Considering HOD next year, but have some concerns

[LassieLou]

Hello. We are in our 5th year of homeschooling. I have 4 children, 2 currently in school and adding a third next year. Next year my school aged children will be 10,8, and 5. I am looking for a program for the 10 and 8 year old. Until now, we have done either Sonlight, Winter Promise, or a combination of the 2 programs . The next core for Sonlight, Core 5, will be too much for my 8 year old, so we are holding off on it and looking for something else. I am considering Preparing, but I am concerned it will not be rigorous enough, especially for my 10 year old. We would only be using the History and Literature portions, we will stick with our current math, grammar, writing and science programs.

If you have used Preparing, can you tell me if you feel like the history/literature portion is rigorous enough for a 5th grader that is a voracious reader? Thank you!

Lou

[Tree House Academy]

Absolutely! You can use the Extension package for your 10 year old 5th grader to beef it up...especially if he/she is a voracious reader.

[LassieLou]

Absolutely! You can use the Extension package for your 10 year old 5th grader to beef it up...especially if he/she is a voracious reader.

I took a look at the extension package, it looks like it has 10 books, right? Unfortunately, that just isn't enough. For our current program, we have 35 read alouds and 45 read on your own books.

Does anyone add a significant number of books to this program?

Thank you for taking the time to help me out.

[4Hispraise]

We completed Preparing when my ds was 10. He is a voracious reader and was thrilled with the program. He did choose to read other books on his own for pleasure, but he did that with Sonlight Cores 1-4 anyway. We did use the extension pack as well as every other listed resource. I have to say, since the kids are completing written and oral narrations, timelines, history projects, as well as other relevant activities, my son was not bored.

Also, in using the literature program, you could always schedule whatever books you want, with as many pages to read daily as you think would fit your child's ability. It is very flexible. My ds read a lot of extra books with DITHOR.

I would recommend printing out the first week of plans for Preparing to see how it all fits together,if you haven't done that already. HTH.

[LassieLou]

We completed Preparing when my ds was 10. He is a voracious reader and was thrilled with the program. He did choose to read other books on his own for pleasure, but he did that with Sonlight Cores 1-4 anyway. We did use the extension pack as well as every other listed resource. I have to say, since the kids are completing written and oral narrations, timelines, history projects, as well as other relevant activities, my son was not bored.

Also, in using the literature program, you could always schedule whatever books you want, with as many pages to read daily as you think would fit your child's ability. It is very flexible. My ds read a lot of extra books with DITHOR.

I would recommend printing out the first week of plans for Preparing to see how it all fits together,if you haven't done that already. HTH.

Thank you for sharing this!