Combining 5 & 7 year old...

[2smiles]

We started using HOD last week, so far I love it...but it's taking us pretty much all day. I got LHFHG for my 5 yr old (this is her "Kindergarten" year), BHFHG and DITHOR for my 7 year old ("2nd grader"). I think academically, those are the right programs for them, but my 7 yr dd wants to do everything with my 5 yr old dd, then doesn't really want to do her work. We haven't done much in the way of Science & History for my 7 yr dd in K and 1st. So, I was thinking I could use her 2nd grade Math, English and Handwriting, the Spelling from BHFHG, and DITHOR. Then, they could do science, history, Bible, rhymes in motion, and storytime (from LHFHG) together. I can supplement the science and history with the books Carrie suggests, Bible is supplemented with what our church sends home each week (and she reads her Bible each day, anyway). We are a reading family and like to talk about what we read, so I'm not really worried about missing the storytime from BHFHG right now.
Does this sound okay? I had thought about combining before, but decided against it...now that we've started, I think it might be the way to go.

Thanks for your patience. I know this topic is gone over a LOT on the message boards.

[AnaDawson]

I just posted the same exact scenario yesterday, it is the post "Half Speed for Bigger." Like you, I am also concerned about manageability, but more than that, I mentioned in my post that I was concerned about the future when my now 2nd grader will do CTC. If I keep her in Bigger just the way it is, she will get to CTC in 4th grade and I was hoping for her to do it in 5th grade in order to have her finish the 4 year cycle of history in 12th grade. Anyway, if she does Bigger's right side (except science) only and LHFHG left side with brother then next year she will do Bigger left side and add in R&S 3 and math 3rd grade. Let me know what you decide to do. Would your daughter be doing poetry and copywork or just the rhyme with her sibling in LHFHG? I was considering doing the poetry in BLHFHG since we have never done that guide. Hope this helps and don't forget to check my same question on this board "Half Speed for Bigger," some people have replied.

Blessings,

Ana Dawson

[kayben]

I am planning on doing exactly this when I start. I will be using LHFHG as written for my 5 yr old Ker and left side of LHFHG and right side of Beyond for my 7 yr old (she should be in second, but I am taking it really slow for her. I will use the first grade material in Beyond for her)! I am really looking forward to having them work together as much as possible! But it is definitely a personal decision. As I will be doing something very similar with my older two in Preparing. Combining is my only hope!!! I believe as long as the "basics" are on grade level,your little one still fits in the age range of LHFHG anyway!!

[WigglesMom]

Hi,
I am doing this and we are 9 units in and it is perfect for my dd7. I have my ds6 do all of LHFHG and my dd7 do the left side and storytime of LHFHG and she does the right side of BHFHG except Science. It is working wonderfully. My dd7 hadn't had any real exposure to history and science in public school before this. I will say this though the science is really too light for a 7 yr old. I am using Singapore Science for 7 and 8 year olds to supplement. It is a cheap 4-book set. I am going to do it with both my ds6 and dd7.
Val

[2smiles]

Thanks! This helps, I guess I just needed other moms to say "go for it, it works"

WigglesMom, do you think the science is too light, even with the added book for 2nd graders? My understanding is that it has additional projects/experiments for the older kids to do. My dd7 LOVES science, but she's really only had a very basic introduction to it at the end of her 1st grade year.

Ana, I don't think we are going to do the poetry from Bigger yet. I like it, but want to save it for when they get to Bigger together. We do have some poetry books we like to read, and our library has a good selection. So, they'll both have exposure to poetry.

This is our first year to use HOD. I am very excited about it, and want to make it as fun as possible for both of my girls. They are close sisters, and enjoy doing everything together (so far). I want to take advantage of that while I can. It will be nice if I can keep them in the same program for a few years by using the expansion sets for my dd7.

[acts29stl]

One more thing to consider, usually when you first start the program it takes a little longer until everyone is adjusted to it. I've found after the first 6weeks or so we are moving along faster and smoother. By the end, school takes no time at all!

[my3sons]

The target age range in LHFHG is 5-7 years old, so that fits your dc's ages perfectly. Using the right side of BHFHG to meet your 7 yo's LA and math needs is a good idea. I would not skip Beyond (left side) and jump into Bigger (left side) the following year though. I believe doing Beyond is a pretty necessary step to being able to do Bigger. When we did LHFHG, we loved it, and I'm sure you will continue to enjoy it as well. HOD makes certain to meet (and often exceed) all state standards, including in the area of science. We enjoyed the science so much, and I felt great about getting an experiment done every week - something I was not able to get done consistently without HOD. Of course, if you are a family that loves science, it is easy to add more - but is not necessary.

In Christ,
Julie

[WigglesMom]

The science is light to me. This is my opinion after doing 9 units or 9 weeks however you want to look at it. My dd7 did not feel we were doing science. It was often just a paragraph or so from the Science book (we are using the 1st grade one). It didn't delve into the science book. It jumped from pages in the front of the book to the very back of the book to tie it in with the history. This would be ok for a younger child's science, but I felt the need to have more science that didn't necessarily have to tie in to the history. I found that some of the passages or such was just a Bible verse on the introduction page of the chapters.
I had done CLP's kindergarten science with CLP and it is a great science text. I think the 1st grade science text is good too. I just didn't feel it was for us to do it the way it was written in the guide. I didn't feel we got enough science for a 6 1/2 and 7 yr old. If I were to start over, I would just have used CLP science and read it through with them without the guide.
Our ILEAP here is strong on science. I have already had one child take it and LHFHG's science will not prepare dd7 to take the P-ILEAP this year. They take a practice one the year before it is required to pass it. I felt the need to try something else in preparation for this test and my dd7 is on the end of the age range for LHFHG.
We are doing BHFHG science with my oldest dd9 and I find it great, but it doesn't use a CLP textbook and it doesn't tie it in to history. Science is on the right side of the guide after BLHFHG. It is living books and there is a lot of experiments and notebooking. Once we get to BHFHG with the middle 2, I won't use anything else for the science. In the meantime, I am going to try and spread out the 4 books for Singapore Science for 7 and 8 yr. olds over this year and next year with Beyond Little Hearts for his Glory.
I still plan to do LHFHG's science that is in the guide, but will do Singapore Science as a stand alone science. I know she needs to have more of an understanding for the science in the P-ILEAP.
Hope this helps,
Val

[my3sons]

If you have a 7 turning 8 yo and the placement chart showed Bigger Hearts would be the best fit, then LHFHG will be too light. LHFHG is for 5 turning 6 yo's, and 6 turning 7 yo's. If you use it for a 7 turning 8 yo, you probably will need to tweak it - in which case, you may find it easier just to do the program the child fit in on the placement chart.

In Christ,
Julie

[WigglesMom]

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[Carrie]

I'm late to the thread here, but I agree that whenever moms place a 7 year old within LHFHG there is going to need to be some tweaking to make sure the program is enough for that child (both within the 3 R's and within the science). When we're listing the age range for each guide, if your child places on the very highest age range of any our guides tweaking will be in order.

The suggestions given for tweaking LHFHG change quite a bit depending on the kiddo and upon his/her needs in the 3 R's. Discussing where children fit on the placement chart helps give those of us on the board a common ground for talking about what the child can do. Our only way to know about your kiddos is from what you share with us, so we are always giving advice based on what you've chosen to tell us about your child. In the end, you'll know best, as you actually know the child personally!

I agree that adding the supplementary books from the Appendix to LHFHG helps beef up the history for a 7 year old. I agree that adding parts of Beyond, such as the Emerging Reader's Set, the higher level of math, and the spelling lists will be necessary for a 7 year old who is doing LHFHG. I also agree that science will need to be added to in order for it to be sufficient for a 7 year old. In the Appendix of LHFHG, we do list page numbers for grade 1 and grade 2 science texts to aid in beefing up the science, however if you do choose the grade 2 text option, you will be using the text that is later used in Beyond (so typically most moms don't go that route). Adding additional library reading on science topics of your choice is typically a sufficient way to up the level.

For a 5 turning 6 year old and a 6 turning 7 year old, the science in LHFHG is enough and matches all state standards for those age levels. It exceeds the state standards for those age levels in activities/experiments in science. We keep science purposefully short in LHFHG and Beyond in order to give kiddos plenty of time to get their 3 R's down very well (as they'll need them down pat heading into our guides from Bigger Hearts on up). Our own kiddos are required to take standardized tests every year (doing the Iowa Basics Skills Test), and have scored in the 99th percentile in science each year. Our boys will be in first, fifth, and eighth grade this upcoming year. While test scores are not important in the overall scheme of things, they do show how kiddos match up to other kiddos across the nation. In that comparison, we've found the science within the HOD guides prepares kiddos well.

Blessings,
Carrie

[2smiles]

My youngest dd just turned 5 Monday, and my oldest will be 7 at the end of next month. So, they both fit (age) in LHFHG.
Carrie, I love our public library, and will add extra reading for science where needed. If we use the 2nd grade science book this year, is there a suggested extension for Beyond that we could use next year? (I'm guessing, "no")
Thanks again! We are going to try combining for a week or two, and see how it goes. If it seems too easy, I'll tweak where needed.

[Carrie]

2smiles,

That sounds like a good plan. Actually, there's not a back-up science option in Beyond. When we wrote LHFHG, we never intended to keep on writing guides. We took a year off from writing and were sure we would find a great program to recommend to moms who were completing LHFHG. When we couldn't find what we were looking for, we launched back into writing and wrote Beyond. H

ad I known we would write Beyond, I never would have placed the 2nd grade science extension in LHFHG. So, most moms don't use it with LHFHG and save it for Beyond instead. Supplementing with additional library books for science would be an excellent way to raise the level of reading material in science to that required by a 7 year old.

Blessings,
Carrie