Calling all HOD users out there......

[jenni33]

I am wondering what the skill level "jump" is between Bigger Hearts and Preparing Hearts. I am wanting to use this for my dd, but I am really not sure which one to go with. Skill-wise, she's borderline between the two. Not quite up to Preparing, but definitely ready or beyond for Bigger. I'm just wondering if there will be any major skills lost by starting with Preparing instead of Bigger? I am hoping to begin with her around June. Any suggestions or info would be greatly appreciated! :001_smile:

[mom2samlibby]

If she is between and hasn't done anything like HOD before, I would go with Bigger.

 

We are still in Bigger. We have 8 units left and then we will start preparing. From looking over the Preparing teacher's guide, Preparing has more independent work and builds on skills worked on in Bigger.

[raceNzanesmom]

If she is between and hasn't done anything like HOD before, I would go with Bigger.

 

 

 

I agree. It would be a lot easier to add extensions to Bigger, if needed, than it would be to lighten Preparing. As for the differences, I think Preparing is a big jump in writing. --and independent work.

[Tidbits of Learning]

It would be hard to answer this without knowing what your child has worked on before HOD. With Bigger you are beginning oral narrations as well as science notebooking with an experiment weekly. You also do vocabulary weekly and are beginning cursive. However, it is still very teacher intensive and the teacher is reading everything aloud to the student.

If your child has already had some independent work and can write well or has done notebooking, then I would think the skills would be there for Preparing. For me Preparing begins the independent work, so I find it a little less taxing (for me) than Bigger. If my child had exposure to notebooking, oral narrations, and reading independently, then I would try Preparing. What skills are questionable for Preparing? If you aren't starting until June, there is a likelihood that by June those skills would be there.

I guess my main questions would be-

1. What have you used before?

2. Has your child had exposure to notebooking, narrations, and reading their own texts?

3. What skills are questionable right now for Preparing?

[melissamomof5]

It would be hard to answer this without knowing what your child has worked on before HOD. With Bigger you are beginning oral narrations as well as science notebooking with an experiment weekly. You also do vocabulary weekly and are beginning cursive. However, it is still very teacher intensive and the teacher is reading everything aloud to the student.

If your child has already had some independent work and can write well or has done notebooking, then I would think the skills would be there for Preparing. For me Preparing begins the independent work, so I find it a little less taxing (for me) than Bigger. If my child had exposure to notebooking, oral narrations, and reading independently, then I would try Preparing. What skills are questionable for Preparing? If you aren't starting until June, there is a likelihood that by June those skills would be there.

I guess my main questions would be-

1. What have you used before?

2. Has your child had exposure to notebooking, narrations, and reading their own texts?

3. What skills are questionable right now for Preparing?

 

This is also a question I've had. We aren't starting until the summer but we are switching from MFW. I've been pondering the Bigger or Preparing question for my oldest daughter. One minute I"ll be set on Bigger then the next Preparing. lol I already have Bigger and I think I'm actually going to buy Preparing and after looking over it closely then decide which to go with.

 

But Openminded, thank you very much for your answer to the OP's question! It helps me keep my mind going in the right direction. :D

[jenni33]

What skills are questionable for Preparing? If you aren't starting until June, there is a likelihood that by June those skills would be there.

I guess my main questions would be-

1. What have you used before? This year, we are using BJU English 2 and FLL Year 2. I'm not crazy about either one, and I don't see a lot of retention with either program. She picks up grammar pretty easy, and understands everything we go over, but forgets it quickly. Also just copywork in the Swimming Creatures jr. journal, and copywork of 1 history sentence in her own journal. We use HWOT which I like, but plan on starting her with the Cheerful Cursive that HOD recommends.

2. Has your child had exposure to notebooking, narrations, and reading their own texts? We haven't done much in the way of narration or notebooking, but she is working through the "emerging readers" from HOD independently.

3. What skills are questionable right now for Preparing? Mostly I am concerned with the narration, cursive writing and independent research.

 

A lot of the issues she is having is due to "convergence insufficiency" and she will begin vision therapy in early March. I don't want to push her, but she definitely needs the challenge. I am hoping the vision therapy will help her be able to get through a greater amount of work, but I don't know if it will or not. I am leaning towards Bigger, but the other concern I have is our co-op which meets from 12:30-4:30pm once a week. This day we don't do any work at all, so we have moved to a four day week. It would be so much easier for me to use Preparing because it's four days a week, but not at the expense of her having a positive experience.

I guess I'm looking for some kind of "grade level" assignment for the HOD guides, but I know that's not the point.

 

Any opinions?

 

[jenni33]

Which also leads to my next question. That one's posted here:

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3589560#post3589560

[Edwena]

You can still do Bigger 4 days a week, it will just extend your year by about 9 weeks I believe. I personally don't know that I'd do Preparing with someone who has never done HOD and is going into the 3rd grade who also needs some vision therapy. You really want your time of school to be enjoyable but also profitable and I think you'll get that with Bigger. We are doing Bigger this year and love it. Preparing is a big step up.

[raceNzanesmom]

You can still do Bigger 4 days a week, it will just extend your year by about 9 weeks I believe. I personally don't know that I'd do Preparing with someone who has never done HOD and is going into the 3rd grade who also needs some vision therapy. You really want your time of school to be enjoyable but also profitable and I think you'll get that with Bigger. We are doing Bigger this year and love it. Preparing is a big step up.

 

:iagree:

[jenni33]

You can still do Bigger 4 days a week, it will just extend your year by about 9 weeks I believe. I personally don't know that I'd do Preparing with someone who has never done HOD and is going into the 3rd grade who also needs some vision therapy. You really want your time of school to be enjoyable but also profitable and I think you'll get that with Bigger. We are doing Bigger this year and love it. Preparing is a big step up.

 

My plan is to do start Bigger in June and carry it through about 12 months. We are doing school 3 weeks on, 1 week off. So it extends the school year by 3 months, but with lots of little breaks. Knowing that there's a big gap between skills in Preparing and Bigger helps me to keep my choice with Bigger for sure.

Thanks!