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I was a bit terrified to start our year because in the past DS has had a very hard time adjusting to a new routine. BUT right off the bat he was into it. He especially loved the geography activity where he got to hop, skip, slither, etc. to each continent. I gave him a 30 minute recess halfway through the lessons, and after 10 minutes he was asking if it was time to finish school yet. This is NOT my child! Last year he dreaded school, and only really tolerated it. I'm just floored!

The only drawback is that my girls' room is a mess. Gotta figure out a better plan for them in the future. At least they played nice!

Congratulations on a great first day!

That's so exciting and encouraging to me because my son sounds a LOT like your son. Last year was a horrible year of struggle for him. It wasn't until April that I realized that the way we'd been doing school in the past was NOT the best way for him to learn. It totally clashed with his learning style. I'm so thankful that God has led us to HOD. I know for sure that it's what He wants for us, and that thrills my soul. He made the way sure and clear for us to be here. I am so encouraged by how well your first day went with Beyond. We'll be starting Beyond soon with my son! It make's me so happy to hear that no matter what the year was like before, that HOD has changed that in your son's heart. Thank you for posting this as it really gave me a blessing!

In Christ,

Lisa

Well, he didn't LOVE all of it. I tried to get him to do motions for the Bible verse, and he laughed at me and said, "I'm just not a motion man, Mom". Okay okay, so we won't do that part.

Thanks for sharing. This makes me even more anxious to begin Beyond with my two older dds. Can't wait!

Hooray for a happy first day, Khara! I'm so glad to hear your ds enjoyed his first day so much. These are the days to savor and remember. I tuck them away in my memory and call upon them if a future day doesn't go as planned. Beyond gave us many, many happy days together. Thank you for sharing and encouraging us here! May the Lord continue to bless you and your ds for choosing a heart full of joy as you learn about Him each day with HOD!

In Christ,
Julie

MamaPajama,

I'm praising the Lord with you on your first day! What a blessing to be underway and to have it go fairly smoothly! I am celebrating your successful day with you and praying for many more.

Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm! It blessed my tired writing mind tonight! I have to say that RTR in final form is far exceeding my expectations and has been a much, much larger project than I ever anticipated. So, I am blessed beyond measure by words of encouragement as we're working long hours to deliver RTR!

Blessings,
Carrie

I'm so glad I could be of encouragement! You may have read that DH and I decided today to switch DS to Little Hearts instead, but it's no cut against Beyond itself. We just feel after starting that he would place better in Little Hearts after all. Now that I've gotten a sneak peek at Beyond, I'm really excited to try it again next year. And I'm also looking forward to another box day now!

Khara,

I just noticed the other thread this evening. Placement can sometimes be a real toughie at first, as the guides appear to be deceptively simple. Yet, when you get underway, the meat of the guide truly begins to reveal itself. If you are thinking that your little guy would be in over his head in Beyond, and finances permit, you may very well find yourself well-pleased with the switch to LHFHG. I have heard quite a few moms tell me that after MFW- K, LHFHG is a great fit. So, if that's true, you'll be in for a great fit! Plus, if you need to borrow any of the 3 R's from Beyond, you'll already have the guide and be able to do so easily.

Many blessings to you! Placement is always worth the extra effort and pondering. Be encouraged to know that one guide prepares a child well for the next one in line, so you won't have the placement shake-up every year!

Blessings,
Carrie

Carrie wrote:Khara,

I just noticed the other thread this evening. Placement can sometimes be a real toughie at first, as the guides appear to be deceptively simple. Yet, when you get underway, the meat of the guide truly begins to reveal itself. If you are thinking that your little guy would be in over his head in Beyond, and finances permit, you may very well find yourself well-pleased with the switch to LHFHG. I have heard quite a few moms tell me that after MFW- K, LHFHG is a great fit. So, if that's true, you'll be in for a great fit! Plus, if you need to borrow any of the 3 R's from Beyond, you'll already have the guide and be able to do so easily.

Many blessings to you! Placement is always worth the extra effort and pondering. Be encouraged to know that one guide prepares a child well for the next one in line, so you won't have the placement shake-up every year!

Blessings,
Carrie

Yes, I'm happy to have the Beyond guide as I still intend on using the 1st grade spelling list, as well as the ERs probably starting in January. I'm hoping to be able to combine both of my "big kids" on a few things in LHFHG too, even if it's just the art activities. I think my DD would benefit from listening in on some of what we'll be doing.

Speaking of that, if I could ask a question... I've heard it said before (possibly on the Ambleside Online site) that it's not good to let students read their school books more than once before using them for an assignment. Is that how you feel too? If so, would it be a mistake to allow DD to sit in on the Burgess stories with DS knowing that she'll be doing LHFHG next year? OR would it be too much to actually include her in that part of LHFHG now (she's 4 1/2~ 5 in January) and then have her continue to do storytime with DS next year in Beyond? If the latter would work, I thought when she would technically be in Beyond herself she could maybe just do a different set of the recommended books while DS does Bigger. Does that make sense? She LOVES stories, and has already sat through Little House on the Prairie, Little House in the Big Woods and Charlotte's Web during bedtime readings.

Khara,

My thinking is that when the focus of a lesson is asking for a narration from the child, it's best to read it once as CM described. It stresses the habit of listening attentively and narrating back from a single reading. However, with your daughter's age in mind, you wouldn't be asking her to narrate. So, she is in a different category. If she is purely listening for pleasure it would be fine for her to listen in. The only thing I'd weigh is whether or not she can sit quietly, so as not to distract your older little one (who really does need to be able to focus and learn to narrate from a single reading).

Typically, the rule at our house for the 4 year old crowd, is either listen quietly, or go play in a different area where you won't distract us. My young ones have always tended to be pretty rambunctious, so I usually end up scheduling time alone with my LHFHG person to allow that little one to really concentrate. But, that's just our household of all boys! Your situation may be totally different.

Blessings,
Carrie