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I've been considering several placement options for my dc for the next school year (to be honest, I haven't decided if we will use HOD; right now the plan is to keep them combined for history/science using MOH and Apologia Botany. If finanaces permit, I would love to use HOD instead, but I'm looking at needing multiple programs to do it right!). I've been lurking on the board here constantly (I don't know why, lol!) and I really love the heart of the program and that it points to God and the Bible constantly. Our other programs do that as well, but having everything tied together and that great two-page spread would be great. (Confession: I have used HOD briefly a couple of times in the past but dropped it. I think it was because of trying to combine when they should have been placed in separate programs. That's why I'm so carefully trying to consider my options).

If I combine children using HOD, one will end up always needing extensions as they move through the programs year after year. Will that child always end up feeling like they have to do more work than the others? Should I purposely place them so that my book-loving child is the one who ends up needing extensions, since she wouldn't mind as much as her brothers would?

Here's a run-down of my school-age dc for the 2011-2012 school year (which we'll start in June). (I'm not commenting on where they place for math because we are happily using CLE for that and don't intend to switch).

dd9- will be in 4th grade. Places solidly in Preparing for 4th. She already knows cursive, is doing R&S English 3 right now, is a great reader, can work independently, etc.
ds7- will be in 3rd grade; will turn 8 in August (he'd only be going into 2nd if his birthday had been a month or two later. So, he's young for his grade. This is not a problem with math (he's VERY "mathy") but has been as issue with reading/writing). Places in Bigger for 3rd. He's working through the Emerging Readers right now. His handwriting is still pretty sloppy but I think that learning cursive might help! He is currently working through R&S English 2, mostly orally.
ds6- will be in 1st grade. Easily places in Little Hearts for 1st, could probably handle Beyond though. Getting ready to start 1st grade phonics next week because he's ready (has learned how to read C-V-C words already). His handwriting is pretty good.

I also have a 4yo, 2yo, and 3mo who keep me busy!

Here are the options:
1. Put all 3 of my olders in Beyond and do some major beefing up for dd9. (This option is not very appealing to me because if I use HOD I want the open-and-go aspect of it; if I'm going to combine to this extent, then I might as well stick with the programs that are meant for combining!
2. Put dd9 in Preparing; ds7 and ds6 in Beyond (and once they hit Bigger we can add extensions for ds7)
3. Put dd9 and ds7 in Bigger, using extenstions for dd. Put ds6 in Little Hearts with 1st grade options. (ds6 does not like to work alone, so I'm not sure he'd like this option!)
4. Put dd9 in Preparing, ds7 in Bigger, and ds6 in Little Hearts.

I like option 2. As I was reading through your post I was formulating in my mind what I thought would work and that is basically the plan that came to mind. It sounds like your dd is ready to spread her wings and fly. It sounds like Preparing would be great for her. It probably wouldn't hurt at all to let your ds7 really get a little more solid in his reading before going onto Bigger. You can continue on with the emerging readers with him and let him start DITHR when he is ready or even just let him read book pack 2. He could continue on with his R&S at the level he is at. You could go ahead and start him on Cheerful Cursive. So he could have his own reading, writing, grammar, and arithmetic. I think there are some threads around if you wanted to beef up the science or history for him, but since he is still in the age for Beyond, I don't think I would worry about that. It sounds like your ds6 would enjoy doing a program with his older brother and it would make your life much simpler.

Thanks, Patty. I think option #2 is my favorite one too. You are right- my oldest is ready to "spread her wings and fly" (though if I ask her, she says she wants to stay all combined and just let me read everything aloud to all of them. I just keep getting the feeling that Preparing would be so good for her though).

My dc seem to be enjoying the history and science that I read aloud to all of them. The problem I'm having is that I feel like I'm floundering in the area of follow-up activities. They aren't really remembering what I read to them since I'm not consistently giving them age-appropriate follow-ups. I like that HOD tells you when to do narrations, activities, art, notebook pages, etc, and that everything is geared towards their age.

sharonb,

I also am leaning toward option 2 with what you've shared so far. I think that older kiddos tend to be ready to fly more solo and actually thrive on it, while it sounds like your next pair may really enjoy being together. One thing to weigh is while your 6 year old may be almost ready for Beyond, in looking down the road, you'll want him to be able to handle Bigger Hearts next. While it's hard to tell right now how much he'll grow and change, I share this because it's just a good idea to make sure the 6 year old firmly places in Beyond before starting it, or you may find later that he is not able to keep up. If your 6 year old doesn't firmly place in Beyond, then it is worth rethinking your options.

Blessings,
Carrie