Placement help

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Paula2809
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2022 5:21 pm

Placement help

Post by Paula2809 » Wed Sep 21, 2022 2:45 pm

My daughter is newly 7 and finishing up Abeka grade 2. I would like to start her in Beyond Little Hearts.
I was thinking of doing Preparing to Build by R&S with her and the Drawn into the Heart of Reading.
She loves reading, writing and creative expression.
Is this going to be too easy for her?
I would like to do Beyond with her instead of Bigger and R&S 3 for several reasons: I don't want to go over 2.5 hours of school work per day. (I also have a Kindergartner in Little Hearts and a toddler tag along). Bigger is more pricey and were in the process of buying a house and every cent counts. Also, I would prefer for her to be a bit older when we begin Preparing because that seems like a lot of writing and independent work.
Am I doing her a disservice by "holding her back"?
Thanks, Paula

Rice
Posts: 526
Joined: Tue Aug 06, 2013 10:00 am

Re: Placement help

Post by Rice » Wed Sep 21, 2022 3:53 pm

Beyond for 2nd is NOT holding her back! :)

That is perfect placement and based on what you've shared I think your reasoning is perfect. All those reasons you stated are reasons to start her in Beyond instead of Bigger. Preparing is usually best approached in 4th, so Beyond for 2nd makes perfect sense. LHFHG for 1st, Beyond for 2nd, etc. is perfect for completing one guide per year, ending with US History 2 for 12th. :)

Blessings, and welcome to HOD!
Rice

DS 21 - GRAD '20: after WG
DD 19 - GRAD '21: after WH
DS 17 - GRAD '22; did CTC-WH + 2yrs non-HOD (🇨🇦)
DS 15 not using a guide this year (DONE: LHFHG-MTMM)
DS 13 MTMM (DONE: Prep-Rev2Rev)
DS 11 +
DD 9 CTC (DONE: Prep)
6yo DS phonics

StephanieU
Posts: 1652
Joined: Tue May 21, 2013 7:10 pm

Re: Placement help

Post by StephanieU » Thu Sep 22, 2022 1:58 pm

As for grammar, I think it depends on your desires. It definitely isn't necessary! But assuming you have been doing Abeka fully, it wouldn't be challenging to do. I would just now that when you get to Rod and Staff 4, plan on that level taking 2 years, especially if starting at a young age! The goal is to complete Level 6 by the end of 8th grade and Level 8 by the end of high school. But Level 5 is more than many get in school (public or private)!

As for Dithor, it depends on if you want to do literary analysis so early. I might wait on the actual program, and instead do something for comprehension each day and then a project at the end. Comprehension could be an oral narration, drawing a picture, answering questions you come up with, etc.
Mom to
DD15 US1 (completed LHFHG-WH)
DS13 MtMM (completed LHFHG-Rev2Rev plus some of LHTH)
DD12 Rev2Rev (completed LHTH-RtR)
DS7 Beyond (completed LHTH-LHFHG)

my3sons
Posts: 10698
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:08 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Placement help

Post by my3sons » Thu Sep 29, 2022 2:59 pm

Paula2809 wrote:
Wed Sep 21, 2022 2:45 pm
My daughter is newly 7 and finishing up Abeka grade 2. I would like to start her in Beyond Little Hearts.
I was thinking of doing Preparing to Build by R&S with her and the Drawn into the Heart of Reading.
She loves reading, writing and creative expression.
Is this going to be too easy for her?
I would like to do Beyond with her instead of Bigger and R&S 3 for several reasons: I don't want to go over 2.5 hours of school work per day. (I also have a Kindergartner in Little Hearts and a toddler tag along). Bigger is more pricey and were in the process of buying a house and every cent counts. Also, I would prefer for her to be a bit older when we begin Preparing because that seems like a lot of writing and independent work.
Am I doing her a disservice by "holding her back"?
Thanks, Paula
Thanks for sharing about your daughter! The ladies are doing a wonderful job of giving you things to ponder as you are choosing placement for your daughter. I love this message board and the advice fellow homeschool moms give!

Bigger Hearts for His Glory was the ideal placement for two of my three sons in second grade. They each just did a guide a year, and we slowed things down for each of them later for different reasons (one for my dad's health and one for my son to grow and mature into Creation to Christ later down the road).

I would choose the guide she places in best according to the placement chart, as this always gives the best year possible. Have you looked at the placement chart? You can print it and circle where your daughter falls in each column to see which guide would be better.

Page one is weighted more heavily in proper placement than page two...
https://heartofdakota.com/wp-content/up ... 1-2020.pdf
https://heartofdakota.com/wp-content/up ... 2-2020.pdf

Each guide includes age ranges because age is only one determining factor in proper placement within HOD. While Beyond Little Hearts works best with children 6 to 8 years old, Bigger Hearts works best for children 7 to 9 years old. Since your daughter is 7, she could place well in either guide. All 7 yo children are not the same, so the placement charts we designed help with individually placing kiddos in the best guide for them.

If you are already thinking you'd need to add daily grammar and she is already placing in Drawn into the Heart of Reading 2/3, it could very well be that Bigger Hearts for His Glory is the better placement. Bigger Hearts includes plans for both R & S English 2 and 3, so you can just have her do 2 if she is ready for that. Abeka is fairly aggressive with language arts, so it could be she is ready for R & S English 2 (which is considered one year advanced).

If you are thinking it would be too expensive to purchase Bigger Hearts, take advantage of HOD's no-interest payment plans. If you are thinking you don't want to get to Preparing Hearts for His Glory too soon, you can always take 1 1/2 years to go through Bigger Hearts by starting half-speed and finishing full-speed. You can then take 1 1/2 years to go through Preparing Hearts in the same way, so you take 3 years to do 2 guides. Also, it might be nice to have your older daughter be your 'helper' with your kiddo in LHFHG and with your toddler. I bet she is a wonderful playmate for them. Additionally, it might be nice not to teach back-to-back guides. If you do Beyond now, when you finish LHFHG with your younger you will turn around and teach Beyond again the following year. You'll be on that path then.

Another option would be to set up a routine order of working through Bigger Hearts (i.e. #1 Bible, #2 Corresponding Music, #3 Reading About History, #4 bottom rotating history box, etc.). Then, since you want to spend only 2 1/2 hours doing school right now (due to moving, which I get), you can just school 2 1/2 hours and work through the boxes in order, stopping when 2 1/2 hours are up. The next day, just start with the next routine box number (i.e. if you made it through #1 through #7, start with #8 the next day and go through the list as far as you make it within 2 1/2 hours).

There are many pacing options with HOD.

HOWEVER, I want to make mention that half-speed in Bigger Hearts might not be necessary! If your daughter does indeed place nicely in Bigger Hearts now according to the placement chart, she may just do that whole guide very happily and successfully in a year.

I'd always pick the best placement now - this is the year you are in now! Who knows what the future will hold except the Lord? You can always slow a guide down if something in life or in placement demands that.

If you look at the placement chart and Beyond Little Hearts is the better placement now, then by all means that will be the best guide your daughter can do right now, and it will not hold her back in the least!

What do you find out about your daughter's placement when you look at the placement chart? I'd love to know! All HOD's guides are great, but only one placement is the best fit for your 7 yo dd right now. Let's figure that out, so the two of you can have the best year ever!

In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie

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