Placement question -- between LHFHG 1st or Beyond

[FiveLittlePeaches]

Hi there.

I think I'd rather come on board and get help with figuring things out than do it on my own and second guess myself!

Last year I combined my children in LHFHG, and my younger two did K options. I'm sorry to say that in the beginning of the year, we did not do the program as written, but his was mostly because I was focused on my oldest daughter. Additionally, it wasn't until midway through that I started to discover the brillance of HOD. Guess that makes me a slow learner, but atleast I figured it out!

This year, I want to separate my oldest (8 in the fall) from her younger two (6 and 7 in the fall). The difference in their abilities is too much, I think.

With that being said, I am trying to weigh out my options.

I could let the 6 and 7 year old repeat LHFHG with First Grade options. They place inbetween LHFHG and Beyond in the placement charts. I really want them to get a good solid year of Phonics under their belts. I would have them work at their level in math, though.

Or I could put them in Beyond. This is where I get confused. I worry about their attention span in the History read alouds.

Where do I take it from here? How do I go on with figuring out placement and which program would be best for them?

Thank you in advance,

Joy

[crlacey]

Joy,
You could probably finish LHFHG if that's where your children place. Have you looked at this placement chart to see where they are skill wise?
http://heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php
That should help you place them in the correct program for their current skills.

[FiveLittlePeaches]

I'm sorry. I'm must not have been clear in my post. We finished LHFHG. They didn't do 1st grade thinking skills, and for the first part of the year we skipped Ryhmes in motion. We did all the R&S books prior to starting HOD. We went through the CLP science book a couple of times, but not according to the HOD schedule. That was what I meant when I said we didn't do it as written. And I skipped those things because I was concentrating on my oldest daughter more.

As far as phonics goes, they did ETC through book 3 1/2. They did pretty well, and it was done in a very relaxed way. They are both pretty good readers. They went through the Pathway 1st grade reader set, just to give you an idea. We have tons of books around the house. We don't watch TV, so if they want something to do, it's either play or read. I just want them to do a solid year of R&S phonics, but knowing how they well they both can read, I know they're ready for the Emerging Readers. They are to the point of reading sentences based on punctuation, and will self correct so the sentence reads correctly.

We did R&S math last year. My older of the two finished the first grade book, and the then 5 year old got through the first book. I'm nervous about switching over to Singapore. The older tested into 1B and the younger 1A.

They can do copy work. Sometimes I would have them write out their verses for the week from Little Hearts.

Maybe I'm expecting too much of their narration skills...but they do pretty good.

They aren't great spellers, so they are ready for lessons. Otherwise they spell things phonetically if they don't know otherwise.

They will sit for some read alouds, but not others. What do you think?

Joy

[my3sons]

Good morning, Joy! I just responded to you in a different post, so I see the Lord has been busy leading your heart in your decision already. HOORAY! Thanks for sharing your thoughts here. I would not repeat LHFHG (even with the harder options). I would do Beyond with them, starting half-speed, but doing reading daily. You can do half-speed all year or go to full-speed at any time you want. The reason I think this is a good decision is because your dc sound completely ready for Beyond. They can do the Emerging Reader's Set (which is outstanding BTW ). They are ready for the spelling and the copywork. Beyond covers beginning narration skills well, and they are ready to learn those. As far as the math, you can use the awesome hands-on HOD lessons for 1A/1B that are in Beyond. If you do the lessons as they are planned, you will find it easy to do Singapore, and your dc will do well with it.

In Christ,
Julie

[my4sugars]

Joy, I am using Beyond with my twin girls for 1st grade this year also. We finished LHFHG last school year, but I felt like they weren't quite ready for the full jump into Beyond in most areas. I am spreading Beyond over two years for them. We are doing 1st grade options from LHFHG (Thinking Skills and Handwriting A) as well as Math 1A/1B and TRL for Phonics. They aren't finished with that yet, but will hopefully be moving into the Emerging Reader's later this year. We have only done 2 days so far, but the stories in the History books catch their attention and listening has not been a problem. But they just have always needed a little more time when it comes to progressing on with HOD. That being said, they absolutely love HOD and are very eager for each new day and its lessons. Doing Beyond half-speed has been a good solution for my late-bloomers. Good luck!