Mixing LHFHG and BLHFHG - am I doing it right?

[Larica]

Hello! After reading some great responses to the questions I posted previously, I've decided that my DD best fits in a combination of LHFHG and BLHFHG. Can I run this by you and tell me if I have it right?

Coming year: DD will be 6 in June, in 1st grade
LHFHG w/1st grade options: do entire left side of guide plus the first column of the right side (fine motor and storytime)
BLHFHG: Do Emerging Readers and Math 1A/1B from the right side

**What about the LA box from Beyond? Would I do that too for spelling? Would we need the copywork if we're doing handwriting in LHFHG?**

Following Year: 2nd grade
BLHFHG: do as written either using more emerging readers or DITHOR 2/3 and math 2A/2B (if we're ready, that is)

Also, is there any way to eventually combine two children who are 2 years apart in school if they don't start out together? My younger dd will do Kindergarten when my older dd is in 2nd grade. It would be so nice if they could someday work out of the same guide.

Thanks for all your wonderful help!!!
Erica

[Kathleen]

Erica,

Looks great! I think if I were you, I would add in the spelling with list 1 from the LA box in Beyond. I think I'd wait on the grammar lessons on the 5th day of each unit though and do those when you "really" do Beyond. (I'm saying that from the perspective of getting a ways down the road with R&S with my oldest. Those grammar lessons in Beyond are gentle, and R&S 2 is also easy...but it picks up the pace quite quickly.) So, I'd do those grammar lessons with Beyond in 2nd grade, R&S 2 in 3rd, R&S 3 in 4th...and so on. You'll be right on to finish level 6 with 8th grade like HOD reccommends. I'd also save the poetry copywork (which will be your handwriting next year) and just do the handwriting book you've chosen this year. Next year you'd do the LA box of Beyond "as-is" with spelling list 2.

As far as combining down the road, I think you'd need to have your oldest doing guides half-speed and the younger one going full-speed to catch up. I think as you move along you'll be able to see if that's something that would work well in your family or not. It may make your life easier...or you may enjoy them both moving ahead at the pace they're at in different guides. There are always a few of the "fun" things in activities that my kids all jump into in each other's guides. And, they really like telling each other what they're doing while we eat lunch.

Kathleen

[jenntracy]

I think your plan sounds like a good one along with the spelling as Kathleen mentioned.

Jenn d.

[Tabrett]

This is my plan and it is similar to yours. My daughter will be in first grade. I plan on doing the entire left side of Little Hearts plus the story time. I will be doing the first grade options with Building thinking skills. Instead of doing first grade handwriting, I will have my dd copy portions of the memory verse when handwriting is scheduled. I will be doing the right side of Beyond-math, spelling, Friday grammar lessons. I plan on saving the copy work in Beyond to do in second grade because the poems correspond with the history. I will do R&S grammar in 2nd grade as written in Bigger.

[my3sons]

Ditto to all Kathleen said! YES, you are doing it right and getting ready for a fun-filled HOD year - hooray! Just because you don't combine now, doesn't mean you can't combine later. I would just do the program and pacing that fits your school-aged child the best for right now, and we can revisit that later. I can't wait for you to start - you'll have to share your HOD box day with us.

In Christ,
Julie

[Larica]

Thanks so much everyone! I'm getting excited now . I'm glad you mentioned the 5th day grammar issue since I hadn't come across that yet. Very good to know! At this point I am leaning toward holding off on that until we really do Beyond...I just need to make sure I'm not going to run into any problems with state-required testing and whatever they expect kids to know at certain points (I'm in NY). For my DD in particular, I think slower is better so that we don't get in over our heads down the road.

Kathleen-about the R&S levels, if I do level 2 in 3rd grade, level 3 in 4th grade, etc...how do I end up with level 6 by 8th grade? Is there a point where HOD slows down and does half-speed or something? Also, are the guides intended to go through 8th grade? If I do one per year, it seems like I'd end with 6th grade. Sorry to be so dense!

Julie-what exactly is a "HOD box day?" I'm sure it'll be fun to share it once I know what it is!

Erica

[Kathleen]

Kathleen-about the R&S levels, if I do level 2 in 3rd grade, level 3 in 4th grade, etc...how do I end up with level 6 by 8th grade? Is there a point where HOD slows down and does half-speed or something? Also, are the guides intended to go through 8th grade? If I do one per year, it seems like I'd end with 6th grade. Sorry to be so dense!

Julie-what exactly is a "HOD box day?" I'm sure it'll be fun to share it once I know what it is!

Erica

You're right - HOD slows down the grammar with R&S in the guides Creation to Christ and Resurrection to Reformation. So, we'll only do R&S 4 over those 2 years. This is to avoid "grammar burnout" over these years, as Rod & Staff is very thorough and there's really no need to blaze ahead. HOD also has some wonderful creative writing scheduled in on the days you're not doing grammar in those guides. I'm really looking forward to it!! So, we'll be on track to use R&S 5 and 6 in 7th & 8th grades. (And I'm quite sure this will be more grammar instruction than I EVER got in the public schools I went to. )

There are still more HOD guides to come, too. The guide that will be out in August would take you through 6th grade, but the plan is that Carrie will finish 2 more guides that complete the history cycle. Then they've also made a plan to do one more guide with a geography/biology focus that would work for 9th grade (or 8th if you finish the other guides by then).

"Box Day" is when all your wonderful books that you order from HOD show up on your doorstep!! You know, Christmas in May (or whenever you order) for the homeshcool mom!! You'll be excited...and we all know EXACTLY how you feel!
Kathleen