Considering Beyond...

[shaffer96]

I am just curious if most people use Beyond for 1st or 2nd grade? Is it better to be in the middle of the age range? My dd will be a young 1st grader (June B-Day) and I am wondering if it will be too much for her. We have been doing LHFHG slowly this year and we should finish up in a few months. She loves the rhymes, songs, activities, worksheets, everything except for the storytimes. She really doesn't understand some of the vocabulary in the stories, and a lot of it seems way above her head. I feel like I am always explaining what happened to her in my own words so she can comprehend it. She usually has excellent comprehension when she reads or when I read to her, but not with these stories. I think its because some of the language is too difficult for her. I am wondering if this will be the case with some of the history books in Beyond. I am concerned about her being in the younger range for the guides. Do the kids generally comprehend more when they are in the middle range? Should I wait and do Beyond in her 2nd grade year? It looks so fun, but I want to make she she gets the most out of it you know!
Thanks for any advice from those who have been in the same position!

[pjdobro]

My dc have been at the middle of the range for all of the guides and it has worked out well for us. We used Beyond in 2nd grade. I really don't think the reading material in Beyond is that difficult language wise. The material in Bigger is more of a step up though so I would be a bit concerned about your getting to Bigger to soon. Perhaps after you've completed LHFHG, you would try Beyond at a slower pace, perhaps half-speed stretching it out over 2 years to allow your dd some time to mature before you get to Bigger. I'm not for sure if that would work out, but it's an idea.

[John'smom]

We are using Beyond this year. My dd turned 6 last July and we started Beyond a little after that. She has had absolutely no problem with Beyond. She loves it. We all do.

[underHiswings]

Are you using Beyond for all three of your children?

[shaffer96]

Thanks for all the replies. I am just looking at Beyond for my oldest, my other two are too young.
So, if we did Beyond this year for 1st grade, would Bigger be too hard for her as a 2nd grader?

[pjdobro]

Thanks for all the replies. I am just looking at Beyond for my oldest, my other two are too young.
So, if we did Beyond this year for 1st grade, would Bigger be too hard for her as a 2nd grader?

I wouldn't say that it is too hard. The history spines in Bigger are older texts and use a little bit of older language. Since your dd was having problems adjusting to the Thornton Burgess books, I was just thinking that the history texts in Bigger might be more difficult for her, but that is still well over a year and half away for you and things change a lot in that time. I just noticed too in your signature line that your dd is only 5 now. She is still on the young side of the guides and sometimes that can make it more difficult to progress full speed ahead. Since she is struggling just a bit now with some of the literature, I was just thinking it might be good to slow down a bit and let her get used to it a bit more before reaching Bigger. The work load especially writing is much more in Bigger than Beyond, but there are quite a few people who use Bigger for 2nd grade. It is fine for that age/grade.

[rayjenl]

Hey we must be sharing the same kid! Everything you mentioned is exactly my dd. They share the same age and same birth month. We too will be finishing up LHFHG sometime late June (turning 6), we'll take a few weeks off and start right into Beyond. All the boxes were just right for her, however she too struggled with the storytime. What I did (which I learned from these boards) was act out more of the story and used character voices to make it more interesting. So for her, even though storytime was a bit of a struggle and she's right on track in every other area, I feel very confident to move her on to Beyond as a 1st grader. The nice thing about homeschooling and HOD is you could ease her into it at half speed until she's comfortable then move ahead full speed. I already ordered Beyond and have been looking over the teachers manual over and over (I can't help myself it looks so fun ). To me, Beyond is more challenging, but not too much to overwhelm just enough to help her continue to grow spiritually and learn more academically. HTH.

God Bless,
Jennifer

[MomtoJGJE]

We started Beyond when DD1 was a 1st grader We slowed down for a while with it and it took us about 15 months to do it. We started Bigger right after Christmas and she'll be 8 in April. I think if you've done LHFHG there will be no problem with Bigger. Perhaps you could do it half speed to break down the amount of reading for a while?

Also, I learned quickly last year that I either needed to read shorter passages for storytime or just read it at a different time of day (bedtime for Gingery Pye and Trumpet of the Swan, they were much longer than the others we had). But by the end of the year it was ok. Now in Bigger I started off with shorter books and now have moved on to slightly longer ones (Little House on the Prairie right now) and she asked me if we were going to get a shorter book next time. She absolutely hates being read to I told her that in a couple of years she'll be doing the majority of the reading herself and she was thrilled

[Gwenny]

That's interesting that she doesn't like to be read to. Most of my children love it, even after they can read. I do have one daughter who isn't as thrilled about it, but I still do it, even my teenagers. Whoever is available comes and listens to the book when I read aloud. I think it's very important for them to listen to a book. It is such great family time, we can discuss, they learn to listen and use their imagination. Mine love to color or draw or knit or some other handwork while we listen. Right now we are reading out loud "The Willows in Winter" and all of my children listen. (it's taking us awhile to get through it because I wait for everyone to be available) My children that are listening are 19, 19, 16, 14, 8, 6, 4. Because I read aloud long books that are not "easy listening" even the little ones have learned to sit there (usually 45 min. to an hour) and they enjoy it and it's amazing what they pick up in the book.
Don't stop reading!! Have them listen to great books on CD as well. Get some really exciting ones that you read to her and she'll start to love it.

Just something that I feel passionate about.

Blessings,
Nancy

[MomtoJGJE]

I do read to them often I just try to make school time not a time where she's dreading the sitting still listening to mommy read

I have to say, as much reading as we do around here, my fourth child is the first one who has actually ever brought me a book and asked me to read it