Preparing Hearts For His Glory

[Carrie]

Ronda,

I'm so glad you mentioned the ship date for Preparing Hearts.... You are so right, we need to have that up on the website. Somehow, in the launch of it all I missed that very important detail.

We'll remedy that right away! You ladies are great!

Blessings,
Carrie

[Carrie]

blessedmomof4,

Thanks so much for sharing about your children. It really helps give a much clearer picture of where they're at. Here's my advice on a few key areas you mentioned. Sometimes it helps to bounce around a few options, as it may lead you to discovering what you really think is best! I know I have to process through things with my sisters A LOT before I know how I really feel!

So here goes:
1. The Extension Package books are designed to add more additional history reading for those kiddos that are ready for more in this area. The readings are designed to be done independently, and are in no way supposed to require any help from you! The kiddos need to be strong readers to read the listed books in the Extension Pack and the books are not a necessary part of the program. So, my advice would be not to do those anymore with your 4th grader. There is plenty of content in the history read-alouds you're already doing for the rest of "Bigger....".

2. With "Drawn into the Heart..." if the suggested books are too hard, I would step back a level to where reading is not such a struggle. Your daughter needs to feel success! Also, it is much more important to spend your reading time with her using DITHR, instead of frustrating her with the Extension Pack readings. Let her learn to enoy reading by keeping the readings short and use books with any topic that interests her!

3. As far as Singapore goes, it is usually reccommended to start a semester or even a year back when coming to Singapore Math from a different program. 3A is a very difficult level to enter Singapore. So, I would give her the placement test and see what level she places at now. I wouldn't go any further, until you know you have her placed correctly. Here is the placement test:
http://www.singaporemath.com/Placement_Test_s/86.htm

Depending where she places, I would back her up to at least 2B. Singapore is very advanced in scope and sequence, and you really notice it in 3A/3B. Don't worry about being on grade level, or getting behind. Singapore Math only goes to 6A/6B and that is considered pre-algebra level. One other option would be to return to your old math program if it seemed to work better for her if you are just tired of Singapore for her!

4. As far as working straight through the year with no breaks to finish by June, I wouldn't worry about keeping that pace for you or your kiddos. I would continue to move forward, but I wouldn't be worried about taking a break here or there. You need to enjoy the journey. When I mentioned not slowing down in my previous post to you, I wasn't sure what type of schooler you were. Some moms school more randomely and struggle to finish any program, so they need encouragement to keep keepin' on. Other moms are so programmed to complete a year within a year that they need permission that it's o.k. to take longer if needed. And some are in between! At our house, we have sometimes had to go a quarter into the next school year to finish. We did it with "Little Hands..." and with "Little Hearts...". It worked out fine!

5. It will be fine to use "Preparing Hearts..." without the Extension Pack books for your older child. In fact, you could have your 4th turning 5th grader use the Deluxe Package books right along with your younger child instead. Or, you could have your younger child not do the Deluxe Package at all and save that for only your older one. Your younger will get plenty of history just listening in with the read-alouds.

As far as your successes with your children, I'm so happy for you. It is affirming to see them gain and grow. I also know working with them on their areas of weakness can be wearing! But, I want to assure you that you are not alone, because all kiddos have areas of weakness. Yet, the ones who have had to struggle often turn out to be amazing adults who know what it's like to work hard at something!

Hopefully these ideas will help you process through things a bit and encourage you to tweak the program to make it work for your family better!

Blessings,
Carrie

[blessedmomof4]

I really appreciate your insight. As far as the reading with my 4th grader. I think she would be much relieved to not do all the extension readings! I just got Guns for General Washington from the library, and after looking at it, I am quite sure it would be too difficult for her to enjoy on her own. Some of the extension history books have been ok, like Ben and Me. I suppose I could pick and choose as we go along, and take my daughter's input as well, and let her read some if she wants to and if she is able to do it independently. With DITHOR, we are using 2/3 and the suggested book list, noticing a few of the "level 3" books are too difficult, but some of the "level 2" books are too easy to keep her interest, so I will also take her input there and use things she is comfortable with. With Math, I did use the placement test long before we started and she placed in level 3A no problem. But in actual practice it is not working well-she always did well in her old program since grade K and worked independently and enjoyed it, now she is starting to dislike math!

At this point it would be kind of difficult to switch the math because she is already almost halfway through Singapore 3A despite everything-I will continue to modify the lessons for her and return to her old program next year.
I am glad to see my 4th grader has no problems with the grammar and copywork, and she really loves the science-incidentally, she loves reference-type books about science, and when we go to the library, she will borrow extra for fun! I own a copy of Reader's Digest North American Wildlife, and she is wearing it out looking through it and copying info about her favorite animals! She is also proficient at drawing and makes lovely nature pictures. She has some very special strengths-by the way, she is really enjoying the read-aloud on John Audubon .

For my 3rd grader, Singapore 2A has been an excellent switch-she says she does NOT want to switch back to the old program we used since she was in K! She does quite well, and although she enjoys the hands-on activities, does not really need them. She often just talks things through and figures them out all on her own. She is almost catching up to her sister in reading, and is doing much better now on copywork and grammar-in the course of a couple of weeks she has gone from doing mostly oral work to doing more written without a problem-I'm thinking it may have been a fine motor thing.

Anyway, thanks for bearing with my long-winded posts, I am a reader and writer by nature (could you tell?), and am definitely among the sort that really needs to bounce things off others to think clearly, otherwise I'll jump impulsively into things because of my current feelings It is also nice to hear I "can" take time off here and there-I REALLY don't like having any school left to do in the summer, though-I like to get finished with things and not have anything lingering

Lourdes

[Ronda]

Ronda,

I'm so glad you mentioned the ship date for Preparing Hearts.... You are so right, we need to have that up on the website. Somehow, in the launch of it all I missed that very important detail.

We'll remedy that right away! You ladies are great!

Blessings,
Carrie

Thanks, Carrie. Now I know for sure that I wasn't dreaming that Preparing Hearts would not be available until later in the year! I also wanted to say that it looks wonderful!! You've included many of the books we already have on the shelves that I've been wanting to use but just haven't gotten around to it! We're going to do Bigger Hearts next school year, but we will definitely be using Preparing Hearts the following year.
Many blessings!!

[Carrie]

Lourdes,

It sounds like you are forming a plan of what will work best for your older dd as we're talking through things.

From what you've shared about your older daughter's reading, I would definitely stop using the Extension Pack and just concentrate on getting her to enjoy and strengthen her reading skills with DITHR (and possibly some extra phonics practice if needed or else just slow steady reading if it's not a phonics issue).

I would still consider switching her math even mid-year if she is beginning to dislike math. That can be so hard to overcome. If her other program was a good fit, I would get back to it as soon as possible.

I would also give yourself permission to finish "Bigger Hearts..." during the first quarter of next year if needed. It sounds like your second daughter is gaining by leaps and bounds and that your oldest dd would benefit from the additional time to grow in reading and math.

Thanks for sharing! We'll pray that you can come to a peace about the areas we've discussed and will know in your heart what is your best course of action.

Blessings,
Carrie