Need some help choosing for youngers

[sted]

Okay, I'm on the verge of placing my order but am getting some second thoughts about my younger kids. My two olders will be doing Bigger and Bigger /extensions. I have a 6 and 4 yr. old. My 6 year probably places in Beyond (emerging reader), my 4 yr. old in Little Hands (doesn't know any letter sounds yet). I was going to do Beyond at half-pace for my 6yr. old. LA skill wise I think she would do fine in that. However, should I combine them in Little Hearts and tweak lower and higher for LA skills? Would this help with keeping them together in the long run, or should I do individual programs and maybe combine them down the road? I don't know how that would work eg) at what program they could join up. Any ideas of which way I should go? I don't like the idea of always tweaking programs higher or lower but on the other hand, I'm worried about the pragmatics of getting everything done in 3 manuals.

Thanks,
Shannon

[Kathleen]

I loved our trip through LHTH, but reading your post, I think I'd give a yes vote to trying LHFHG with the 4 and 6 yo. If I were you, I'd try to make LHFHG and Beyond last for 3 years so that they're 7 and 9 when you hit Bigger. I know it will be more tweaking for you now with the reading and math...but as long as you do them individually now with those 2 things, by the time you hit Bigger, you'll just be "off" with math on your 2-page spread which shouldn't be too confusing. They'll eventually combine for DITHOR...but can be reading books on their own level. (I'm only doing one in DITHOR now, but the plans in that guide have some days all levels are together and some where you're , so all 4 of your kids will be together for parts of that even though they'll read different books. )

Kathleen

[sted]

Thanks Kathleen for some advice. Now if I did LHFHG with both, would you recommend buying the LHTH for the rhymes and letter sounds or just doing a phonics program. Also, should I then buy Beyond teacher's guide for the higher level LA skills (such as spelling and dictation) or maybe just use the stuff I already have such as WWE?

Thanks again,
Shannon

[sted]

Hoping to get another opinion.

Thanks,
Shannon