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Hi..i had asked this question under another comment..but wanted to make it a different subject to others would see it. I am looking to start my now 5 yo (6 in May)..in Beyond for next fall..our first yr hs...so, just thinking ahead..that would put him doing Bigger at age 7 for his 2nd gr. I have read elsewhere that Bigger is rarely recommended for a 7yo..so, am I not headed in the right direction?? Is bigger too advanced or not appropriate at 7? ...if you do Beyond for their 1st grd, wouldn't this be the next step??...isn't this what others have done??.. I'd really appreciate any input!..just trying to figure out how things might look down the road if we go with HOD..(also would have a 5 1/2 yo by then as well who would prob be doing K..)

We are doing Bigger with our 7yr old this year and she is doing very well with it. I don't think it's too advanced for a 7yr old. The problem I am running into is that as we go higher in the guides I worry it will be too much for her to keep going full speed. I think Preparing will be fine at 8yrs old... but I worry about Creation to Christ at 9yrs old. I know this is thinking really far ahead but most of us homeschool moms seem to do that. I do have to say though that Bigger has fit her perfectly this year as a 7yr old 2nd grader.

If at any point you feel a guide is "too much" for your child, you can drop to half speed and go at that pace for a few months. Each guide prepares your child for the next one skillwise if they are well placed to begin with. So the main issue becomes adjusting to the increased work load. Many (most?) children are able to move up to full speed in a guide after starting the first several weeks/months at half speed. HTH.

I agree with the previous posters. My 7-year-old is doing fine with Bigger and we went half speed for about 4 units until I felt she was ready for full speed. I also think doing the previous two guides is a huge benefit. When talking with moms new to HOD I only recommend Bigger at the younger end if their child has completed Beyond already.

ok, thanks so much..but i have to ask the obvious...when you say "half speed"..does this means 4 days a week??...exactly how do you do this??..sorry..new at this..lol!

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=13555

Here is a link to a recent discussion on "half speed".

There are many ways to accomplish this. For my 2nd grade son (who will be 8 in May), I decided to forgo Beyond and use Bigger for 2nd and 3rd grade. I wanted to keep him on a 4 day schedule because his older brother is using Preparing. We have done the right side of Bigger 4 days/week. For the left side, I have done the Reading about History, Bible, and History Project boxes one week. Then we go back and pick up the Science, music, and poetry the next week. He will make it through Unit 12 this year. Next year, we will bump up to full speed but still schooling 4 days/week. After having done Preparing this year with my 10yos, I do NOT want to hit Preparing before 4th grade with my younger son. This has worked PERFECTLY for us this year! Only in the last month have I felt like he could handle full speed; but since we only have 2 weeks left, I am not going to bump him up this year. Next year will be soon enough! HTH!

Laura

So, i am getting the impression that most people do not finish a guide in one yr..?...by going half speed, or 4 day/week..?...is it ok to not finish a guide in the yr??...is it designed to just go with the age span, instead of doing one per yr??....?? love to hear any imput

The beauty of HOD is you can customize to fit your child's needs. If your child can do Bigger fine at full speed I would just go forward. Half speed is a great way to start to slow down a child that is running the guides at a young age. If you hit Preparing at a young 8, you may very well wish to begin the guide at 1/2 speed. Thinking of the guides to come I began Bigger at 1/2 speed, but I had to go full speed sooner than I had planned because my son was fully ready and we were finishing school way too early. So we have now started Preparing at 1/2 speed. I don't want to hit CTC before 9 1/2. When I do 1/2 speed I still take math, reading, and English at full speed. It is really up to you how you wish to do it.

With my younger kiddos, I plan to use Little Hearts, Beyond, and Bigger over 4 years. After that, my plan is full-speed ahead! We will see what life throws at us, though. I just like Preparing as a 4th grade curriculum. Then one guide/year. My 4 1/2 yo and 6 yo will be combined in LHFHG next fall for their K and 1st year.

Laura

I'm a little confused..was prettled settled on getting Beyond for my oldest..will be 6yo in may...but now wonder about getting LHFGH and starting him with 4 1/2 yo..he has a Jan bday..looking at the chart, my oldest seems to fit in Beyond as he is reading well and writes sentences fairly well. I just really dont know what to do...is 4 1/2 too young for LHFGH anyway??...i could wait and combine younger son with little sis at some point down the road..want them to be placed properly, but also thinking what's doable long term. Appreciate any thoughts!

So much information can feel overwhelming can't it Don't be confused. It's pretty straight forward. check out the famous placement guide here:

http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php

Just do a quick evaluation of your kids (Do a search for reading assessments. Most math curriculums have one as well), and see where feel they most comfortably fit in the chart. For example, my daughter, who just turned 7, started reading a week before her 4th birthday. Little hearts would have fit her just fine as a 4.5 yr old. This year she is doing Bigger ( started as a 6yr old) and doing fine. Where as my 10 yr old Is finishing preparing. Two kids, two different learning levels, two guides.

I know that you can also call Carrie and Mike for help with placement if you feel overwhelmed. It can feel really stressful that first year, trying to decide. I actually wanted HOD our first year but did something else, which turned out to be disastrous. I entertained HOD again our second year, and am so happy we went with it. everybody benefits from the good routine, and the well thought out lesson guides. Carrie is just awesome. The only thing you'll be sorry about this curriculum, is that you didn't start it sooner.