Little Hearts or Beyond for 1st Grade?

[HSMom03]

Hi all!
Thinking ahead here... What do you recommend for a 6.75-year-old boy who is just beginning 1st grade and who places in Beyond? Do you recommend Beyond or Little Hearts? I know some use Little Hearts for 1st grade but maybe that is more of a placement issue? Also, when using Little Hearts for 1st grade, I know you choose the 1st grade materials instead of K, but is there anything else to add? Such as the emerging readers set? I guess I am leaning toward Beyond because of placement, plus he will be an older 1st grader. Maybe there is some benefit of starting in Little Hearts despite placing in Beyond? I don't know, I am just curious what you would all suggest! Thank you!!

[StephanieU]

I think the main question is how mature your son is. Is he ready to listen to longer reading with few to no pictures? Can he sit still for that? Beyond has about 10-20 minutes more reading for history and storytime than LHFHG, and I think that is the major difference (plus what is studied in history).

If you do choose to go with LHFHG, you can buy the Beyond guide as well so you have the Emerging Reader information. The emerging readers start with Level 2 readers (like I Can Read). They should be able to read these fairly easily without much help at all. If he isn't ready for that, then continue with phonics or just practicing with other early readers. You can do this regardless of where he places. You can also start the grammar and spelling in Beyond while using LHFHG if you want too.

As for adding anything else to LHFHG if you choose to use that, if he is done with handwriting and ready for copy work, then have him copy the verse for the week instead. The Rod and Staff books are fun, but he might find them a little boring. My daughter likes the science in them though, so we just do them at her pace. The skills in them are super simple for her though, which she actually likes.

[raindrops]

Well it is hard to say... you could do either and probably be fine since you said he fits into Beyond (in the placement chart). My son is the same age as your and he LOVES Beyond. (But he had LHFHG for Kindergarten under his belt.) He loves the Beyond history books so much... I have no problem with him not paying attention! He seems to LIKE them better than the history books in LHFHG... but perhaps it is because he is a year older that he can listen better. The stories have been about children, rather than adults (like LHFHG) and perhaps that is why he is enjoying Beyond SO much. He liked LHFHG too, don't get me wrong, but Beyond is awesome for 1st grade.

How is your son's handwriting, phonics/ reading, and attention span?

[HSMom03]

Thanks! His handwriting and reading/phonics skills are excellent! His attention span is great too, he would listen to me read all day long - he loves it! The real problem is how much my little ones would allow me to do with big brother, haha! It's difficult when we keep getting interrupted. So my only concern would be that Beyond takes 2 to 2.5 hours and with little ones that might be tricky. I think I could do it though, especially if that would be best for my oldest. Hmm, still a tough decision though bc Little Hearts does look so fun and I always have in the back of my mind that if we use Beyond for first grade, he would be finished with all the guides before 12th grade. What do others plan to do about this? Thanks again!

[StephanieU]

As for finishing early, a lot of families find at one time or another they have to go half speed. So, often it spreads the guides out to more than a year. Other families take a break between blocks of guides and just explore the child's interests while continuing the 3Rs. And others use that last year for their child to take classes at a community college while focusing on what their plans for the future are. Really, you will find a way to fill that extra year one way or another, so it isn't a big deal.

As for time to read, we are only in LHFHG, but I know that Carrie planned the guides to be 30 minutes or less per box up until the high school guide. And the younger guides are even shorter (10-20 minutes normally). So, you would only have to distract the younger one for short periods of time. Also, some of the readings younger kids like to sit in on (which isn't a bad thing). And not all of the boxes need your complete attention. Copy work and math for example are semi-independent boxes. Here is the time per boxes:

Reading About History Box: 10 min.
Poetry and Rhymes: 5-10 min.
Copywork: 10 min.
Bible Study and Music: 10 min.
Rotating Bottom Left Box (Artistic Expression, History Activity/Timeline, Geography, Science twice weekly): 15-20 min.

Language Arts Box: 15 min. (spelling/grammar)
Reading: 15 min. if doing the Emerging Readers and 20-25 min. if doing DITHR 2/3
Math: 15-20 min.
Storytime: 15-20 min.

[my3sons]

Such great advice here already! If he places in Beyond, I'd do Beyond. Just be sure he can write fairly well (as in a few sentences a day now) -but more especially by the end of Beyond Little Hearts, as Bigger Hearts has quite a bit of writing. One thing you can enjoy doing is spreading Beyond and Bigger Hearts out over 3 years, doing school 4 days a week, and possibly doing some of Bigger Hearts half-speed at the start, should you so enjoy that. I'd not overthink it right now though. If he strongly places in Beyond - and it sounds like he does - then I'd enjoy doing Beyond with him. It seems life has its unexpected challenges through the years. THere are far worse things than being AHEAD in the guides. My 6 1/2 yo is currently doing Beyond with the ERS and Spelling List 2 and LOVING it! HTH!

In Christ,
Julie