Extensions verses Self-Study History books in Preparing

[joyfulhomeschooler]

SELF-STUDY DELUXE HISTORY PACKAGE: FOR THE NEWLY INDEPENDENT READER $119.73 $100.86(Save $18.87) [Add to Cart]

Adding this package to the Economy Package provides daily independent reading assignments for your 3rd and 4th grade students in the area of history. Books correspond with the time period to enhance your child's study of history. The reading material is meant to be easy and short enough for the students to complete on their own. If you have a very advanced reader, you may want to use the Extension Package instead.

The above is copied from the Preparing packages page on the main website.
Does this mean that we are to choose one or the other of these two packages? It sounds that way in the description, but I thought that if a child was in 5th grade they were supposed to do both the Self-Study books and the extensions?

[4Hispraise]

I can't tell you what is right ...I'm sorry...but I can tell you what we did. I used both sets of books when we used Preparing for 5th. The Self-Study books include things your child will need to complete one of the history boxes (independent history, I think - it's been several years). The extensions extend the area of history for older children. I don't know if I did this correctly, so I will be interested to hear what others say!

[lucsch]

I can't tell you what is right ...I'm sorry...but I can tell you what we did. I used both sets of books when we used Preparing for 5th. The Self-Study books include things your child will need to complete one of the history boxes (independent history, I think - it's been several years). The extensions extend the area of history for older children. I don't know if I did this correctly, so I will be interested to hear what others say!

This is my plan for my 5th grader, as well. You really do need the independent history books in order to do all of the boxes, but the extensions are optional. I would either do or not do the extensions, but do get the self-study deluxe set.

[arstephia]

We do both of the sets. I had my daughter read the Deluxe Self-Study books on her own instead of having me read them aloud and did whatever was in the independent study box, but she also did the extension books and I did the questioning in the appendix with her when she was done. This was done in her free time because the books were very interesting. I just had her read them within the unit it was assigned. For instance in Units 1-3 is the Uncovering the Mysterious Woolly Mammoth book. She read it in one sitting, so she just didn't do any more extension reading until Unit 4. Aesop's Fables was another one that was scheduled for a 5 unit spread, but she finished it in a weekend instead of 5 weeks, so you can see how easy it is to do both sets of books.

[joyfulhomeschooler]

We do both of the sets. I had my daughter read the Deluxe Self-Study books on her own instead of having me read them aloud and did whatever was in the independent study box, but she also did the extension books and I did the questioning in the appendix with her when she was done. This was done in her free time because the books were very interesting. I just had her read them within the unit it was assigned. For instance in Units 1-3 is the Uncovering the Mysterious Woolly Mammoth book. She read it in one sitting, so she just didn't do any more extension reading until Unit 4. Aesop's Fables was another one that was scheduled for a 5 unit spread, but she finished it in a weekend instead of 5 weeks, so you can see how easy it is to do both sets of books.

This is great! Hopefully my son will like them as much. He's been doing the extensions with Bigger, and though they are good books he does kind of complain about the extra reading.The only one he hasn't complained about is By the Great Horned Spoon.

[Kteni]

Thank you for the replies here on this subject! I too was wondering about this!

[StillJulie]

We very much enjoy using both in our household!

[joyfulhomeschooler]

Thanks for the replies! It seems that the majority does them both. I do wonder however if this is what was intended for the program. I guess maybe I should put a call in. I don't want to overload my kiddo expecting too much of him if it is more than what was intended.

[luv2homeschool]

We do not do the extentions and did not use them last year for Bigger, either. The "self study history package" is scheduled in the guide each day as the "independent history study" box so they are definitely necessary. On the guide itself, it says that the extentions are for ages 11-12.