Half speed?

[deltagal]

Hello,

I'm just mulling over options as we wrap up quite a few things and prepare to begin our new curriculums. I've been giving quite a bit of thought to going half-speed with my soon to be 11 year old and 8 year old really more for my sake than theirs. However, I'm just trying to decide how to do "half-speed". They both really need to stay up to speed imho with their language arts and math and daily Bible study, but if we do that then haven't we just about covered the bulk of the right side each day. What are your thoughts? How do you do "half-speed", but keep on track with the basics?

[momof4]

Hi!
We are doing Beyond half speed right now. My husband was fine with doing Beyond over 2 years, but we both wanted ds to stay on level with reading and math. So after much thought this is what we are doing. We do the Reading box (the emerging readers) and Math Box every day. Then one day we do the History, History Activity (title varies), and Bible Study Box. Then the next day we do the Poetry, Music, Lanuage Arts and Story Time boxes. That gives us 5-6 boxes a day. We have been adding StoryTime everyday lately. They (all 3 of my kids) just love the stories so we have started this at breakfast. This change in schedule has helped our son alot. We now finish before lunch instead of taking him all day. He just can't focus on everything in one day.

He was also struggling with copying the Poems. He loves listening to them, but copying just was not working. We have gone back to A Reason For Handwriting A. This has been the final thing that has made homeschooling enjoyable for everyone again. I hope to add the Poetry copywork back in later, but not right now.

Hope that helps.
Laurie

[Benelli]

Hello! We are currently doing Beyond at a half-speed pace. We do something similar to Laurie. We do the right side of Beyond every day for my 2nd graders. For the left side, we do History, Bible Study, and Music one day, and the lower left rotating box (History Activity, Science, Geography, Art, and Bible Study) and Poetry the next day. Since this stretches out the Poetry for two weeks, and they are unlikely to need two weeks to copy the entire poem, I rotate in matching topics for copywork/drawing from Draw Write Now. I have books 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of that series, and they have several copywork/drawings that match up just right with Beyond! For example, for Unit 4, Day 3 of Beyond, we learned about the Pilgrims finally arriving in Amsterdam and a ittle about what Holland was like. In Draw Write Now 3, page 52-54, the title is "The Pilgrims in Holland", and there were step by step instructions for drawing a windmill, and 4 lines of copywork about the Pilgrims in Holland. It was perfect, and DWN has had many topics through the series books that match up perfectly with a lot of Beyond. Sometimes it is history that I can match up, sometimes science. That's how we do it!

We will get through Beyond left side Unit 17 this year, and complete the right side. Then next year, we will use Bigger Hearts right side with the remaining Units of Beyond's left side. We're doing it this way to catch up younger siblings with one grade older siblings to join by Bigger Hearts left side material. We can then combne the 4 kids and use extensions in Bigger for the older 2. For "re-doing" the right side of Bigger for the older 2, we will just use different stories for storytime, and the 2nd level of LA/Math scheduled in the guide. Should work great!

HOD is very flexible and workable for many different situations! Hope that helps give you another idea of how half speed can work.

[Carrie]

deltagal,

Perhaps from the left side of the Preparing Hearts plans you could do the Reading About History box, the rotating box (which really needs to go with the Reading About History box), and the Independent History box and do poetry from the right side of the guide (along with your 3 R's) on one day. Then, the next day (from the left side of the Preparing guide), you could do the Storytime and History Project and (from the right side of the guide) do Bible Study of Psalms and science (along with your 3 R's).

This way your kiddos would have some independent and some teacher-directed things each day, and the amount of time would be comparable each day. Just a thought.

As you hit your stride with Preparing Hearts at some point within the next 2 years, you may want to move up to doing a day within in a day for better overall retention and connections. However, you'll know what is best for you in your particular situation, and you'll also be able to tell when and if you should move up to full-speed.

Blessings,
Carrie

[ShellyG]

You guys have given me some good ideas on how to get creative so we can do BLHFHG at half speed in a more effective way!! My 7 year old son has Asperger's and he was struggling with all the work in one day. So I was dividing things up but not in a way that is as effective as some of things you have mentioned. I am ready to try a new schedule with him and see how it works. We are currently in unit 9 right now and at this rate we should be half way done at the end of May! We actually do school all year round so we will just keep plowing through and we will hopefully be about 3/4 of the way through before September rolls around. Thanks for the great ideas!!

Shelly
wanna be mama to many
mama to three so far
homeschooling for 3 years, 2 years with HOD
ds, 7, BLHFHG, previous LHFHG
dd, 4, LHTH
dd, 2, LHTH

[krismoose]

Great question, and very helpful answers...I printed this out to stick in my Beyond guide for when we get there. Ds will be on the young side and I don't want to go too fast when we start...Thanks!

[deltagal]

Thank you everyone. OUr new books should arrive tomorrow and we'll start up at the new levels on February 1. We're all VERY excited!

[Carrie]

deltagal,

I just realized that I'm not sure which guide you were asking for comments on going half-speed. Are you planning to do Beyond, Bigger, Preparing, or CTC at half-speed?

I gave advice on Preparing Hearts and the other moms gave advice on doing Beyond at half-speed, however if you were wanting suggestions for doing Bigger or CTC at half-speed, we can offer those as well.

I'm thinking I may have misunderstood which guide you were asking about?

Blessings,
Carrie

[deltagal]

deltagal,

I just realized that I'm not sure which guide you were asking for comments on going half-speed. Are you planning to do Beyond, Bigger, Preparing, or CTC at half-speed?

I gave advice on Preparing Hearts and the other moms gave advice on doing Beyond at half-speed, however if you were wanting suggestions for doing Bigger or CTC at half-speed, we can offer those as well.

I'm thinking I may have misunderstood which guide you were asking about?

Blessings,
Carrie

Hi Carrie,

I have 2 boys looking at half-speed:
1.) who will be in Bigger
2.) who will be doing Preparing right side, Bigger left side

Thanks for the question!

[Carrie]

Florence,

I'm so glad I asked, as the scenario I was giving you would be for Preparing Hearts at half-speed. I'm sorry for the confusion!

As far as Bigger Hearts at half-speed goes, I'd lean toward doing the Reading About History, History Activity, and Bible Study (along with poetry too if possible) together on one day. Then, the next day, I'd do the Corresponding Music, Storytime, and Science Exploration.

Every day (or 4 days a week), I'd do math, and language arts. Depending on how much literature instruction your kiddos are ready to do, I'd lean toward DITHR 3-4 days a week.

Depending on the ages of your kiddos, on the second year of Bigger, you may wish to move up to a 4 day plan for all subjects, as you hit your stride.

Blessings,
Carrie