Placement Chart

[Sophie]

It's driving me crazy. If I do exactly what it says above the placement chart (circle all that fit your child), I circled everything in the Beyond column EXCEPT age. It just makes me so nervous to place him in a program that is not 'meant for his age'. My first thought was to place my child in LHFHG. We've tried the first week from the sample. and it's not for him. He thought it was funny, but he didn't really learn anything. Should I just place him on skill-level?

[3sweeties]

Hi Sophie!

My first inclination is to say you should place on skill level, but could I ask how old your DS is? We have finished half of LHFHG for my second DS (just turned 6) for K this year and are doing the other half for 1st in the fall with the first grade options. It has been a perfect fit for him even though some of the stuff was technically too "easy" for him, especially in the beginning of the program, he has grown in his listening/narration/sitting still skills IMMENSELY!!! Every child is different, but my biggest concern with my second DS has been him hitting Bigger too early, since I did that for 2nd with my first DS (who placed on skill level in it, but was on the younger end of the age range) and it was "almost" too much for him. Would love to try and help you however I can and I know all the wonderful ladies on here will also!!!

[solagratia824]

How old is your son?

Have you considered using Beyond for the "skill" areas and LHFHG for everything else? My ds was just barely 5 when we began LHFHG last fall, but he was ready for the Emerging Readers, Singapore 1A, and spelling instruction. So we have been using LHFHG as our spine, but are using the Beyond manual for the emerging reader schedule/questions, math activities, and spelling words. It has been the perfect fit for us. Ds has really enjoyed the Burgess books for storytime, the history readings/related activities, and the Bible activities.

Every child and family is different, but I hope that helps!

[Sophie]

He's only 4 He absolutely loves learning. I've tried to slow him down, but that didn't quite work. He almost finished his phonics, can write both capital and lowercase manuscript, can narrate well, and he's in second grade math (I won't be using Singapore as I want to keep to the rule 'If it ain't broken don't fix it'.). Ideally I would buy both programs, but that's not possible right now. I'm just afraid I'd be buying something that he'll be flying through again. I was planning on only using the R&S Preschool Books until the age of 5, but he flew through them in 3 months time. I don't push him in any way, but I also don't want to hold him back, KWIM? He likes challenges, but I'm not sure if Beyond would be too challenging. He can do the language arts part, but I'm not entirely sure about the read alouds.

[3sweeties]

That is awesome that he loves to learn so much!!!

Is he just-turned four or closer to 5? How does he do while you read aloud chapter books, like Little House in the Big Woods or something similar? Is he able to sit still and listen and comprehend what you are reading to him? The only thing with the books in Beyond is that there are not very many pictures (even less than the Little House books) and most of them require the student to sit still and be able to listen, along with narration skills. I would also be concerned about him hitting Bigger way too soon, where there is a HUGE jump in writing, reading, notebooking, drawing, etc., and other skills. I almost burned out my older DS's love for learning at 7.5 when we started b/c he is also advanced and I just went full-speed ahead in Bigger b/c I knew he was capable of it, but the amt. of work overwhelmed him!! He got SO much more out of it the second half of that year, when he was closer to 8.

Have you thought about maybe trying Beyond half-speed and see how it goes? Or you could go with LHFHG at full-speed w/ the 1st grade options and see if he can handle the handwriting, storytime (my DS's favorite part! ), Bible/History and other activities along with the Emerging Readers set (although I think the questions that go with that are in Beyond) w/o getting frustrated or tired/complaining (these were signs in my oldest DS that I was expecting too much)? Solagratia824 had some great ideas as well as far as combining the two!

I'm sure some other ladies will have more insight than me, but that is just my two cents and experiences! HTH a little!

[Sophie]

Yes I was actually thinking of doing Beyond half speed, or Little Hearts (+readers and spelling) a bit faster. Thank you for warning me about Bigger, I'll go and have a look at those samples as well, as I'm not sure if he'd be ready for that next year! I don't want to hit a wall!
He's doing fine with chapter books, but I'll try one of the read alouds in Beyond first, and see how he does.

[my3sons]

My 4 1/2 yo was reading short chapter books and writing at least a sentence each day when he started LHFHG. However, he needed to grow in his attention span, listening skills, and reading comprehension. He also needed to have daily history readings, science readings, and Bible devotions. LHFHG taught him to do science experiments, art projects, history activities, Biblical discussions, Scriptural memorization, and more. It also taught him to do all school subject areas in a balanced way each school day. All of these skills are so important to have intact before beginning Beyond Little Hearts. I wouldn't start a 4 1/2 yo in Beyond Little Hearts, but would rather use LHFHG and add LA/math as needed. My ds started the Emerging Reader's Set from Beyond halfway through LHFHG, and that worked out well for him. Being below the target age range within HOD will eventually result in school being way toooooooo advanced, especially once dc are expected to be able to write quite a bit within their day. For example, if your ds did Beyond this year (even half-speed for two years), he'd be 6 1/2 yo when he started Bigger Hearts. Here are a few links to Bigger Heart's writing skills...

Amount of writing in BHFHG:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3005
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1516&p=11829

LHFHG is an exciting program! It gives a one year sweep of history chronologically, and that gives dc "pegs" to hang subsequent history upon, as well as beginning oral narration skills, science skills, comprehension skills, etc. It sounds like you have an early reader and writer - hooray! That is something that is pretty exciting! However, daily instruction with skills within other subject areas (i.e. history, science, art, reading comprehension questions, etc.) that are not just read alouds but require many other skills too is more challenging. It sounds like he will be able to clip along nicely with LHFHG, and then move into Beyond after that, still a bit below the target age range at 5 1/2 yo, but with many new skills intact and with a pacing ahead of him that he will be able to keep up with and soar! HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

[MomtoJGJE]

My suggestion would be to do "school" with LHFHG with whatever basics he's at now. ERs if he's there and comprehending what he reads (can answer questions without you prompting him) and then let him learn other stuff not in school time.

FWIW my oldest could do 2nd grade math from other sources at 4, but Singapore she's right there in 2A right now at age 8. I wouldn't start ERs until he can comprehend enough to answer thinking questions without prompting though. Start with the Early Readers Bible because it has questions after each section... if he can do that then he's probably good to go with ERs.

I'd also think about just doing a 4 day week with LHFHG (picking up day 5 the next week, etc.) and letting Friday (or whatever other day) be your experiment or nature or whatever day. And let other workbooks and things be saved for after school time. Also, with the curriculum stuff, don't let him just go through it at his speed, but keep it with the lesson plans. This will let it work itself out and he'll know it better.

[solagratia824]

I appreciate this board. The ladies here are so helpful. They really helped me when I was in a very similar situation last year.

I hear you about wanting to purchase just one manual. I can totally understand that. Hmmm... When you tried out the first week of LHFHG, what was it about it that didn't suit your son? Was it the "Learning Through History" read-alouds/activities and Storytime, or was it the fine motor/reading/math areas?

I think it would be really easy to swap out the fine motor/reading/math activities and books for things that suit your son's current level, which you could do without the Beyond manual. The "Learning Through History"/Storytime seems just right for the suggested age range to me, even if your child is academically advanced. But every child is different, and you know your own son best.

FWIW, I think we could have done Beyond for this year, but we would have been riding the edge of my son's attention span and comprehension for "Learning Through History"/Storytime. I'm glad that we decided on LHFHG... my son loves the Burgess books and history read-alouds. He has loved the science experiments, even though many of the concepts were review for him (he does his own science reading independently for whatever he's interested in). LHFHG has made for an engaging and enjoyable kindergarten year... it's been a year of academic growth, yes, but more importantly, it's been a year of fueling my son's love of learning... and growing his love for God and His Word.

[krismoose]

I would do LHFHG for the history/Bible/science, art, drama activity and storytime read-alouds, and do whatever math/reading/handwriting he needs to. What was it about the sample that he didn't like?

Maybe when budget permits you can get the Beyond guide and emerging readers. In the meantime, get level 1 readers from the library I did LHFHG with a 4.5 yo, and it was great, but we ended up needing to fill time before ds was ready for more writing and the maturity for some of the read-alouds in Beyond. The devotional will stretch a 4yo, as will the storytime questions over the year!

[Sophie]

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts.

I think he'd be ready for the LA part of Beyond, and most of the other boxes, but maybe not for the Read alouds. So I'm going to try one this week, see how that goes. If that works fine I might do Beyond half speed. If it's too much (the book )I could just buy LHFHG and let him go through it on his own speed (using the lesson plans). Then I might have to buy the Beyond package later this year, but at least I don't have to pay for it all right now. OR, (so many options!) I just keep doing what we're doing now until he's ready for Beyond. I could use the ER's and the Spelling, and wait with the rest, and maybe add the 'History Stories for Children' book from LHFHG.

What he didn't like about the sample...well, he liked it, but it was not 'meaty' enough. The science was too easy for him, he'd like to dig a bit further into it. The fine motor skills box, math and phonics box would not be used at all. We use MEP for math, and that works so well for him. He'd probably be on level for math in Sm 2a, but that would be in the Bigger guide, so I'm not going there! So if I'd go for LHFHG I really have to buy the Beyond guide as well, for LA and the readers. My little one will be doing LHTH, so my 4yr would join in with those activities as well, for fun.

I did have a look at the Bigger LA boxes and the thought of it doesn't scare me, really. Maybe it is because I'm used to him being advanced. iF I start Beyond with him next schoolyear and spread that over 2 years he'll be 6 when he hits Bigger. If he can write now (and well!) how will his writing be in 2 years from now?? But I'm still considering LHFHG as well. I'll think and pray about it a bit longer

[Mom2Monkeys]

I'm saying this out of love and experience. Just because he CAN, doesn't mean he SHOULD. He's 4...and just because he can handle each activity and assignment and is advanced, doesnt mean he should carry that workload. I have a gifted child and I know exactly the boat you're in right now. May I humbly suggest just going through LHFHG 4 days per week, using the 5th day to let him explore deeper into topics of interest. It's ok if things are easy for him. Let him enjoy these early successes bc things will not always be so easy! From experience, I know when an advanced child like this generally breezes through things, then they hit a wall and have no where to go, they start feeling dumb. Everything has been so easy and "If I were really so smart, then I should be able to do this too". And usually all that's needed is time and maturity. It's ok for him to grasp things easily...hat doesn't mean he isn't learning new things! It just means he is learning them easily LHFHG will be fun, won't make his school day too long for his age, will build up important skills, and tea h him a good virtue in doing activities with a cheerful heart that he may find "beneath him". Then let him delve into extra science readings and such after school and on the 5th day. Perhaps he could handle the grammar of Bigger Hearts, but at 4, he has no use for it really. My gifted child will now be doing Preparing Hearts this fall as a 5th grader/10yo. She's learning TONS bc it comes easily and she's really able to get so much out of it. She's also reading and enjoying the extensions. She did Bigger as a 3rd/4th grader and the workload was PLENTY although the actual content (reading, etc) was right on. I wouldn't want even the brightest of 6 year olds in Bigger!!
I started her in K at age 4, and quickly moved to 1st grade materials. I really regret it. I wish I would have let her be a kid more even though she devoured school! She loved to learn! BUT, I should have kept school more appropriate and let her feed her curiousity through library books, nature walks, serving others, life skill learning, being mama's kitchen helper, more free play, experimenting with her surroundings...like ice cubes melting faster in the window sill than on the floor I hope this helps you. I wish I had heard it from someone when I was getting started!

[3sweeties]

As another momma with a gifted child, I agree wholeheartedly with my3sons and Mom2Monkeys and the other ladies. Enjoy your time together and do lots of extras and delight-directed learning on that 5th day -- a love for learning is what you want to encourage at this age more than anything else! Like I said in my earlier post, I regret having my DS do really challenging stuff in K (we did not use HOD) just b/c he "could" at an early age. I wish I had had access to all the wonderful insight from these ladies back then...it would have saved us a lot of tears and difficulties later on down the road!!!

[Sophie]

I understand what your saying but I'm not sure he'd be happy with working under his level. I've tried to hold him back before and this ended up in tears and frustration. He loves challenges, and I don't see them for him in the LHFHG samples. I wish I knew somehow who has a copy so I could read through it. He likes doing 'just for fun' but without challenging stuff as well, I'm afraid it's not going to work for him.

Mom2monkeys: I think the big difference with our kiddos is that mine loves the challenge I'll think about it though.

I appreciate all your thoughts! Really!

[MomtoJGJE]

Could you not get extra stuff to challenge him? Like science kits, etc.? More books on the topics you are studying in LHFHG?