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I have been reading about the HOD curriculum and have almost decided that it is what I would like to use next school year. I used LHTH when my oldest was in preschool but I have not tried any of the guides for older kids. I thought that I had our placements figured out but then I started reading other people's posts and the advice they received and now I am not sure what we should do.

I have a 7 year old boy and a 6 year old boy who I was planning on combining and using Beyond Little Hearts... My 7 year old fell pretty much evenly between the Beyond...and Bigger...columns on the placement test. After comparing the two programs I think he's a better fit for Beyond and I will add Drawn into the Heart of Reading for him as he is reading well above grade level.

My 6 year old fell mostly in the Little Hearts... column with a few in Beyond... He is not an independent reader and his writing skills are not where they should be. I think that he would probably make it through in Beyond..., but it will be harder for him. Then, I'm not sure he'd be ready to move up to Bigger the following year.

I also have a 4 year old and an almost 2 year old. I was hoping to do LHTH with my 4 year old and I think she would love it and it would be a perfect placement. However, I'm not sure I can fit enough hours in my day to use three different guides with three different kids! I am not sure if I should go back to the idea of combining kids and take the chance of one being bored because the curriculum is too easy or one being frustrated because the curriculum is too hard. Or, the other option is to not do a formal program with my 4 year old this year and just focus on the two older ones, each in their own level.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am planning on attending the Cincinnati Homeschool Convention this coming weekend and would like to have my "shopping list" ready to go!

Thanks so much!
-Kelly

Another idea for you would be to combine the older two in LHFHG. There is additional reading in the appendix that you could do with the older one. I was usually able to get at least one of the books for each unit from the library and if not you could select appropriate books for each unit from what your library has on hand. You might need to get the the Beyond manual for the Right side of the page with your older, depending on where his skills lie. Will you be using Singapore math?

If you are going to the Cincinnati Convention, you could talk to Julie or Carrie there. I know it would make it a little more time consuming, but that would be your best avenue. I haven't used multiple guides, but I know many have, so I'm sure someone else may have some good suggestions.

I just saw that a pp suggested combining in LHFHG. As she said, you would still need the right side of Beyond for the 7 yo with DITHOR. Then the following year, you could use Beyond and up his English and use different storytime books and maybe add some more to his science reading if desired. I would not put the 6yo in Beyond if his reading and writing skills are weak. I started my dd in LHFHG when she was 7 for that reason. I'm glad I didn't start her in Beyond. She definitely would have struggled. It sounds like your 7yo is stronger in those skills, so, unless you combine in LHFHG and use extensions for your 7yo, you probably would need to have them in separate guides. Carrie and Julie could still give you the best advice.

Your son does not need to be an independent reader for Beyond, just an emerging one, finishing up phonics. You could do Beyond 4 days a week. That stretches it out 9 weeks into the next school year (or through the summer). This would give your younger one time to grow. I may do this as I will have a 6 and 7/8 year old in Beyond next year.

8arrows wrote:Your son does not need to be an independent reader for Beyond, just an emerging one, finishing up phonics. You could do Beyond 4 days a week. That stretches it out 9 weeks into the next school year (or through the summer). This would give your younger one time to grow. I may do this as I will have a 6 and 7/8 year old in Beyond next year.

I love this idea! I think you would enjoy this pacing. Beyond would be stretched a tad, you'd do school 4 days a week and have the fifth day off, and you could happily combine your dc.

In Christ,
Julie

I think placing them together in Beyond is a good idea, too. If Bigger is too hard for the younger one when you get there, you could slow down to half speed for a bit then (there are extensions in Bigger you could read-aloud to older one if he's bored - but I expect he'd be fine - and you can do his math/language arts full speed). I will have a six and eight year old in Beyond soon. They will be finishing up Little Hearts in the next few weeks. My younger of this pair (almost 6) is still doing phonics & has done no spelling & only a little copywork, but I think she'll be fine in Beyond. My older one is already doing the language arts from the Bigger guide & dithor 2/3. They are each doing their own math. My younger is obviously nowhere near the level of my older in math/language arts, but combining in everything else is working really well for us.

As for your 4 year old, I think doing LHTH is a great idea. It only takes half an hour a day and it includes the younger one in your school day - plus it's fun! We are enjoying it this year.

Thank you all so much for your advice! I am SO glad that I read through old posts and then posted myself. I read several of your responses earlier today but didn't have a chance to respond until now. However, I have been thinking about it today and I actually feel like I need to keep my older two together as you all suggested and do LHTH with my 4 yo. However, I am actually leaning towards putting my older two in LHFHG rather than Beyond. I had a chance to go back through the sample weeks of both and I think my 6 yo will struggle even during that first week and I'm assuming it will just get harder from there. I think he's a perfect fit for LHFHG. So, I think I will keep my older one in LHFHG and just beef up his extra reading. He is currently doing copywork and spelling that I think I'll just continue for another year. Then when they're in Bigger we can switch over to that copywork/spelling schedule for both. I will also add DITHOR for my oldest this coming year. I think that will keep him challenged, as well. I don't plan on using Singapore math with either. We have a math program that we really enjoy and they are doing very well in, so I don't want to change that.
I hope to be able to browse both guides at the convention this weekend to finalize my decision. I think if I can see the progression in expectations in both I will feel better.
Please let me know if I am totally off base and need to reconsider my plans. Again, I am so appreciative of your help!
-Kelly

Looking at the sample week of plans is a great way to gauge what will work best for dc! I think you have done your homework, and it sounds like LHFHG for your 6 and 7 yo dc, along with the upper LA/math for your 7 yo in the areas needed, sounds like a good solid plan. You could easily get the Beyond guide and use Spelling List 1 and its plans, as well as the one time a week grammar lessons in the Beyond LA box on Day 5 of the plans. You could even check out the Emerging Reader's Set, and start your oldest ds wherever he best places within that set. It ends at Level 4+ readers, so it's more advanced in the middle and end at first glance. Many, many 7 yo that are advanced readers go through the Emerging Reader's Set starting around "Prairie School", as this is a Level 4 book. The comprehension questions in the back of the Beyond guide are great for building reading comprehension and beginning oral narration skills. If you ended up doing this, the following year, when you do Beyond with the 2 of them, you'd just have your then 8 yo do Spelling List 2, do "Drawn into the Heart of Reading Level 2/3", and add R & S English 2 at a pace of about a lesson a day. You have your own math, so sounds like you are set there. Just an idea! LHTH sounds great for the 2 littles. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

P.S. Did we get to meet in Cincinnati? I was there too at the HOD booth.