placement

[Mercy]

Hi.

I am feeling an amazing peace about placing my 11yo in CTC. I truly think this is going to be one of the best years hes ever had!! Cant wait to see him grow this year.

My problem comes from my 6yo. I still dont feel peace.

She has done about a 1/3 of LHFHG. And it was PERFECT for her at that time. Im just not sure if it is now. Well, I guess I sort of waivered a lil even while she was in LHFHG...she is a smart cookie! Ive held her back since she began to read at two. Ive kind of tried to keep her from growing up too fast, kwim? We zoomed through the reading lesson. She just needed a boost to say it was time and she took off! I found her reading the old version of alice in wonderland last night and she was reading fluently. She has always been ahead of the math. Im switching to singapore this next year and she places solidly in 2B. She is all girl and writes all over the place. I was having her copy the memory verse every other day in LHFHG and she did awesome! So, between all of this...she really does place in BLHFHG. But...I have LHFHG. And, she didnt finnish it. She is within the age range. And, I can always use beyonds math, language arts, emergers, etc. But Im torn. Part of me doesnt want it so complicated, doing some from ea guide. But, I also dont want to miss out on LHFHG...

Help me to think this through here...please.
Vote. Give me some stories. Something.
She is begging me to go to the next guide.
I dont feel peace staying w LHFHG.
But, I dont want to miss it.
And, I dont want to buy the program right now, unless its the better thing to do.

Thank u gals sooooo much!!!!!
Mercy

[Jessi]

Does she complain about the work being too easy? Is she bored? Or is she compliant and enjoying Little Hearts? I suppose if she isn't showing signs that it is too easy for her, then finish with it and beef it up like you had mentioned. If, however, she is showing signs that it is too easy and wants to be more challenged, then move her up. Having the best placement makes a world of difference in how your child does in a program.

[Kathleen]

I was in your shoes last year at this time. We had slowed down LHFHG so that I could keep Garret and Allison together for school time. It really helped our daily schedule that year.

We just went ahead with LHFHG and finished it this past year. We beefed it up a little, similar to what you mentioned. More fine motor skills/writing. She was ahead in math, so we used the plans in Beyond for that. I added spelling from Beyond a ways into the year. (I had a new baby at the start of the year, so I waited just a bit only for that reason.) We used the Emerging Readers also scheduled in Beyond.

We had a great year! We finished the end of February, and then started Beyond in March and April. Now this year we're cruising along in Beyond and will begin Bigger when we're done. The next year we'll finish Bigger, and the "plan" is to use Preparing when she's 9 ("4th grade") and complete a guide per year. As you move up the guides get even meatier, so there's so much to keep their bright little minds inspired!

It's a question that probably doesn't have just one right answer. I'm sure that you could move up to Beyond now, and it would be great. But, I'm guessing that you could also stick with LHFHG and add a little to the basics from Beyond like we did, and also be great! I'd vote for finishing LHFHG (because that's what I actually did ), but if you're truly against it, don't.

Kathleen

[krismoose]

I agree with Kathleen. It's really not a big deal to use 2 guides for different levels. We did the ERs, 1A/B math activities and spelling from the Beyond guide last year while doing other materials for the "left side". If she's enjoying the stories and history in LHFHG, I'd say finish it off. It is a lovely program, and it's really great to have an overview of creation and the spread of the church before focusing on American History . That being said, you do have a younger one that you can use LHFHG with in a couple of years, so if you have the funds and she's excited about and places well in Beyond, then you could just start that and read the Burgess books for fun.

[holdinon]

It sounds like there is no wrong answer. She could probably do very well in Beyond. But, if she didn't finish Little Hearts and is still in that age range, I think I'd just stick with that and add math and Language Arts as appropriate. My dd7 (will be 8 very soon) is still in Little Hearts. She could easily do Beyond, but I needed to keep her with dd6. She loves doing the activities and does not find them babyish in any way. She does do her level math and we follow the LA box from Beyond.
HTH!
Angie

[Mercy]

Well...thinking this all through still. I am going to talk this through w my husband tonight and hopefully get direction for my daughter. Really, truly am grateful for your responses. I will b reading these w him. I dont know why I have such concern about doing LHFHG w her. She just seems to b growing up before my eyes more and more lately. She is not wanting to do LHFHG, because she has said lately, on several occasions, "you know Im growing up mom." She thinks I think shes younger than she is. I truly want her to "stay young" as long as she can and I think shes picking up on it and its bothering her. I recognise I am the mom/teacher, so whatever I decide will go, either way. She is my independent girl, who I could hand a stack of workbooks to and she would *love* the control over her education. But, alas, I "have to" teach her. Lol!

Just still thinking on this.
anyone have anything to add?

Thanks again!!
Mercy

[my3sons]

Such good thoughts here already! Reading your post, I would think the same exact thing as you - either your dd needs LHFHG and Beyond's LA and math, or she could do Beyond. Actually, either of these two options would work. Placement can be hard. It could be that Beyond would have worked from the start. If you came to the board right now and shared what you have about your dd's LA/math, I'd probably tell you to place her in Beyond. Or, I'd say do LHFHG with Beyond's LA/math.

I would try not to have dd's comments play a big role in your decision though. As you said, you are the teacher, and you will make the decision about what is going to be done. If dc get the notion that if they say they are ready for more and this is the catalyst to stop something less new and begin something more fresh, this can make for a trying tug-of-war between parent and child. So, I would just be careful that this doesn't cloud your judgment, and that she doesn't have the impression that if you do stop LHFHG and start Beyond that skipping things and stopping guides is going to be something that she has control over by her comments. One other thought - I don't think I'd start a 6 yo in Singapore 2B. YIKES! Make sure you test her without giving her any help - not even to read directions or give guidance of any kind. In Singapore, they start 1A/1B at age 7 yo, and they are aggressive with math. While she could maybe get through 2B now, she is going to have to be older to have the maturity to solve the very difficult problems coming. HTH, Mercy!

In Christ,
Julie

[Mercy]

Julie, you never miss anything!! You are right...I meant 1B. Lol! But seriously though, thank you so much for your input! After talking, praying and planning...I am feeling much better about finishing LHFHG w her. I did discuss it w her a lil bit...totally agree about how much decision making should b up to the child - lots of wisdom there! Thankfully she truly did have some good input (just caught her at the riht moment maybe?) I did talk to her before reading your post Julie, otherwise I would have headed your advice - which, again, I think is really wise! To make a long story short, making the teachers guide "mine" by crossing out what we will not be using and penciling in those from Beyond into the Little Hearts guide, relly helped me find that peace a lil bit more.

So, I put in my last order tonight...hoping it comes before the following monday (x fingerz!) Because we are suposed to start on the 22nd!! Whoo hoo!!:-)

Thanks again so much!!!
Mercy