Beefing up LHFHG for a 2nd grader

[playschool]

Has anyone ever tried to do this before? My 2nd grader is actually already 8 years old. I kept him a year back. I was thinking of combining a 2nd grader with my young 5 year old. Thanks!

[Mommamo]

I've never done this, since my only one using LHFHG so far is a 5 yo, but I would think it would be very possible. You could fo to the library and add the books that are listed in the Appendix. Carrie has a really good list in there to go with all the units. You could also get books from the library to go with the science topics too if you wanted to, even though there's not a list in the appendix. You could also use the right side pages from Beyond or even Bigger if you needed to in order to make the math, language arts, etc fit for the older student's level.

I have heard moms say, though, that it is actually easier to just do 2 levels than to try to beef up LHFHG or BLHFHG. So that's something else to think about. I only have one student, like I said, but even with a toddler and baby occasionally interrupting, LHFHG only takes us a little over an hour, if even that long, so you could probably easily do more than one if you were so inclined.

[Carrie]

If you haven't gotten a chance to check out our placement chart, then I'll link it here (as it is very helpful for placing your kiddos correctly): http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php

If your 2nd grader has had very little to no history instruction or not much in the way of science instruction, you could possibly combine that child with your 5 year old for the left side of the daily plans in Little Hearts (which is the "Learning About History" side) and for the storytime box on the right side of the plans each day. However, you'll most likely need to add the right side of the plans from Beyond for your 8 year old's reading, writing, grammar, and math instruction.

I'd be interested to hear what you're thinking once you've gotten a chance to check out the placement chart.

Blessings,
Carrie

[playschool]

My 2nd grader has pretty much finished his phonics instruction (currently using Abeka 2nd grade phonics and reading). He knows pretty much all of his rules, but would need help with long words that have many syllables such as "magnificent" but could sound it out and probably get it. Although many sight words such as "Colonel" he would need help figuring out. I do not know if that would be considered an independent reader or emerging reader. Although if I were to choose your readers I would choose the emerging reader set. He knows how to construct sentences with periods, question marks, and capital letters, but has not been taught the parts of speech yet. He also can write stories if he knows how to spell the words he is going to use in it. I've also done a little dictation with him with simple sentences using words that I thought he already knew how to spell and he has performed pretty well. To make a long story short, if I were just going to use one of your programs with him, I believe that he would fall somewhere in between Beyond and Bigger, but I would probably go with Beyond rather than push him a little too hard in Bigger. Next year, I think he would do well in Bigger. I was just throwing around in my mind using LHFHG for his little sister and letting him tag along with the history, science, art, and read-alouds, and use the emerging reader set. I would definitely have him use a separate level Math, Spelling, and Language program than his sister. I was still considering switching his math to Singapore this year, but am a little leary to switch since he has used Abeka since Kindergarten. (I may just stick it out for another year or so.) I know that some time in the future, either 3rd or 4th I definitely plan on switching to a different math curriculum. That's pretty much it in a nutshell. Thanks for everyone's comments.

[Carrie]

playschool,

I'm sorry it's taken me a bit to get back to you! Thanks so much for sharing a little more about your sweet kiddos and for letting me glimpse your plans a bit. I do think that you could let your 8 year old tag along in LHFHG for the areas that you mentioned (knowing, of course, that some of the subjects will feel young for your 8 year old). In the long-term, you may find you'd have an easier time meeting your kiddo's needs if you separated them into their own programs. But, you'd know better after trying the combining this year to see how it goes.

Language arts and math-wise, you would eventually need to add the right side of the plans from either Beyond or Bigger to meet your son's needs best. If you followed the plans from the right side of Bigger Hearts and added in the English 2 text, used the dictation passages in the back for spelling, followed the math 2A/2B or 3A/3B schedule, and did the Bigger Hearts science, I think you may be able to continue combining your kiddos for the other parts of their day longer term. It sounds like your son would most likely be somewhere in the middle of the Emerging Reader's Set, so you could just pick up there and have him follow the schedule for the last half of the Emerging Reader's Set (which would be found in the Appendix of Beyond or Bigger).

As far as math goes, if your son is doing well with ABeka, I'd just keep on going with it. However, if you feel you will most likely change him to Singapore down the road at some point, you may wish to do it now, as it gets harder to enter Singapore at the upper levels. Here's the placement test that he can take to help you pinpoint what level he would be in: http://www.singaporemath.com/Placement_Test_s/86.htm
I'd start out by giving him the 2A test to see how he does. Then, move on to 2B and so on until he is no longer passing.

If you have other questions, ask away. The moms on the board are very willing to help and to offer advice and encouragement.

Blessings,
Carrie

[playschool]

According to the information I have given you, do you think for this school year my son would fall better into BLHFHG or BHFHG? We already have a curriculum for this year. I am not thrilled with it. I am not sure though if this year I would make the switch or next Fall when my son will be 9 going into 3rd grade (right now he is 8 and is in 2nd grade). I was just curious, Carrie, about your recommendation or anyone for that matter who really knows these curriculums. Thanks again!

[Kathleen]

Ok...I wouldn't say I'm a pro at this, but if it were me...

Have you been using Abeka for everything? (I can't keep everyone straight from previous posts. ) HOD is going to be using/training different skills than a workbook/textbook style curriculum. So if I were to switch this year, I think I'd put him in Beyond to give him a chance to work on those new skills without the material being too difficult. (Unless you looked at the placement chart and really thought he placed well into Bigger. If that's the case, I'd go for that giving yourself permission to ease into it by doing 1/2 days at first to get used to it. If you think he places "on the fence" I'd go with the easier one - in your case Beyond.) HOD programs (well the 2 I own ) have really surprised me at how meaty they are! If you're looking for next year, I'd say you'd be good to go with Bigger. Each HOD program stands alone, but I think that you'd find the skills taught in Bigger such as oral narration will be SO helpful as you move into Preparing which starts teaching written narration.

I switched my son this year to HOD and have started with Bigger. (We are loving it!! I wish that I would have made the switch mid-year last year when I came across HOD, but we instead dutifully finished what we already had. And, honestly I know he won't be scarred by it. ) We also switched math programs. We were using Saxon and it was going well, it just took SOO long to do each day. We are loving Singapore and I'm happy to say that our school year is much more balanced this year!! It does progress at a different pace than many other porgrams. My son was ready for Saxon 3 and we went into Singapore 2A. The placement tests Carrie linked you to are very helpful! (After finishing our 2nd grade program, I actually started with 1B because I wanted at least one of the tests to be easy. We did 1 a day as our math lesson. ) I think if you were planning to switch to Singapore, sooner rather than later would be the way to go. HOD will still work wonderfully no matter what math you choose though.

Hope that helps! You'll have to let us know what you decide!
Kathleen

[playschool]

Thank you Kathleen for your insight into BLHFHG and BHFHG. My gut would tell me to do the same as well (Beyond this year if we switch and Bigger next year). It is just nice to have it reaffirmed by someone else. Thank you ladies for all of your kind and helpful replies. The message board here seems to have such positive tones that just that these alone seem enough to win one over to HOD. I have to add that I also love the looks of the curriculum as well. Thanks a bunch!

[water2wine]

I just wanted to say that if you have your heart set on LHFHG for Both I think you could easily do it using as Carrie says just the right side of the Beyond Manual for your older child and also dive into some of those book in the appendix. LHFHG is awesome in that it has that appendix with all the extras. I think I could easily combine two like you have using the Beyond Manual just to get the LA and Math and the Appendix. We also do both Science recommendations in there for the program and first grade. There is also a second grade Science in there. We have found it easy to do both sciences. You could do the same only your second could be the 2nd grade recommendations.

I have two that are 4 and 6. I am trying to keep them together all the way through. I am open to separating them if it does not work but I am willing to jump through hoops and even work harder than it would be to have two because I want the experience for them of doing the same things together. I love just the closeness that it builds. But if we get to the point which we very may will that we need to separate them I certainly will. I see just so much flexibility in HOD of doing things like grabbing Beyond just to use the right side and then when we actually do Beyond I have Bigger to do the same thing for my older child. I think that might be enough to get over our hump where they can stay together. But if not I do have plans of how to separate them if I it becomes obvious both children are not getting their needs met by being taught right at their perfect level. I want that for them as well. Always trying to have the best of both worlds at our house.

In reality it may have been simpler to separate them but truth is I just enjoy so much having them together that it has really been worth it for our family. It's great that HOD offers so much flexibility. And I am thankful that Carrie helps us use it however we like but still will tell us if we are going to get off track. I really treasure the guidance that HOD has along with its program. It is invaluable.

[my3sons]

Aren't these ladies great?!? I could have been typing much the same things as have already been shared. Your older ds sounds ready for Beyond..., and I agree it's a good idea to start a bit below his peak level - which it sounds like Beyond... would be. So really, you could either combine them in LHFHG - adding in the higher level LA and math (and possibly science), or separate them into 2 programs. One thing to consider is dynamics between the 2 of them. If one is a stronger personality and the other not, than it may not work well to have them together since one may always overshadow the other. Also, if competition between the 2 of them is unhealthy, and leaves someone feeling like they are "less" quite often, than that wouldn't be good either. On the other hand, if they thrive on being together, enjoy sharing discussions equally, are willing to wait if one is behind the other, and are willing to each let the other "shine" some times, it could be great to combine. Moms have used HOD in both of these ways and been happy. If you're leaning toward combining, you could always give that a fair run for a month or so, and then order Beyond... still if you felt running 2 programs would work better. We run 2 programs, and it is not hard to do. So, either way, I know you'll find success in one of the scenarios!

In Christ,
Julie