heartofdakota.com

Hi,

I have posted here for help before and thought the best guides for my 6 and 8 yo's (rising 1st and 3rd graders) would be Little Hearts and Bigger. However, the more I look at the placement charts, it seems that they would be better in Beyond and Preparing. This is where they fit in all the categories of the first box (3 R's). For ex., my older dd is writing in cursive, finished R&S Eng 2 this year, and is an independent reader. My 6 yo is an emerging reader and writes very well/loves copywork.

I guess I am just nervous, b/c it seems that most recommend LHFHG for 1st and Bigger for 3rd, and I don't want to push my girls into programs that are too hard for them (I want them to enjoy their schooling and not be frustrated). On the other hand, I have also heard that selecting the right program is one of the most important thing for success in HOD, and we are encouraged to follow the placement charts closely.

Please reassure me on this one (either way)!

Thanks so much for your help,
Sandra

I think that the placement charts are pretty accurate. We did Beyond this year for 1st grade, and my dd is a younger first grader (she'll turn 7 in September of 2nd grade). She did really well with it. She's still finishing up phonics and she isn't a huge fan of writing but she's done well. She did do LHFHG first.

As far as your kiddos, I don't think you could go wrong with LHFHG or Beyond for your youngest. I don't really know about your oldest since I'm not there yet, but I'm sure both would be good options. If you need to, you can always add aditional reading to LHFHG from the appendix in the back to beef it up a bit. You could also add additional copywork if you need to as well. It's such a great program that I'd be sad to miss it, but Beyond is fabulous too. C loved doing it for first grade and we have learned a lot.

Have you ever done this style of curriculum before? I do know that some people like to err on the side of an earlier guide just to give their dc time to adjust to this style of learning. You can always add in more reading if you need to.

i agree, the charts are pretty accurate. There are plenty of us who use LHFHG for "K" and Beyond for 1st".

I am doing Beyond with my son who turns 7 in October for his 1st grade. He is already doing emerging readers and advanced in math.
My daughter will do LHFHG for "K" . she turned 5 in March.

One reason i love homeschooling is that i can challenge my children. My son would have been totally bored in Kindergarten this past year if in public or private school, yet maybe not quite mature enough for 1st grade.

You know your children best

Jenn D.

I have seen people ignore the placement chart and go with the guides on the older end of the age scale and deeply regret it. They complain that HOD was "too babyish" and dismiss it altogether when they could have saved themselves a lot of grief if they had placed right to begin with. Trust the placement chart.

We are very successfully using a guide (LHFHG) at the very younger end of the age scale. I have the Beyond guide already and feel confident we will do fine there too. If your child solidly places in Beyond, I think you will be fine. If it is kind of on the border it may be best to go into LHFHG. If I had waited another year to put my son in LHFHG I know the beginning of the guide would not have challenged him enough.

lovedtodeath wrote:I have seen people go with the guides on the older end of the age scale and deeply regret it. They complain that HOD was "too babyish" and dismiss it altogether when they could have saved themselves a lot of grief if they had placed right to begin with. Trust the placement chart.

That was my first impression also. However, when I looked again at an older guide "Beyond" it looks very meaty and perfect for my oldest dd's skill level. It was the amazing book selections that kept me coming back to look at HOD. When I finally got my hands on a guide and looked through it for myself, it's anything but babyish. Of course, I have to have something in my grubby, little hands to see if it will work. I practically have Beyond memorized now. Beyond is perfect for 1st grade for my oldest. Although, I don't know if my younger dd will be ready for it for her first semester in 1st grade, she's no where near ready to read and her handwriting is slow coming. We might stretch LHFHG out with her for a year and a half, not sure.

I'm glad there's not a "grade level," but a placement skill level chart instead. I agree, lovedtodeath, trust the placement chart. LHFHG is sitting on my shelf patiently waiting for Jordan in a year since Juliette isn't going to use it this year.

You sound like you think you are disagreeing with me... but you aren't.

About the "babyish" comment... that is partly because my crowd is Classical Education. They tend to have their 5 year olds doing first grade classical work and think that CM is "light".

Nope, not disagreeing with you. I was thinking out loud and typing at the same time. I was kind of trying to explain why *I* thought it was babyish too at first because I tried to put my dd in LHFHG when she actually placed better in BLHFHG beautifully. So Little Hearts is happily waiting for Jordan. So sorry if I didn't explain myself well. It happens when I ramble.

LOL to us all!No reason to apologize.

FWIW, my oldest started LHFHG at 4 1/2, Beyond at 5 3/4, and she'll be almost 7 when we start Bigger, but my middle guy who's been sitting in on all of it is doing LHTH now at 4 for the 2nd time and will start LHFHG at around 6. Go by the placement guide. I really don't think you can go wrong.

Thanks everyone for all the replies! You are so helpful!! Looks like I'll go with the placement guide and see how it goes!

Sandra

You can always go half-pace at first if it all seems like too much to begin with, picking up speed as you and your children are more comfortable with the schedule and program.