Need Help!!!

[Jennifer]

I began BLHFHG with my six year old son last fall. We completed unit 26 and now we are having our summer break (we are doing a little math and reading here and there to keep up). My question is, would it be better to finish up the remaining units throughout the summer and began Bigger Hearts when we start the new year, or should I just wait and let him finish Beyond during August/September then move into Bigger? Have any of you done this? I had thought about going a different route next year because I have access to quite a few free book. However, I just don't have peace about it. After researching various options, the cost difference is really not enough to worry about. I do not want to switch curriculum all the time, and it went well this year so why change??? I just need some advice from others. Thanks for any input!

[Mom2Monkeys]

You could do either way and be fine! It's a matter of personal preference. Do you want to school through the summer? Maybe just a couple days per week? Maybe just basics like math/reading. Or just wait and take the summer off and start back up in fall right where you left off. We're taking it slow and getting started this summer and will break at the end of November for a new baby. Then we'll pick up in January after the holidays and start where we left off. It's your call!

[Jennifer]

Thank you Tamara! I have never homeschooled through the summer or used a literature based curriculum. My older has always used textbooks. This is all new to me! I think we will just kind of finish up slowly throughout the rest of summer and began Bigger in the fall. I guess I just needed to hear someone say, "Yes, that is ok". Thanks again.

[my3sons]

Hi Jennifer! HOD is soooo flexible this way. If you want to take the summer off and start back up again, you can do that. If you'd like to slowly finish Beyond so you can start Bigger Hearts in the fall, then do that. Either choice is great! As long as your son is in the target age ranges for HOD, he's right on track for where he should be and where he should be headed. He was 6 when he began Beyond, and Beyond has an age range of 6-8 yo's, so he's right where he should be, and will continue to be whether you finish Beyond this summer or stop it and start it up after summer. I'm going to paste this here - not to confuse the matter (I hope), but just to show you how flexible HOD can be, and how you can personally decide what you like best. This is a post I posted a bit ago about my plan for my ds doing Beyond:

Hi ladies! I just had to share this, because I am so excited about this plan for my little Riley! He's always been a bit younger than the target age range in the HOD guides. He's done very well with this, but I did not want him to get to Bigger Hearts too early. So, I've finally figured out a plan I think will work great!

Riley is 6 yo and halfway done with Beyond Little Hearts now. He completed the first 18 weeks of Beyond, and we are now taking our summer break. Next year, here's what I'm thinking...
We'll start school at the end of August. My plan is to have him do Beyond 4 days a week, will take him about 23 weeks to do (since Beyond is a 5 day a week plan, we'll only do it 4 day a week, and we have 18 weeks left of it to do). Then, we'll do Bigger Hearts half-speed for the next 12 weeks, for 4 days a week. He should be to about week 5 in the Bigger Hearts guide then (since it is a 5 day a week plan, and we'll only be doing it 4 days a week at half-speed). (He will have turned 7 in March which will be about when he starts Bigger Hearts half-speed.) This schedule will take us to about the end of May, and then we'll take our summer break.

Then the next school year, we'll start school at the end of August. He can do Bigger Hearts full-speed 4 days a week and finish out the rest of it this year. At this point, he'll be 7 1/2 - 8 1/2 when he's doing Bigger Hearts full-speed. This will keep him in the middle age range for for all of the HOD guides to come, which is right where I want him to be.

YAHOO! I am very excited about this plan for many reasons. First, he'll be in the middle of the target age ranges for the HOD guides. Second, he'll be doing school 4 days a week, which is what my older ds will be doing in CTC - love to have them both doing school 4 days a week. Third, he can ease into Bigger Hearts by beginning it half-speed at first. Fourth, the second school year, he'll already have started a bit of Bigger Hearts at the end of the previous year, so I can focus more on my older ds starting a totally new program at the beginning of the year. Fifth, my youngest ds will be starting LHTH, which makes me so happy Riley will be in the middle age range of Bigger Hearts and be able to be more independent than he would have been if he reached it when he was too young. Sixth, yes, dare I say there's a SIXTH!!! He will be on track at that point to do PHFHG 4 days a week from end of Aug. to May - which I kind of wanted him at that point not to have the summer break in the middle of a guide anymore.

I just had to share this with all of my favorite HOD ladies. Only other homschool moms could understand how nice it is to have a plan figured out! Thanks for letting me share, and this will be a record of this plan in case I forget it at the beginning of next school year.

In Christ,
Julie


No worries here, Jennifer! Either choice you make will be a good one! So pick what YOU want!