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After reading some other posts, my wheels are turning again. I am just wondering if I could do this and if Bigger is recommended more for a second grader than Beyond? If i did stretch it out, would I need to add in Rod and Staff English for a second grader, during the second half? Also, how would I stretch, and make sure that they are getting enough history and science everyday? I know I could do the second grade list of spelling, no problem.


LeAnna

LeAnna wrote:After reading some other posts, my wheels are turning again. I am just wondering if I could do this and if Bigger is recommended more for a second grader than Beyond? If i did stretch it out, would I need to add in Rod and Staff English for a second grader, during the second half? Also, how would I stretch, and make sure that they are getting enough history and science everyday? I know I could do the second grade list of spelling, no problem.


LeAnna

Hi LeAnna! You could easily stretch Beyond out by doing the plans half-speed. You could do the left side of the plans one day, and the right side of the plans the next day, and use the plans as they are written with no modifications. This would truly be enough for your little one, if I am remembering right, your little sweetie is on the young side for Beyond. We did R & S 2 along with Bigger Hearts with our ds, and that was just right for him. However, if you are wanting to step up the pace of the grammar, you could do the grammar more often than it would come up half-speed. It is on Day 5 of each unit's plans in Beyond, in the LA box. Then, whenever you finished that, you could do R & S 2 as often as you wanted to. For my ds, I was fine with him doing R & S 2 along with Bigger, but I know every family has their own goals for their dc, and if you would enjoy being more rigorous for grammar, that can easily be done even if you go half-speed with Beyond. I'm sure others will chime in here too!

In Christ,
Julie

P.S. I was just thinking back to when I taught 3rd. grade in ps, and we only had history 3 x a week, and science 2 x a week. Not that we have to adhere to that schedule, but just to encourage you that doing Beyond half-speed would be just fine, even in a ps where things are often drawn out to take all day.

Thank you, Julie! I am going to think on this. Yes, you are right... Audrey is on the younger side for Beyond. So, that's why I am thinking, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to take it 2 years. Would I need to step up the math, though? Would it be okay to start Rod and Staff 2 Grammar for 3rd grade, then? Or should Olivia, especially, be using the Grammar for 2nd grade? I can't remember how old your son was when he started the R&S in Bigger?

LeAnna

LeAnna,

We actually recommend doing Rod and Staff English 2 in third grade so that's a good fit. Also, you could take Beyond at half-speed for this year and then next year bump it up to full-speed 4 days a week. We did that with LHFHG this past two years and found it worked very well. Just some food for thought!

Blessings,
Carrie

Carrie,
I see you say you recommend R & S 2 for 3rd grade. I am planning to use it with my soon to be 2nd grader. We are just finishing up Abeka 1st grade grammar. Is my plan still ok? We are going to be starting Bigger about the same time ( we are finishing up Beyond)....Thanks

LeAnna,

I think your plan to stretch it out sounds good. Grant did R&S 2 this year with Bigger (and he's 3rd grade). I think if you wait, you'll be just fine.

Kathleen

That is good to know! Thanks! I think I might just do that.... take it at half speed the first year and then bump up to 4 days a week the second. Sounds like a plan.

LeAnna

Carrie,

Since Audrey will be technically Kindergarten and Olivia will technically be 1st grade, is it okay to stretch 1A and 1B math out for 2 years or do you have another suggestion? Am I right then in understanding, that if we stretched out like you said and then moved onto Bigger for 3rd.... we would use Rod and Staff English 2 then?

LeAnna

Just bumping up to see if anyone has some good ideas for me.


LeAnna

LeAnna,

Yes, I'm thinking that you'd do Rod and Staff English 2 for third grade. This is actually what we typically recommend and what we've done with our own son. It has worked very well. Rod and Staff is advanced.

As far as the math goes, we did go at half-speed with math for a year with my third son for his kindergarten math, and then bumped up to 4 days a week the next year and found it worked well. With first grade math, you could do the same or you could just do her math daily if you felt more comfortable with that.

Blessings,
Carrie

Okay, so here's what I've been thinking.....

Stretching Beyond 2 years with my girls, who will be K and 1st, and who have already completed LHFHG....
Dividing up what I am wanting to do between the 2 years, looks like this... So, that when we head to Bigger, we will be able to follow along a little more as is. That's my plan, anyway.

1st Year.....
A Reason For Handwriting A
Spelling List 1 and LA
Emerging Readers
Girls set of books for Storytime
Primary Math 1A and 1B (not sure about how to work this into 2 years?)
Left side of page of each unit (every other day)

2nd Year.....
Copywork
Spelling List 2
(Don't know what to do about LA)
Drawn Into the Heart of Reading 2/3
Classic set of books for Storytime
Math (not sure what to do?)
Continuing on with the left hand side of each unit

I would love to hear what others think about this plan. Does this sound reasonable? I just want to feel like they are getting enough, by stretching like this.
Should I take it slow with the math, considering I have a younger, or should I do the 1A and 1B 4 days a week? I am just not sure what to do to make it stretch 2 years. I don't want to feel like I am behind with the older. Any ideas? Any ideas for the second year LA? What is typically required for a 2nd grader for LA?

LeAnna

LeAnna,

I would honestly just start out at half-speed doing the left side of the Beyond plans one day and the right side the next. Then, when your girls are ready I would move up to full-speed (although going 4 days a week at full-speed at that point). I wouldn't worry about adding in extras or doing the language arts and math faster or slower. I would just teach the Beyond guide "as is" to get the full benefit of the ease of use of the plans. You will most likely find that starting out half-speed for a month or two and then shifting to full-speed mid-year is what will happen. I wouldn't hold your girls back if they are ready to move forward. I also wouldn't make a strict 2 year plan in my mind, as you'll end up adding to fill it out. But rather, I'd ease your girls into it at half-speed and then move up as they're ready.

Blessings,
Carrie