What to use for a first grader?? Beyond Little Hearts??

[Leanna76]

Hi, I am new to this board and to HOD. I came to check out this curriculum b/c of the reviews I've seen on The Well Trained Mind forums. My dd is currently doing K using MFW K and Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons (on lesson 69). I am trying to pick a curriculum for next fall (first grade). I want us to study American History. I am thinking of using Beyond Little Hearts...is this appropriate for a first grader who (as of right now) is not an independent reader? Thank you so much for your help. I hope I am posting in the right place Leanna

[cirons]

Hi and welcome! If you are looking for an amazing curriculum you and your kids will enjoy and learn from and you want something to pick up and run with, then you have come to the right place! I am using Beyond with my 7 year old right now and he loves it. I started him on the emerging readers in Beyond a few months after I had finished 100 Easy Lessons. If you felt your dd needs more phonics work, then you can still use Beyond and do further phonics instruction also. The manual schedules both (plus DITHOR for more advanced readers). Beyond is a great program! Happy researching!

[Leanna76]

Hi and welcome! If you are looking for an amazing curriculum you and your kids will enjoy and learn from and you want something to pick up and run with, then you have come to the right place! I am using Beyond with my 7 year old right now and he loves it. I started him on the emerging readers in Beyond a few months after I had finished 100 Easy Lessons. If you felt your dd needs more phonics work, then you can still use Beyond and do further phonics instruction also. The manual schedules both (plus DITHOR for more advanced readers). Beyond is a great program! Happy researching!

Thank you so much! So, you started right into the emerging readers w/ your son after 100 EZ Lessons? No other phonics? I am not sure if she will need more or not...we're not at the end of the book yet. Are you doing Beyond for first grade? Thanks again!

[blessedmomof4]

Hi, and welcome To make sure you and your sweetie get the most out of Heart of Dakota, be sure to check the placement chart here:
http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php
As you have probably noticed, the guides are written with a small range of ages in mind and do overlap, so the way to a successful year is to match your child's skills with the chart. Little Hearts for His Glory (ages 5-7) and Beyond little Hearts for His Glory (ages 6-8) both could be used for a first grader, but check the placement chart to get the best fit for your child. I am guessing your child will be 6 when you start?

[cirons]

I had done some phonics previous to 100 Easy Lessons and I think I had 1-2 months after we finished the book before we started Beyond. In that time we revised phonics with flash cards and just practised reading. If you still feel that your dd fits into Beyond and are not sure about the emerging readers, drop into your nearest christian bookstore and have a look through the 2 bibles which are the first readers in the emerging readers schedule. This way you can have eyes on the level of reading your dd will be expected to read first off. My ds had a 'lights on' experience with reading. We had done all the hard work and he still could not read, then one day, it just started and he was able to read most stuff he picked up. Alot can happen in a few months at that age so it would be worth waiting a bit before making any final decisions. Just a suggestion. You know your dd best!

hth


Corrie

[jenntracy]

Hey Leanna,
I am right there with cirons.
We are using Beyond for 1st grade with our son who turned 7 in October.
After we used 100 easy lessons we did about 2 months of just reading library books that were at his level. then we went right into emerging readers. we started DITHOR this year a couple units into beyond b/c we were finishing up our emerging readers during the beginning units.W e did a Phonics Builder 1 workbook last year and this year are doing Phonics Builder 2. similiar to the Explode the Code but not the same thing.
We are really enjoying Beyond.

Jenn D.

[my2guys]

Hi and welcome! We are using Beyond for 1st grade this year also. My ds turned 7 in December. For phonics we had worked through First Reader and ETC books 1-4 last year and added in some easy readers along the way and through the summer, so we started in with the emerging readers when we started Beyond. We have also continued on with ETC books 5&6 this year. Like a pp said, Beyond gives you the choice of phonics, emerging readers or DITHOR for reading instruction - so it is super flexible in that area. For us, Beyond has been the perfect fit for 1st grade - but definitely check the placement charts and see what you think for your child.

[creativemommy]

Welcome! I'm another happy HOD user that just had to comment!

My son completed 100 EZ lessons a year ago while working through the LHFHG guide for Kindergarten last year. I then had him read through the Emerging Readers (and any other easy readers he wanted) while also working through the middle to end pages of Phonics Pathways for some extra (super-laid-back) Phonics instruction. He reads chapter books (i.e. Magic Tree House) in 45 minutes prior to going to bed. He's between a 4th-5th grade reading level and he's only 7!

We are also enjoying Beyond this year for 1st grade. We are studying American history in such a way that he remembers it! I love the slower pace (i.e. we've spent weeks on the pilgrims/journey, not just a day or two). And my son gets excited about the hands-on projects we do throughout each unit.

[my3sons]

We loved Beyond for first grade with our sweeties! If your child is doing phonics, and getting ready to eventually move into Emerging Readers, she should be fine with Beyond. The placement chart is my "friend" though in these decisions, I use it to be sure we're choosing right for our dc, so be sure you check that out as it's been super helpful in making our homeschool a happy success from year to year! As far as moving from phonics into the Emerging Readers, you can add a quick and easy phonics review along with it by doing "Explode the Code", say maybe levels 1-3 or so, doing just a few pages a day or so. We didn't use 100 Easy Lessons, but when we finished our phonics program, I did do Explode the Code along with the Emerging Reader's Set, and found that to be a nice balance of light review and fun forging ahead to real reading. Welcome to the HOD Board - I bet you'll love it here!

In Christ,
Julie