Pondering Placement
Please help me with choosing placement for my upcoming 7th and 8th grade daughters.
I need help with choosing placement in Heart of Dakota for my daughters going into seventh and eighth grade. (I also have a daughter going into ninth grade, but she is attending public school now.) We all enjoyed the left side of Missions to Modern Marvels (MTMM) this past year! For this reason, I thought about moving my 2 remaining daughters into World Geography next. However, I know it would be overwhelming for my younger daughter. Also, looking ahead, my eighth grade daughter will attend public high school in 9th grade. Since they offer no ancient history, I’m thinking to combine my upcoming seventh and eighth grade daughters in Creation to Christ (CTC). I know I could add the extension package and up the language arts and math, but I guess I’m not 100% sure about this placement.
A Little Background on My Sixth Grade Daughter Going into Seventh Grade
I thought I’d give a little background on my sixth grade daughter going into seventh grade. She has never used a complete HOD guide. She was able to do Drawn into the Heart of Reading (DITHOR) level 4/5 with the 4/5 Girl Interest books for her 5th grade year. However, since then, she has been through several therapy programs to help with her dyslexia. We have needed to make accommodations such as audio books or me reading aloud in most other subject areas. But now, she is testing at grade level for reading comprehension. So, I am planning to use DITHOR 6/7/8 level with her.
She does struggle more with both reading and writing. Although she can narrate and summarize, she often needs help getting through the initial reading assignments. She usually reads for a half hour or so a couple of times a day on her own. But, if she is required to do more than that, I need to read aloud to her, so she can rest her eyes (she has tracking issues, so it can be very tiring). Usually she comprehends well whether she is reading on her own or is being read aloud to. She prefers simpler language, as the effort she must make just to read doesn’t leave a lot of energy for her figuring out unfamiliar words or phrases. This does impact every subject area.
A Little Background on My Seventh Grade Daughter Going into Eighth Grade
My current seventh grader is an extremely self motivated student. She is doing eighth and ninth grade level work in most subjects. She did the left side of the MTMM guide this past year with her older sister. They both took a lit/grammar course as well. Looking at the placement she fits squarely in the MTMM category, but we did that guide this year. So, I feel she could probably move on to World Geography level work.
This daughter is used to writing two to three page long papers on various subjects. She has also completed all the writing and narrations (left side of page spread) from MTMM without any serious problems this year. Her writing and grammar experience is at or above grade level. This is true of her reading level as well. We have used DITHOR in the past several years, and she had done excellent with it!
Creation to Christ looks good, but so does World Geography!
The more I look at Creation to Christ, the more I think it would offer my younger daughter plenty of challenge because of her dyslexia, especially if we add the extension package and pick 6/7 books for DITHOR. Plus, she still struggles with the mechanics of writing. However, My older daughter probably fits best in the World Geography guide. She has studied the samples and read excerpts from many of the book over my shoulder, and she’s excited! However, I just don’t want to overwhelm her. She did well with MTMM, but we had several issues of her not reading directions well and having to redo assignments. I don’t want to push too hard, but the reality is she pushes herself and regularly asks for more. But then she is stressed if I offer more. Hmmm. So, what do you think?
Carrie’s Reply:
Thanks for taking time to share about your daughters. That really helps, as we look at possibilities for each of them. In reading through what you’ve shared, I am inclined to think that it is wise to look at the two kiddos individually for placement. With your would be 8th grader doing MTMM’s left side this past year and weighing your younger student’s dyslexia in the equation, I think the two kiddos belong in two different guides.
I would place them where they each fit on the placement chart.
I’d be inclined to place them where they fit on the placement chart simply so that they each receive a forward moving experience skill-wise. Skills train kiddos academically for what is to come, and I also think that each HOD guide has a strong Biblical focus along with the skills providing your kiddos with hidden, unexpected spiritual-related gems at each level of their education.
I would place your younger daughter in Creation to Christ.
With this in mind, I would lean toward placing your younger daughter in CTC. The readings, following written directions, and written component of the left side of the guide would be a good fit. I think the poetry with watercolor painting from the right side of the guide would also be inspirational. The Genesis study with The Radical Book for Kids and the Geography of the Holy Lands would also be a part of her day, with the plans from the right side of the CTC guide. The parent reads aloud these two books, so she would not become fatigued with more reading.
Your older daughter could join your younger daughter for the Genesis/Child’s Geography part of the CTC plans.
If desired, you could have your older daughter join you for the alternating Genesis/Child’s Geography part of the CTC study. These studies would fit very well with the World Geography Guide topics your older student would be doing and be enjoyable for your older student to join in doing with you. We actually did this with my oldest son when he was in 8th grade and with my next son when he was doing CTC. It was a good time together for them, and my oldest hadn’t done those particular things previously, as I’d not yet written them. Placing your younger student in CTC would allow for growth in her areas of difficulty without overwhelming her. It would put her on a solid, forward-moving path skill-wise. Additionally, it would give her the exposure to the ancients that you desire.
I would place your older daughter in World Geography.
For your older daughter, I would lean toward the World Geography guide. The World Religion & Cultures study would be very timely, especially in light of the possibility of her heading to public school the following year. The explorer/history-based study of geography, woven with video footage and Biblical-based geography would provide a component to the study that she may not ever have the chance to receive again. It will impact how she views the world. Furthermore, it will give her a firm foundation for future, higher-level history studies to come.
I would also strongly consider having her complete the logic portion of the plans and probably the literature study. The Bible study is excellent as well and is included in the economy package. If you thought the Bible study in the World Geography guide would be too much for your older daughter, you could instead have her Bible study be the Genesis: Radical Book for Kids and Child’s Geography of the Holy Lands from CTC. I think this path would be a good one in meeting the needs of both students.
Blessings,
Carrie
