Another Placement Question

[Michael]

Hi Ladies,

I have read the applicable pages on your site and the posts on this board about placement, but I want to make sure I get this right. We will be starting CW this coming school year (our first year homeschooling). I have a daughter entering 6th grade and a daughter entering 3rd grade. Both will be coming from a private prep school where they have made straight As.

The younger daughter is simple enough. The timing is perfect for her to start along the "ideal schedule" with Aesop A. That is what I will do.

My question is about my older daughter. From what I have read I am thinking I should start her with Homer A. Is that correct? Will I be able to get her through all of Homer in one year (I am planning our school year to be 40 weeks) so she would be on the "ideal schedule" starting the following year?

These materials look wonderful. We are very much looking forward to diving in.

Thanks,
Michael

[Carolyn]

It sounds like you have an excellent plan. Don't feel like your daughter must do every exercise in Homer A and B. It's no problem at all to do fewer repeats of a particular writing project, or to skip some review here and there (unless she needs it). Homer A and B would be a bit over 40 weeks, when put together, so trimming a week here and there would make things fit nicely.

[What about Poetry of Beginners]

Thanks, Carolyn. One other thing - for my older daughter, how would you recommend incorporating Poetry for Beginners? Just let her do PfB A this coming year?

Michael

[Carolyn]

Poetry for Beginners and working through Homer A and B in one year would be a bit heavy. You could do a number of things, all depending on your preference. One would be to wait until your younger daughter is ready to work through Poetry for Beginners, and have your older daughter join her. You'd have two students in the same book, and that makes the discussions a bit more lively. Or you could use Poetry for Older Beginners in a year or two, perhaps during a mid-year break from the Diogenes books.

[Great Advice]

Thanks, Carolyn. After looking more closely a Poetry for Beginners, I realized it would be too much. I think we will for your first suggestion and let the girls go through it together in year 2 when my younger is doing Homer.