When to drop back a guide; when to go half speed

[abrightmom]

What is a good criteria for determining whether to A.) Run a guide half speed OR B.) Use a lower guide regular speed.

Placement woes abound in our home.....

[my3sons]

What is a good criteria for determining whether to A.) Run a guide half speed OR B.) Use a lower guide regular speed.

Placement woes abound in our home.....

My criteria isn't a set list necessarily, but I will try to describe it here as best I can! I run a guide half-speed if I can see my child has the skills intact to do a guide well, is trying his best, choosing a good attitude, working his hardest, and just seems to be struggling - not with the skills in a guide - but with completing his guide in a timely fashion. Half-speed seems to help me teach time management skills better, as well as the routine of the guide. For example, I started "Bigger Hearts" half-speed with Riley last school year. This school year, I thought we'd start full-speed. He was not ready. He still needed time to grow in his time management skills. He loves school, and would do it from sunup to sundown, but using his time well is something he needed to learn. This is an important habit to instill, as it will effect his work habits lifelong. So, we went to half-speed and worked on how to better use time (with a timer), how to transition between subjects better (with a markerboard listing of what needed to be done), and how to work through a project in a way that allowed creativity but didn't let dawdling surface (by talking through the steps of a project, noting what I'd be looking for in the guide as far as assessment, and how to break the project down so he finished in a fairly timely manner). He now easily does Bigger Hearts full-speed.

Sometimes dc are properly placed, have the academic skills and ability to do a guide well, but pesky things like poor attitude and poor work habits are the problem. If this is the case, and if "character-based" traits such as these need to be worked on, then we do that through focused encouragement and discipline instead of by slowing work to half-speed. Poor habits are not "rewarded" by a lowered work expectation in the form of lessening work in school, I guess is what I am trying to say.

A final placement scenario is if poor habits are not the concern, but instead it becomes obvious the child does not have the academic skills to proceed full-speed ahead successfully. If this is the case, then doing a lower guide is the better placement. Half-speed will not fix the fact that he did not have the skills in place to start the guide. The skills he needs are not taught at an introductory level in the guide. They were taught at the introductory level in the previous guide, and he needs to go back and be taught those first. How can you know if this is the case? Well, the placement chart and the first week of plans can make this clearer. The placement chart skills need to be solidly in place for dc to begin a guide. They are not skills to "shoot for", to "work on developing", or to "grow into". Whatever the skills are listed in the column for a guide, the child needs to possess those skills to begin that guide. For example, when it says a child needs to be ready to listen to "Daily read-alouds that are classic short stories that foster listening skills and beginning narration skills" for the Storytime of LHFHG, and a child does not have the attention span to listen to short "classic" sounding books with fewer pictures, that child is better placed in LHTH. I am not talking about being able to immediately narrate well upon these books, but instead that they have the ability to listen to the books being read, without saying things like "Where are the pictures?" or "I like this book better because I understand it better", and that book is a book that has a bunch of pictures, or is a book with a more basic plot or storyline.

When it says a child needs to be done with phonics and either an Emerging Reader or Reading Independently to begin Bigger Hearts, that means a child needs to be able to (at the very least) read The Emerging Reader's Set of books well. So if a child is still doing phonics, and cannot read the Emerging Reader's Set books, he should be placed in Beyond instead.

When it says that a child needs to be able to copy sentences and study/copy spelling words to begin Beyond Little Hearts, that means a child needs to be able to (at the very least) copy 1 sentence a day, as well as do the spelling word activities in the LA box of plans. So if a child can only write one word of the poetry, or if a sentence of copywork a day is too much, that child should be placed in LHFHG instead.

When it says that a child needs to be "Reading independently - able to use Drawn into the Heart of Reading Level 4/5" to begin CTC, that means that child needs to be able to read his history and science well independently, as well as able to read at least level 4/5 books independently with DITHOR to be able to start CTC. So if a parent is having to read aloud the history and the science, or if the child is unable to read 4/5 level books for DITHOR well, then that child should be placed in PHFHG, or BHFHG instead.

I am trying to answer this question fully with not just your ages of dc in mind, as this is a good question, and I think it is important that when using the placement chart, a child should not be "growing into" the skills within the columns of a guide. Rather these are the academic skills a child needs to already posses to be able to do the guide properly. Skills cannot be fast-forwarded, if a child does not have them, then a child must go back to get them. Going forward will only cause more skills to be missed, and eventually, a child must drop back to be taught them anyway. Sometimes when looking at the placement chart, parents think dc have skills they actually do not have, and when they begin a guide it becomes obvious they do not have them intact and therefore must be placed a guide back. If dc have not had a CM education, or are coming home from ps, or have been used to a textbook style education, or have been used to a parent doing all of their reading, or have not done many follow-up activities in the form of skill-based learning, then often times it is more difficult to place them accurately, even with the placement chart, as it can be tough to tell which skills they really do have intact.

I have not had to drop back a guide, as I have been with HOD from the start, and each guide truly does prepare dc for the next guide, provided dc are doing everything in the guide each day. A word of caution - Skipping boxes results in skipping skills, which further results in dc not having the skills in place to do the next guide. We have always made sure to do all that is planned in a guide, as it makes sure our dc are learning the skills they need to progress.

So, when using the placement chart, and when looking at the first week of plans, it is a good idea to really ponder if dc have the skills intact to begin that guide, or if they need to go back and solidify some skills first instead. Second, it is a good idea to really ponder if dc have the Godly character traits, good work habits, and solid time management skills in place to do their work well - and if not, to use encouragement and discipline to help them learn these skills. If it is a matter of managing time or teaching good work habits, then half-speed can be utilized to help in this training phase. Third, it is a good idea to routinely have dc be responsible for all of the work in a guide each day, so they do not fall behind in skills and find themselves unprepared for the next guide.

HTH!
In Christ,
Julie

[Mom2Monkeys]

Thank you so much for your detailed reply to the op's question! And thank you to the op for posting the question! It's caused me to rethink doing BHFHG half speed instead of BLHFHG full speed with my rising 2nd grader. Pondering and praying! I'm so not sure what to do now! Lol

ETA: sincere thanks to you both bc after looking at the chart again, I think we will be doing Beyond full speed instead. He's really on the line, but he's just not ready for the writing. And from my memory of when my eldest did BHFHG, he's not ready for the writing PLUS drawing out the more detailed lab sheets, the more detailed mapping, etc. He needs much more practice with handwriting to learn proper spacing and sizing, so I can foresee notebooking to be an issue with BIgger. He is however ready for cursive, and has taught himself some. His writing is much better with cursive. I also feel he's ready for more grammar since he's had what seems to be more than what is in Beyond from being in school. A little too much really. He will be 8 not too long after we start so I think I'll add in R&S 2 and Cheerful Cursive, do the emerging readers, and either spelling list two or start dictation. He's done spelling lists in school and may be past the level of words in Beyond.

Sorry! Not trying to hijack your thread.

[abrightmom]

Julie,

That was exactly the kind of detailed explanation I need. Thanks for taking all the time to think on it and write it out. It's very clarifying and will help others who grapple with placement. I've battled placement with HOD and it's been tough for me to filter all of the issues that play into placement. Your explanations have dispelled misunderstandings! Thank-you again.

So, here's another question. How do I "test" my kiddo to see if my assessment of their skills is right on? Should I test run a week sample of a guide as long as I have the books?

My oldest is placed well in Bigger for many of the reasons you shared, especially regarding time management and other "habits". He has skills and abilities firmly in place but needs the cushion to learn how to manage the guide & the day. We also want to have enough time to explore DITHOR and staying with Bigger allows us to do that without "overload" here. My middler is my question...

Thanks Julie. I hope others will read this thread. It should be a sticky with a catchy title like, "How to Assess Placement" or something. I know a lot of Moms struggle in this area and it seems to be the most important with HOD as it's unique in its skill progression.

[my3sons]

I am glad something here has helped! You ask excellent questions - I am very thankful for that, as your questions help many others as well.

...So, here's another question. How do I "test" my kiddo to see if my assessment of their skills is right on? Should I test run a week sample of a guide as long as I have the books?

Yes, I agree this is a good idea! We can use the placement chart, the first week of plans, and others' advice to formulate our very best placement based on those pieces of information - but it's when we begin to teach a guide that the rubber really meets the road. I think it becomes clear as we begin a guide whether a child is ready for full-speed, better served with half-speed, or just does not have the skills in place he needs and must go back to get those skills by completing an earlier guide. I am excited for you to begin and see how your sweetie does. Keep in mind that a child may not show all he is capable of in the first week of plans, often times due to the time management skills and work habits we were talking about earlier. If you can see that it's simply a matter of establishing a routine (whether that be full-speed or half-speed), and of going through each of the boxes for a few weeks to familiarize dc with academic expectations, then the child is more than likely properly placed as time moves dc naturally through this transitional stage (we've found around a month or so seems to do wonders with routine at our house) . If however a child is truly floundering, balking at the skills he is asked to use, unable to do the reading, struggling with the writing, unable to follow directions, spending way too long to do the work, then go back... go back... go back. It is worth going back for years to come. I hope this helps and am praying for you as you begin your guide!

In Christ,
Julie

[countrymom]

Julie's response should be a sticky! Very helpful!

[birchbark]

I added Julie's post to the other link on placement in the "Reasons" sticky. Thanks Julie!

[abrightmom]

Julie,

Thank-you again for the counsel! I've been mulling it over as we're considering all of our options right now.... thanks so much for you time!

[Carrie]

Love this thread! Great responses!

Blessings,
Carrie