Using Bigger to Train them for Preparing...

[John'smom]

Basically my question is how do you do that and is it necessary? I pretty much don't even let me dc see the manual. I keep it to myself. When there's something to write, so for timeline or science notebooking, I write those things on the dry erase board. I guess it keeps sticking in my mind that Julie (my3sons) talked in a thread about using Bigger to prepare Riley for Preparing. I really don't see Bigger emphasizing that (not that I'm saying it's wrong to do so). I guess I'm wondering if I don't do that to that great extent will my dc be lacking when it comes to Preparing? I don't mind doing it, I just haven't started and we are starting week 9 on Mon. and in a way feel like maybe I'm not preparing them as well as I should. I hope all this makes sense.

[momtofive]

We're also using Bigger Hearts this year! Last year, my oldest used Preparing and did so well with it. It was our first year with HOD, so he didn't have Bigger! He did really well with it and got the hang of using the guide pretty quickly. That said, I know what is expected in Preparing, so I'm trying to gear my next one (whose on the upper end of the ages) for those skills. I think that the guides progress so nicely in skills that even if I didn't do this, he'd be ready and do just fine with it.

But since you asked specifically about getting a child ready for Preparing, I'll share what we're doing. I pretty much lay the guide out on the table so he's used to seeing it and seeing how it's all set up. We do Reading About History, Poetry, Bible Study, Dictation and the Rotating Box together, then he does the music on his own. (I do the readings with him, when it's listed.) I've shown him how to read the little Corresponding Music instructions in the box, and he does pretty well with it. He then works on some independent work until later when we sit down and do english, science and storytime together. The science box is where I really want him to grow this year. I've been reading through the box and then letting him take the guide and copy down the questions on his experiment page. Then I show him in the guide with my finger, as I read the instructions for the experiment. This way he is seeing how it's all laid out and can follow them. I'm still there with him, but taking baby steps toward him being able to do that box on his own by the end of the year.

I think as long as you are working with them to make the notebooking pages and following the guide's instructions, they'll be very ready for Preparing next year. As long as they can read well, they shouldn't have any trouble following the plans in the guide. And you'll be there for any needed helps! It'll take a bit for them to get the hang of using the guide, but eventually it just flows!

Blessings as you enjoy Bigger Hearts!

[countrymom]

We will start Bigger in about 3 weeks so I have given this a lot of thought. I had to laugh because in Julie's post she mentioned teaching Riley to draw pictures the right size and not have "itty bitty" pictures in a big space. That was one of my #1 goals for notebooking Anyway, I am letting ds help with the set up this time, which is something I haven't done in the other two guides. I plan to have an "introduction day" where we go over each box and talk about what we will be doing this year. My ds is young so I plan to go 1/2 speed until unit 20 and will have more time. The notebooking skill will be a new one so I expect to work in that area a lot. I will be gradually looking for more thought put into answers as we go along, stepping it up in narration, reading instructions to him and having him tell me and show me what he thinks the instructions mean before we begin and eventually actually have him read the instructions. Since I am not into it yet I don't have all of my plans firmed up, but I imagine I will lean towards him doing some of the work semi-independently and possibly even dependently by the very end. I guess in summary I see this as a guide to take work we have been doing and really fine-tune it, increase the amount of depth he puts into the work, and learn the skill of notebooking.

[MomtoJGJE]

I haven't done Preparing yet, so I don't know if this is going to be helpful, but I will tell you what we do with the Bigger guide.

I do all the reading and poetry and Bible, all the hands on stuff with math. Then depending on how much time we have, I give her the guide. if the instructions are a bit difficult, we go over them... I make sure she sees all of them, and knows which order to do them. At this point, she rarely misses anything, but I still go over it with her just to make sure.

I still write out her vocab words, the Bible passage to copy, and any lines or whatever needed for notebooking.

After we go over the instructions, I walk away and let her go to work. She knows that if she needs help to call and I'll come asap. If I can't come immediately, I tell her and she goes on to work on something different until I can get there.

And this is any work that she does. DITHOR workbook, English (we go over the lesson and she does the written stuff), and anything else she actually reads or writes. Occasionally if something else is going on I'll also have her read either her history or her science. But that's maybe twice a month. I make sure to have her narrate it to me before I read her the key ideas or have her do any work.

I'm hoping this makes for a smooth transition into Preparing.... we'll see after Christmas!

[my3sons]

Good question, Edwena, and great answers here already! First, let me clarify that "Bigger Hearts..." prepares dc very well for PHFHG. So, by doing all of the plans in Bigger Hearts, you will be preparing your ds very well to do PHFHG. For the whole first 2/3 of Bigger Hearts... I really held my ds's hand and helped him with the directions for and the completion of each box. I think this is necessary, as there are many new skills being taught, and it sounds like you are doing a super job of this with yours ds!

I have a PERSONAL (not an HOD) goal of helping my dc move toward a bit more independence around the last third of Bigger Hearts. I just feel it helps them begin to take baby steps toward independence. So, for example, I begin to have them be more responsible for looking in the guide at whatever box we are doing, and have them get the book(s) we need. I start to have them get more of the supplies they need to do an activity. I also have them start to read through the boxes for more hands-on type projects right within the guide, so that they can begin to understand the steps they need to follow to complete a project without me telling them what to do 1 step at a time. I like them to start checking off the boxes as they complete them as well. I like for them to feel the transition of the manual being shared between the two of us. I begin to leave them with a markerboard list of a few independent things to finish out on their own. This is just so they begin to get the feel of what it is like to do a few things without me being right there getting everything out for them, reading all the directions to them, and being right there next to them for every bit of work. This is just something I like to do, but it certainly is not necessary.

PHFHG itself has dc gradually take on more independence in a nice transitional way, by having dc read a portion of their history (an easier portion), by having dc begin to be responsible for their science, by having dc dictate written narrations to us and then copy them from our written model, etc. So, if you choose not to do any of my "getting ready" things, you and your ds will be just fine doing PHFHG. I just am a natural-born "hoverer", and I found I needed to mentally make an effort to have my sons take on a bit more independence toward the end of Bigger Hearts. Plus, at that point, they were ready for it. However, just doing Bigger Hearts as it is written will get dc ready for PHFHG very well!

In Christ,
Julie

[my3sons]

...I had to laugh because in Julie's post she mentioned teaching Riley to draw pictures the right size and not have "itty bitty" pictures in a big space. That was one of my #1 goals for notebooking ...

What is it with the itty bitty pictures? Glad to know I'm not alone in having to point this out to my sons! Notebooking has so many skills to be taught within it, and the itty bitty syndrome is just the tip of the iceberg. Good for you for focusing on moving your dc along in this area this year!

In Christ,
Julie

[Carrie]

Edwena,

This is a good question. The amount of independence a parent allows in Bigger Hearts can really vary from family to family. One thing to look at in deciding how much independence to encourage or allow is a child's age. CM said that a child the age of 9 on up who can be reading his/her own material... should. So, the child's age and reading level will really make a difference here.

For example, my third little guy who is currently in Bigger Hearts has just started doing his science reading on his own. He turned 9 in August, but he has a late birthday so he is technically only a third grader. I decided to start him off with some independence by easing him into the science readings first. I still do all other activities with him and read aloud the history and storytime.

Next, I'll ease him into doing some reading of directions from the guide. Lora Beth gave great tips on how to go about doing that! Much as my3son's shared, my son already looks in the guide and gathers all of his needed books for the assignments. He is in charge of getting his hymn book out and the CD set to the right track every day to be ready to sing too. This is one of the easiest boxes to train a child to prepare for first.

We're currently on week 14 of Bigger Hearts, so we are gently easing toward a little more independence as the year progresses. We began Bigger at half-speed with my little guy at the end of last year, but he was ready for full-speed this year.

With a child under the age of 9, I'd be more likely to lean toward doing everything with the child. If the child was a strong reader, I'd move toward allowing the child to do the science reading first.

Blessings,
Carrie

[kamariden]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. I found it very interesting and helpful as we are getting ready to start BLHFHG.

[HappyMama]

This is very intereting because I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I'm using Bigger this year and plan on using Preparing next year. I'm loving Bigger! Anyway, I've been trying to assign my ds some 'independent' work everyday so he can get used to working independently. So far it's going well! I'll assign him his cursive, math (if it's a review or practice day) and his reading. I simply put the books on the table and tell him that's his independent work for the day. I'm also trying to do a little less hand-holding with the science notebooking. I still read the science books to him, but if there's a notebook assignment, I'll have him read the directions aloud to me and see if he can get started on his own. Sometimes he does the hymn on his own too. I think in a few weeks, I may have him try doing the weekly vocab. somewhat on his own too and see how that goes.

[John'smom]

Thanks so much for the responses. They have been helpful.

Both of my dc are in Bigger. Ds is 9 and dd is 7. They both have summer b-days. I don't know why, but dd just takes longer in general with her work. I think she is a bit of a perfectionist and so it just takes her longer. With that said, dd is a very strong reader. I guess that's where I was thinking if I had her looking at the manual as well, it would make things go even longer.

I already have them do their Hymn on their own completely, I've just never had them look at the manual for it. They definitely gather their own supplies, but it's with my prompting not after looking at the manual. They always gather their own books.

There's been two days this week where we've read the manual together and it has seem to go well. Dd (7) though easily forgets and then says, "Now what am I suppose to do?" This is just her in general though, plus I know she's on the younger end.

For some reason I was under the impression that the training for independence started after the first 4 weeks of the manual rather than the last 1/3. It's like I knew in my heart that it wasn't necessary to do, as I just know following the HOD guides exactly will prepare them for what they need next. I just really respect the ladies on here and they always have such wonderful ideas and as a mother I want to do what's best for my dc and have them prepared even if it's more work for me. KWIM?

[my3sons]

I know exactly what you mean! You're such a good mom, Edwena, and I hope that my comments about moving Riley to more independence have not lead you to question how you are doing things, because I think you are doing great! I think Carrie made an excellent point about age and independence. When Riley was just barely 7 yo and doing Bigger Hearts, he needed me by his side helping him with every single part of it. He was 8 1/2 yo around the last third of Bigger Hearts (as we'd stretched it out for him by going half-speed for awhile), and it was at that point that he was able to take on more independence. Maybe you could have your ds be more responsible for reading the manual, getting out supplies, finishing out things independently, etc., and then focus on coming more alongside your dd and specifically helping her with things as she needs it, like giving her the directions yourself and helping her with the details of the work, etc.? I think she is probably too young to take on the same amount of independence ds is able to. It sounds like things are going just great, so whatever you are doing must be working well! Usually time is the best trainer, so give it some time, and I bet by the end of the guide you'll be amazed at what both of your dc can do. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

[John'smom]

I know exactly what you mean! You're such a good mom, Edwena, and I hope that my comments about moving Riley to more independence have not lead you to question how you are doing things

Oh, no!! Not at all!!! I love to read what you're doing with your dc. You and so many woman on this board are like mentors from afar. You always have such great ideas. I'm not good at doing the weekly check-ins, but always look forward to seeing what you've done with your dc for the week. You've been nothing, but a blessings.
Hugs,
Edwena

[my3sons]

Thanks so much, Edwena! Your words are an encouragement to me.
In Christ,
Julie