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We will be new to HOD next year. Since February,we have decided this is the curriculum we want to use with our youngest who will be in 3rd grade this coming year. But after reading some discussions, I have considered either using Beyond (full) or Bigger (1/2 speed and use it for 3rd and 4th grade). Either way, this would have us in Preparing for 5th and CTC in 6th which sounds like a good fit for him.

My son has a spring birthday so he would be 8 all year for 3rd grade until mid-April with only a month and a half left of the school year so I do not believe he is too old for Beyond. He has vision issues and had to have surgery when he was 4 shortly before he started kindergarten and learning to read. He still struggles with reading (focusing, tracking, fluency) and is at least a semester or more behind. We are still working on solidifying phonics but he is an emerging reader. He works at level at math and has no struggles there. He can do copywork just fine and gives the most detailed oral narrations. We just recently started studying spelling with All About Spelling. We are also using First Language Lessons level 2 which has just started adding in dictation. For handwriting, we use Handwriting Without Tears and I believe he is ready to begin cursive next year. However, he is still not ready for much independent writing. This led me to consider Beyond for next year to get him adjusted to the style of HOD and strengthen his reading and writing skills before starting Bigger. Or I have considered the idea of doing Bigger at 1/2 speed for 3rd and 4th grades, but I am leaning more toward Beyond at this point. I'd love to have some feedback from fellow users before I make a book order. Thanks!

It really sounds like Beyond will be the perfect fit, giving him just enough challenge without making him feel like he's swimming against the stream. My current 2nd grader sounds very similar to yours, we had some phonics work to finish up and he started Beyond in the Emerging Reader set. I can not tell you how happy it makes my heart to see how his ability and confidence have grown by using Beyond. He now enjoys reading. There is just enough writing to keep him working without overwhelming him as well, I think the writing in Bigger would have been a bit of a struggle for him. We are currently switching my 4th grader into Bigger (down from Preparing) so that he can benefit from picking up the foundational training in that guide.

We have finished Beyond full speed and are going 1/2 speed in Bigger and I agree with the others - I would put him in Beyond. You can always do math at the level he is at, there are two spelling list choices in Beyond, and he could also do cursive while in Beyond, which is what my son did. It seems like that would be the less stressful choice for your son.

Congrats on the great gains your ds has made - he sounds like a hard worker - you must be so proud of him! I too like the idea of doing Beyond with your ds. He is in the target age range for Beyond, and the living books in Beyond are not to be missed - just great reads - and they are of a nicely mature read aloud level anyway. He can do the second level of spelling, and if you want daily R & S English 2 at just a lesson a day. The copywork of Beyond's poetry will be a nice way to continue strengthening those writing skills, an area for all boys to work on in my opinion (I have 3 of them ). You'll enjoy the oral narration tips and days so much in Beyond as well, and it sounds like your ds is already on his way to being quite a solid narrator - hooray! Beyond was a pure joy to teach. It really helped our sons get ready for Bigger Hearts. I think you will thoroughly enjoy it! HTH, but what are your thoughts?

In Christ,
Julie

Thanks for all the replies. I think you have affirmed my idea to use Beyond with him. I feel good about the choice. And now I am excited to make an order.