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I feel like I should be just figuring things out on my own, but I always find myself wanting input from others with experience I think I have my older 2 placed, and just when I thought I was done, I started having second thoughts about my youngest ds He is just about 5 and a half. He's had some basic phonics, and can read books like "Dick and Jane". But, sometimes he'll get stuck on simple words he knows and mix them up. For example, "was" for "saw" and others. He's a lefty, as is my older ds, and he had some of the same issues too He has finished K. He is very bright, but also very fidgety and slightly lazy I figured doing LHFHG w/ 1st grade would be a good fit, though in some areas I thought Beyond would be good as well. Then when I was noticing how my older kids' guides have 4 day plans, I wondered about doing Beyond on a 4 day schedule and taking longer? That way they would match up...I really don't think he would need to slow down with the LHFHG at all. Any experience with this? Have you done some dc on 4 day schedules with younger on 5? How did you manage it?

Thanks again for your help ladies sorry to keep asking so many placement questions

Yes, my son is on a 4 day schedule and my daughter is on a 5 day schedule. We school 4 days a week because we have a Thursday morning bible study. My daughter's program will just take a bit longer. I had her complete 3 units over the summer to get a head start and sometimes we do an extra day of school if we have nothing going on that Thursday afternoon. We will march ahead and whenever we finish she will move straight into Preparing.

We do 4 days a week with Bigger Hearts and LHTH right now, and my dc will just take longer to finish those guides. Like your ds, they are on the younger end of the target age range anyway, so it works out well. You could just do LHFHG with the first grade options, Beyond, and Bigger Hearts on a 4 day a week schedule. You could then do PHFHG half-speed to finish out whatever amount of time remains to = 4 years. That way, your ds would be 9 when doing the rest of PHFHG. Just an idea!

In Christ,
Julie

The ability to read or how well they read doesn't figure that strongly into which guide you will use. Because it just has scheduled for each day whatever reading instruction you are doing with the child at that point. Phonics if they are still learning to read, emerging readers (though you do need the Beyond guide to do Emerging Readers) if they are a pretty fluid but beginning reader, etc etc. If the best placement for your son is LHFHG then you should just do LHFHG 4 days a week. Or "accelerate" a little bit and fit the 5 days of the week into 4 days of school (I did this last year). The skills I would see as most important to distinguish between placing in LHFHG and Beyond are 1) comprehension and retention of something read to the child that has few pictures and fairly advanced vocabulary - the read alouds in LHFHG develop this ability and ease the child into being used to listening to stories without pictures and doing an activity to demonstrate what they heard about. 2) Writing/handwriting and spelling. If your child can write fairly well and is ready to begin spelling that places them more solidly in Beyond than LHFHG. The plans in LHFHG are just to do any handwriting instruction/workbook that you feel is appropriate for your child's level but in Beyond they are doing spelling words every day, grammar once a week, and copywork, copying a poem each week. The Bible study/memory is harder in Beyond too. The verses are much longer and there are discussion questions that my 6.5 year old can hardly get - well it takes a lot of coaching sometimes for her to get them.

If this is a new format of study for your children, then I think it might be wiser to start with the easier guide, that way the adjustment will be easier for your child and for you. Of course for the 1st grade math option and Emerging Readers if your son is ready for those, you would want to buy the Beyond guide and the Emerging Reader books for him to read.

Your description of your son reminds me a LOT of my eldest son back when I was first placing in HOD, although mine was touch younger at the time. Don't worry about posting a lot of questions. I certainly posted more than my fair share back then! Who am I kidding? I post a lot of questions now. The members here are all happy and willing to help. We wound up doing LHFHG with 1st grade supplements 4 days a week (because I like having a weekly field trip/doctor's appt/errand running day) and it worked out perfectly.

I wouldn't worry too much about his switching things like "was" and "saw". It's a VERY common issue with early readers. In fact, my eldest son did EXACTLY that for a while. It has to do with what's going on in their brains while they are reading. Several years ago I took a course in teaching children to read (it was a prep course for a teaching certificate) and I kept the text which I've referred to for review a few times over the years. If you're curious I could dig it out and give you the title of it, but I doubt you need it. My point in mentioning it is to let you know I'm not *just* speaking from personal experience, but also from what I've been taught as a "potential teacher".

HTH!

Thanks so much ladies for all your advice It really has made the process of placing SO much easier I really don't want to rush into something that is TOO challenging so he doesn't enjoy it like he should. So, I think I *might* do what Julie mentioned about doing the LHFHG with 1st grade options, Beyond and Bigger on 4 day week schedules, and finishing up PHFHG at 9 sounds just right

One more thing I wasn't sure about--so if I'm doing Singapore Math 1a and 1b, I need the Beyond guide?

Thanks SO MUCH

If you want to use the activities and schedule that have been planned, then yes, you would need the Beyond guide. I think there is a schedule in an Appendix of LHFHG for the Singapore 1A/1B but that is without the extra hands-on activities, which are awesome, easy, and really help reinforce what is being learned. So all that to say, highly recommended.

We're doing LHFHG, Beyond and RTR this year. RTR is scheduled as a 4 day program, so my oldest does that. Allison is in Beyond and ready to move along with it, so I'm doing 5 days per week with her. We usually only do math 4 days per week though (because we're ahead in the guide with that and the multiplication and division we're on are plenty meaty for her). And, Garret, my 5 1/2 year old is in LHFHG. I am just doing school with him 4 days per week, too. He's doing well, but doesn't need to rush right now. Anyway, the boys do some extra chores for us while we do school on Fridays here. So, Allison really feels like she's getting the best deal.

So, you can do 4 days per week and 5 at the same time if you feel the need. It's working beautifully here. You could always save a thing or 2 from the olders' guides to do on Fri while you're doing school with the younger. Like the science experiment or something. Or if you really need the 5th day for something out and about, I'd just do that and move ahead 4 days per week. Just wanted to share what we're doing in case it helps.

And, I would most definitely vote for the Beyond guide for the math activities. We LOVE those here - and not just because they're fun. They do a great job teaching the concepts and I can see them cementing the reason why we do math the way we do in their little minds (which will be so helpful as we move on to more abstract thinking in the future). If you opt not to use the Beyond guide, you will need to purchase the Singapore textbooks to use instead. Sooo, I always think of that situation as a $18 off coupon for the Beyond guide - which you'll need in the future anyway. What a deal!

Kathleen

Kathleen,

Thanks so much for your advice!! It was really helpful. I was sort of wondering if it would work to have the olders do some extra chores, or reading etc while my little Levi does his fifth day. So it was nice to hear how that works out. I'm pretty sure he would prefer school to chores After you hearing what all the ladies have said, I think I'll be getting the Beyond guide too

I really appreciate all your feedback

The ladies have done a terrific job of helping you! Feel free to ask away if you think of more questions, as we are all glad to help!

I wanted to pop-in and clarify one part about the math recommendations. If you plan to use math 1A/1B, you can either use the schedule in LHFHG's Appendix with both the textbooks and workbooks, or you can use the Beyond guide's activities and schedule which uses the workbooks only.

We pray that you will have a wonderful year with HOD!

Blessings,
Carrie