Motherjoy,
The Bible in Little Hearts isn't vital, especially since it just memory verses and a devotional just once a week. Not that it isn't good, but when looking at ways to shave minutes here and there, its on the chopping block. We will be covering Bible in many other areas (church, family worship, morning time, etc.) I don't mind skipping boxes. Its the only way that I can make HOD work for our family and trying to juggle so many guides, and the other needs of our home. I only mention this, so that if there are other moms reading they don't feel trapped by what's written on the guides. There are lots of ways to use HOD and using it exactly as written is only ONE way.

I've been homeschooling long enough to know that trying to do something just because I'm "supposed to" never works.
We must have been posting at the same time as I didn't see your last comments until I posted mine here! I appreciate your sentiments, as I have to admit that reading words like "The Bible in Little Hearts isn't vital..." and "its on the chopping block..." and "so that if there are other moms reading, they don't feel trapped by what's written in the guides" were hard for me to read. I would definitely agree that the Bible in Little Hearts is vital, even along with Bible at church and during family times. The Bible in Little Hearts is meant to directly connect to the history readings. After doing the Bible in tandem with the history readings, you can really see the connections. The devotional is also directly connected to the history readings in Little Hearts and works well to bring out topics that little ones have on their hearts at that age. I had many wonderful discussions with my boys through the Bible topics in Little Hearts.

I also discovered through the years that Bible is one subject that is good to do with my boys as individuals during school time, because it allows for heart to heart discussions where my boys felt free to share things they would never share if their siblings were listening. Bible is truly meant to be one of the most important subjects in the guides.
As far as feeling trapped by what is written in the guides, it is my hope that simply following the plans actually results in more freedom in one's day overall as the burden of deciding what to do each day is lifted. By simply doing what is in the guide, there is less meandering and more on task behavior (as the child knows exactly what is expected and so does the parent). There is less time spent talking and debating about what to do and what to skip (and the child realizes that if it is in the plans it must be done). This also results in less time spent negotiating with the child (as once kiddos see that some of the plans are negotiable, everything becomes open to negotiation).

There is also more comfort for the students in knowing exactly what to expect each day (when following the plans as written), as the guides are written with a rotating schedule of skills and a balance of reading, writing, listening, and speaking each day.
While as the parent you can definitely do as you please with the guides, one thing to keep in mind is that the purpose of this board is to help families use the guides as close to the way they are written as possible. This is because this is not just a general board, but it is actually the home board of the author.

There are many general boards where discussing deviations from the plans is fine, however on this board it only leads to confusion as to the author's intent. As people read threads like these, they quickly begin thinking that certain parts of the plans are expendable and that it is fine to skip whatever they wish with no long-term consequences at all. With the amount of time I spend writing the guides, I do actually have a purpose for every part of the plans which means that I feel each part is integral to a child's education. Over time, skipping boxes repeatedly will lead to gaps in skills that we assume your child has been practicing prior to entering the next guide, and some of those skills are found in the Bible box.
I understand desiring to make the plans your own and figuring out what that looks like for your family. All families need to find ways to do this. You are certainly entitled to your opinion of what is necessary and can set up your year any way you choose. However, discussing it on this particular board as if encouraging others to break away from the "ONE" way of using HOD is not going to fit well here. This board is meant to help people use our guides as close to "ONE" way as possible so that we can help families when they hit roadblocks and can assure them when they falter that progress will be made if they just persevere in doing what is written.

We are unable to do those things if we have no idea what anyone is doing and if everyone just does whatever they want with the plans each year. The common thread we all have in mind when we discuss things on this board is what is contained in the plans at each level, the sequence of skills within each guide, and the understanding that we're coming from a similar perspective in trying to accomplish what is found within the guides. If you pull that commonality away, we really can't advise one another very well any more, as the discussions will quickly turn to who is skipping what and why. At that point, it won't be worthwhile for me to spend time on the board trying to advise and aid families in how best to use the guide, as I won't actually have a good idea of what anyone is doing!
With the guides that you are using and your goal of having a together time in mind, I would be inclined to keep your idea of using Selah's hymns with everyone. Hymns work well across the age levels. The poetry from Preparing would work in a group too. Poetry can be done across age levels too. The Scripture memory I would keep separate, as each level speaks to the kiddos' hearts at their specific age. Perhaps you could also play the music CD from Little Hearts as well during this together time, as the verses are good for everyone to hear? Then, you could work on the memory work part later alone with your LHFHG child. I wouldn't add the music from the Preparing guide to the together time, as it is lengthy memory work from the Psalms that would be tough for everyone to learn in addition to their own memory work in their own guides. The Thornton Burgess books from LHFHG are another thing that could be done at the together time. You could read aloud the chapter and then everyone could kite off while you do the questions and follow-ups with your little sweetie in LHFHG.

Even my big boys still won't part with their Thornton Burgess books, and my oldest was a senior this year!

On the days the devotional in Little Hearts comes up, you could possibly read that aloud too to everyone. The devotional topics are good ones and they bear fruit in discussion.
One other thing to keep in mind as you look at a together time is that sometimes adding a together time adds time to everyone's day as kiddos are actually doing things that are not a part of their own guide, making everyone's day go longer. Perhaps you could entertain just having a round table time instead where everyone works on math at once and you pop around and help, or everyone works on copywork (or handwriting/fine motor skills for your LHFHG person) at once from their guide for that day and you bounce around and oversee. I have done both of these things in the past with success with my boys. Or, maybe everyone could have reading/literature time at once, with you helping one sweetie with phonics and the rest of the kiddos curled up in chairs and couches reading quietly in the same room or nearby whatever is assigned for their reading/literature that day? In these ways, you get your together time but everyone is going forward with their specific guide. Anyway, these are just some ideas as you ponder the days you envision for your children.
Blessings,
Carrie