LHTH with K?

[Tukata]

Hi - I'm trying to figure out where to place my dd who will be 5 in June for this fall. I wish I would have found HOD last year, but since I didn't, I'm going back and forth between LHTH and LHFHG. Then I saw a few posts on this board about people doing LHTH with K options...what does this mean? Are the options in LHTH or would I need both books if I chose to go this route?
On the placement charts she places with LHFHG (I think), but as I look at the posts of what people are doing in LHTH I keep thinking about how much she would enjoy parts of it and wish we had done it this year. Then I've also thought about doing some LHTH starting now (or when my dh tells me I can place my order...) and go through the summer and then start LHFHG sometime mid-year. Or is that a bad idea??? She taught herself to read this year and reads very well, very fluidly. (She's read a lot of the books on the emerging readers list...she reads her Bible storybooks, and pretty much anything she can get her hands on...she's even read some of Little House in the Big Woods) But, she hasn't had any phonics yet, which my dh and I both think she needs if only to help her when she can't figure out a word. While she's soaring in reading, her writing is not as good - she doesn't write letters the correct way yet - starts at the bottom sometimes, etc. She also doesn't really do math yet. She has a great attention span - we've read some chapter books with very few pictures (like Charlotte's Web) which she loves. So, I don't know. I'm just really feeling torn between the two. The Bible portion from LHTH looks like something she would just LOVE from the pictures I've seen on these posts. If she wasn't such a great reader, I would probably pick LHTH just to give her a light K year. Which one is *supposed* to be the K year? I know there is flexibility, but I am not really understanding which one was written for K. Anyway, I'd appreciate all of your opinions so very much!
Erin

[Mom2Monkeys]

Using LHTH with K options, mean you use LHTH and add in the math, handwriting, and phonics from LHFHG. Then the next year, you do LHFHG with the 1st grade options.

Another suggestion for you would be to start LHFHG at half speed whenever you can place your order and get started. Even just 2 or 3 times per week- or just wait till fall to start it half speed. That would give you a light, fun start to K, and you could bump it up whenever your ready. I also think it depends where you want your child to fall in the age range for each guide. I like to have mine in the middle to end of the range. I'll be doing LHFHG w/my 6yo who will be a 1st grader (turning 7 in Dec.) and I'm working on Bigger with my 3rd grader who will finish it part way through 4th as a 9yo.

[my2guys]

I did what the previous poster said - used LHTH with the LHFHG K options for fine motor skills and phonics (didn't do the math) - but I did that for PreK, not for K. DS needed a little more that just LHTH and was doing well with handwriting and beginning reading, so I decided to add that in. This year for K, we did LHFHG with K Math, 1st handwriting - and continued the phonics. Next year for 1st grade, we'll be doing Beyond. From what you're describing, it sounds like your daughter would fit really well into LHFHG for K. The first half of LHFHG is Bible - much like LHTH - only you move a little more quickly and it's a little meatier. So she would still be getting the Bible - and then the second half of the year she would get some history. Since her attention span is good, she'll likely do very well with the history readings - and I'm sure that she'll love the read-aloud storytime.

[Kathleen]

Hi Erin!

From what you've shared about your daughter, I think it sounds like she's really ready for LHFHG, too. You really could go either way...but I think you'd love doing LHFHG with her. While my 5 yo could have taken LHFHG at full speed this year, we slowed it down and let her little brother tag along for much of the year. We did the rhymes & music every day and then rotated some of the other boxes. Allison also did phonics, math, & fine motor skills every day, too. You could just do LHFHG (& Beyond & Bigger) 4 days per week and make these 3 guides last 4 years. This would let your daughter grow into the middle of the age range for the guides and make your year a little lighter. The units for HOD work great even if you don't do all 5 days of the unit within the same week!

Kathleen

[my3sons]

Good afternoon, Erin! I do think she's ready for LHFHG - smart little cookie - you must be so proud of her jumping into her reading like that. The Bible and Christ-centered learning is such an integral part of every guide that you don't have to feel like by missing LHTH you'll be missing that. I wonder if you could get the harder Bible ("The New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes") and the harder devotional ("My ABC Bible Verses) from LHTH to do with your dd, maybe at night, or she could read them first thing in the morning for a Bible Quiet time? Then, you could have her do LHFHG for her school time with you. I think she sounds really ready for LHFHG, and I think both of you would love it! But adding just those few things from LHTH would be a neat way to get in on those great books without really adding time to your school day. You could also start the Emerging Reader's Set with her using the Beyond manual if you wanted, or you could do a phonics workbook brush-up like "Explode the Code" books 1-3 just to fill in any gaps, as it seems she's reading so well already and doesn't need a full-blown phonics program. Just some things to consider!

In Christ,
Julie

[Tukata]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I really appreciate your wisdom. You've given me some things to think/pray about and discuss with my dh. I appreciate you all drawing from your experiences with this curriculum and your own children. This group is so amazing!
God bless!
Erin

[ShariCA]

Sharon, I just wanted to tell you that my two boys are Ben and Sam also. Sam (Samuel) is the older one, and Ben (Benjamin) is the younger one. Great names and they fit together so well as siblings.

I'm going to do LHTH for K so both of my boys can do it together. Then for my actual Kindergartner I'll just add in the math, the Reading Lesson and such. I just looked at the K options that are offered in LHFHG and I'm getting those.

[my2guys]

Erin -
Just wanted to second Julie's suggestion of using ETC to solidify phonics. We've used books 1-4 this year for K and they've worked great!

Shari -
So funny that the boys have the same names! We actually know 2 other families in our church that have both a Ben and a Sam - but they are all college age and up by now. The names do seem to go well together.