Use with gifted? 3rd and 4th grade daughters

[sunnyvols]

Hello, all! We have wanted to homeschool for years but are finally ready to take the plunge. I really love the way HOD is presented and have hopes of using it either starting this spring or fall. My 2 daughters are bored senseless in public school. They are 7 (2nd grader currently) and 9 (current 3rd grader), and are both considered gifted by the school system (although I have been extremely frustrated by the slooooow pace the school has taken in testing them- halfway through the year and we have yet to get any kind of accomodations in the classroom for them).

My question is regarding using this program with gifted kids. My younger girl seems to be the more gifted of the 2- reading at nearly a 5th grade level and spelling everything she can. My 9 year old reads about a year ahead, but is advanced in math, which she loves.

I love the open and go aspect of HOD, which I really think would help our family- my husband and I both work (I am in children's ministry 4 days a week as well as Sunday mornings, my kids can come with me to work). We need something flexible like this. Any advice on whether this curriculum may fit my family, and where to place them in the curriculum, is appreciated.

[daybreaking]

I think HOD works very well for gifted learners. In 2nd grade, my ds tested at post high school level for reading comprehension (and high school level for most other subjects), yet he has loved HOD and has never been bored with it. Since my ds reads well, I have him read his own science and some of his own history. We've also added in the extension books for extra independent reading. As far as placement, I would carefully check the placement chart and go with what it indicates would be the the best fit. Keep in mind that here is an increasing level of writing as one progresses through the guides and each guide prepares the student for the next level of skills required. We vascillated between two guides, but ended up going with the lower guide to give my ds more time to ease into the writing. Now that two years have passed, I can definitely say it was the right decision.

[sunnyvols]

Thanks, Daybreaking! So would you advise then to go with Bigger Hearts rather than Preparing Hearts? I have wondered if I used PH when I start, if they would be pushed too hard or if that would make us run out of years of HOD a lot quicker than we had to. Also, what do you recommend for math, based on your experiences? Do you use Singapore? Thanks again!

[daybreaking]

I know Carrie and Julie (Carrie's sister) are much more experienced than I, so perhaps they might have a different take, but I'll share my thoughts just in case they are helpful. I wouldn't recommend Preparing for a second grader. I would think, If you are planning to combine, Bigger would be the better choice, especially if you are planning on starting now, rather than the fall. We used Bigger when my son was in 3rd grade and it was the perfect fit, although I should clarify that we used the left side of Bigger, along with advanced options for language arts and math. (We used R&S English 3 and R&S Math 4) It might be that your children end up in different math and English levels, based on their skills. Singapore has a placement test that can help you determine the appropriate level. R&S doesn't have a placement test, but perhaps you can peruse the table of contents to get an idea of where your girls would fit in the English. We've loved Bigger's extensions, but the reading levels go up to 6.7, so you might want to use some of them as read alouds with your girls, if you choose to use them. I hope this helps!

[gratitude]

I am using Bigger with a gifted 3rd grader, 9years old. He tested numerous grade levels ahead in math, reading, and reading comprehension. He reads around a high school level or beyond. The extensions and DITHR help with the advanced reading student. Working at whatever level of Singapore your dd's test into helps with the math. He is not advanced in writing, which is the primary reason I choose Bigger. The other reason would be his love for American History! Plus, the benefit of taking in the account that he is still emotionally very 9.

Welcome to Home schooling!

[3sweeties]

My 2 cents: since this is your first time homeschooling and with HOD, I would go with Bigger if that is where they mostly place on the placement chart. Have you had a chance to look at it? http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php

Bigger is a GREAT place to start and, as previous posters have said, there is quite a bit of writing and copywork in it -- it definitely stretched my oldest DS when he did it for 2nd grade (and he is advanced), so much so that I stretched it to part of 3rd grade! AND my 2nd DS will not hit it until 3rd grade...I know he couldn't handle the increase in writing yet! You can always have your oldest DD do the extensions that go with Bigger if you want to give her a little bit more of a challenge...

Hope that helps a little bit---welcome to homeschooling and HOD!!!

[Kathleen]

Hi!

I think that you and your girls will love HOD if you choose to use it. We had a wonderful experience switching from a more textbook approach to learning in the classroom and at home to HOD with my oldest. He was 8 when we started HOD. What I have found is that the more Charlotte Mason approach that HOD takes with using living books makes all the material more inspiring. Those sharp little minds have so much to think about and ponder and experiment with LONG after the reading is over! You just don't get that with a textbook and fill-in-the-blank worksheet or test. My kids have loved exploring things on their own that we touch on with HOD, especially in science here. They love recreating experiments and exploring outside.

You'll have to consider what you most want for your family as you choose which guide(s) to use... I think reading through these posts by Carrie should help as you get started. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=9344 If what you're really wanting for your girls is that they be right on their level for everything, you'll probably want seperate guides. My guess is that they could place seperately in Bigger for the 8 year old and CTC for the 10 year old. Now, since they're only 2 years apart, it could definitely work well to combine them as well. You could use the extension pack for the older girl to add to the day. You can always do the basics (reading, English, math) on their own levels. But, there may be things about your family's schedule that will make combining them work best for you all time-wise and together-wise. (Pretty sure I just made that word up... )

We switched to Singapore for my oldest when we went with HOD, and we have loved it! I love math - and I really like the way that Singapore has problems that make the kids think while they do them. I would think that your math-loving oldest would especially like the challenge. I would have the girls take the placement test here to see where to place them. http://www.singaporemath.com/Placement_Test_s/86.htm (Just so you know, because we switched later, my oldest is a "level" behind his grade. So, he's doing 6A and 6B as a 7th grader. He's good at math and enjoys it, so I looked at whether I'd need to speed him up a little to be able to do advanced math in high school. We will be able to do everything up through calculus by just staying with the path we're on, so don't worry about them placing "behind" when you take that test.)

Kathleen

I had this post almost done this afternoon during nap time, and then got called away to help outside with the calves....hopefully it's still helpful as you ponder. Welcome to HOD!

[sunnyvols]

Thank you for the replies everyone! What you have said makes a lot of sense. I don't want to overchallenge the girls, so we will probably use Bigger and extend