Ok, help me figure this out...,

MamaMary · Post by **MamaMary** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 5:50 am

I hope this will make sense as it's early and I'm hurrying as I prepare to go to co-op this morning. (warm smile)

Ok, here is what I bought and why:

1- Little Hearts for His Glory- 5&7 year old (it was a little low for 7 year old but I figured it was hx/science, so no big deal if it meant I could combine)
2- "Beyond" little hearts- Bought for 7 year old, JUST FOR Math and Spelling
3- Bigger- 11 year old with Processing issue's.

Here's the problem. (not really a problem because whatever I don't use this year, I'll use next year)

It never occurred to me that "Little Hearts" would be over my 5 year old sons head? That one thing has changed everything. Once I saw this I went ahead and ordered the "Little Hands" package for him.

Well, now it occurs to me that if I had known from the beginning that Jacob would use "little Hands" (totally my fault) I would have bought "Beyond" for Seth my 7 year old, as that actually fits him better.

Right now, I'm flipping between two books (hearts and beyond) for my 7 year old, which was fine when I was combining, but seems like more work to use two books for one child. (Is this making any since, sleepy grin)

Because I already own the manuel it would only be 71.00 more dollars to
get the books for Beyond.

I mean financially I would prefer to use what I have, BUT I guess my question is this?

My other choice would be to use what I have (both manuels) this year and next year SKIP Beyond and go right to Bigger.

If I went with option two, would that hurt anything to skip Beyond? I mean we are using Beyond this year for the math and lang arts anyway?

Ack! I would love your feedback.

At this moment, I am leaning towards ordering the Beyond books and using that? But I'm open to change if you have any other idea's?

Ack, now look what you made me do! I have 14 yearbook students who are gonna be waiting for me if I'm late! I have to go!

paliz · Post by **paliz** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:23 am

Well I think you are going to get good use out of all of it. Personally I would go ahead and get the books for Beyond for your 7 year old. Your situation sounds similar to mine which is 2 of your kids are just far enough apart on things that you may just need to use 2 different programs for them. I'm sure some one else will have another take on this but that's my 2 cents.

beandip71 · Post by **beandip71** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 8:46 am

I would probably go ahead and order the Beyond books too. That way you are not having to use 2 manuals. Then you will have the Little Hearts & Beyond packages for your little guy when he is ready. Just my 2 cents.

Gina

kerby · Post by **kerby** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 8:54 am

If you can swing it financially, get the books so you aren't flipping around all the time. You will be using the other at some point so it's not a waste, and you could still use some of the books for fun reading even.

K

my2guys · Post by **my2guys** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 9:02 am

I think I would go ahead and get the Beyond books. It seems like it would make life simpler, and that's usually the direction I head if I can.

Plus, you'll be using them again for your little one, so you'll have to buy them someday anyway!

water2wine · Post by **water2wine** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 9:15 am

Well... I think you could probably make it work either way because LHFG is awesome and they learn a lot. However because I am a looker ahead and wanting the best for all my kids. IF I came to the conclusion you did about LHTH for your younger one I would probably do like you are re-evaluating it. Here's what I would be thinking...(disclaimer I can't turn my head off in general)

-If your 7 year old is very much inline with his reading to the level of Beyond and is not like the younger one as far as being overwhelmed and maybe less mature in that way than he is ready (if that makes sense, I do have one boy

), then I would go for Beyond. That makes him on target down the road for all the HOD on age for grade level down to eighth grade.

-If he is all boy and maybe another year would benefit him before Beyond than I would lean that way even if he was advanced in the Phonics. Uneducated completely new with HOD for the most part on my part comment but here is what I am thinking. You want to get the "fit for life". You want the peace that you know what comes next and it will be a good fit year after year. You want easy so having to tweak later might seem to you like it takes too much. I think that is how you feel.

(not that I get to decide how you feel but...)So you get to beyond and that is great. But next year you go to bigger and you have the same problem in readiness level as you have for your 5 year old this year. Then I see Mary not being happy. So I would look ahead on that and see what you think in terms of that reality.

Can't really go wrong. I know it feels like you can but I really think it is all so great that you really can't. We are talking very good vs super great.

shera · Post by **shera** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 10:30 am

Mary once we start HOD I will be doing what you are doing now. My ds is doing LA and math from Beyond and history and science from Little Hearts. He fit perfectly into Beyond but dh wanted the history and Bible from Little Hearts. I have beefed up the history some by getting some of the Additional Reading which is scheduled in the Appendix of Little Hearts. I also purchased the MFW 1st grade Bible reader and scheduled that in. To reduce flipping these are all written on post it notes at the beginning of each unit so the only thing I need to look at in the appendix is the poems. For the science I wrote in the science box the schedule for the 1st graders science book again so I don't have to flip to the back as much.

Now this is what Carrie told me. I would need the next level manual for 2 yrs until we get to preparing. When I was deciding, she told me that a lot of moms are doing this because they want the history and Bible from one level but their kiddos are in a different level for math and LA.

I guess my question would be what will be easiest for you and what history and Bible do you want them to learn? For me I was just following what my dh wanted.

HTH
Sarah

Melanie · Post by **Melanie** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 11:14 am

I'm curious...what was it about Little Hearts that was too much? The reason I'm asking is because when we first started, I was a little nervous as well.

History for Little Pilgrimsseemed over their heads at first, but it is not used very much in the first half of the year. The "bible only" portion of the history was perfect and now, at the half-way point, we are more ready of the Little Pilgrims book.

The Burgess books took some getting used to as well. It was probably a full week before I felt they were really grasping those stories, but we stuck it out and now they love all those characters.

I guess I just wanted you to know that we felt "over our heads" for about a week, and then got into our swing. I do hope that Little Hands works for you, I just have this nervous feeling that it will be too young....but maybe not!

I think if you're going to use the LA and math from Beyond, it would be OK to go ahead and get the history as well. You would need it next year anyway. It would make it easier on you all the way around to just have one book for each child.

I know this was not helpful in the least, just me thinking out loud....W2W said it...you can't go wrong either way, but it sure is hard choosing the best path!

water2wine · Post by **water2wine** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 11:33 am

I am actually thinking the same thing as Melanie. But then I compare my son to my youngest daughter and they are not even close to being the same. Same thing with my six year old, not even close to the same at the same age. Yet now he does great and I would say very age on target. So sometimes maybe maturity is it. But I would be really thinking about also maybe getting used to it. But Mary has done a lot of homeschooling and sometimes you just know when you know.

my3sons · Post by **my3sons** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 11:36 am

I think my son's doing Beyond... last year really prepared him for doing Bigger... this year. Many skills build upon each other, so if that is where he places best I think I'd go ahead and just do Beyond... with him - especially since you have already seen the guides and know they're easy to use.

With that being said though, for the rest of you reading this (I can read your minds here!), if your child placed best in Bigger..., I don't think you need to worry about not having done Beyond... if you haven't. The placement chart does help you correctly place your dc, and it's been right on track each time for our dc, so that's your best indicator of what to do. HTH

netpea · Post by **netpea** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 12:16 pm

I would probably lean toward getting the rest of Beyond. My 7yo is enjoying Beyond but does Math from Bigger, so I understand about using 2 manuals. But W2W is right, you know your son better than we do. You have to decide if he is ready to tackle all of Beyond now and then Bigger next year, or if he should wait a year. Either way will work but you don't want him in Bigger before he's ready. We will not reach Bigger till my son is close to 8 1/2, by then I think he'll be ready for all the writing.
Not sure this helps at all, but it's my 2 cents worth....

MamaMary · Post by **MamaMary** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 12:19 pm

Melanie wrote:I'm curious...what was it about Little Hearts that was too much?

Hi Melanie,

He is not able to do any of the math, or writing. He doesn't understand anything we're reading, any questions I'm asking. This is my son that my pediatrician suspects has mild autism so I'm ok with that, it was just a surprise.

shera · Post by **shera** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 12:27 pm

Mary I had a thought regarding your youngest. My ds has trouble sometimes not understanding what we are reading and that sort of thing but given time like later on in the day or the next day he is able to answer questions about it. Sometimes it just takes a while to process all of the info especially if it is mostly given auditorily. Not sure if that is the case with you or not just something to ponder.

Oh are you still doing Brain Integration Therapy (I think thats what it is called) Inquiring minds want to know.
Sarah

MamaMary · Post by **MamaMary** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 12:34 pm

shera wrote:Mary I had a thought regarding your youngest. My ds has trouble sometimes not understanding what we are reading and that sort of thing but given time like later on in the day or the next day he is able to answer questions about it. Sometimes it just takes a while to process all of the info especially if it is mostly given auditorily. Not sure if that is the case with you or not just something to ponder.

Oh are you still doing Brain Integration Therapy (I think thats what it is called) Inquiring minds want to know.
Sarah

LoL, Enquiring minds want to know!

If he were able to do the math or writing and was not fully getting the history I would have probably stayed w/ Little hearts for him. The switch came because he just was not showing a lick of "readiness"?

What do you think about Seth? Would you stick w/ Little hearts and use Beyond just for the math/la?

shera · Post by **shera** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 12:40 pm

Well Mary as I posted earlier that's what I am doing with my ds. According to Carrie I will be using 2 manuals for a couple of years. Once we get to Preparing, we will only need 1 manual. I am doing this because my dh wants ds to get the overview of history and the Bible that Little Hearts has. As I was pondering all of this I realized this will set us up to be in the middle of the age ranges for all of the programs instead of at the lower end. I like this for us.

Has Seth had any history yet? If not I would stick with Little Hearts to give him a foundation of history. Really though you can't lose. You could always ask Seth what topics he would like. Is Little Hearts really too easy for him?

Just some more ponderings of mine
Sarah