Writing Help/placing ?

This is where new posts begin. All questions or discussions about any of Heart of Dakota's curriculums start here. If you wish to share a one-time post about your family's experience with our curriculum, you may post under the specific curriculum title (found beneath this "Main Board" heading).
Post Reply
twolittlebears
Posts: 70
Joined: Fri May 07, 2010 10:17 pm
Location: North Idaho

Writing Help/placing ?

Post by twolittlebears » Sun May 03, 2015 9:21 pm

HI there....I am still on the fence about which guide to put my almost 10 yo into...after talking it over with my hubby this weekend, he leans towards putting him into Preparing and expecting more out of him rather than doing Bigger and not expecting as much. He can actually do the handwriting, it's more of a matter of will. We are still working our way through Cheerful Cursive, but he has beautiful manuscript writing. He can do copyworb, though he may complain. He can spell, but would need to do studied dictation in order to formulate the sentences. He can't just sit down and compose a sentence on his own with our a visual to copy. He can narrate to me beautifully, and we have been following AO this year and doing oral narration as well as him drawing pictures and dictating the writing to me. SO with that said, and until I can speak one on one with someone at HOD (been playing phone tag :D ) would Bigger be too easy or lose his interest? I showed him the sample week of Preparing and he loved it! He is an advanced reader if that's helpful. He places more in Bigger for the writing and in Preparing for everything else. I'm just really confused as to which guide to go with. He turns 10 in August. I don't want him to miss out on Bigger, but I could always read some of the books to him over the summer. My concern is that by placing him in Bigger, he will end up missing out on the last guide in high school. That may not be a biggie, but it has been a factor for me as I've looked forward into his schooling.

Still unsure too about my 7 yo. He places mostly in Beyond, though he is still doing phonics. He is kind of between Little Hearts and Beyond. I wish they both were just fully fitting into one guide rather than two! LOL! It would make this so much easier for me. I lean towards Little Hearts since it's just so sweet, and we could work on skills etc, I just don't want him to take off half way through and need to change gears. he is a very smart little guy and could fit right into Beyond, but I'm just not sure he would be ready for Bigger the next year. I don't want my boys to be behind, so I'm wondering if they are fully capable of more and I've just been going slowly with them. I've followed the Moore's and Carole Joy Seid's advice of go slow with writing, so I have.

Thank you for the help!!
ashleigh :lol:
Last edited by twolittlebears on Sun May 03, 2015 11:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Married to my best friend 18 years
DS 10yo CTC (finished: MFWK, SL Core A, LHFHG, Delectable Ed, PHFHG)
DS 13yo CTC w/extensions (finished: WP Animal Worlds, MFW1, SL Core B, BLHFHG, BHFHG, Delectable Ed, PHFHG)

LovingJesus
Posts: 331
Joined: Thu Oct 27, 2011 8:29 am

Re: Writing Help/placing ?

Post by LovingJesus » Sun May 03, 2015 10:31 pm

I have a just turned 10. In reading what you are saying I would put him in Preparing. If he can do copy work and is working on cursive he doesn't sound like Beyond writing to me. His dictating narrations to you means he is ready for that next step of starting written narrations, which is one thing that Preparing is all about. Preparing is where the 3 - 5 sentence written narrations start. If he isn't ready for all of the copy work yet, he could ease into it. You could start with Preparing 1/2 speed, and then increase to full speed when he is able. He may though be able to start full speed, it is difficult to say. If he is an advanced reader though and age 10 I wouldn't put him in Bigger. I would let him go with the higher work load of Preparing and help him get to the point where he can do all the writing as you transition from AO to HOD. It may take 1/4 of the guide, but I think with his age he will get there. I agree with your DH.

Honestly though he sounds more like Preparing level to me over all.

Gwenny
Posts: 750
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 1:07 pm
Location: Texas

Re: Writing Help/placing ?

Post by Gwenny » Mon May 04, 2015 6:10 am

When will your young one turn 8?

Preparing does sound like the way to go with your older one. You will love it! I loved that year and my daughter did also.
Nancy
Dd29 married (w/2 sons 1/2/14, 5/24/16), ds27, dd25 married (w/dd born 8/9/16), dd25, dd22
Dd 19 HS in special ed
Dd14 RevtoRev
Ds12 RevtoRev
Ds 9 Preparing
Dd 5 LHFHG

twolittlebears
Posts: 70
Joined: Fri May 07, 2010 10:17 pm
Location: North Idaho

Re: Writing Help/placing ?

Post by twolittlebears » Mon May 04, 2015 8:43 am

My 6 yo turns 7 this month, so he will be 8 next May. :D
Married to my best friend 18 years
DS 10yo CTC (finished: MFWK, SL Core A, LHFHG, Delectable Ed, PHFHG)
DS 13yo CTC w/extensions (finished: WP Animal Worlds, MFW1, SL Core B, BLHFHG, BHFHG, Delectable Ed, PHFHG)

MomtoJGJE
Posts: 1534
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 7:20 pm
Location: Gastonia, NC

Re: Writing Help/placing ?

Post by MomtoJGJE » Mon May 04, 2015 11:00 am

Generally speaking, if they place between guides and are in the age range for both I say go down a guide.

However, if phonics is the only thing keeping your little one out of Beyond, they have phonics time scheduled in that guide. But LHFHG is a really sweet K or 1st grade guide. If you use it for first grade your child would be on schedule to finish all the guides and graduate on time. I'd always lean toward that one for a six year old.

I think your 10yo would like Preparing, and you could easily do LHFHG while your Preparing child does his independent work.

Gwenny
Posts: 750
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 1:07 pm
Location: Texas

Re: Writing Help/placing ?

Post by Gwenny » Tue May 05, 2015 6:19 am

I would say that Little Hearts will be perfect. :)
Nancy
Dd29 married (w/2 sons 1/2/14, 5/24/16), ds27, dd25 married (w/dd born 8/9/16), dd25, dd22
Dd 19 HS in special ed
Dd14 RevtoRev
Ds12 RevtoRev
Ds 9 Preparing
Dd 5 LHFHG

Post Reply