Just when I said I had given the last sneak peek for the new guide, I realized I forgot to clarify both the language arts and math for this particular guide... two VERY important areas.
So, I'll do that in two final sneak peeks.For this guide, we will provide a reminder in the schedule to do Drawn into the Heart of Reading three times each week. For those of you who may have never used Drawn into the Heart of Reading with your students, we would greatly encourage you to use it at this level in preparation for high school level literature study.
We also have new book packs coming out for Level 7/8, which will be coming on our website eventually. Link to DITHR: http://www.heartofdakota.com/drawn-into.php9th and 10th grade students who have not had much formal literature instruction, can also consider using Drawn into the Heart of Reading Level 6/7/8 along with higher-level literature. Some possible ideas for high-school level books to consider are included here: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7765&p=56997#p56997
When DITHR is used in conjunction with an English program such as Rod and Staff, composition from Write with the Best Vol. II as scheduled in Missions to Modern Marvels, and studied dictation (if needed), a full credit in literature can be awarded for high school.
Further information about Write with the Best can be found in this post: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=10773&p=78885
Dictation in our guides goes up through Level 8. We recommend that a student continue to steadily work through the dictation passages each year until he/she has finished Level 8 (however long that may take). For many students that will mean that they are continuing studied dictation throughout high school.
As far as grammar/English goes, we recommend completing Rod and Staff 6 by the end of grade 8.
We slow down the teaching of Rod and Staff English for several reasons. One is that we combine Rod and Staff with an additional writing program in the guides from Creation to Christ on up. This definitely adds to the intensity of the writing required each year, but it also allows us to use a variety of outstanding writing programs. To balance this area out, we spread out the Rod and Staff English levels. We also feel that grammar/English is best retained when it can be applied to writing and speaking! So, by waiting to get to the higher levels of Rod and Staff until the student is older, we can expect direct and daily application in the areas of writing and speaking.
Next, Rod and Staff is a Mennonite publisher, and Mennonite students graduate in grade 10 (which is why you won't see books beyond grade 10 from Rod and Staff). 
So, this publisher is literally squeezing what we would teach in 12 years into 10 years instead. This makes the scope and sequence of Rod and Staff rigorous to say the least! 
Last, we also want to be mindful as to how much grammar/English instruction is enough, and how much is too much! So, we believe the pacing we recommend takes this important balance into consideration as well. 
As far as grammar/English goes for high school, our recommendation will be to do the first half of English 7 as a freshman, the last half of English 7 as a sophomore, the first half of English 8 as a junior, and the last half of English 8 as a senior. The scope and sequences of these texts are definitely high school worthy.
We will not schedule English 9 or English 10, as these two texts were added later by Rod and Staff to more deeply address the growing needs for more writing instruction. Since at HOD, we will have added an additional writing course to each of our guides from Creation to Christ on up, students using HOD will not need to go through the content of English 9 or 10. Blessings,
Carrie
