English 2 for a 1st grader?

[LeAnna]

Okay, so as I have it planned for this fall 2009/2010, we are taking Beyond at 4 days a week with my 6.5 and 5.5 year old. Doing it this way, will put us into the following year 2010/2011, with a remaining 6-7 weeks of Beyond left, and then move right into Bigger from there.... also doing 4 days a week. My concern is this.... that my techniqually 1st and 2nd grader will not be ready for the English 2 handbook.... especially given that it recommended for a 3rd grader. I don't want either one of them, especially my younger to be overwhelmed with it. I don't even really want to think about it for the younger, it's just too early. So, my question is, what should my plan be for the LA for Bigger with them? I plan to do the Beyond plans of LA... I am not worried about that with them, given it's one day a week and so gentle. I had even thought of going through Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind, since it was for 1st and 2nd grade in one book, and also a gentle approach. I thought that might give them a little bit of time to prepare for the Rod and Staff English 2 book. Would you recommend that I use it in Preparing instead, so that I can use it with both of the kids at the same time? That would put them at 2nd and 3rd grade.

Thanks,
LeAnna

[Jen in Va]

I like your plan of holding off with R&S until your kids are a year older--not because grade 2 is so rigorous, but because there is so much meat in the rest of the program, that I feel it is better that children are older when they get to it. Looking at Preparing, it gives you the option to use R&S 3 or 4, or a grammar program of your choosing. The lessons in R&S are easy to schedule so that it will fit in with whatever HOD guide you're doing--so it would be easy to schedule it yourself a year behind what HOD recommends. If it were my decision, I would definitely hold off on the R&S for a year and do something else with Bigger--what you suggested or one of the Language Lessons for the Very Young.

[my3sons]

I think you'll know better when you finish Beyond. Then, you can either just hold off, or start R & S half-speed.

In Christ,
Julie