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Hey everybody, I am still mulling over the choice for my 6 yr old ds who I am pulling out of ps. He has already taken phonics in kindergarten and is reading ok. My question is this: if I start him in beyond, do I move up a program each year? He is placing in beyond instead of lhfhg. I am trying to plan out what he will do each year. I am not sure if I am supposed to do bigger for 1 year or 2? Do you generally go up to the next program each year? I am starting my 10 yr ds in preparing (also coming out of ps) using the extensions for 5/6 grades. Sorry to be so "dumb" about this. I tried to use the search but couldn't come up with any threads about this. I'm probably gettting way too ahead of myself and I remember seeing something about focusing on one year at a time but I'm by nature a planner and I HAVE to look ahead. I would appreciate any advice you gals can give me!

I understand this need. Everything is one year unless you are choosing otherwise which some people do with LHFHG or they want to do a 4 day week with things that are written to be five (that is everything under Preparing in level). And since you are planing there are four more levels to come (one each year) and they are also a year long.

Hope this helps and happy planing!

I too had the same question last week. I have a 9yo daughter who is placing in bigger and a 6yo daughter who is placing in Beyond. I didn't always want her right on her older sister's heels. Thanks to the advice I received on this board we have decided to make Beyond 2 years worth of materials. It can really work out nicely. What I'm going to do is this:
A right side page everyday and a left side page every other day. You will get through all the right side pages half way through the year. You can restart these and go through spelling list two and R & S 2nd grade Eng on your second round through the manual. That way some of your days are much shorter and the next day will be a bit longer, but you can make it work. It sounds like a lot of headaches to not be able to follow the guide as written, but you can do that too, and just go through it twice. The program is really able to be customized to what you want it to do for your family. Hope this helps.

Another option for making it last for 2 years would be this: plan to do only the first 17 units during year 1, and the second 17 for year 2.

Units 1-17...then...
Units 18-34

You would still be able to work through the second spelling list the 2nd year, as well as R&S English 2. Instead of doing a full day's plans, do the right side one day and the left side the second day. It would take about 2 weeks to get through one unit instead of 1 week. You could always read more about each subject (like the pioneers or Holland, sea creatures, creation, etc.) during these two weeks if you wanted to. Add DITHOR once dc has completed the emergent reader's schedule that is in the appendix of Beyond...or you could make each of those last 2 weeks too if needed.

Just my thoughts...you'll work something out!

thanks for the advice! i'm just so new to this and it is really strange to me to try to determine my child's placement into the proper program instead of just saying, "ok, he's finished with kindergarten, now comes 1st grade." I had really thought of putting him in LHFHG just because it follows LHTH and that in my mind is the "kindergarten" class. I sit and look at the catalog and count the programs and think, ok, that's 1st grade, that's 2nd grade, etc., is this normal? In NC we have to take tests at the end of the year and I don't want find out that my 1st year of homeschooling was a dismal failure! My 10 year old wasn't near as hard to place, he fits right into Preparing... (what a surprise!) but with the extensions. What program to put Brendan in has me up till 2 or 3 at night, trying to figure out do I use LHFHG and skip phonics and use my own emerging readers set or include phonics only more advanced than what he got in kindergarten? How do I know what he got in kindergarten? I have no clue how much phonics he actually learned this past year? See why it's driving me crazy I am SOOO Sorry this is long. My husband (the practical one) says pick a program and buy it when we get the money. I just hope I'm doing the right thing for my child.

I only have a minute (and I know....I've been MIA for awhile!), but 2 things real quick...

1). Little Hearts makes a terrific first grade year!

2). I've never, ever heard of any school that finishes phonics in K. Most only introduce consonants sounds (and not special sounds like soft g or c) and short vowels. Some private Christian schools may get around to long vowels, but not any special spellings. You are very safe in doing more phonics in first grade and perfectly fine to add some easy readers to that mix. If something like The Reading Lesson or Reading Made Easy don't appeal to you, there are so many others....First Reader, Phonics Pathways, etc. are very good and slightly more challenging. You don't want to skimp on giving your ds a good phonics base...it can mess with his spelling later down the road. You can start Carrie's emerging readers at any time during the year. We started them about week 29 or 30 of Little Hearts and are cruising right along as we are into Beyond now.

I can sense your stress and will pray you find some peace soon. I'm sure you'll get more great advice here!
Mel

mom2fiveboysnc,

I'm sorry I missed this thread awhile back. I am catching up on the board after completing our book and our last convention!

Anyway, if your little honey places into "Beyond...", I would go with that. If he places into Little Hearts..., I would go with that. The placement chart is very accurate.

To be placed in Beyond..., it would be best if your little guy can listen to a short chapter read aloud without pictures. It would also be best if your little honey can copy at least a line of poetry at a time without frustration. He should be ready to begin simple, formal spelling lessons (i.e. words like 'rat', 'cat', 'sat') to do Beyond as well. If your little guy is not able to do those things, he'd probably be better placed in Little Hearts.

If you have other questions, ask away!

Blessings,
Carrie