how to go half-speed

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queenireneof3
Posts: 173
Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:44 am

how to go half-speed

Post by queenireneof3 » Sat Mar 07, 2015 2:56 pm

I hope this is not a silly question, but does going "half-speed" mean doing one side of the page on any given day?

I am wondering about slowing my younger daughter down to half-speed in Beyond to give her extra time to develop before starting Bigger. Does that mean she only reads and does math every other day since it is on one half of the day plans?

Will this slow her down in those areas?

Thank you!
Sara Irene
wife to Brett for 16 years already!
mommy of ds B (13yo), dd S (11yo), ds S (7yo), dd (3 yo), dd (1.5yo), and two who went to meet Jesus 3/5/2014 and 7/23/14

Rice
Posts: 526
Joined: Tue Aug 06, 2013 10:00 am

Re: how to go half-speed

Post by Rice » Sat Mar 07, 2015 3:17 pm

We did half speed for two months as we started 3 different guides for 4 kids this fall, our first year with HOD.

My suggestion is to do math, writing and reading/phonics every day. We use sticky flags on our guides. Day 1 is one color, Day 2 is another, etc. Every subject gets a sticky, so in the Language Arts box I often have 2-4 stickies, depending on the guide. When we finish Reading About History on Day 1 of Unit 1 we move that sticky to the same box on Day 1 in Unit 2. That way, every box that has a flag has yet to be done. A very visual way to keep track. I would suggest you decide how many boxes would be your goal for a day, remembering that sometimes a box takes longer than the Day before. Try splitting the number of non-math/reading/writing boxes in half to start, then gradually adding more, if it doesn't seem like enough each day. This way it should be fairly simple to work up to 2/3 or 3/4 pace if that works better, or even slightly less than 1/2 speed if "life happens" or you want to spend extra time on reading/writing or her own interests.

There's really no right or wrong way to do it so I'm sure others will have some other great ideas, too!
Blessings,
Rice

DS 21 - GRAD '20: after WG
DD 19 - GRAD '21: after WH
DS 17 - GRAD '22; did CTC-WH + 2yrs non-HOD (🇨🇦)
DS 15 not using a guide this year (DONE: LHFHG-MTMM)
DS 13 MTMM (DONE: Prep-Rev2Rev)
DS 11 +
DD 9 CTC (DONE: Prep)
6yo DS phonics

StephanieU
Posts: 1652
Joined: Tue May 21, 2013 7:10 pm

Re: how to go half-speed

Post by StephanieU » Sat Mar 07, 2015 3:21 pm

There are two types of half speed I think. The first is temporary - normally for family happenings or at the beginning of a guide. In this case, you do one page a day, only doing the 3Rs half of the time. This is because it is temporary, and you know you will be going full speed most of the time.
The second is long term. In this case, most families do the 3Rs daily. Then, they split the rest of each day in the guide in half, spreading it out over two calender days. So, for Beyond, you have reading about history, rotating box, poetry, and Bible that you would be doing half speed. You would be doing music everyday, but repeating each day (so you stay on the verse you are working on). Language arts, math, and reading you would do daily. Storyime you could do full or half speed. If you went full speed, you would just repeat the genres again with another set of books. If you did storytime half speed, I would do group storytime and poetry together to make one day and history, rotating box, and Bible the other day. If you did storytime full speed, splitting up might be harder. But you could add something like co-op, field trips, nature walks, etc to the poetry day to round things out.

Really, there aren't any hard and fast rules for half speed, and many families do it a variety of ways...
Mom to
DD15 US1 (completed LHFHG-WH)
DS13 MtMM (completed LHFHG-Rev2Rev plus some of LHTH)
DD12 Rev2Rev (completed LHTH-RtR)
DS7 Beyond (completed LHTH-LHFHG)

queenireneof3
Posts: 173
Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:44 am

Re: how to go half-speed

Post by queenireneof3 » Sat Mar 07, 2015 8:00 pm

Thank you, ladies!

I am thinking about uncombining my kids. My son (8.5, 3rd grade) and daughter (6.5, 1st grade) have been combined since LHFHG. We are now in week 20 of Beyond. My son needed the extra time with his three R's so it was easy to combine them. He has now developed to the point where I think he places better in Bigger. I am not sure however, that she will be quite ready for Bigger at the same time. Maybe she will develop a lot in our last 14 weeks of Beyond, but I was wondering about keeping her in Beyond at half-speed and moving him on to Bigger in a few weeks when he finishes spelling list 1. (Skipping the last 10 or so units of Beyond. He could always listen in to the stories, however, which I'm sure he will!) He is on spelling list 1 unit 30 right now. So after he finishes up spelling list 1 (34th unit), he would be ready to start on list 2 which is a part of the Bigger guide. I would just transition him into Bigger in a few weeks at that point when he is ready to start list 2. I would probably have to start him at half-speed too.

Julie had mentioned in another post that she stretched out the early guides by doing 4 day weeks. I was thinking if I did the same for my younger by either doing 4 days a week or going half speed, we could stretch our Beyond and Bigger to fill the rest of her 1st grade year through her 3rd grade year. Then she would be starting Preparing in 4th grade.

That is why I was wondering about "half-speed". It would probably be long term for my daughter for the next two years and I didn't want her to skip math and reading every other day.

I'm not sure about this plan as I'm nervous about running two guides at once. Not because the guides are not easy to follow, but because I am not always the most disciplined person. One guide has been wonderful so far, but I don't want to avoid two guides if my son should move on.

I know most of you mamas run multiple guides! I am also expecting a new baby in the summer, so I don't want to take on more school work than we can realistically get done. I do want my son to be appropriately challenged, however. Math has been a tougher area for him, so being in Beyond with the lighter "other" work load has helped him to keep plugging away at math.

Thank you for the advice and explanations about going half-speed. That really helps!
Sara Irene
wife to Brett for 16 years already!
mommy of ds B (13yo), dd S (11yo), ds S (7yo), dd (3 yo), dd (1.5yo), and two who went to meet Jesus 3/5/2014 and 7/23/14

Rice
Posts: 526
Joined: Tue Aug 06, 2013 10:00 am

Re: how to go half-speed

Post by Rice » Sat Mar 07, 2015 10:19 pm

I know Carrie or Julie will chime in with their (much more educated) opinions but it sounds to me like your plan is a good one!

Blessings as you continue to iron out the details and move into a long term plan for your little blessings! :D
Rice

DS 21 - GRAD '20: after WG
DD 19 - GRAD '21: after WH
DS 17 - GRAD '22; did CTC-WH + 2yrs non-HOD (🇨🇦)
DS 15 not using a guide this year (DONE: LHFHG-MTMM)
DS 13 MTMM (DONE: Prep-Rev2Rev)
DS 11 +
DD 9 CTC (DONE: Prep)
6yo DS phonics

bethelmommy
Posts: 265
Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2011 6:34 pm
Location: Alaska

Re: how to go half-speed

Post by bethelmommy » Sat Mar 07, 2015 11:47 pm

I'm not sure that dropping to half speed in Beyond this late in the guide would be the best choice. Your dd really needs to be able to complete Beyond at full speed to be ready to move on to Bigger even at 1/2 speed. If your dd is doing ok in Beyond at this point, I would continue full speed and then start Bigger at 1/2 speed for as long as needed. I'm pretty sure that I have read on past threads that a student needs to be able to complete at least the last 1/3 of a guide at full speed to be well prepared for the next guide.

I split my two kids earlier this year as well. My dd breezed through Beyond and then had trouble with Bigger even at 1/2 speed. I actually gave her a short break and just focused on the 3 R's along with letting her continue with her brother's storytime for several months and then restarted Bigger at 1/2 speed. She is doing well now and it hasn't been a problem running one at full speed and the other at half speed in the same guide. If your two kids are still doing well together, I recommend letting them finish Beyond at full speed and then splitting them once you reach Bigger. You can have the older start first and get comfortable with the new guide and then start your younger a few weeks later at 1/2 speed. I remember agonizing over this same issue last fall. I am praying that God will grant you wisdom, discernment, and peace as you decide the best way to move forward.
Grace and peace,
Alicia
DS 14 MTMM, DITHOR 6/7/8
DD 13 Rev2Rev, DITHOR 4/5
DS 10 Bigger, DITHOR 2/3
DD 8 Beyond, Level 2 Book Pack
(Previously completed LHFHG, Beyond, Bigger, Preparing, CTC, RTR, Rev2Rev, and DITHOR 2/3, 4/5)

farmfamily
Posts: 237
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2011 4:20 pm

Re: how to go half-speed

Post by farmfamily » Sun Mar 08, 2015 12:44 am

I'm not sure that dropping to half speed in Beyond this late in the guide would be the best choice.
I agree with Bethelmommy on this. If your daughter is doing well right now in Beyond, I would keep her going with it at full speed. As for your son, spelling list 2 is in the Beyond guide too & if he needs a little more challenge you can add Rod and Staff English 2 to Beyond (not sure if you're already doing this). When mine were combined I beefed up quite a bit for the older one, all from ideas I got looking at the next guide. For instance in Beyond she did vocabulary in the same way they have it in Bigger, she copied the Bible verse as in Bigger, she did cursive, she was doing dictation & was actually in Rod and Staff 3 by half way through Beyond. She also did DITHOR 2/3 every day. These are all easy add-ons. When it finally came time to split my two (after Bigger), my oldest was able to skip a guide because she clearly placed in CTC. Even though she skipped Preparing, which is a wonderful guide (I'm doing it now), I don't regret keeping them together so long because it made my life more sane, and, at least for a while there, they enjoyed doing school together too. Eventually towards the end of Bigger mine started bickering all through school, and it was clear to me that my oldest could do with more independence, while my younger one was lacking in the reading skills needed for Preparing. My oldest skipped from Bigger to CTC, while my second took a semester tagging along with little bro in Beyond and moving forward with her three Rs. Finally she went to Preparing half speed this January. Uncombining has been pretty easy on me because CTC is more independent.

In answer to your original question, she does half speed by doing math, dictation, reading, and grammar (Rod and Staff) every day & the rest of the boxes split evenly over two days. It is working great.

In answer to the uncombining question - IMHO, if keeping them combined is at all working for you, I would keep going until it's really clear that it's time to split.
blessed to be married 17 yrs to my hardworking farmer dh, mom to:
daughter 13 MTMM
daughter 11 Rev to Rev
son 10 CTC

Enjoyed Little Hands, LHFHG, Beyond, Bigger, Preparing, CTC, Res to Ref, and Rev to Rev!!

bethelmommy
Posts: 265
Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2011 6:34 pm
Location: Alaska

Re: how to go half-speed

Post by bethelmommy » Sun Mar 08, 2015 1:55 am

I just realized I didn't answer your original question. For my dd, 1/2 speed has worked out to be the left side of plans 1 day along with spelling (if scheduled), and DITHOR/storytime combined with ds. On day 2 she does the right side as scheduled except for cursive since she has finished that and does daily cursive copywork instead and spelling which she does on day 1. Dd's biggest struggle has been the increase in writing and this schedule works for her. Math ends up being every other day for now, but my kids also do Life of Fred for fun at night with dh, so I don't worry too much about that at this point. HTH.
Grace and peace,
Alicia
DS 14 MTMM, DITHOR 6/7/8
DD 13 Rev2Rev, DITHOR 4/5
DS 10 Bigger, DITHOR 2/3
DD 8 Beyond, Level 2 Book Pack
(Previously completed LHFHG, Beyond, Bigger, Preparing, CTC, RTR, Rev2Rev, and DITHOR 2/3, 4/5)

my3sons
Posts: 10698
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:08 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: how to go half-speed

Post by my3sons » Sun Mar 08, 2015 8:22 am

We have enjoyed going half-speed with some of the guides when a child needed some time to grow into doing a guide, when I needed to train the child to do a new guide and wanted to do so thoroughly at the start, or when I have had a difficult trial in life to work through (i.e. parent's health concerns). I have also done guides 4 days a week to match my oldest and middle sons' guides schedules. This flexibility is such a blessing! However, I do second what the ladies shared. Unless you have something difficult in life right now that requires a slow-down for you, doing Beyond full-speed to the end, and beginning Bigger Hearts half-speed would be better. A child needs every bit of training full-speed in Beyond to be able to do half-speed or full-speed in BHFHG well, as the increase in writing, reading, assignments, etc. requires daily strengthening of fine motor skills and the coordination/stamina that goes along with the daily copy work of the poetry and the spelling/LA assignments in Beyond accomplishes that. Math is another thing that is difficult to go half-speed in Beyond, especially as dc are usually needing daily work to get their addition/subtraction facts down. For these reasons, finishing Beyond full-speed and starting BHFHG half-speed would probably serve the child better, especially a child near the end of Beyond that has been doing just fine doing the work in Beyond (which is a good thing! :D :D :D ). As far as the logistics of going half-speed, here is a past thread that may help...

How does half-speed look in your home?
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5600&p=41232#p41232

I do realize that you may have some other contributing factors you are not able to share here that are making it necessary to go half-speed in Beyond right now. The particulars of life and the personal side of things can't always be shared online on a message board. If that is the case, then certainly exercise your good judgment and go half-speed if need be. You are the person with all of the facts at your disposal, and through prayer and discernment, you will know what is best to do! From what you've been able to share here though, we try to give our best advice accordingly. HTH! :D

In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie

queenireneof3
Posts: 173
Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:44 am

Re: how to go half-speed

Post by queenireneof3 » Mon Mar 09, 2015 9:42 pm

Thank you, ladies, for the good advice! I appreciate the wisdom to keep full-speed in Beyond since we are 2/3 thru. I would have never thought of that.

I have toyed around with uncombining them before and am glad they are still combined for now. It is very nice to have one guide running and they get along well. My fear is that my oldest ds (8.5, 3rd gr) is not doing as much as he could, or that by keeping him in an easier guide for too long will prevent him from developing appropriately for his age. However, so far, keeping him combined with his sister in a guide that he is at the top age range for has allowed him to develop his 3R's, which needed extra attention.

You all gave great ideas about adding grammar, DITHOR, etc. He is almost done with the emerging readers. Do you think it is a good idea to add grammar, DITHOR etc to his school work in the middle of Beyond? Or should I wait until we start Bigger? I do have them both doing Explode the Code, which is extra, but neither feel overloaded with Beyond at full-speed.

It is definitely easier to keep them together. They are both enjoying school. I think my fears about not challenging him enough (although, he is not asking to be further challenged, ha ha!) make me wonder if I should try to move him a long faster. Fears are probably not a good reason. :D

Perhaps when we start Bigger, I will get a sense of whether to keep them combined, or allow my daughter to go half-speed for awhile.
Sara Irene
wife to Brett for 16 years already!
mommy of ds B (13yo), dd S (11yo), ds S (7yo), dd (3 yo), dd (1.5yo), and two who went to meet Jesus 3/5/2014 and 7/23/14

queenireneof3
Posts: 173
Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:44 am

Re: how to go half-speed

Post by queenireneof3 » Tue Mar 10, 2015 8:41 pm

I spent a good chunk of time today reading through Bigger: all the appendixes and the intro, as well as several of the units. I wanted to get a feel for how much work my kids will be doing so I could think though half speed or a four day schedule. I think there will be plenty of work to challenge my son and I will be able to add extension books if he really needs something extra. So keeping them combined seems to be fine for now!

I would really like to move to a four day schedule, I think that would work perfect for my daughter who will only be 7. But I don't want to slow down too much for my son since he will be 9 and is already a guide behind for starting the high school guide by his freshman year. So I'm not really sure if that will actually work for us.

With a baby coming at the end of the summer, keeping them combined will be super helpful.

Thank you for all the helpful advice!
Sara Irene
wife to Brett for 16 years already!
mommy of ds B (13yo), dd S (11yo), ds S (7yo), dd (3 yo), dd (1.5yo), and two who went to meet Jesus 3/5/2014 and 7/23/14

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