what to do for this year

[amysconfections]

I am at a loss at what to do for school this year. My oldest just turned 7 in July and we started Bigger. We are 5 weeks into it and I just think it's too much for him and me. He handles the math and English really well. But, I think the History, Bible and science are pushing it for his comprehension level.
He has done Beyond and little hearts. I felt like Beyond was pushing it last year, but we kept going. I could see where it would be perfect for this year.
I also have a 5 year old in Little hearts this year. Both are boys.
So, do we stop Bigger and pick it up in January?
Wait and do Beyond with both kids next year? -which would then be pushing my 5yo, but it would simplify things from now on.
Wait and do Bigger and Little hearts next year? in the meantime we would enjoy reading lots of books and going on nature walks, also continue in Math and English.

I am about to pull my hair out doing Bigger and little hearts with a demanding almost 1year old. Today it was so late when we finished. Oh, yeah, we still didn't get DITHOR done.

Please, any advice is welcome.

[ncmomof5]

I am not sure what to say about the 7 yo, but I have a 5 yo boy who I know is not ready for LHFHG because of the sitting still and reading required. He is not ready to do that, yet. I tried to start him with Five in a Row, and that didn't really fit him, either.
So, for him we are just working on the Rod and Staff books and I got him another workbook from Sam's. He likes to "DO" things. He really likes to color, and he loves doing anything with numbers. So, this year we are reading lots of library books and doing lots of kindergarten things, but not following a specific program for him.
I, too have a one year old, and depending on the child's personality, that year between one and two can be quite challenging. Cut yourself some slack this year. I know I have to. There is more that I would like to do, but I have to look at what is on my plate (that God put there). If my plate is full, I will just be frustrated trying to do more. My 20 month old takes up her share on that plate and then some.
The best advice I can give is to pray and ask God for wisdom. When I do that, He does. He may not show me the whole picture right away, but He shows me what I need to know to do what He's called me to do today.
Don't stress. They will only be 7, 5, and 1 once. I know you know that, but I have to remind myself of that all the time.

In His love,
RuthAnn

[3musketeers]

amysconfections,
Having little ones in the mix always seems to make schooling the older ones seem more hectic. I agree with Ruth Ann that they are only little once. This time flies by so quickly. If trying to do it all right now is making you lose the joy of homeschooling, I think I would find a way to lighten the load. Your older ds (7) has completed LHFHG and Beyond? I think the following is a terrific idea until he is ready to pick up Bigger again.

we would enjoy reading lots of books and going on nature walks, also continue in Math and English.

Perhaps you could add in DITHOR instead of History and Science? Maybe join in on brother's Bible? The book A Child's Story of America (in the extension book selection) might be a good read aloud filler until he is ready to jump back into Bigger as is. After he is ready, maybe try half speed for awhile.

I don't think I would recommend him redoing any of the guides he's already finished. Now for your ds (5). Has he finished Little Hands to Heaven? Is he ready to start his phonics? If so, you could focus on math and phonics with him aswell and do the rest at half speed. I know you will get more posters who will have other options for you. I'm going to pray for you right now. I know the Lord will help you decipher through all this and find a routine that will fit just right for your dc.

Blessings,
Cindy

[Larissa]

I can't tell you what you should do, but I can tell you what I am doing.

I also have a 7 yo and an almost 5 year old. Both of them are somewhat advanced. This is my first year doing HOD, so I thought long and hard about how I should place them.

I decided to do Beyond with my 7 year old and normal pace. I decided to do LHFHG at half pace for my almost 5 year old. (I use K math, K phonics, and K handwriting at regular speed, but spend 2 weeks on each unit - so that I will do about 17 units this year and 17 units next year. . . but next year I'll pick up 1st grade math, 1st grade phonics and language, and 1st grade handwriting.) Hope that makes sense.

My almost 5 year old is super advanced and can already read quite well, but I am still taking him slowly, because he is still a bit fidgety. My 7 year old is advanced in reading/language arts. . . so I added some language to the Beyond curriculum and we are doing both the manuel and the added Language. Since he's a gifted speller, I am not using the spelling lists in the back of Beyond. . . I am going ahead and starting dictation with him. I also am doing 3rd grade level reading, since he's such a good reader.

If I were in your place and felt like the Bigger was just too much, I'd stop it without hesitation. These manuels are so rich in what they offer you want to make for certain that your child is ready for it to gain the most you can from it!! But if you have a normal 7 year old, I'd probably wait the entire year before starting Bigger and pick it up next fall. This year you could keep up the math, phonics, language, reading at grade level - I am sure there are some wonderful Bible devotional books you can throw in there too. After spending two years doing HOD, that would probably be very frustrating for you because of how beautifully the manuels are laid out for you. But I think that would be better than being very frustrated for the entire year going through Bigger with a child that is not ready for it.
I did 2nd grade last year with my son who was 6. He was advanced and could handle all the information. . .and didn't struggle with any of the concepts. . .but he was not mature enough to handle it. . . so it resulted in me completely frustrating him and the joy of learning completely left him. I am so sad that that happened, but it ended up leading me to HOD, and I can never regret that! So, I have experience with using material that my child was not ready to do, and it was disasterous.
My tendency with my oldest son was to move through the material quickly because he seemed to grasp it all and want to move quickly. I discovered, however, that there is great benefit to taking things slowly - even with an advanced child - to allow all the information to soak in and be retained. So, even though my almost 5 yo could move alot more quickly through LHFHG, I do not regret taking it slowly with him. Plus, that will give me two years with LHGHG, and put him in BLHGHG when he's 7, and then he'll do Bigger when he's 8. I have two more children coming up after my almost 5 yo, so I'll do that with them too.

[jenntracy]

i will say that i will be combining a 4.5 yr old with almost 6yrold for Little hearts History side this year(Pre-k and Kindergarten i call it). that means that next year my daughter will be 5.5 yr old (March baby) and my son will be almost 7 (October baby)for Beyond. they can do their own level of Basics.

Hope that helps.

Jenn D.

p.s. i have a 19 month old who does things my other two never did she is "busy".

[Tree House Academy]

Your post is EXACTLY what I was afraid of with my younger. He was struggling with History, Science, etc. in Beyond (and will not turn 6 until the end of this month). Luckily, I did drop back and we are now doing Little Hearts. My older son is 10 and doing Bigger with Extensions. I could see Bigger working well for an 8-9 year old without extensions...but my son would not have been ready for it at 7 either.

I am sorry you are in this situation and I am sure the ladies here can be most helpful to you. If it were me, I would probably do Bigger at a s-l-o-w pace..taking 2 years to complete it for the older. For your younger, I would slow down little hearts and stretch it over two years too (unless he is about to turn 6 or something).

I think the CM way is to be more gentle rather than more rigorous. I prefer to have my kids learn at their level than trying to combine them (of course their ages are just too far apart for me to do that anyway) and someone getting lost or feeling like it was too much.

[my4sugars]

I think what Rebecca said is a good idea. Doing Bigger half-pace until you feel he is ready or even keeping that same pace and working thru it over the next 2 yrs are both feasible. My twin daughters are in 1st and using Beyond at half-pace for 1st and 2nd grade. I had used Beyond with my oldest son last year and felt that they needed more time to grow and learn more skills before jumping in full speed. I love doing this with them. We have time to learn all that is in the lesson, discuss it, and let the girls soak it in. I also felt that Bigger was a big jump after Beyond and it will suit their needs better for 3rd grade. I'm using Bigger with my oldest for 3rd now and it's been just right for him. (He's my guinea pig!) I also have a 2 yr. old bundle of energy who keeps us on our toes. I know that schooling the older ones and still being there for the little one is a challenge. I pray that God will give you discernment and wisdom for your son, and that the solution will be clear and will meet your family's needs. Take care!

[jewel7123]

I sent you a PM as I would love to hear more about your combining your children as I have plans to do the same and at the same ages as yours as well!

i will say that i will be combining a 4.5 yr old with almost 6yrold for Little hearts History side this year(Pre-k and Kindergarten i call it). that means that next year my daughter will be 5.5 yr old (March baby) and my son will be almost 7 (October baby)for Beyond. they can do their own level of Basics.

Hope that helps.

Jenn D.

p.s. i have a 19 month old who does things my other two never did she is "busy".

[water2wine]

I am trying to think if I were you I would probably continue with the LA and Math since that is fine. I might do DITHR at half pace and I would slow down BHFHG to half pace or even slower on the left side. Another thought is if you have done LHFHG and have the appendix there are some great books listed there that could fill in if you just wanted more. One thing we do is to read the Egermeier's Bible Story Book chronologically and that is wonderful, that is from the appendix as a recommended book in LHFHG. I worry about the plan that places your 5 year old ahead of himself because that seems like a repeat of this. I think sometimes slowing down is really the way to go. I did it with LHFHG and it worked great for us. We used some appendix books to fill in while we were in slow down mode and that worked great. We also did some nature study stuff and that was fun too. So my thought would be slow down the oldest and let the other place where is best for them.

Praying for you. It is hard to hs with a baby. And it can be frustrating when you feel you are a little off on level. I found with my kids that the slow down for just a little while a few months maybe six was perfect and then it was full steam ahead. I am confident we will not need to do that again but if we do no biggy. I have one that is under the guide level in age really so since she is 5 going into Beyond even though she is ready I am ready if need be to slow down. I have to admit I kind of enjoyed the slow down it was like permission to just goof off and enjoy my kids.

Let us know what you decide and how it goes. And I will be saying some prayers for you.

[amysconfections]

Thanks to everyone who replied. I am just taking some time to think long and hard about this. I know that Bigger really is too much for him this year. We may pick it back up in January and see then. Until then we will just read some extra readers and do nature walks, music and spanish. Maybe then we could take Bigger at a slower pace starting in January. I will most likely slow my 5 yo down too so that LHFHG extends through first. They will both continue in their Math, Handwriting and other books at thier level.

I love HOD and so I really have hated to stop the program for now.

[Carrie]

Amy,

I think any of the suggestions that the ladies shared would work for you at the current time. I agree that if Beyond was pushing him quite a bit last year that Bigger will feel like a leap. I am one for forward motion though, so I'd probably lean toward slower steady progress, possibly splitting up the left side of Bigger Hearts over 2 days and then doing the right side on the third day, making one day of plans last for 3 days of teaching. In this scenario, you would do language arts and math at regular speed though.

I know this is very slow progress, but it would keep you from having to come up with your own material and plans, would allow your child to continue moving forward skill-wise, and would also make sure that returning to Bigger Hearts still didn't feel like a leap when you finally do pick it back up after a break. It's often easier to progress with skills slowly and then pick up the pace as the child seems ready. You could easily do LHFHG at half-speed too. Just another option to ponder.

Blessings,
Carrie