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SO I thought I was going to have my almost 9 year old begin Bigger here this next week. A little background. We are just coming from MFW adventures. We finished it about a month ago now. And I was going to start Bigger and then put my 7.5 year old and almost 5 year old together in LHFHG. But the more I'm thinking about it if I wait until the fall to start Bigger I could most likely put my two older boys together in Bigger and start out at half speed at the beginning. My 7 year and 3 months boy is almost done with phonics and would be by fall and starting the emerging readers. He's done basic spelling (but I wouldn't say he knows all of list 1 yet) and he can write as much as I give him for copy work. His handwriting is pretty good and he is currently doing Singapore 1A. So I guess what I'm asking is do you think I would be asking to much from him to do all the work required in Bigger for a 7.5 year old. I know he is in the age range. And we could spend the next 3-4 months finishing up phonics and other things. Is it a good thing to let him do the right side of Beyond and the left side of Bigger? By the fall I feel like he would just be to old to do LHFHG with his 5 year old sister. I'm sure he would enjoy the books but I feel like he might get bored with everything else. I was planning on adding in some copy work and he has his own science, and he would do the right side of Beyond but he truly is a lot closer to his older brothers abilities then his younger sisters. These middle children sometimes are the hardest to figure out where to put them. Up or down. To bad I just can't do each guide at their own level. But that would be to crazy for me and I know that it is not recommended to do 3 intense guides together. So I'm just trying to see another option and have been praying about this one but I wanted to get some feedback.

I've combined my dd7 with my ds8 in Bigger hearts this year. My dd was just 6.5 when we started. We have gone half-pace most of the year so as not to overwhelm my dd. She is smart as a whip but still has the maturity of a 6/7 year old! We will continue to do Bigger Hearts next "year" (we only take a month off in the summer) full speed as my dd is now ready to handle all of the work. My ds8 (will be 9 in July) could have moved at the regular pace but had no problem slowing down. Just like your 7.5 year old, my dd is in the Emerging readers and doing Spelling list 1 while my older son is doing DITHOR and the Dictation. Bigger is a great guide to take slowly and help each child grow right where they're at.
I pray that you will have clarity and peace as you make this decision.

My oldest is in unit 12 of Bigger and just turned 8! I wouldn't say a 7.5yo is too young if they can do all the work! You can always start out slowly and build up to doing everything. Like start out doing all of R&S orally, then add in doing some written. Start out doing one vocabulary word, then move on to two, then three. Etc.