
My 7 year old will be turning 8 this summer and will be in the suggested age range for Preparing. He and his brother work well together and enjoy sharing history, science, and read-alouds. He is finishing phonics and gaining more independence in reading and writing. I am undecided whether to have him go on to Preparing with his brother or put him in Beyond Little Hearts. We still have 12 units left in Bigger Hearts - we got behind due to our co-op, etc. I am wondering whether completing the 12 weeks of Bigger Hearts first in the fall, before going on to Preparing, would give him the time he needs to catch up. I hate to miss out on the last 12 weeks of Bigger Hearts because the content looks wonderful. If we do finish Bigger Hearts next year and then move both boys into Preparing, I plan to have the 8 yr old skip the independent history assignments and maybe have his 10 yr old brother read the science to him, since he will not be able to read the science independently.
Any suggestions from those who have been in a similar situation? I don't like the idea of moving my 8 yr old backwards to Beyond Little Hearts, but I also don't want to frustrate him by putting him in a guide that is too difficult. Probably what I should have done is use Beyond Little Hearts this year so we could be moving into Bigger Hearts next year, but that is not our situation. Any advice would be appreciated!
