heartofdakota.com

okay here is my problem...Okay I have a ds6 who just started Beyond and he needs to be in it for two years and I am having a terrible time figuring out the best way to go half speed - the first year I want him to complete spelling list 1 and the math 1a and 1b - he is still working on phonics - he can read he just hasn't quite gotten his confidence built up to go at a book but I hope to have him progressed into the emerging readers in the next couple of months...but I don't know how to go half speed I have come up with several different ways but none seem to pan out...

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated!!!

There are a couple of different options. One is to do one page one day, the second page the next day, but do spelling and math full speed as you intend.

Is that what you are looking for?

Something like that. I was trying to figure out how to keep in in Beyond for two years but still have him progress with one year of math, phonics/reading, spelling, etc.

If we did beyond regular as written, then go into bigger four days a week how long will that take to get thru it at only one day per day for four days per week - does that make sense?

If you do Bigger 4 days a week, I believe it adds 9 more weeks to the guide.

You could also do Beyond as written 4 days a week. that takes 9 weeks into the next year, then if you do Bigger 4 days a week, that adds another 9 weeks. You'd end up spacing Beyond and Bigger out over a 2 1/2 year period.

netpea wrote:You could also do Beyond as written 4 days a week. that takes 9 weeks into the next year, then if you do Bigger 4 days a week, that adds another 9 weeks. You'd end up spacing Beyond and Bigger out over a 2 1/2 year period.

I really like this idea! Doing Beyond for 2 years may feel long - not sure. I know I thought about doing BHFHG over 2 years, and I felt like it was going to be too long to be in one guide. Netpea's idea here is a good one, and you could always start PHFHG half-speed after finishing BHFHG, if you wanted. What do you think though?

In Christ,
Julie

Well I am going to try a couple weeks at full speed...

The problem is his handwriting and reading (well he is still doing phonics trying to get his confidence built up) math he loves and is doing super the other skills like narration will be a learning progress but he will get it and I don't think he would be behind here at the end of the year.

My older ds is doing Bigger for 3rd grade and is having issues with little brother doing the work he did for 2nd in 1st grade if that makes sense - but the math and spelling and reading are not the same.

I just don't know what else to do....or say...

Well my dd birthday is Oct. 31st so she started LHFHG when she was still 4. After going full speed for awhile I decided to slow it down a bit and I have been doing 4 days a week with her through the guides. She is now 6 will be 7 at the end of the month and on unit 21 of Beyond. I plan to have her just continue at it 4 days a week and start Bigger when we finish. We will also do that 4 days a week. It is nice since my ds is doing Preparing which is a 4 day guide, so we can take Friday's as a light school day. We have been doing science/nature study get togethers with my sister, sister in-law and cousin(and their kiddos). I'm playing it by ear now but if she ends up finishing Bigger at an off time of year I may just wait for the following fall to start Preparing and just keep her going on math/La etc. We shall see when we get there. HTH

I was thinking about doing Bigger half speed, but I don't like the idea of two years for the guide either. What I have done is, depending on what is going on in the week, adjust the amount of HOD to what we will have time to do. On co-op days, which is only 7 Fridays, I don't do HOD because dd is doing 4 classes there. On days we have appts., choir, etc., I may just do some math and reading, or a half day of HOD. I know this does not allow for consistency or a schedule, but this is how I need to work it right now. I have learned to be flexible over the years, having a child with medical issues that has taken us 3 hours from home for appts. and hospitalizations for the past 23 years. When co-op is over, I hope to add more HOD per week, so that by the end of the year we will be more than halfway. Next year I will hopefully finish out Bigger full-speed, so we can get into Preparing in good time. Last year I tried cramming Beyond at the end of the year, just so I could finish the guide. I purposed to not do that with Bigger, because my dd learns better at a slower pace. She will not learn the material as well if I am just pushing it to get it done. Then we become stressed.

In a nutshell, until co-op is over, I am trying to do 3 full days of Bigger in one week. If we start a day and don't finish, I pick-up the next. After co-op, when we are basically indoors for the winter, I may try to get 4 days finished in a week. If that doesn't happen, it's okay. My dd has reading and math struggles, so I need to focus on those areas. So, for your ds, don't try to put a timetable on it. Work at a pace that he can handle and go. Tell your older ds that it is okay for kids to work on different levels at different ages. My dd is behind the level of most of her peers, but so far it doesn't seem to bother her too much. We need to build them up according to their ability. Each individual needs to know that they have special abilities that God has given them. Some are quick in academics. Some have talent in music or art. Make sure you point out the strengths of your ds's individually. It is good for them to learn to 'cheer each other on' or there will be jealousy. It's a matter of the heart.

I am not sure I am okay with the four days a week in Beyond and Bigger with the memory verses - it seems it will be all messed up...maybe I am being to bound up??? lol I don't know

If you do three days a week, that is a little more than half-speed. For me, half speed made the guide drag. It meant skipping a day of storytime, and that really interferes with the flow. Doing full days every day would be too much for my dd right now. Three days is a good amount of work for the week without making it drag too much. If you don't get a day finished in one day, you have those two extra days to complete them. You can still work on the 3 R's every day.