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My little K'er finished up Little Hearts this year, and so we're looking toward her starting Beyond in the fall. Her older sister will be starting Bigger in the fall, as well. I've tried combining these two before, and it just didn't work well. They get along fine, but they are too far apart in skills, and they both love having their own guide!

What I'd like to do is to take 3 years to do Beyond and Bigger for my youngest, which would spread her and her sister apart a bit. We plan on schooling 4 day weeks next year. I would like to have her start out at half speed for a while, and finish up the guide at full speed. Same thing for Bigger-start at half speed, finish at full speed. I just can't seem to wrap my brain around how many units to do half speed of each, at 4 day weeks, to spread these two guides out to 3 years!?!?

If anyone could help me plan out a schedule for this, I'd greatly appreciate it!

If you want to spread it out, and I am not sure if you school over the summer but I will assume not - you would complete the first 8 units half speed and then the rest of the guide at full speed for both beyond and bigger, you would then have 100 teaching weeks over 3 years (approximately 33-34 weeks per year). But what you could do is just see how it goes when you are doing half speed versus full speed for each level. This way you can slow the guides down or speed them up depending on your child's abilities at the time. This would give you more flexibility in the future if you get ahead somewhat and need to slow down in the future. Just a thought.

I became a little obsessed with figuring this out exactly, lol. What I got is:

Year 1- Beyond- 60 days half pace, 76 full. (this gives you 34 weeks, 4 days a week. Covers up through week 22, day 1)
Year 2- Beyond- 69 days full speed. Bigger- 60 days half speed, 7 days full speed (34 weeks, 4 days. Covers through Bigger week 8 day 2)
Year 3- Bigger- 138 days full speed. (34 weeks 2 days)

For better continuity, I'd probably stop a day early year 1, finish up to the end of week 21 in year 1. Push that extra day into year 2. That'd be finish at Bigger week 8 day 3. I'd just finish week 8 off. Then start Bigger full speed in week 9. That will give you 32 weeks and 2 days of school in year 3.

So

Year 1: Beyond- 60 days half pace, 75 full. (34 week school year)
Year 2: Beyond- 70 days full pace. Bigger- 60 days half pace, 9 days full (34w3d school year)
Year 3: Bigger- 136 days full pace (34 week school year)

Wow ladies, thanks! I was just having trouble wrapping my mind around this the other day. Too much going on around here, I guess.

I know that this could be subject to change, based on how my little one does. If she needs more time, I can slow it down. However, I really don't think that will be the case. She works through things pretty quickly and confidently, and reads really well. Her main struggle right now is that she needs time to grow in her writing skills for a while. I know it would be too much (in regard to writing within the guide), for her to do these guides any faster than 3 years. I've done these guides before with older kiddos and know where we're headed, so I want to make sure we very carefully build those writing skills and ensure she's truly ready for the upper guides when she gets there.

You're both a real blessing! Thanks again!