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Hello.

We are seriously considering using HOD next year. Since we are new to homeschooling, I was hoping to find something that my 8 year-old son (will be 9 going into 3rd grade) and 6 year-old daughter (will be 7 shortly after going into 1st) could do together. I noticed that there are extension packages available for the higher levels (i.e. Bigger, etc.). Is it NOT recommended that Beyond be used with a 3rd grader (he is an excellent reader and writer)? Or, should I use Bigger for both because my daughter is already working at mid to end of 1st grade levels?

I've already looked at the placement charts. I might be able to do Bigger with my daughter, but I don't want to push her too much being that this will be a new experience for her (and me:)).

Thanks for any help you can provide!
Jen

I have a son who is finishing up 1st grade that I know could do Bigger - having just gone through Bigger this year - I am confident he could handle the program in it's entirety. (except that he really doesn't like to write) However, I've gone through Beyond before too and I absolutely love every part of it. So, I am going to take him through Beyond instead. There is less writing involved, so I know that he will enjoy it more ... and prepare him for the upper level requirements in Bigger.

That said ... if there were an extension offered for Beyond ... I would buy it and use it for my son in Beyond. He is an outstanding student with a mind that won't quit. I am planning to beef up Beyond a little. Don't get me wrong, though, it's a rich and excellent guide as written. I am just going to add in the Rod and Staff English 2 and use DITHOR with my son as well.
It's possible that you could add in the Rod and Staff English 2 or 3 for your son and use the DITHOR program. You could also have him notebook along with the Science topics.
You could also purchase the Bigger manuel and start taking him through all of the dictation passages that are in the appendix while using the Beyond guide for the History and Science spine.

Or you could just take them both through Bigger. You can require all of the written work for your son, but not have your daughter do all of the notebooking that is required.

You have several options. The hard part is choosing one!

My friend did Beyond with her 2nd and 4th grader and she extended the 4th grader with living books of the topics including science. It worked great! Since the method was new to her she didn't want to try to juggle 2 guides. The extra reading for her older child made it work out really well. She just used some book lists she found of good quality books and went from there to "extend" Beyond herself. For the math and English, she just went to whatever level of those the child would be in regardless of guide.

Thank you for the information! After reading your suggestions, I think I might order both Beyond and Bigger. That way, I could use either depending on how my kids are doing. And... if we do Beyond with both of them, I can save Bigger for next year.

Thank you again!
Jen

I plan to do Beyond with my 8 year old and soon to be 6 year old (3rd and 1st graders) next year. I will have the 1st grader just do everything as laid out in the guide. Then the 3rd grader will do R&S 3, Singapore math 2B/3A (depending on how she places) and possibly DITHOR. I also planned to have her read Apologia science with Daddy in the evenings or on weekends. I might order the Bigger guide as well in case I want to use it for dictation exercises and Singapore lessons. Next year I would put them both in to Bigger and use the extensions for the oldest.

All that to say....our plans are similar.

Hi Ladies, and Hi Jen --

I'm new to HOD, so hello everyone! I will be doing Beyond with my DD 6 and DS 8. I ordered it -- after much deliberation between Bigger and Beyond -- thinking I could just do some of it to become familiar with HOD and then get on a "faster track" to the guides to come. HOWEVER, we did six weeks of Beyond and ADORED it!! and reading through many posts on the forum, I learned from the ladies here the wisdom of slow and steady -- and to guard against speeding up too quickly and shortchanging my younger on a firm foundation in the basics. I really did not want to pass up on all there is in Beyond and it segues so beautifully into Bigger.

Jen and Keri, our plans are very similar -- I am planning to purchase Bigger at convention next weekend, so that my DS can begin Rod and Staff 2, continue spelling then on to Dictation. I may have him begin keeping an index box of vocab words from history, science and/or literature. And we will probably begin DITHOR after finishing Emerging Readers. And Singapore 3A. Maybe notebooking for History or Science.

THanks, Jen, for your post and all helpful replies!

Amy

P.S. Still debating between Italic D and Cheerful Cursive for 8yo -- any input?

Keri and Amy,

It's so reassuring to hear that your situations and plans are very similar. Please post again as you continue and let us know how things are going.

Amy -- I am going to a convention next weekend as well -- CHAP. That wouldn't be the one you are attending, would it?

Thank you again for your responses!
Jen

YES, Jen -- it IS CHAP! and you're right -- it is reassuring to see we are in this together! Having "gotten our feet wet" with six weeks of Beyond, I must say HOD has been an answer to prayers for us. And I pray it blesses each of you the same way! Carrie is truly a kindred spirit!

This thread may have already touched on this -- but another factor, at least for us, is that my dd (just turning 6) will need the stepping stones in place to better succeed in higher guides. Having really looked through Beyond and Bigger, Bigger would not allow us to build up steadily in the writing skills especially. I got caught up in looking ahead, but really need to settle down and start right where we need to be right now. I should be embarrassed to admit that I was learning history in Beyond, right along with dc!!!!

Blessings to all. Exciting looking ahead to new chapters in homeschooling!

I am in the same situation as y'all. This will be my first year homeschooling. DD 8 and DS 6 (7 in Sept)...SHe places in Bigger and he places in Beyond. SO I am going to do Beyond with the both of them and beef it up for DD, although it makes me nervous because I have NO idea what I am doing:) But it is comforting to know that I am not the only one doing it this way.

Combining when dc are only several years apart is a great option with HOD! I think all of you are wise to take advantage of that, as it seems like your situations are just right for combining. As HOD's guides teach many important skills, it is a good idea to choose the guide that the youngest can do, and then beef up for the oldest. This helps both the younger and older dc learn together at the same time, and takes into account the skills both need to learn. Extensions begin in Bigger Hearts, but if you are wanting to combine dc in Beyond, you can easily get the Bigger Hearts manual, and beef up the areas needed that way. As has already been suggested, doing DITHOR, R & S English 2, Level 2 dictation, cursive, and upper level math are great ways to beef up Beyond for an 8 or 9 yo if needed. I was thinking that another great thing to do would be to do the Vocabulary activity that is part of the Bigger Heart's plans, only choose 1 word from the history in Beyond, and 1 word from the science in Beyond, and pattern it after the vocab. activity planned in Bigger Hearts. This would teach many excellent skills, and by the time these dc do Bigger Hearts the next year, they would have already gained the introductory skills to be able to do this activity, and could therefore be ready to do 2 or 3 vocabulary words within Bigger Hearts right at the start. I would not have a 6 and 7 yo do this within Beyond, as it is an upper level skill.

Students are practicing oral narration skills within Beyond Little Hearts within the Storytime box of the plans on Days 2 and 5. You could have older dc that are 9 or 10 yo doing Beyond orally narrate one time each week on the history reading, and one time each week on the science reading (Days 1, 3, or 4 would be best for this, as they will already be narrating for Storytime on Days 2 and 5 within Beyond's plans). You would have the Bigger Hearts Appendix "Oral Narration Tips" to follow for how to teach this skill at a more intermediate level if dc are ready for that. Again, I would not add this for 6 or 7 yo dc as they will be learning oral narration at a more introductory level as it is planned within Beyond.

All of these extension ideas are options, but they would definitely beef up Beyond in a way that increases the difficulty of skills being learned in a way that parallels Bigger Hearts. By combining your 6 yo and 8 or 9 yo in Beyond, you are considering both dc's needs. I am glad you are combining your dc in a way that lets both the youngest and the oldest learn well. Sometimes those little ones can get left in the dust in combining situations, but by combining with the younger dc's needs in mind as well, and beefing up for the older dc, you are truly considering every child in the placement, and that just makes for good family learning for everyone. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

We are doing the same thing too. We have an almost 9 yr old and 7.5. The younger fits perfect in Beyond so we are just going to do beef it up for the 9 year old. After going a few months trying to figure out where to place them and different situations we are at such a peace with this decision now and we are going to be starting on Monday. the kids are so excited.