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My 10 yo is just finishing up Bigger, and my 8 yo finished Little Hearts. I would love to combine my sons in Preparing next! Looking at the placement chart, the only thing holding me back from putting my 8 yo in Preparing is he has not done cursive. He is just finishing his manuscript book. He can do spelling words, we have been going through Rod and Staff grammar grade 2, and he did Apologia science this year at co-op, he is half way through the emerging readers. My 10 yo will be perfectly placed in Preparing! I just really missed having them combined this year, as my oldest son needs a lot of hand holding, I felt like my younger one was brushed aside since he works very independently. I just want to make the right choice. I think that he places out of Beyond and could do Bigger. The thought of doing Bigger and Preparing together overwhelms me though. I just wonder how he would do as a young 8 yo in Preparing.

Hi! here's my experience: I did combine my children and had my 8 yr olds in Preparing with olders. I was definitely dragging them along in some aspects. That is not to say they didn't get a lot out of their year. So it isn't the worst thing BUT it causes placement problems down the line, if you plan to continue with HOD in years to come, which is where I'm at now. It did work for that year though...

Here's a thread I wish I'd read long ago that might help
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7019

I have been pondering your situation for a bit here. I would be really reluctant to jump a child from Little Hearts to Preparing. I think you would lose more than you would gain. Your child would then be running the younger end of the guide without the benefit of the two previous guides. Even if his skills seem to be there, I think it would be overwhelming as there are so many skills jammed into the earlier guides to build upon later. I would hesitate to put a child still in the emerging readers in Preparing as well. Bigger is really kind of the "set up" guide with Preparing being more of the "ease into independence" guide. There are so many skills that would be missed by skipping both Beyond and Bigger.
One also has to consider future guides and I really feel you would be setting yourself up for frustration as you move through the guides. My oldest is a good student, but running the younger end of the guides has been a challenge at times and I slowed him down a bit by doing 5 days per unit instead of 4. Although doing Bigger and Preparing together is not a first choice if it can be helped, I think jumping your child into Preparing from Little Hearts would pose just as much work and frustration.
Given your son has not done cursive or finished the emerging readers I think I would consider Beyond, continuing on with Rod and Staff 3, math as he places, and moving into DITHOR once the emerging readers are finished.
The second option would be to do Bigger and Preparing together, which I still think would be easier than the scenario you are considering. This also seems to be a suitable option for your 8 yr old. I wish you the best as you make a decision.

Was the 8yo in LHFHG or Beyond? If he was in LHFHG, shipping to guides would be a lot even though you added parts to LHFHG. If he was in Beyond, then you would be skipping one guide, which could work. Is he ready for the independent work? Is he ready for the increased writing? Are you willing to hold the older one back if the younger needs to do less than full speed for a while?

My sons were in the same ones as yours and the same ages!! My 8 year old is not near as advanced as yours and will be in Beyond this coming year. I personally would not skip 2 levels.....but then again I know my son could never do it. Anyway, you could try it and if it does not work after 1-2 weeks, you could drop the younger one back down to Bigger (as you have all the stuff for it already anyway). It might be a lot more frustrating to use that one guide than to use 2 of them. Normally they suggest that if you combine your children you go with the guide the younger one fits in and do the extension pack with the older one. Since you already did Bigger with the older one it would not work to put both them there.