heartofdakota.com

Hi! placement questions and suggestions please?

I have an advanced 5 year old and an advanced 8 year old. I am strapped with a tight budget. I am not a newbie to HOD as I used it for my oldest for her upper through high school years.
I've come back to HOD because now that my youngest are approaching the age of needing a well thought out and comphrensive.
Our budget is tight. Top it off our middle child has entered into the world of acting and we are traveling quite a bit. I need both to be on the same program as it will ease up on the number of "things" that have to be packed.

My 5 year is old is very bright and knows her alphabet and numbers and is able to write most of the letters and numbers. My 8 year old is advanced reader but could use a sound review with mathematics especially with skip counting, and money. what program would be best to work with to have them on the same program?

Thanks again!
Jasmine.

I understand about the budget...I would personally do Little Hearts. It would be perfect for your 5 yo, and in the back of the guide there are book suggestions for each unit to further your study for your older student. The Thornton Burgess books are excellent to add on to and do lap books on each animal to beef it up for your 8 yo as well. The history is an overview of world history, and this too would be easy to add on to for your 8 yo. I'm using it with my 7yo now and I've not really added much to it for his 2nd grade year. He is further along in Singapore math, and I purchased the Rod and Staff workbooks for him starting with Going on eagerly, Hearing and Helping, Just Thinking and Choosing. They go up to K & L I think. It's been a great year for him! He is working through the Emerging Readers too. I've been impressed with the history stories and lessons, as well as the Bible. It's a great program! The children are introduced to wonderful history stories and thoughts at a young age in HOD, I truly wasn't expecting that with Little Hearts. We've had some very deep Biblical discussions. My 7 yo understands salvation and truths that many adults still do not grasp. I love HOD for this!

Hope that helps some. I'm sure others will have great ideas too!

Hi Jasmine,

I would check the placement charts to see where your children place.

LHFHG might be good for your 5 year old, but I think it would be way too easy for the 8 year old. I am using it with my 7 year old (will be 8 in a month) and some things are too 'young' for him. Also he is in 1st grade and does not know how to read yet. I think your 8 year old would place in Beyond or even Bigger depending on his/her skills. I understand about wanting them both in the same guide, but it might not be best for them....I tried that with my boys (then 7 & 9). 3 years is an large age/skill span. As far as number books that would need to be packed, both LHFHG and Beyond are just a few books, even Bigger is not too bad but it depends on how long you are gone and the number of books needed for that time period. When does your 5 year old turn 6? Depending on that and the fact that she/he is advanced, you might be able to use Beyond (ages 6-8) with both of them. There is not an extension package until you reach Bigger so you would have to supplement on your own for the older one (might be work more than using 2 guides!). Even with Beyond, you would want to add in R&S level 2 for the older one and use a different math (I use ACE and those books are very small so would be easier to transport) as I expect that they are at very different levels.