Placement help for my soon to be 1st and 3rd grader

[MelW]

Hello! We are returning to homeschooling next year after two years at a private christian school. I am having trouble deciding on program placement. I would like to have my girls in the same program, because they like to do things together and it would be easier to manage. I'm not sure if I should go with Beyond or Bigger. My 8 year old will turn 9 in the fall and she is definitely suited for 3rd grade material. She excels in reading and is on track with math too. My 6 year old is ready for 1st grade material, but I do not want to put her in a program that is too difficult. She is a beginning reader with a good start in phonics, but I think she needs another year of good phonics instruction. She is ready for 1st grade math. Likewise, I don't want to put my 8 year old in a program that won't challenge her. I realize I can customize their math and reading programs within either program, but would love any feedback from veteran homeschoolers. Thank you!

[StephanieU]

I would not put a first grader in Bigger. Bigger is best for the advanced second grader and average third and fourth graders. Most first graders do LHFHG or Beyond.

[manyblessings]

One solution could be to combine them in Beyond. They could do Bible, Science, and History together. You could get the Bigger guide as well and use the language arts and math from there to add challenge for your older daughter. You could also start having your older daughter do simple notebooking pages for the Science and History. The following year, you can move both of them to Bigger, and add extensions for the older child, and moving up from Rod and Staff 2 to Rod and Staff 3 for her.

[MelW]

One solution could be to combine them in Beyond. They could do Bible, Science, and History together. You could get the Bigger guide as well and use the language arts and math from there to add challenge for your older daughter. You could also start having your older daughter do simple notebooking pages for the Science and History. The following year, you can move both of them to Bigger, and add extensions for the older child, and moving up from Rod and Staff 2 to Rod and Staff 3 for her.

Thank you so much! This was very helpful advice!

[MelW]

I would not put a first grader in Bigger. Bigger is best for the advanced second grader and average third and fourth graders. Most first graders do LHFHG or Beyond.

That was what I was thinking too. Thank you for your advice!