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We have really enjoyed HOD this year! My ds10 is doing Preparing, and I have dd9 & dd6 combined together in Beyond. I don't know what to do next for my dd6. I think that if she continues on with Bigger for 2nd grade with dd9 (who will be 4th), she might have trouble but do okay. But, I really do not want to put her in Preparing in 3rd.

So my plans for next year if sticking with HOD would be CTC for ds (6th) and Bigger for dd9 (4th). I would also then have dd6 (7 in June) and ds 5 to plan for.

I am just not sure combining in HOD is working as well as I wanted it to! Maybe I should not have combined the girls this year. Also, I am not sure I am comfortable starting Beyond before 2nd grade with my little guys. I really don't want to have to do a guide half-speed--it just goes against my nature! lol! I have to start logging hours on dd6 starting in the fall after she turns 7, so doing a guide half speed would require me to fill in the gaps with some other curriculum to get the needed hours. Any suggestions?

I think you may end up with too many guides. Remember, you did say you had a great year! I would keep combining the soon-to-be 7 and 9 year olds. There is no need to borrow trouble. The 7 year old will be within the age guidelines and will have done the guides all along. Now obviously if things got rough, that would be another story. My almost 10 and almost 12 year olds combine swimmingly. I also combine my 5 and 7 year olds. You could do Bigger 4 days a week instead of 5. That would slow it down without going 1/2 speed.

8arrows makes some good points to ponder here. I am wondering, can you share about your 6 yo? Specifically about her reading and writing abilities? I think that would help us advise. If you were to place your 6 yo on her own looking at the placement chart, where would she place and why?

In Christ,
Julie