AHHH! Still don't know if I should order Beyond or LHFHG!

[mothermayi]

I think I am making this harder than it needs to be . Here's my dilemma. My daughter will finish MFW K (a very beefed up version including "The Reading Lesson") by January. Currently, she places in Beyond so I was thinking to do Beyond for 1st grade. However, she will begin 1st in January instead of next school year since she will be finished with MFW K at that time. She will be 3 months shy of turning 6 at the end of kindy. She is a mature and wise little girl (we call her "Professor" ). Do I go with LHFHG with the 1st grade option or use Beyond? I'm not sure but I think she would outgrow LHFHG before she finishes the guide. Maybe I could get Beyond but do it half-speed so she doesn't get into Bigger too soon?? I want her to be able to physically handle the writing and not be frustrated or taking forever to complete assignments bc her fingers hurt . What to do, what to do??

[StephanieU]

LHFHG full speed would be more than Beyond half speed. My daughter will turn 6 in December and is doing 1st grade work (Horizons math and phonics), and LHFHG is perfect for her. She is loving the Bible as the introduction to history as well as the art activities. Science she likes, but she wishes there was more. Storytime is okay for her. She loved the second book, but the third isn't her favorite. We decided on LHFHG over Beyond because I realized I was already pushing her in math and phonics. She is only young once, and really, I wanted her to enjoy school. And I think it is working. We own the Beyond economy package as well (because we will be starting emerging readers in January or earlier), and it just doesn't look as fun - not dry but not was fun. So, I am glad with the choice I made even though I debated it for almost 2 months!

[mothermayi]

StephanieU,

I wondered about that, too (the fun factor). LHFHG seems like a fun guide for little people. I don't want to push her and right now she is complaining that her current program is too easy, which makes it a hard decision. She will use the emergent readers soon so if we go with LHFHG/1st option, do I just buy Beyond economy package for the schedule or is the schedule also in LHFHG? Besides the fun factor, what are other differences between the two guides?

ps: I've been thinking about this for a couple of months, too .

[StephanieU]

Yes, the Emerging Readers is only in Beyond and Bigger, so you will need the Beyond (or Bigger) guide at least. The Beyond economy package isn't too much more than just the guide, so I went ahead and bought that. As for the differences,

LHFHG doesn't include grammar or spelling, but you can do what is in the Beyond guide if you own that. We did it for about two week, and then I realized our phonics program had a lot of spelling and grammar already in it. So, we stopped.

Science and art I think is similar. The activities are probably a little more in depth in Beyond, but it is still twice a week for science and once a week for art with a similar format (if you go with LHFHG, buy the K science - it just works better).

History: LHFHG starts by introducing history as His Story, which I really like. It starts with Bible (first 19 units I think) and then moves on to an overview of US and world history. Beyond is just US history. The LHFHG books have a few more pictures, etc (especially the Bible), but both are child-friendly.

Storytime: Beyond starts to introduce the different genres while LHFHG has you read one series of books. I wouldn't say one is better for a 5/6yo - they just have a different emphasis.

Bible Study: Probably about the same. The devotional for Beyond might be slightly more mature, but LHFHG is enough for my daughter for sure. The verses in Beyond are slightly longer too.

Poetry/Rhymes: Beyond is more poetry than rhymes for sure. So, it is a lot more mature. But, I love the physical aspect of LHFHG's rhymes. It is like a tiny bit of PE mixed into the day.

Copy Work/Fine Motor Skills: Beyond has copy work 4 days a week. LHFHG has an activity book 3 days a week and handwriting 2 days a week. If you are done with handwriting and pick LHFHG, you can have your daughter copy the verse for the week on the 2 handwriting days. You could even do that 4 days a week if you choose to use the Beyond LA. But, my daughter loves the Rod and Staff books. There is a lot of biology in them, which she is really enjoying. And the coloring and activities can be fun. Some are SUPER simple for her (like counting objects), but there is still coloring to do on those days.

That leaves math and reading, and really you can customize those as you need anyways.

Hope that helps!

[mommyofmany]

I'd probably start with Little Hearts so that she doesn't reach the other guides too early unless her writing skills are pretty advanced. If you do half of a year of Little Hearts and it seems below her level - you could move up to Beyond in the fall and save Little Hearts for your next little one.

[LovingJesus]

My dd6 finished MFWK and started her first grade phonics half way through Kindergarten (last March). Writing is not an issue for her, and is progressing well. She placed pretty squarely in Beyond for first grade, which is this school year. I went with Beyond at first and after a few days dropped down to LHFHG. I am so Glad I did!

My reasons:
-I wanted her to focus more on a Bible history overview prior to American History.
-Fun factor - it is more fun for a 6 year old.
-I could tell with Beyond that the lessons were going over her head some. I like how Carrie's TMs reach their hearts when correctly placed, and I saw her glazing over some for content.
-The Burgess books are a better place to start early narration.
-It is helpful to have her in a little easier program this year with the work her older brothers are doing; this is a side benefit for me.
-It is clear LHFHG is better for her at this age.

I hope this helps. Prayers for your own decision.

[mothermayi]

Thanks everyone! I'm probably going to buy both because it looks like the hands-on math for 1A-1B are in Beyond, as well as the emergent readers schedule. So that should go along easily with LHFHG w/1st grade option, right?

[8arrows]

In remembering all your initial posts (before using the other program), I think you will be happier with Beyond. That is the program you were initially drawn to. If you are already good with the math and reading in Beyond, I think you are going to be a lot happier with that placement. I also think it is easier to use one manual per child (although I know that does not always work). If you use LHFHG, I think you are going to end up doubling up lessons and trying to finish to get to Beyond. I would get Beyond and savor the experience. If you need to slow the history down a little, it is no big deal.

[raindrops]

If you CAN get both LHFHG and Beyond, do it! You'll need Little Hearts for your youngest child anyhow. I think once you have both options and can look at them side by side, maybe even try them out for 1 or 2 units each... well, that would be just great!

I am interested in which one you'll ultimately settle on. !!!

[mothermayi]

Thank you all so much! I think I am going to begin LHFHG with 1st grade option now and only use our current program for the character traits and science. I am supplementing it so much already....this should be a nice combo. Then we can go into Beyond strongly as a 6.5 year old instead of 5.5 years. But I might buy both just in case . I can always use LHFHG with my little one in a little while . I wish I would have determined this two weeks ago when I ordered CTC and qualified for free shipping.

Thanks again for your help, Ladies!

[8arrows]

You are not the first person to have to place more than one order. I bet there are multiple posters that have ordered more than once per year. I know one personally. It is better to be confident and order twice and be out a little more shipping. Keep us posted as your year progresses. Enjoy!

[mothermayi]

You are not the first person to have to place more than one order. I bet there are multiple posters that have ordered more than once per year. I know one personally. It is better to be confident and order twice and be out a little more shipping. Keep us posted as your year progresses. Enjoy!

I thought I was the only one . I felt foolish but now, not so bad . Thanks! Lol!
Ps. Your memory must be impeccable!! You remember my dilemma from early on...I need that kind of memory .

[mrsrandolph]

When in doubt, I always go with the younger guide. Just my opinion.

[mothermayi]

I read a few threads on MFW and HOD fb pages and it seems like kids have trouble going from MFW K into HOD Beyond. Something else for me to think about .