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I have been reading the boards and have seen that a large number of people are using Beyond for 2nd grade, as they feel that Bigger is a challenge for 2nd. My ds is 6 and we are finishing up LHFHG. He has not had any difficulties with this year and has really enjoyed his schooling. There were very few boxes that we skipped over, but mainly it was my doing, not that he was having troubles. He is a little slow on his reading -- he tells me he doesn't like to 'slow down' and reading certainly keeps him from running! lol
On to my question, now that I have rambled on...
If I move on to Beyond for 1st grade, is Bigger going to be too much of a challenge for a boy on the young end of the age range when we get to 2nd grade? Should I stretch out what we have left of LHFHG (about 10 units) with Beyond for 1st and 2nd? I really enjoy HOD and want to stick with it, so I don't want to get to the end of Beyond and have to try something else for a year while he gets ready for Bigger. Does Beyond prepare for Bigger, meaning he should be ready for it if he is able to go through Beyond without too much trouble?
I hope this wasn't too confusing!
Any suggestions would greatly be appreciated.
Thanks!
Have a blessed day!
Rochelle

Homeschooling 2 in TX

We are just finishing up Beyond for 1st grade and it has been a wonderful year! My ds was 6 when we started in the fall and turned 7 in December and he's done really well with it. That said, we are probably going to slow down with Bigger and stretch it over 2nd and 3rd - adding in some of our state history as we go - and keeping up with 2nd and 3rd math. I'm in the midst of trying to figure out how exactly I want to do it, but that is my "big picture" plan for the next couple of years. I actually think that my ds would do fine full-speed with Bigger next year, but I'm thinking that I'd like him to be in 4th grade when he starts Preparing so that he gets the most out of it that he can. It just seems to be they way God has led me as I've been thinking and planning the last few months.

If you feel you ds is ready for Beyond, you can always complete it and then begin Bigger at 1/2 speed. Another option is to begin Beyond at 1/2 speed, just to slow things down. This was my original plan, but by the time we were to unit 12 it was obvious we were ready to go full speed so now I just plan to start Bigger at 1/2 speed.

My daughter is in Beyond for 2nd grade....and I really feel if we had started her in this for 1st grade without the interruption of p.s. off and on...she would have done great with it...and with Bigger this year...some days...I am glad though for the laid back schedule of Beyond! Beth

My son is getting ready to do Beyond for 2nd grade. I've already taken my oldest son through Beyond and I took him through it when he was in 2nd grade. I feel certain that both of them would have done well in Beyond for 1st grade. Writing has never been a strength for either of my oldest sons, so the copy work wouldn't have been fun for them, but everything else would have been fine as far as I can remember. That said, I am certain that Bigger would not have been fine for 2nd grade for my boys. Bigger would have been fine as far as the reading and level of history and science - what would not have gone well for them is the notebooking and copywork. I could have done Bigger at a much slower pace and it would have been fine, however.

So, if there is anything to take at half pace, then I would recommend taking Bigger at half pace - while keeping up with the appropriate level of grammar and math.

My son was 6yrs and turned 7 in October for 1st grade with Beyond. He has done fine with it. there are times when we will do things orally instead of writing it down. Other than that we do it mostly as written. He finished up ERs at beginning and we have just continued on with our own reading program.
i don't know if it would be different for a younger 1st grader. my daughter will be 6.5 yr when we start Beyond with her for 1st grade in fall. She may be one that i slow down with in Bigger. she is in K with LHFHG this year. March b-day. Not so much b/c of her age but b/c of how she learns. Much different from her older brother.

just my experience.

Jenn D.

Rochelle,

The ladies are doing a great job of talking through your options with you. Each child is different, but typically a child who has been able to complete all of what is within Beyond can move into Bigger Hearts quite well. Developmental readiness has a huge impact on "how ready" a particular child is, so with that in mind, if your son is doing well within Beyond I would just keep on going!

Since your son happens to be on the young side for Bigger, you can plan to start Bigger half speed and take your cues from him. If he is comfortable with half-speed, just keep it at half-speed in Bigger for up to a year. However, if you need to start adding things to round out or fill his day, then that is a strong indicator that he is ready for full-speed Bigger. At that point, rather than add additional material, I'd bump up to full speed.

I wouldn't ever plan to do a guide at half-speed for two full years, as it would be the rare exception of a child who would need half-speed for that long. You will also not see the gains and carryover you would normally see in a child doing full-speed. Typically half-speed works well for some kiddos for up to a year and after that point, they are very ready for full-speed the next year.

Blessings,
Carrie

I did Beyond for 1st with my oldest DD... the amount of writing was a challenge, so I took about two months in the fall of her 2nd grade year to do some unit studies and start her with DITHOR and have her just read and write a lot to work up to the amount that would be in Bigger. We started Bigger just after Christmas with her, did a few units half speed, and then went full speed and she's done great with it all. She just turned 8 last week. We school year round, so we just are planning on starting her in Preparing in January of her 3rd grade year. Doing that with Bigger has worked great, so I think it's the way to go.

My second DD will start Beyond as a first grader in Sept. She will not turn 7 until January. However she is a totally different child and already is writing about as much as DD1 was at the end of Beyond and is perfectly willing to read and listen.

DD3 will technically be at some point in her official K year when she starts Beyond. She has an october birthday, so she will be 5 this fall, but not starting K until she is almost 6. We are going to start LHFHG after she turns 5 and will probably start Beyond in the spring of her official K year. She also is a very eager learner... her hand strength has finally caught up with her brain and she's writing up a storm now and attempting to read everything she can. She's very disappointed that she has 6 more months until she can do LHFHG!

My dd was also on the younger side when we finished up LHFHG and we used BLHFHG for 1st. Both years went quite smoothly. However, this year I did think that BIGGER would be too much for her so Julie helped me decide to do it half speed with her and it has been perfect! My dd will be 8 the end of this month and she is at the point now were I think she could move up to full speed no problem. After our very short summer break (we will be schooling year round as we have had a bit of a crazy year...baby, move, hubby loosing job and starting new one, baby has failure to thrive and a gazillion dr. appts., I could probably go on but you get the idea! ) we will be moving into starting full speed which means we will probably start PHFHG sometime mid year. If that is the case, I will start that half speed, and start her 4th grade year full speed PHFHG (I think this also takes care of my "missing" HOD year! I did for a while spend some time worrying about that!).

I would say that if you feel your ds is ready to move on to BLHFHG then do so. Don't worry about if he can do the next guide yet, focus on this one. I don't think you will need to leave HOD for a year in between guides. Either he will be ready for BIGGER or BIGGER half-speed. Both are great options and the guides really do build on each other. You will know best how well your son will do and can alter the speed to gently stretch him without over-taxing him if he needs it. Let the peace of God rule your heart and mind....He will lead you.

I am in a similar situation. I was thinking of somehow incorporating the Grade 1 options from lhfhg before adding in the language arts box in Beyond. I feel like my ds is missing that 2nd year of handwriting and thinking skills that he would have gotten had we saved lhfhg for 1st. Just a thought.

You could do Beyond Little Hearts 4 days a week, and Bigger Hearts 4 days a week too, moving to half-speed when you get to Bigger if that's a good pacing. While it is a good idea to look into the future with a general thought of what is to come, it is the detailed look of the here and now proper placement that give the best fit for dc. So, if your ds fits well right now into Beyond full-speed and can do all it is asking him to do, I'd do it full-speed - whether it's full-speed 4 days or 5 days a week. Just be sure he grows into the copywork of the full poem by the close of Beyond. He'll be fine for Bigger then, certainly fine for Bigger half-speed. My oldest has always been on the young end and thrived. My middle ds needed some half-speed time to grow into some guides, but both are flourishing with HOD. HOD has flexible enough pacing it can flex with your ds's needs. So what do you think about all this awesome advice these ladies gave here?!? Isn't this a great board?!? I'd love to hear what you're thinking now, and we'd all be glad to answer any further questions as well. We like to help here!

In Christ,
Julie

Thank you SO much for all of your advice! This is such a supportive board!
After reading all of your wonderful posts, I think I will continue along as we are and maybe take Bigger at half-speed when we get there. We have not intentionally been doing school 4 days a week this year, but it has pretty much averaged out to that with the hecticness around here, so I will probably continue on a 4 day school week so maybe we won't have to slow down in Bigger anyway. I am encouraged that I don't HAVE to get through the entire guide each year and can let go of the guilt I've been carrying by feeling like we are behind. I can see that my ds is growing in his love for the Lord and is advancing in his 'basic' school skills, so I am not going let myself worry that I am doing him a disservice by 'getting behind'. Thank you for that encouragment.
Bless you all!
Rochelle