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Hi

We've been using another Christian curriculum for the last couple of years in Kinder and 1st Grade, and also thus far for 2nd grade. I am looking for something a little richer, more detailed, and Charlotte Mason-inspired all while being soundly Biblical and HOD appears to fit our needs right now.

Here's my question. I have poured over the placement chart and I'm thinking that Beyond is the best for us right now. The two kids I will be teaching with HOD are ages 5 1/2 and 7 1/2. My Kindergartner is quite advanced in everything except fine motor skills. She reads fluently and comprehends on a 5th-grade or higher level and she excels at math. She is very artistic and has a knack for memory work and all things school. She needs a lot of work with fine motor skills but she is always eager to try copywork of scripture and poems and she just all around loves school. She is naturally gifted in academics but I don't want to push her beyond her emotional age either.

My older daughter also loves school and she is quite advanced in math and she has special abilities in science, nature, and mapping/geography. She needs a lot of practice reading and so I am keen on the emerging reader set in Beyond. We are using another grammar program that is working quite well with her and I'm not sure that she is ready for R&S2, even though she's in 2nd grade. I love the spelling in Beyond as well as this is something we've never focused on in true lessons (we have taken a more CM approach to spelling thus far).

I could also choose Bigger which might be more on par for my older daughter, and my younger daughter would do her own K materials (la, math, reading) and tagalong with as much as she desires with Bigger.

I am not in a position right now to teach two guides separately as we just came home 5 weeks ago with a 5-y-o from Ethiopia who is working at the level of a 2-y-o, physically, mentally, emotionally, etc., so I would like for my girls to stick together this year since I can only spread so thin (I also have a 2-y-o son who keeps me busy).

I am not opposed to separating them in the future, but for now, they love to work and learn together and I want to keep up that sweet momentum especially since I have to give myself the grace to accept my limitations while still providing an amazing year (with HOD).

Thank you for your thoughts!

Erin Kate, welcome to the boards! I'm glad you started with the placement chart, since we would point you there first. If it were I, starting a new curriculum, even with the advanced skills of your kindergartner, I'd begin in Beyond, and at least you can make sure that there are no gaps. That's my two cents. I am sure there are questions I'm not asking. Others here have the questions down, and I'll watch and learn. Enjoy HOD! We love it!

I am using Beyond right now and I think from what you described you will find it to be quite challenging for your very bright 5 1/2 year old, and right on for your 7 1/2 year old (maybe with some of the things she loves like science or mapping added in a little to allow her to continue to grow in areas she's already strong in, Beyond has a bit of map work but if she's already done some it might be too easy for her).

There is a lot of fine motor work in Beyond. You would need to figure out what is an appropriate amount to require your 5 1/2 year old to do. It is quite challenging for my 6 1/2 year old, but for her I think it is pushing her in a good way and she has grown, although unwillingly.

I think you could combine them easily and they will definitely both gain from Beyond in Biblical knowledge, history knowledge, and the Emerging Reader set is a lot of fun so far! I wish you great grace from our Lord in it!

What do you think about using Beyond, but substituting in the Fine Motor/Handwriting from LHFHG in the place of the Beyond copywork for your younger dd? The LHFHG guide schedules it all so that it all works out to 34 units, but you could probably just get the workbooks and do it at dd's pace. Maybe as her skills develop she can grow into the copywork?

I would also recommend Beyond with LHFHG wkbks for your younger daughter.

Thank you so very much for the replies. I'm really grateful.

Yes, Beyond feels like the right spot for my girls at present. I do have all of the R&S workbooks, so using those two from LHFHG would be a perfect idea. Thank you for pulling that together for me!

I am so excited to order and get started. For now, I'll stick with what we're doing, much of which I love, but I can see where my girls need more and HOD feels like it will fill that niche.

Many many thanks!!!