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HI all,

I'm interested in your thoughts on this. My 11 you who will be 12 in just a few weeks is working in Preparing. He is doing fantastic with the right side. The material is right on for where he is and I'm thrilled with his progress. (And I love, love, love Rod and Staff! ) He also is doing fine with the left side. The activities are very appropriate for where he is and he enjoys the reading. (I've noticed that he drags his feet on the History Project not because he can't do it, but because I think he likes to do activities like this with his brothers.) BUT here's the conundrum he also enjoys doing the left side of Beyond with his brothers, who are 7 and 9. Every day he (by choice) joins in with his brothers for Beyond and then goes on to do his work in Preparing. The poblem is it throws him so late in the day finishing all his work. What would you do?

I will probably be the only one who gives you this answer but if he is really enjoying working with his brothers, why can't he? Maybe you can throw in some readers for him at his own level and allow him to continue w/his brothers? My oldest is the same way, she is 9 but does not want to miss out on anything that her siblings are doing! She is doing Preparing but I am doing LHFHG's Bible and crafts w/her b/c she just cannot be left out!!

I think that anytime you can combine all the kiddos you should. They aren't just learning, they are also building relationships.

Blessings!

Florence,

This is a tough one. If your other kiddos were doing Bigger Hearts, I'd be quicker to suggest just allowing your 11 year old to join in for the left side of that guide, in place of Preparing Hearts. However, with your oldest being 11, and the target range for Beyond being ages 6-8, it is just too far of a jump back to really cover the skills needed by your almost 12 year old.

I agree that the Learning Through History side of Beyond can stretch for older ages and that the material is interesting (even to me as an adult), however the corresponding activities are not going to be what an 11 year old needs. Perhaps, you could schedule your older one's history project to be done at the same time your other kiddos are doing their hands-on activity in Beyond? Then, they could all work around the table on their hands-on thing at once. Or, you could have your younger ones join in on your older one's projects from Preparing? (Only if it's alright with you that they'll do the projects again in a few years. ) Maybe it's just the social sharing with his siblings that your older one is missing.

My 9 year old loves narrating his science to his 6 year old brother. The 6 year old has even made a constellations book too, along with my 9 year old. My 9 year old shows the 6 year old all his experiements for science too. He loves having an audience (and the 6 year old is enthralled). Just some food for thought!

Blessings,
Carrie

My son wanted to do this last year when I was finishing up Beyond...with dd....ds was in a different program at the time, not HOD. I allowed him to listen in on the stories if he wanted to, but I did make sure he understood that he would be required to finish his own work by the end of the day. He did not always join us, but many times he did, and he enjoyed it. Is there somewhere you need to be each day (or some days) that his continuing to work is interfering with? You could just let him join in, then go back to his own work. I also understand though, the desire NOT to have everyone doing school work ALL DAY, so if you want to disregard the suggestion I completely understand! Hopefully something I've said has been helpful.