FINALLY switching to HOD... NOW! Questions :)

[HSMom03]

I am going to place my order as soon as I know what I need and we will start as soon as it gets here. My son (7.25 yrs, finishing up 1st grade) currently places in Beyond. Should I start him there now or finish the year with the last 1/4-1/2 of Little Hearts? Should I add anything from the upper guides to either of those guides? I could be wrong but I think that if it wasn't for the writing & length of school day, he might be able to place in Bigger. I think he is going to place in Singapore 1B, we are part way through the placement test. However, if we go with Beyond, he really wants to start with 1A because he really wants to do it as written. He's my meticulous one! Would it be a problem to start him in 1A at his age? Also, how do we work our way back to a more "normal" start date since we'll be starting new curriculum the last 1/4 of this year?! I had many more questions but lost my long post a few mins ago and have to go for now. Thanks!!

[Jennymommy]

How is his reading? I might finish LHFHG and then keep up with basic math, writing and reading skills through the break, then move on to Beyond when you start your new schoolyear. That way he can do things just as they are written, on schedule My middle ds is the same, and he thrives on knowing what to expect and when

[HSMom03]

Thanks for your reply! His reading is GREAT! He's been reading for a long time (started when he was still 4 yrs old). He reads pretty fluently and at a 4th/5th grade (or higher) level. I'm going to have him read through the ER Set though, as he hasn't read those books in particular. Well, except for The Beginner's Bible - he read that cover to cover on his own last year. He's also read the Frog and Toad stories. The rest of the titles I don't want him to miss though. Of course he wants to reread the Beginner's Bible and Frog & Toad stories since it is "scheduled" He definitely needs the structure of HOD!

Just to clarify, we are not currently using Little Hearts. We were using a 1st grade program from another publisher and it was not working at all. After 3/4 of a school year we finally have to make the switch. DS is thrilled and kept asking for HOD. He convinced me to sell old curricula to buy the new. We were set to go with Beyond but then I was thinking that we could possibly purchase Little Hearts right now and jump in somewhere in the middle or toward the end to finish up the school year. Is that possible? Then we could start Beyond in the fall? Maybe I could get him to the point where he could follow the Singapore 2A/2B schedule in Beyond this fall? Or we could start Beyond now, which is a very appealing option. Not sure...

[StephanieU]

I see no reason to not switch now to Beyond. We follow a non-traditional calendar, schooling year round. My son start K phonics today. My daughter started 3rd grade math last week, and she will start Bigger in late April or the beginning of May.

You wouldn't want to do just 1/4 of LHFHG. Some families do 1/2 of it, especially if the child is at the younger end of the age range, but it isn't necessary. Since HOD lets you customize the 3Rs, especially in the lower levels, you can just continue on in those where you are and start Beyond now.

[Jennymommy]

Oh, totally go into Beyond I thought you were doing LHFHG. I admit, though, that I struggle with the idea of a non-traditional year. Since restarting CTC with my youngest ds, I am all off kilter, but he is where he needs to be I will pause midway for summer break and pick up again in the fall...just too many things to do in summertime