Should my eighth grader be doing a harder guide?Â
We have done Heart of Dakota (HOD) on and off through the years. I came back this January and really hope I never leave. I love it! But, I have a question regarding my eighth grader I put in Creation to Christ (CTC). I did this based on the placement chart and his lack of a lot of grammar. Also, I wanted him to get that ancients/old testament study. I’ll admit I didn’t want to place him in a higher level that was too much for him either. I am now wondering if I put him in the right guide. He gets done in four hours tops. He is four weeks into it, and he says he wants to dig “deeper.” When he narrates, he’s like the model child even after not much formal practice. He’s a VERY social, verbal child. I guess you could say he just is not enjoying it now that he is in the fourth week. I truly feel CTC is perfect when a student is properly placed in it, but I think I might have misplaced him in CTC. Any advice? Should I take out things he thinks are immature? Should I plug in some other deeper books? I really don’t want to tweak. I’d rather move him up a program if he needs it. Should my eighth grader be doing a harder guide?
Sincerely,
“Ms. Please Help Me Decide If My Eighth Grader Should Be Doing a Harder Guide”
Dear “Ms. Please Help Me Decide If My Eighth Grader Should Be Doing a Harder Guide,”
In reading through what you’ve shared so far, and keeping in mind that your son is in the eighth grade, I think it sounds like he may be placed a little low for his abilities. Since CTC is mainly targeted for fourth to fifth graders with extensions for sixth and seventh graders (unless your son has some pretty significant learning challenges), he would likely need a higher guide than CTC. I can totally see wanting him to have the trip through the ancients with the Biblical focus! The wonderful thing about HOD though is that he will get that amazing Biblical focus in all the guides! He will also get another chance at the ancients in World History at the high school level.
We can also definitely choose a grammar level for your eight grader that will help with his lack of formal grammar, no matter which guide he places best in instead. I would probably lean toward doing English 5. It is a great foundational level of Rod and Staff English.
With this in mind, and with your 4 weeks of experience in CTC, it would be great to have you take a fresh look at the placement chart to see where your eighth grader would fit best. Resurrection to Reformation, Revival to Revolution, and Missions to Modern Marvels are all possibilities. I might lean in the Revival to Revolution direction with what you’ve shared about your eighth grader thus far. That guide also schedules all of English 5 to be done in a year. Just reach out with further placement questions, and we’d be glad to help!
Blessings,
Carrie
