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I have 4 boys and we will be homeschooling this year, it is going to be our first year. My 2 oldest are 6 and 8, they currently go to a Christian school that uses Abeka. My other two are 4 and 2. I am thinking of possibly trying to combine the oldest two with BHFHG, since my 6yr old will be reading by the time school is out in May. And I would like to find something for the two younger ones to do also, so maybe LHTH for him and the 2 yr old could sit in some? I am just overwhelmed with all the available resources out there. I have read the HOD catalog from cover to cover and been on the website too and have really liked what I have seen and think this could work for us. Any advice would be much appreciated I think I am just concerned about not getting the right fit for our family with 4 busy boys its hard to decide. I guess I should also add that my 8yr old son is in second grade right now and is reading very well so maybe I should not combine the oldest two? I am just really not sure what to do I am afraid that BLHFHG will not be enough of a challange for him.

I hope you enjoy your year! Have you checked out the placement chart? It's a great place to start and figure out where to place your children. It's best to look at skills rather than ages.

There are lost of families who combine and lots of families who have their kids each in individual guides. I have mine in separate guides because it works best for us, but HOD is great in that you can work it to fit how you need to!

Here is the link to placement: http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php

I hope you enjoy the journey!

Depending on your 6yo's other skills beside reading ability, you could combine them in Bigger or separate them into 2 guides. The best way to tell is by seeing where they fall on the placement chart. If you put the older two in Bigger, will your 6yo be ready to be doing all the writing required in Preparing the following year? If not and you really want to combine them, you could ask for options about "beefing up" the Beyond guide for your 8yo. I would think LHTH is likely a good fit for your younger two. We're using it with our 3 youngest children and love it!! Welcome to HOD!

Thanks for your help ladies!! I really appreciate it! I am really excited about getting started homeschooling this year and about learning right along with them I just wasn't sure about how much time it would take if I separated the older two, but I am begining to think that I may need to at least for this year

Welcome to Hod.

This has been our first year and we just love everything....or I love everything! My kids really like it and it stretches them sometimes, but in a good way! I would really look at the placement chart in the area of writing. See where each of them place there. I looked and looked at the placement chart. My kids were all over the place. Writing seemed to be the one thing that would change my mind each time I looked at it. My oldest writes very well, but my next two need some work in that area, so we went down a level for each of them. My oldest we went down a level only because this was a new curriculum and didn't want to overwhelm her. She has done great! I am so glad I went down a level for my younger two. The guides have been perfect. Some stuff for my middle child has been easy, but some has been stretching her and she has grown into the challenge, but I didn't want it too hard so she would get discouraged. It has been great. My youngest(8 in march second grade) reads so well, but he would have been very frustrated in Bigger, he isn't ready to write a lot, but he is doing so much better.

Sorry to go on and on. See where they place, I would lean to using separate guides, but you know best what they can do!
Blessings,
Stacey

If your 6 year old will be 7 or near 7 and you think he can do BIgger, I would definately combine. I have always combined my children, and I do not do well with separating them. My 6 (almost 7 year old in the fall) and my 8 (nearing 9 in the fall) girls will be finishing up Beyond in the fall and heading into Bigger together.