Hi LynninAL, and welcome to the HOD Board!
Thanks for sharing a bit about your dd! TrueGRIT really had some solid advice. HOD is so flexible that it can be customized to fit each child specifically, so in order to better help you choose what is right for your dd, getting some more information via the placement chart will help us help you better.
We have used the placement chart to place our dc and have been thankful for the right fit.
As far as challenging your little reader, both Beyond and Bigger Hearts can do that, as they both offer the options of the Emerging Reader's Set and "Drawn into the Heart of Reading 2/3" (DITHOR). The "Emerging Reader's Set" (ERS) has books that range from about Level 2 to Level 4. The middle of the set, around "Buffalo Bill and the Pony Express," may be a good place to start if dd has not been answering comprehension questions or has not been practicing beginning oral narration skills (as the ERS has accompanying comprehension questions according to Bloom's Taxonomy as well as beginning oral narration questions). If dd has been doing a more formal reading program with questions and oral narration practice, then she could start DITHOR 2/3.
In choosing between Beyond and Bigger Hearts, writing is an important skill to consider. Carrie has this to say in regard to the writing...
As far as choosing between "Beyond.." and "Bigger..." goes, the amount of writing varies quite a bit between Beyond and Bigger. Bigger requires more writing in the areas of a once a week history notebooking assignment, a once a week science experiment sheet and a once a week science notebooking entry, along with once a week copywork of a Bible verse, 1-3 vocabulary cards each week, cursive handwriting practice daily, and daily grammar instruction with written practice. It also provides a choice of spelling or dictation passages. If your little one sounds like that would be fine for her, she belongs in Bigger. If not, then Beyond would be best.
Beyond has much less writing doing copywork daily from the poetry, using a gentle once a week introduction to grammar, and writing daily for very short spelling lessons.
As far as math, dd can take the free placement test at
www.singaporemath.com to see where she places best. 1A/1B and 2A/2B are included in Beyond, and 2A/2B and 3A/3B are included in Bigger Hearts. Just follow these steps once you are on the website...
Just follow these steps once you are on the website...
1. Click on "parents"
2. Click on "assessment tests" (which is a clickable link under Step 3 on that page).
3. Click on the level you want to begin with under PRIMARY MATHEMATICS 3RD & U.S. EDITION SERIES , keeping in mind Singapore Math is considered a year advanced - in other words, start LOWER than you think your dc will place.
4. Print the test and have your dc take it, making sure not to help with anything as this inflates scores.
5. Follow the guidelines for placement (dc will probably take several levels tests before arriving at a placement).
6. Wherever dc place, even if it is lower than you anticipated, start there. If they tested into a "B" book, just begin with that. It will be fine!
Beyond includes Spelling List 1 and Spelling List 2 for spelling. Bigger Hearts includes Spelling List 1 and Dictation Level 2 for spelling. Beyond includes 1 x a week gentle grammar introduction, and Bigger Hearts includes daily R & S English 2 grammar. So, depending on how much and how well dd is spelling/grammar, one of the guides may be a better fit in these areas.
If you are finding that dd fits in Beyond for some things, but in Bigger Hearts for some LA/math things, dd can easily do Beyond for her core guide and you can get Bigger Hearts for just the dictation, grammar, math.
If you get the chance to come back and share more about dd, we'd all love to help with more specifics! This board is full of encouraging, helpful ladies like TrueGRIT. I enjoy the board as much as I enjoy HOD. I think you will too!
In Christ,
Julie