. This box becomes independent in PHFHG. He can also read his own "Reading about History" books, if he is ready to do so. Then, you can do your follow-up teaching with him of the skills within that box of plans. I'd keep reading Storytime to him though.

As far as your above questions, if you do start PHFHG in January because you feel he is ready for the writing requirements, then...
1. As he'd be 10 yo, doing just the Independent History and not the extensions should be enough.
2. If you wait to do PHFHG until 5th grade, you would want him to do the Independent History readings, as many excellent skills that need to be taught accompany these, and you would weigh whether he needed to do the extensions or not. If he is 12 yo, I'd do the extensions. If he is 11 yo, he could go either way. It would be better for a student to give his all to the core of the program and not do extensions, than to be unable to give his best to the core of the program and do the extensions. The core of the program is what teaches skills incrementally, so unless dc have those skills intact and are just needed extensions, it is important to use the core to teach those skills. I hope that makes sense!
3. I'd probably have him read the "Reading about History", but I'd still read the "Storytime". Or, I'd set the timer for 10 minutes, read the Storytime for 10 minutes, and if any Storytime reading is left, let him finish it on his own before doing the follow-up with him.
4. This goes back to the increased writing in PHFHG. If you are still truly torn in this decision, it sounds like you own PHFHG already, so you could always take a 1 week break from BHFHG/ext. and try out the first unit of PHFHG just to see how it goes. You could explain to your ds that you are just trying to weigh your options, and that either is a good fit, so he would understand that you may choose to do BHFHG/ext. with him after the week is done, or you may choose to do PHFHG with him. I just wouldn't want him to feel like he somehow failed a test by not moving into PHFHG after the week then, if that would be what you'd find would be best.

With Riley, I did half-speed Bigger Hearts for quite a few months. Then we had summer break, and I tried to do full-speed BHFHG. He was not ready for it, and I ended up going back to half-speed for awhile. This worked just fine. I made sure not to make a big deal of it as he truly just needed to learn time management skills, better attention skills, and increased writing skills. I just share this so you know, all of this pondering you are doing will bring you to the right answer. I will pray for you in this decision, but you are asking all the right questions, and I think all of these responses these wonderful ladies have given will help you choose what's best for you and your ds. I hope something here can help you with this decision!

In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie

Heart_Mom
Posts: 473
Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2010 11:35 am

Re: Preparing: Independent History and Extension Question

Post by Heart_Mom » Wed Dec 14, 2011 1:40 pm

my3sons wrote:Heart_mom - I think there is much to celebrate here! Your ds had some vision therapy concerns, and you managed to get to the bottom of that and get him the help he needed. He is doing well reading, and is moving along in cursive writing, grammar and math. As Larissa pointed out, just by steadily moving forward with these at full-speed, you can keep moving him along at a fair clip. He sounds like he has many talents for using his hands well, and using words well with a large vocabulary. He is doing well with Bigger Hearts and its extensions. It sounds to me like it would be worthwhile to complete Bigger Hearts with extensions. However, I wanted to share this comparison of the writing in BHFHG and PHFHG to get your thoughts on this...
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3602
First I want to thank you for responding to my post, Julie! You have been such an encouragement to me :D (By the way, I've used your idea of numbering activities for my 5 year old for some alone play time, and it has worked beautifully!)

It was encouraging to read what you wrote in the above paragraph ... he really has come a long way! :D
my3sons wrote:Right now, your ds is making steady progress and growing more and more in many important skills each day. When you read the above writing requirements for PHFHG, does it seem like he would benefit from finishing the writing requirements in BHFHG prior to moving into PHFHG? If so, I'd probably do that. Or, does it seem he is fully ready for PHFHG? If so, I'd probably do that.
I read the link about writing requirements, and I have a couple of thoughts:
1. When I read about (and look through, since I bought Preparing) what's required, I think, "He could do this, but it would be a stretch for him." He can copy passages, but he does find it to be somewhat challenging to attend to spelling, punctuation, and capitalization with good accuracy.
2. I haven't been having him copy the poem each week. Is this something I really need to do? (He is doing all the other writing in Bigger, including written narrations 2X weekly for Extensions, and he has dictation with his spelling program. He is doing all of the writing each day for Grammar as he nears the end of R&S 2. If I bump to Preparing, I'll move to making most of Grammar oral.) I'm a little reluctant to require the poetry copywork, because he really disliked copying the poems in Beyond last year and I think he saw the poems as a source of work rather than enjoyment. I know it would give him more copying practice though... Do you have any thoughts about this for me?
3. Cursive is coming along, but it's still hard for him to copy from printed text (as opposed to a cursive model). Staying in Bigger would help him to have more time to practice his cursive skills before having to move on to copywork in cursive. So in that regard, finishing the writing assignments in Bigger could be a boon to him. I guess I can't say for sure that he's fully ready for writing in Preparing, but I guess I'm hoping that it would stretch him! :mrgreen:
my3sons wrote:If your ds is not already doing so, he can definitely read his own Science books in BHFHG, as well as begin to move toward doing that box more independently. This box becomes independent in PHFHG. He can also read his own "Reading about History" books, if he is ready to do so. Then, you can do your follow-up teaching with him of the skills within that box of plans. I'd keep reading Storytime to him though.
He has been doing Bigger's Science independently for the past few weeks, and that's going very well. I do sometimes have him read the History on his own if I'm short on time that day, so I could have him take that over. He retains very well from what he reads on his own. I do Storytime with all the children together, so I certainly keep reading that!
my3sons wrote:As far as your above questions, if you do start PHFHG in January because you feel he is ready for the writing requirements, then...
1. As he'd be 10 yo, doing just the Independent History and not the extensions should be enough.
2. If you wait to do PHFHG until 5th grade, you would want him to do the Independent History readings, as many excellent skills that need to be taught accompany these, and you would weigh whether he needed to do the extensions or not. If he is 12 yo, I'd do the extensions. If he is 11 yo, he could go either way. It would be better for a student to give his all to the core of the program and not do extensions, than to be unable to give his best to the core of the program and do the extensions. The core of the program is what teaches skills incrementally, so unless dc have those skills intact and are just needed extensions, it is important to use the core to teach those skills. I hope that makes sense!
3. I'd probably have him read the "Reading about History", but I'd still read the "Storytime". Or, I'd set the timer for 10 minutes, read the Storytime for 10 minutes, and if any Storytime reading is left, let him finish it on his own before doing the follow-up with him.
4. This goes back to the increased writing in PHFHG. If you are still truly torn in this decision, it sounds like you own PHFHG already, so you could always take a 1 week break from BHFHG/ext. and try out the first unit of PHFHG just to see how it goes. You could explain to your ds that you are just trying to weigh your options, and that either is a good fit, so he would understand that you may choose to do BHFHG/ext. with him after the week is done, or you may choose to do PHFHG with him. I just wouldn't want him to feel like he somehow failed a test by not moving into PHFHG after the week then, if that would be what you'd find would be best.
My son will be 11 for all of 5th grade, so that's helpful to know that he could go either way with the extensions, even if we wait to start Preparing until the fall. Maybe I'll start out without extensions, and just add them in when he gets into the groove of doing Preparing. Either way, will certainly do the Independent History Study.

I like your idea of trying out a week of Preparing with him! I don't think he'd feel like he'd failed a test if we go back to Bigger. If the writing is a little too much for him, he'll be happy to stick with Bigger for a while!

Trying Preparing out for a week may be the only way to know if the increased writing is something he can rise to meet the challenge of, or it if will just be too much.
my3sons wrote:With Riley, I did half-speed Bigger Hearts for quite a few months. Then we had summer break, and I tried to do full-speed BHFHG. He was not ready for it, and I ended up going back to half-speed for awhile. This worked just fine. I made sure not to make a big deal of it as he truly just needed to learn time management skills, better attention skills, and increased writing skills. I just share this so you know, all of this pondering you are doing will bring you to the right answer. I will pray for you in this decision, but you are asking all the right questions, and I think all of these responses these wonderful ladies have given will help you choose what's best for you and your ds. I hope something here can help you with this decision!

In Christ,
Julie
I guess my last question is this: At some point should I just plan to finish out Bigger to the end? (Or just move on to Preparing, if that's the case.) At this point, I feel like I'm constantly re-evaluating if he's ready to move up and, honestly, it's not very peaceful because I'm always second-guessing myself. If we decide to NOT bump to Preparing in January, maybe I should plan to finish Bigger unless he makes a sudden leap forward in skills?

Thank you so much for your kind help, Julie! :D

It's my heart's desire to glorify God and to do what's best for my son, and sometimes I find it difficult to decide the best way to proceed!
Blessings,
Elisabeth

ds - 17
dd - 14
dd - 12
ds - 9
dd - 5 (Little Hearts for His Glory)

Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

Molly
Posts: 288
Joined: Wed Nov 30, 2011 1:12 am
Location: South Island, New Zealand

Re: Preparing: Independent History and Extension Question

Post by Molly » Wed Dec 14, 2011 2:37 pm

Hi there, I have been reading through this since you first posted.

I see you are really struggling with yourself being content with the level your son is at. Can I ask (please ignore me if you want) how does your son feel about the work he is doing? Does he feel he is at a level he is being challenged? Does he believe he could do more independent work? Does he think he could move through Bigger at a slightly faster pace? Could he do the readings independently and then you and he together share a readaloud that is completely unrelated to school work?

Seeing as I haven't actually started with HOD at all, I may not be the best person to give advice, but I am looking forward to seeing how my 10yr DD (nearly 11 and academically advanced) goes with Preparing with Extensions and am already debating whether I will move her onto RtR mid year, or keep her on Preparing with Ext. So I have my own quandries already. My DD will be the one who will ultimately decide whether she is willing to push herself.

I am praying that God will give you peace about this decision. Hang in there, and I pray you enjoy your days with your son. BTW, I think you must be an amazing Mum putting so much thought and prayer into doing the best for him.
Michelle, Mum homeschooling four beauties in NZ
DD1 (13): Rev2Rev, DITHR
DD2 (11): CTC, DITHR
DS1 (8): BHFHG
DS2 (4): LHTH

Heart_Mom
Posts: 473
Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2010 11:35 am

Re: Preparing: Independent History and Extension Question

Post by Heart_Mom » Wed Dec 14, 2011 7:42 pm

Molly wrote:Hi there, I have been reading through this since you first posted.

I see you are really struggling with yourself being content with the level your son is at. Can I ask (please ignore me if you want) how does your son feel about the work he is doing? Does he feel he is at a level he is being challenged? Does he believe he could do more independent work? Does he think he could move through Bigger at a slightly faster pace? Could he do the readings independently and then you and he together share a readaloud that is completely unrelated to school work?

Seeing as I haven't actually started with HOD at all, I may not be the best person to give advice, but I am looking forward to seeing how my 10yr DD (nearly 11 and academically advanced) goes with Preparing with Extensions and am already debating whether I will move her onto RtR mid year, or keep her on Preparing with Ext. So I have my own quandries already. My DD will be the one who will ultimately decide whether she is willing to push herself.

I am praying that God will give you peace about this decision. Hang in there, and I pray you enjoy your days with your son. BTW, I think you must be an amazing Mum putting so much thought and prayer into doing the best for him.
Hi, Molly!

I can't thank you enough for your post. It was quite an encouragement to me! :D

I hadn't thought to ask my son his about his impressions of how he's doing, so I'm so glad you suggested it. I talked with him this afternoon about this. He feels like the amount of writing he's doing in Bigger is fine for him, but he wants more in the way of information in the area of History. He is a sponge when it comes to information and he loves detail, so on that count I think a higher guide would be better for him. The problem is that he is reluctant to add more writing in his day (but he may be capable of doing more). He also told me that he would like to do less copywork, and more in the way of written narrations and original writing (even if he had to re-do it each time to fix errors). He says that he really loves reading and doing the written narrations for Bigger's Extensions!

Does anyone have thoughts on how to make this work for him? :D

Thanks again, Molly! :D
Blessings,
Elisabeth

ds - 17
dd - 14
dd - 12
ds - 9
dd - 5 (Little Hearts for His Glory)

Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

my3sons
Posts: 10702
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:08 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Preparing: Independent History and Extension Question

Post by my3sons » Wed Dec 14, 2011 7:51 pm

Heart_Mom wrote:I read the link about writing requirements, and I have a couple of thoughts:
1. When I read about (and look through, since I bought Preparing) what's required, I think, "He could do this, but it would be a stretch for him." He can copy passages, but he does find it to be somewhat challenging to attend to spelling, punctuation, and capitalization with good accuracy.
2. I haven't been having him copy the poem each week. Is this something I really need to do? (He is doing all the other writing in Bigger, including written narrations 2X weekly for Extensions, and he has dictation with his spelling program. He is doing all of the writing each day for Grammar as he nears the end of R&S 2. If I bump to Preparing, I'll move to making most of Grammar oral.) I'm a little reluctant to require the poetry copywork, because he really disliked copying the poems in Beyond last year and I think he saw the poems as a source of work rather than enjoyment. I know it would give him more copying practice though... Do you have any thoughts about this for me?
3. Cursive is coming along, but it's still hard for him to copy from printed text (as opposed to a cursive model). Staying in Bigger would help him to have more time to practice his cursive skills before having to move on to copywork in cursive. So in that regard, finishing the writing assignments in Bigger could be a boon to him. I guess I can't say for sure that he's fully ready for writing in Preparing, but I guess I'm hoping that it would stretch him! :mrgreen:
This was so good to read your thoughts here - and I think you are such a good mother to weigh this decision carefully - how blessed your ds is to have you for a mom! I will try to share some thoughts about what you've shared, but I know you will know best as your ds's mother.

1. If you are thinking he "could" do this, but it may cause some friction, I'd say go with finishing BHFHG with ext. Call me sentimental, but our time with our dc is too short - it needs to count. I'd go with enjoying the journey together over struggling through it. But again, that's just my thoughts, you will know best.
2. Not a big deal not to have him copy the poem. If not copying the poem allows him to give his utmost to the rest of BHFHG, then not copying the poem is in his best interests. For what it's worth, I did not have Riley copy the poems in BHFHG when we moved to going full-speed with him. I felt it would have deterred him from doing his best with the rest of it. :D
3. Some kiddos take off with cursive, and some don't - which is just fine. This is not a failure IMHO - it's just an indicator that printing will be preferred. I don't know of many males that LOVE cursive, so a year of cursive is A-OK with me, along with a little practice the next year, as HOD nicely helps with- and then after that, I think it becomes clear which type of writing each person prefers. So, see how it goes, and I think you'll know which fits your ds best. Either is fine IMHO! :D
Heart_Mom wrote:I guess my last question is this: At some point should I just plan to finish out Bigger to the end? (Or just move on to Preparing, if that's the case.) At this point, I feel like I'm constantly re-evaluating if he's ready to move up and, honestly, it's not very peaceful because I'm always second-guessing myself. If we decide to NOT bump to Preparing in January, maybe I should plan to finish Bigger unless he makes a sudden leap forward in skills?
Yes, I think this makes good sense. I do think that finishing out Bigger Hearts with ext. unless ds makes a sudden leap forward in skills is a very, very good plan. Honestly, for me, I have decided what I can do to make our homeschooling be a joy, what I can do to maintain a heartfelt close relationship with my sons, and what I can do to make our day to day as smooth as possible - THAT is what will keep me homeschooling happily and successfully to the finish. So, if it's going well, and ds is feeling successful, and you are feeling progress, then I'd keep on keeping on, in the same way, and smell those roses along the way. I long for my dc to look back on homeschooling with me as a joy. I long to look back on our homeschooling as a delight. So, just pray about this, decide to either give PHFHG or not, and then within a week or so, I'd say (IMHO), make a decision that you in your mother's heart feel is best, and then give yourself and your ds some rest in this decision. Either way, your decision is just fine. I hope somehow this helps! :D
Heart_Mom wrote:It's my heart's desire to glorify God and to do what's best for my son, and sometimes I find it difficult to decide the best way to proceed!
And this is what gives me total peace about this. It will give you total peace too. Your heart's desire is God's desire, and that lines up perfectly. I will pray for you, but this guidance from God is flawless. He will show you the way, for sure. :D He is that good. He is that dependable. Blessings sent your way, Heart_Mom!

Love in Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie

Molly
Posts: 288
Joined: Wed Nov 30, 2011 1:12 am
Location: South Island, New Zealand

Re: Preparing: Independent History and Extension Question

Post by Molly » Thu Dec 15, 2011 3:26 am

I'm so glad you had the chance to talk to your son. I wonder if you can find some other history books at his level that he could read in his spare time. It sounds like he is happy with the amount of writing he is doing now, and I would imagine there would be more copywork/writing in Preparing, so keeping him building up toward that sounds like what I would be concentrating on rather than moving him on because of his desire to read more. One of the reasons HOD really appeals to me is because of the increasing of the skills as the children move thorugh each level, and I know that unless DD1 really shows me she far exceeds the writing skills in Preparing Extensions, we will not move her forward, but keep her moving through each level with extensions.
Michelle, Mum homeschooling four beauties in NZ
DD1 (13): Rev2Rev, DITHR
DD2 (11): CTC, DITHR
DS1 (8): BHFHG
DS2 (4): LHTH

Post Reply