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I am using Beyond with my 1st and 2nd graders (we are only on Unit 1, moving at a slow pace because of life being so busy right now!) but I wanted something for my youngers too. So, i went ahead and got LHTH, and today we did the first day. All of my children LOVED it! We all got into the fingerplay, and they loved drawing/painting. My oldest 2 do enjoy Beyond, but they REALLY enjoyed crawling like an alligator, slithering like a snake, etc!

I also wanted to add that it really IS possible to get this done even when you have a million other things going on. We didn't even start schoolwork until after lunch (we were cleaning out the cars this morning!), plus the baby is sick, the 2 year old is potty training, and I had the usual mountain of laundry and dishes that required my attention. Honestly, the only thing holding us back from completing everything we need to get done each day is the fact that dd gets VERY distracted and takes FOREVER to get her math/phonics/reading/etc done (we use R&S for those). I'm working on ideas for incentives to finish each subject in a certain amount of time... any suggestions are welcome! She ended up finishing up math after supper, and right now it's almost her bedtime but she begged to go do her poetry copywork, so she's working on that right now!

How fun! We just finished our 2nd day of LHTH today and my 3 year old was literally squealing with delight! It was such a joy to watch her having so much fun. I'm glad to hear that it's manageable with so many other kiddos and things to do. I only have 2 kids right now and my oldest is doing LHTH.

Sharon,

I'm so glad that your kiddos are enjoying LHTH along with your little ones. My older sons love to jump in and join us too.

As far as your daughter goes, you may wish to consider doing the Emerging Reader's schedule in the Appendix of Beyond instead of doing Rod and Staff phonics for grade 2. The Emerging Reader's Schedule only takes about 15 minutes a day to do and uses real books. You may also wish to use the spelling lists in Beyond and the gentle grammar lessons as they will save you time too.

Last, I'd probably suggest choosing just one math program for your sweet daughter to do, either Rod and Staff or Singapore but not both. You'll know best in that area.

It's so easy to overload our kiddos in the language arts and math areas and then to wonder why they can't move through those subjects more quickly. I had the same realization with my oldest son when he was a third grader, and I really took note of how much I was requiring in the language arts and math area.

Anyway, just something to ponder.

Blessings,
Carrie

Carrie-
Thanks for your advice. I'll definitely ponder it. It's so hard to let go of R&S; she has done so well with it. As for math, she and my son definitely prefer Singapore because they think it's more fun. BUT, I can see where all the drill in R&S has been great for them. Right now we are primarily using R&S, and only do Singapore a couple of days a week.

Right now R&S 2nd grade phonics is easy for dd, and she gets that done very quickly, since it's still review. I haven't looked ahead to the next unit to see what is covered; I'm concerned that she will miss something if we drop R&S, since it has such a slow approach the first couple of years.

R&S Reading is the main thing that is dragging for her right now. There's SO MUCH written work in the workbook. I do like that it covers Bible stories, but it's not like she's not getting those elsewhere!

Lots to think about... thanks again for your advice!

Sharon - I just wanted to share that I used to add in this or that, a workbook here, more books there, required computer educational games, handicrafts, audio books, extra reading on the history, an additional spelling program, art study, composer study, nature study - and the list goes on. It was about at Beyond Little Hearts that I began thinking I was doing too much with my ds, but I am such a finisher that I HAD to finish what I'd started - or so I thought. About halfway into the year, I began dropping things, until finally, by the time I was doing Bigger Hearts, I was just doing what was in Bigger Hearts. What are relief!!! For both me and my ds!

I had books, handicrafts, educational computer games available as free time things still, but I did not require them in the day to day. Dropping the extra things made my ds so happy, and it made the day go so cheerfully! It did not harm him academically in any way. I realized he was getting more than enough with HOD and that my adding on this and that was making his day too full and requiring too much of him unnecessarily. I remember thinking, "but this would be so good for him, and it only takes about 20 minutes - I'll just add it on, and it'll be great", or "if I just do that for spelling, what if it's not enough?". Well, it turns out a bunch of "only 20 minute things" adds up to a LOT of time overall! And, it turns out what is planned in HOD really is enough, and is already done so well anyway. I just thought I'd share my homeschool journey with you on this topic as it was a lesson hard learned for me. If it can help anyone else, that would be great!

In Christ,
Julie

Thanks Julie!

I've already decided to drop the R&S Reading. I looked ahead in Phonics, and there are some topics that weren't covered in 1st grade, so we are going to stick with it. Dd doesn't mind R&S phonics though! I am going to start her on the Emerging Readers schedule sometime in July after we return from vacation.

Math is the one thing I'm still unsure of, but they are ahead in that, so we have time to do R&S and Singapore (on alternating days) while I ponder it, LOL! My ds is actually 2/3 of the way done with R&S 1st grade math, so I'll probably just have him do Singapore for a while.

sharon,

It sounds like you're doing a great job of mulling over what your kiddos need and deciding on the right fit for your family. I'm so glad that you're getting a chance to use and enjoy HOD along the way! That makes the journey so much fun and keeps the "bookwork" from taking over! I know my kiddos always wake up wanting to know what their project or experiment will be for the day.

Blessings,
Carrie