mutliple guides

[mitch1114]

This will be my 4th year using HOD and i love it! But i need some advice or suggestions. This year I have a 5yr old, 7 yr old, and a 10 yr old. I'm going to be doing LHFHG, BLHFHG, and PHFHG. Any suggestion on how to get all three done? I've combined the 7 and 10 yr old before, but the 7 yr old wasn't ready for BHFHG last year. I struggled with him. I realized, ( probably a little bit late) that I started him in school too early. So this year I'm going back to BLHFHG with him. Looking at the placement charts, that would be the best book for him. I thought about combining the 5 yr old and 7 yr old, but my 7yr old is past the LHFHG. He would be bored. So how do I get all three programs done in a day without losing my sanity or taking the entire day to do it? Oh, and I'm also going to be doing LHTH with my 3 soon to be 4 yr old, but I know how I'm going to do hers. I did that one with her last year. It only took me about half an hour, so I can do that with her in the morning before we have to leave for the day. My 7 yr old has speech therapy 3 times a week in the morning. Thank you for any advice offered. Sorry if I rambled a bit.

[StephanieU]

Have you considered combining the youngest to in LHTH, doing the K skill subjects from LHFHG with the 5yo? Unless the 5yo is advanced, wanting lots of school, etc, then LHTH with the skill subjects from LHFHG (as ready and able) is enough.

Second, I focus on the older child and the skip subjects for the younger. We try to get as much done of the guides before Bigger (and even Bigger) as possible. But I know skipping a project or science isn't a huge deal. They will get the history and science content later that they need. I do make sure to read something aloud to them each day though. Often we get both the storytime and history readings done in LHFHG and Beyond.

When we were doing Preparing, Beyond, and LHTH/LHFHG, we started with math for all the kids. Then I would do history with the Preparing child, and possibly the rotating box related to history. Then I would send her off to do independent things. I would do history or storytime with the Beyond child. Then I would do most of LHTH with the third. Then it was time to check on what the Preparing child had completed and do another box with her. We would rotate through subjects like that until they were all done with school. If we didn't do everything in Preparing one day, we would start with that the next day.

[Rice]

I agree LHTH with all 3 younger ones. Add fine motor skills with your 5yo, then add phonics when ready (mine are usually ready close to age 6), and add math only if you want to. Mine have started Singapore 1A with LHFHG for 1st with no problems, and no previous formal math.)

Do them first thing in the morning, keeping it to about 1/2 hr-45 minutes. Hopefully the older 2 can start on something while you do that (chores? copy work? math? reading science for the older one?)

Then decide who to work with first - you can start with the younger (shorter attention span) while the older does more independent work. Or you could do the older one for just one or two subjects, and get them started on more independent work while the 7yo plays with the youngers (hopefully keeping them occupied for a few minutes ), followed by work with the 7yo before finishing up the teacher-led work with the oldest at the end.

Technically, you should be able to finish those guides just in the morning, but that depends on whether you take breaks, and do "school" more casually throughout the day, or whether you push through, alternating the kids you work with.

I do the latter, getting done most of my instruction time (guides listed below) by lunch, with just a subject or two with my high schooler left for the afternoon. But I barely get bathroom breaks! So that isn't for everybody!