Pondering Placement
A Little Background
Hello to the Austin Family! I am so glad to be here ready to use Heart of Dakota! I am a mother to four: ages 2.5b, 4.5b, 6.5b, and 8.5g. We have homeschooled on and off for the past 4 years. Right now our two oldest children just finished at our private church academy. Our 4yo just finished 4K. I was ready to combine the children this year using Beyond… , but my hubby was not 100% on board with homeschooling. God has changed his heart! He is seeing the need to homeschool, so we are preparing for this summer schooling.
Placement Question:Â Should I combine my daughter and son in Beyond Little Hearts…, or separate them?
Our children have been separate using BJU, which does not hold their interest. I know I am going to use Beyond… with my 6.5 yo son. But, I think our 8.5yo daughter could possibly do Bigger… My only “fear” is that she is a reluctant reader. She ‘knows’ that she doesn’t read well. This has come from her fear of reading in front of other children that are younger than her and read better. Actually, when she is reading something at home, she reads OK. But, I know she could improve greatly. Would you combine her with her brother using Beyond…? Or would you go ahead and put her in Bigger…? She does great in Math, Bible, and other things, but she truly struggles with Reading & English.
Carrie’s Reply: I would keep your 6 and 8 year old together in Beyond.
Thanks so much for sharing about your daughter! From what you’ve shared, I would combine 6 and 8 year old together in Beyond... Since your kiddos will be coming from private school to homeschooling, it’s always best to allow for a period of adjustment. Jumping into a curriculum that would really challenge your oldest, like Bigger…, wouldn’t allow time for that.
This will give time for your daughter to gain in reading, writing and English skills.
Also, since your oldest is still gaining as a reader and gaining English skills as well, Beyond… is the better placement in those 2 key areas. We consider the 3 most important areas for correct program placement to be reading, writing, and math.
Summer is a great time to try to combine and see if you like this placement.
If you start in the summer and feel your oldest has made significant gains by the end of summer, you could always reconsider moving her to Bigger… at that time. However, if she is thriving with Beyond…, I would continue to combine and finish the program with her.
You have several good options to choose from for reading.
As far as the reading goes, you would probably want the Emerging Reader Set for your oldest. Click here to view that set, so you can determine if that is the correct placement for her. If that set seems too easy, then you would be ready for Drawn into the Heart of Reading and possibly one of the book sets that goes well with that program. Click here for the link for the Level 2 book pack.
You can give the math placement test for the best math level to use.
Also, as far as math goes, if you are wanting to use Singapore, you can take the placement test to see which level is best for your kiddos. Click here for the test – just be sure to choose the Primary Mathematics U.S. 3rd Edition. Then, once you’ve determined their math levels, just drop us a line with your further questions on the Main Board of our message board! The moms are super encouraging! Or, give us a call! We can help answer questions or help put together your order to combine two kiddos.
Blessings,
Carrie
