Beyond for 6yo Grade 1

[NicoleJ]

Hello,
My DD places squarely in Beyond when I look at the placement chart - for every single box However, I keep hearing that a lot of people had to go down a manual level for their child and that a lot of 7-8yo's are using Beyond. Are there many people using Beyond for a 6yo? I like the look of Little Hearts but my DD has already finished Singapore K and the Rod & Staff workbook series, is working through TRL, etc.

[christina101902]

I would recommend LHFHG with the first grade workbooks, if youve never used HOD before, it will help her with the format. A big plus is that its a ton of fun. My daughter wil be 6.5 when we reach beyond and at that point I believe she will be ready, once we have completed LHFHG. However, if you still want to use Beyond just do it at half speed until she gets into the swing of things

[Kims]

I am using it with my 6yo boy but I decided after 1 week to go half speed with him. I just really want him to enjoy it and not get overwhelmed and all the writing for my boy was too much. Now that said there is not that much but for him it was too much. I need him to develop those skills more before I Move on. So we will go half speed and hopefully go through the summer then move up to the next level. I would much rather him be older in the guides but he was so ready for LHFHG last year and did great with it.

[catbeth]

My dd just turned 6 in June and is doing Beyond with no problems. She loves it! It is also our first time with HOD, and the format has been a welcome change, no adjustments needed.

I would trust the placement chart.

[my2guys]

We used Beyond for my ds for 1st grade. He was 6.5 when we started and it was a perfect fit for him. If your dd fits squarely in Beyond, then it's probably the right place for her to be. I wouldn't worry too much about which grade she's in - it's more important that her skills match those in Beyond. Like pp have said, you can always slow down a little while you get adjusted.

[raceNzanesmom]

I agree the placement chart truly matters. However, remember you can do math and reading skills at her level even when doing Little Hearts. One of the biggest reasons I chose Little Hearts last year, 1st grade and age 6.5, was I also considered when he would place in the upper guides. I think he would have been fine with Beyond last year, maybe Bigger this year, but I wouldn't have wanted to do Preparing for 3rd grade. Because each year builds on the previous starting at Little Hearts worked best for my ds. Plus, it was a LOT of fun with the rhymes, rotating box and Burgess books.

[Rhyah]

We are using Beyond for first grade this year. My daughter will be 7 right before Christmas. It really depends upon your child. If they fit perfectly in Beyond, then I would go with it. We're only going into our second week, but I don't think we're going to hit any problems. I definitely thought LHFHG was way too basic for my daughter for first grade, but others find it perfect for their child. You can always tweak if you need to, also. I know we are using a couple extra phonics things along with the emerging readers, so we're doing even more than scheduled for that box. What I've found is it's not so much the work that's really the struggle, but the getting used to the Charlotte Mason type approach to the curriculum. She's used to seeing her public schooled brother with lots of worksheets and busy work, so it was just a tiny bit of an adjustment when she realized her curriculum was different. But she likes it so far.

[crlacey]

If your child fits perfectly into Beyond, than Beyond is probably the best place for them. My DD did Beyond as a 6 year old first grader and did fine. You could always go half speed to ease into it for a few weeks if you feel the need.

[mommyof2ladies]

We are in our second week of doing Beyond with my 6.5 year old. She is doing just fine. If your dd places in Beyond, that is probably where she needs to be. You can slow down if it is too much. Beyond has been so much fun so far! Good luck!

[Sue G in PA]

My dd turned 6 just a couple weeks ago and started Beyond today. She loves it. We did LHFHG last year with her and she liked that as well, but much of it was not challenging enough for her. She is an advanced reader and also advanced in math. Writing is normal for her age. Her 8yo brother is also doing Beyond and enjoying it. I suppose it all depends on the ability level and placement and of course, the child.

[HollyS]

I did Beyond with a 6yo this past year, and he had a great year! If that's where she fits, I'd go for it!

[NicoleJ]

Thankyou everyone! I keep looking at the Palcement Chart and she really does fit right into Beyond. LHFHG would just be below her level, even though I am sure it would be fun for her. Oh, thankyou, you have made my day!

[mamanlait]

We are using Beyond with a 6.5 y.o. for 1st grade and it is a perfect match for us. We are really enjoying it! I think the bigger jump is between Beyond and Bigger (that's where my worry lies...for next year ).

Amy

[MelInKansas]

My DD turned 6 in January and we started Beyond in July. It's a good fit for her, although she did do LHFHG already so I think we built up on that. At some point, I think we're going to have to slow down or do a guide for more than a year 1)for the same reason another person said, I don't think we will quite be in Preparing in 3rd grade 2)because I would love her 4YO sister to join her at some point, I see that she will probably catch up in skills before long.

But Beyond is working great for us this year! It is just the right amount of challenge and she is learning a lot from it.

[NicoleJ]

I have also considered my DD's younger sister coming up. Next year I will have a DD9 Preparing, DD6 Beyond and DD4 LHTH. At some point I would like to combine the two youngest girls, but I can't see how that will happen? I think I will have to stop and do something else for a year or so to let my youngest DD 'catch up' to her sister a little bit and also to give middle DD a chance to get ready for Bigger or Preparing.