how to add a little more to lhth

[scouch77]

During school time 4 y/o dd showed some behavioral issues that appeared to be related to boredom before Christmas. We decided to add trl and Singapore from lhfhg just doing a page a day though. I didn't want our day to run too long so we stopped doing the math activity rotating box and the count on me page and the number pages where you cut and past the themed picture to them. These seemed like they might be redundant. Now my day runs more like 15 to 20 min. Any thoughts or guidance on how you might do it? Also, I think l/o will be ready for lhfhg by fall. My work schedule only allows me to do 4 days a week. I'ld like to try to fit the 5 days into 4, which might factor into the above. If you were me what would you do?

[StephanieU]

We separate our LHTH days into the things you do and the rest normally, partly because my 2yo isn't ready for some of it and partly because the 6yo wants to listen in on things. The Bible story, finger play, devotional, and Bible activity definitely only take us about 10-20 minutes depending on the day. I think LHTH total is only supposed to be 20-30 minutes a day on the long side. So are you saying with TRL and Singapore, your day is still only 15 minutes? Acrrie and Julie's estimates are about 10-15 minutes for each of those in LHFHG. So, I would think that adding those into LHTH, your day would be about 30-45 minutes maximum.

How long ar eyou spending on math and phonics?

[scouch77]

We are only doing one page of each a day. They take maybe 5 min a piece tops. Maybe it's b/c we have just started though and it will take as longer as we go.

[Tidbits of Learning]

Have you rechecked the placement chart? Could she be ready for LHFHG 1/2 speed now? It would give you all the guidance for Singapore now and it would give guided writing instruction with ARFH K. My ds7 did LHFHG when he was 4 turning 5 and it was a really good fit. He had done LHTH but about 1/2 way through I realized he was placed wrong. He had been to day school the year he was 3 turning 4 so he was ready for LHFHG even though he was a little young. Since she is young, you could do LHFHG 1/2 speed over 4 days to start and see how it goes...even if you move to full speed after a bit...4 days a week will make it take longer and get her better in the age range for LHFHG. This is what I would do since she is ready for the 3r's in LHFHG and isn't trying to combine with a younger sibling in LHTH. I would just move her on up and go from there.

[StephanieU]

So, maybe add back in the count on me - doing the counting by 2's, 3's, etc. That would be more PreK/K skilled anyways. And then maybe add in the Rod and Staff K books, as you said before she is wanting to begin writing. Those have a lot of activities in them. My daughter was doing the 1st grade ones, and it took anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes to do 2 pages - just depending on how much coloring there was. Then you could finish up LHTH and move on to LHFHG.

As for doing LHFHG 4 days a week, you could do that, but I wouldn't try to fit 1 unit in 4 days EVERY week. There is a lot of reading to the child in LHFHG, and I think doubling up on things can make you gloss over topics or not do the boxes fully. We have had to do that a few times, and it is okay, but I can definitely see how we kind of skip some of the discussion when we double up on history or storytime. But, since she will only be 4 or 5 in the fall, it is okay to take your time with LHFHG. There will only be 12 guides from LHFHG through high school, so if you start LHFHG as K, you have an "extra" year anyways to fill. And once you get to Preparing, the guides are 4 days a week anyways. So, if you use much of that "extra" year from LHFHG through Bigger, things will probably work out well.

[my3sons]

During school time 4 y/o dd showed some behavioral issues that appeared to be related to boredom before Christmas. We decided to add trl and Singapore from lhfhg just doing a page a day though. I didn't want our day to run too long so we stopped doing the math activity rotating box and the count on me page and the number pages where you cut and past the themed picture to them. These seemed like they might be redundant. Now my day runs more like 15 to 20 min. Any thoughts or guidance on how you might do it? Also, I think l/o will be ready for lhfhg by fall. My work schedule only allows me to do 4 days a week. I'ld like to try to fit the 5 days into 4, which might factor into the above. If you were me what would you do?

The math activity, count on me page, and number/color pages match the history readings in LHTH. They actually develop the theme more fully and help students respond to their history readings, and they fill a different need in this capacity. Sometimes, in trying to make things 'harder' for dc, skills can be cut out so just LA/math type things remain. It is important to avoid this downsizing of subjects and keep the history theme and its follow-up connections going, as these provide different skills to be practiced and more fully develop the theme. So, I would simply add those back in as without them she is not responding as much to the history theme, and then you can just expect growth in those activities. For example, as StephanieU said, I'd have dd count by 2's and 3's for count on me pages, as well as draw more detailed pictures to improve her fine motor/drawing skills. For the number pages, I'd be sure to discuss the Bible stories along with them, and have her cut around the magazine pictures exactly (a tougher skill than drawing a box or circle around them - cutting out a person from a magazine, for example, is quite difficult to do). The worry about the day running too long probably indicates that dd isn't ready for LHFHG. So, by doing all of LHTH but expecting more of dd, and by continuing to add in TRL she'll probably have a fuller day.

For the Singapore Math from LHFHG, are you using the LHFHG guide? The LHFHG has all of the hands-on activities to go along with the Essentials Math workbook. The hands-on activities in LHFHG not only seek to extend the learning provided in the Essentials Math workbooks, they also add skills not included in the Essentials Math workbooks. When Singapore Math's Earlybird Kindergarten went out of print, HOD compared the EB K to the Essentials Math extensively. Quite a few skills that were taught in EB Math were not included in Essentials Math. The hands-on activities written into the LHFHG guide fill in for all of those skills that would otherwise simply be missed. So, if she seems appropriately placed in LHFHG's Essentials Math, I'd get the LHFHG guide and being using that along with filling out the workbook pages. Should you try doing all of LHTH and adding TRL and doing all of Essentails Math as is in LHFHG's plans and find that you still feel dd needs more, I'd start doing 2 sessions of LHTH's daily plans, possibly one in the morning, and one in the afternoon. This will be great training for LHFHG, and will give dd's fine motor skills time to grow too (so she won't find herself in Beyond or Bigger Hearts too early and be unable to handle the writing portions). HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

[scouch77]

Thank you all very much for chimming in with such wisdom. I new things wern't working quite right but I couldn't figure out quite why or what to do about it. I think finally I'm getting it now.

[scouch77]

Thank you all very much for chimming in with such wisdom. I new things wern't working quite right but I couldn't figure out quite why or what to do about it. I think finally I'm getting it now.