Hi Heather! Welcome to the HOD board. We used Beyond... for my oldest ds, and now we'll be using it again with my second ds soon. Beyond... was a breath of fresh air for me. I felt my ds could remember the readings well because they were wonderful books, and the sessions were kept short enough that he could retain the information better. The timeline, geography, and history activities were some of his favorite things to do. Anytime he does something like that as a follow-up to what we read, it seems to help him really get a feel for what history/science was and is like in real life. As Charlotte Mason said, it gave him "hooks" or "pegs" on which to hang more information.
I felt really good about getting science experiments done. I don't do well with getting experiments done on my own (as countless kits, boxes, sets - that I have bought and not used much of over the years - act as proof of

). The science tie-in to history was a natural connection and seemed to help my son envision that setting - and real happenings within it - so much more. The introduction to grammar in Beyond... was just the right amount in my opinion. It helped my ds get ready for the more rigorous grammar in Bigger..., and it didn't scare

him away!
The hands-on math activities written to go with Singapore were short, helpful, and easy to do - plus they were just downright fun as many involved snacks, and well... we ALL love snacks!

I totally agree with you that there is no need to spending hours on math. In fact, I'll go a step further and say that I believe extensive time spent on math leads to careless errors that can eventually turn into poor habits over time.
One last thing, the classic poetry was like a slow burn for us. My ds started off not sure about it, now he is older and in his 3rd. year of classical poetry in HOD, and he ADORES it. Learning to love and appreciate poetry was a new thing for me too, and I'm so glad we've done it. I highly recommend the copywork suggested for the poetry - that along with the spelling activities in Beyond... did more to help my ds's spelling than anything else.
So, I think you will enjoy it! Have fun with it, and rest assured that it is meaty enough - you will be glad you made this decision! As InHisTiming put so well, you may want to just do Beyond... to begin with for a month or so, and then add in more if you still want to. Be sure to check out the weekly-check-in to see what others are doing, and share what you've done too. It's a neat way to get excited about other HOD guides to come, and to let others get excited to do what you're doing eventually. I'm so glad you are here!
In Christ,
Julie
