New to hsing and probably to HOD (sorry, long!)

[Carrie]

Crystal,

I agree that your daughter will be beyond the concepts in LHFHG, due to the target age-range being 5-7, and your daughter will be turning 8. She will fit much better in Beyond or Bigger.

With that in mind, did you get a chance to read my comments up above about the difference in the level of writing required between Beyond and Bigger? If you get a chance to comment on that it would help us guide you in choosing between Beyond and Bigger.

Also, here is the link to the Singapore placement test. I would start by giving your daughter the 1A test and see what you find out. That will also make a difference in how we advise you. Here's that link:
http://www.singaporemath.com/Placement_Test_s/86.htm

It looks like you will be running two program, which can be done quite easily. We do more than two at our house. You could compensate by doing LHFHG at half-speed, while doing Beyond or Bigger at full-speed. Then, jump up to full speed with LHFHG when you're ready.

LHFHG takes 90 minutes a day (including phonics and math) at full speed. Beyond takes 120-150 minutes to day a day and Bigger takes 3 to 3 and 1/2 hours a day.

Blessings,
Carrie

[clmartz01]

Crystal,

I agree that your daughter will be beyond the concepts in LHFHG, due to the target age-range being 5-7, and your daughter will be turning 8. She will fit much better in Beyond or Bigger.

With that in mind, did you get a chance to read my comments up above about the difference in the level of writing required between Beyond and Bigger? If you get a chance to comment on that it would help us guide you in choosing between Beyond and Bigger.

Hi Carrie, Madison will actually be turning 7 in October, but I do agree, after looking over LHFHG *again* I think she is going to be beyond it. I think that Beyond will be the best choice for her after reading your previous post. I think she is quite capable of the writing, she will take it upon herself to make up stories and copy songs, etc., but I think her handwriting needs some fine tuning before we move on. She is a lefty and her writing starts getting sloppy pretty quickly. She also starts most of her sentences in the middle of the page due to her being a lefty. I'm also not ready to attempt cursive with her yet, either.

Also, here is the link to the Singapore placement test. I would start by giving your daughter the 1A test and see what you find out. That will also make a difference in how we advise you. Here's that link:
http://www.singaporemath.com/Placement_Test_s/86.htm

Thanks! I have actually been over the site (singapore) and over it again. I think I am going to use another math. Someone else mentioned Math Mammoth lined up with Singapore in your IG (thoughts on that?) and I'm thinking of trying that. My daughter does not like math at all and even I felt unsettled after viewing the samples. I just don't know that it would be a good fit for us.

It looks like you will be running two program, which can be done quite easily. We do more than two at our house. You could compensate by doing LHFHG at half-speed, while doing Beyond or Bigger at full-speed. Then, jump up to full speed with LHFHG when you're ready.

LHFHG takes 90 minutes a day (including phonics and math) at full speed. Beyond takes 120-150 minutes to day a day and Bigger takes 3 to 3 and 1/2 hours a day.

Blessings,
Carrie

And thanks for the time guidelines. I was wondering on that, actually. I'm not so much worried about running two programs I guess but I was thinking down the line to when my 3rd would be in school and to running 3 programs...yikes! Luckily I've got several years to get into the swing of things!

Oh, and may I also ask you (I forget if I've asked this already), if I use HWT, will I be able to follow/adapt your IG for that? My son has some sensory issues and still uses the dagger grasp and I've heard wonderful things about HWT for children with disabilities. I also think it may benefit my lefty.

[clmartz01]

I think that could be done using the appendix material however I think your older daughter would be missing out. It's kind of the opposite scenario of sacrificing what is best for the sake of the younger child. She looks to me to be clearly at Beyond with DITHR or Bigger with DITHR. If cost is an issue perhaps some of the books are available at the library or you could maybe buy as you go or even get half now and half later. But I think unless you are willing to make your own program for everything but the History and maybe the Bible I do not think it would work. And at that I think you are talking more books because your older would need the appendix books in LHFHG. I think cost wise, ease of teaching, and just sanity wise, you need two programs. You may easily be able to combine once your younger child is writing and reading. The two year span does work well when they are both writing and reading. For now though one thing to keep in mind if say your dd goes into Beyond then you will not need a program for your youngest next year and you can save LFHG to use again. So for us after this year with six kids we are only now buying one program a year (possibly two extension packs but still one program). It becomes very economical.

And if money is no issue then I am back to the original post of it is a whole lot easier to meet them at their need than to put them into a program where everyone does not fit.

Crystal you are going to love HOD! You just have to look at the chart and see where each fits best then go for it. You will not be sorry!

Thank you once again. I think your post was saying just what my gut was. I was thinking of further down the line, having to do three programs. But it did not occur to me that I may be able to combine them later. And it's hard for to have any concept at all of what I will really be able to comfortably handle since I've never used any of them! I think I just need to slow down and take things one step (year) at a time.

[Jen in Va]

Oh, and may I also ask you (I forget if I've asked this already), if I use HWT, will I be able to follow/adapt your IG for that? My son has some sensory issues and still uses the dagger grasp and I've heard wonderful things about HWT for children with disabilities. I also think it may benefit my lefty.

Crystal,
It is very easy to use any handwriting curriculum you want with your child. I'm using HWT with my son and have had no trouble. Once the child has the letter formations down, just have her (your dd, right?) do the copy work in HWT format. I'm already having my son (LHFHG) do this even though there is not copy work in Little Hearts. I take his copy work from one of the stories he's reading in his readers. Being a boy, he will quickly become messy or lazy in his hand position when writing, so I stay right with him and gently remind him to hold his pencil right. He visited his grandparents for almost two weeks, and the good skills he'd been working on at home went out the window. I'm trying to get him back to where he was before he left. I've found, with him at least, if I help him develop the good habit of proper pencil grip and hand position, within a week or so, I have to remind him less and less. Before he left I had to remind him maybe once a week.

[MamaBear23Cubs]

I have used Ordinary Parents Guide To Reading for my daughter(8) and have started (slowly) 100 EZ Lessons with my son (4). He's slow on the speech and have 'talked' about on here before. I thought the say it slow than fast was dumb but it has helped him soo much in the past few months. I also have the BOB books and a whole shelf full of level/step books from Pre-K to 4.
As for planning ahead. I had no intensions to HSing past 3rd grade. I wanted my DD ready for the State B schools because they are ahead of state A schools. Now there is talk of going until 6th. Except now schools are putting 6th graders with the 7th and 8th graders. Hubby says to stop thinking of the future and deal with now. So its all about Pre-K until 3rd grade.
As for math I decided on Singapore because you are always gonna get different reviews about math. I wanted life easy for me and since the guide uses Singapore I will use it. I had a few she didn't get so I showed her a way she understood and then how they showed it. THen she got it and we move on.
I use A Reason For Handwriting with my oldest. I had it before using HOD. I used to go to a church with HSing books in it.

[clmartz01]

Crystal,
It is very easy to use any handwriting curriculum you want with your child. I'm using HWT with my son and have had no trouble. Once the child has the letter formations down, just have her (your dd, right?) do the copy work in HWT format. I'm already having my son (LHFHG) do this even though there is not copy work in Little Hearts. I take his copy work from one of the stories he's reading in his readers. Being a boy, he will quickly become messy or lazy in his hand position when writing, so I stay right with him and gently remind him to hold his pencil right. He visited his grandparents for almost two weeks, and the good skills he'd been working on at home went out the window. I'm trying to get him back to where he was before he left. I've found, with him at least, if I help him develop the good habit of proper pencil grip and hand position, within a week or so, I have to remind him less and less. Before he left I had to remind him maybe once a week.

Sorry, I'm just now seeing your post! Thanks for the info on HWT. My son is still using the dagger grasp as he says it 'hurts' to hold it the correct way. I think no matter what program we use he will struggle a bit with that next year but, at his OT teachers suggestion, I won't push it too much. Anyway, thanks again for chiming in on being able to use HWT.

[Carrie]

Crystal,

You can easily use HWT with our guides, just subbing it in on days when handwriting is scheduled.

You can also use your own math very easily, if your heart is leading to a different program. I am not as familiar with Math Mammoth, since it's been redone now for each grade level. You are welcome to use our activities with whatever program works best for your kiddos.

I'm so glad you're getting a feel for where your kiddos fit best. Since your daughter is reading so well, I agree that it would be tough to "hold her back" in a younger program.

The ladies are doing such a good job of helping you talk through your options. They are truly gracious about helping each other! What a blessing that is!

Blessings,
Carrie