Anybody use Little Hearts for a 4 yo?

susie in ms · Post by **susie in ms** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 6:31 am

I have been looking at the age factor. Hannah will be 3 in July. She will be done with Little Hands by the time she is 4 if we continue loosely. If I do a lesson per day she will be done much sooner. I have heard of folks doing Little Hands 2xs, but I was wondering if anyone has just jumped into Little Hearts instead? Did you run across any problems?

My own personal experience with phonics is that my kids knew how to read 4 letter words by the time they got to K (one was 4 and one was 5). I can't claim the credit for *teaching* as I bought a cool phonics program that was on tape and had books (much like HOP). I showed them how to use it. They ate it like candy!! and were reading in no time flat!!

I can see Hannah doing the same thing. She is picking up so much right now! And boy she almost always has some sort of writing medium in her hand! While holding a pencil in my direction she ask. "Mama, Hannah Grace." She is asking me to help her write her name! She loves to draw tiny little circles, and lines across the page. She'll say" From dot to dot, broom to broom, ball to ball." Always something.

She has started counting a tiny bit. But she always skips number one! Hehe.

Do you think that I would be asking for problems if I had her start Little Hearts when she is 4?

inHistiming · Post by **inHistiming** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 7:10 am

I think it really just depends on her progress and how she places on the chart at the time. It sounds as if she is moving right along and may be ready if she continues with her interest in writing and learning...

My son is 4, will be 5 in June. We just started Little Hearts...last week because he kept asking me to do school. After posting here and getting some advice from the ladies and Carrie I decided to go ahead with LHFHG. Our plan is to do 1 page of plans a day, and only 3 days a week. So it will take us just over 3 weeks to get through a 'week' of Little Hearts..I'm doing this because he has had no pre-k or anything really. Plus, I plan to stretch it through his Kindergarten year next year. However, he's not 'required' to attend school next year, so I could potentially use a pre-k program first. We've worked some on his letters and sounds; he does know all of his letters. He can count to 10 perfectly, and up to 20, but still missing a few #'s. He can write his name, and likes to 'copy' things I have written on the white board. He'll actually do this on his own without me asking him to.

One thing I've noticed in the few days we've done this, is he may not be quite ready for answering the questions about the storytime stories and history...I'm still watching that. Everything else he seems to enjoy. I am planning to get through about the first 4 weeks, then reassess. If it seems like he's not doing well with it, I might get LHTH instead. So, I'm probably not very helpful, but that's where I am. I know there will be others along to offer suggestions or tell you what they've done.

mom2boys030507 · Post by **mom2boys030507** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 7:53 am

I started Little Hearts when Bryce was 4.5. He was ready. At times he still has a hard time answering the questions when I ask but can tell Daddy when he comes home orwill randomly tell me later so I know he is getting it. We are currently just starting week 24 and he turned 5 at the end of Feb. He loves to do school and is progressing wonderfully. This is also his preschool year so I do not feel bad when we miss days or spend more time on a topic. I am planning on finishing sometime this summer and then we will move into Beyond.

susie in ms · Post by **susie in ms** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:09 am

Thanks ladies!!
That pretty much answered my questions! You would think with 3 older ones I would know more, but this old mind, that needs more coffee, tends to forget some things.

amysconfections · Post by **amysconfections** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:52 am

I personally would not start Little Hearts so soon. There is alot that requires maturity to get the most out of it. The soonest I would start is at 4.5 years old. Then doing only 2-3 days a week to stretch the program. Work on learning to read and doing some handwriting practice. Maybe even use the A Reason for Handwriting K book with her so that when she is ready you can use A reason for Handwriting A with the program.

Just my .02 but you know your daughter best.

Candice · Post by **Candice** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 11:14 am

Susie,

Some time back I had considered moving on to Little Hearts with my newly 4 year old. I kept comparing the activities in Little Hands to Little Hearts and thought well, my daughter has a pretty good grasp on all of the "academic" material in Little Hands so, it must be time to move on. She can sound out words, count well, is starting to form hand written letters and loves science. I kept looking at Little Hands and thought she really is beyond this level. I tried to continue with it in a half-hearted manner. I even went as far as putting Little Hands away in a drawer ready to move forward with the next level.

Then the nagging feeling in my heart...something kept telling me (yep, God again) to continue on with Little Hands and to really give it a heartfelt chance despite my feelings of it being too babyish for her. So, I put everything else away ( I have enough HS material here at home to open a store!) and focused solely on Little Hands. And of course, magic (I call it God's hand) happened. My daughter loves it, is so engaged and is learning from the areas I thought she was beyond.

I have the Little Hearts manual, and as I look it over, I can see she is not quite ready for some areas of study. For example, the History has some terminology and concepts that looks to be above her head. And the questions for Storytime, although she could answer in some simplified way, I think is still a little above her head also. I want her to be able to really feel connected to the material in Little Hearts, not just trying to answer to get through the material.

So, if we continue strong with Little Hands, we will be finished with it when she is still 4 years old. My plan, if we finish before she is 5, is to enter Little Hearts slowly perhaps doing one side of the activities each lesson. Another though, is to just take a break and fill in with plenty of reading and crafts until she does turn 5. I have a good feeling we will do the latter.

So, I guess all of that to say we plan to take Little Hands slowly, encouraging "related detours" to try to prolong the program so she is much closer to 5 to begin Little Hearts. That is just the best route for my family according to what my heart (God) is telling me to do. You, of course, are the best judge for what is best for you and your family!

Boy, that was a terribly long response to your question, guess I like to share!

Candice

water2wine · Post by **water2wine** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 11:47 am

I started Little Hearts with a 3.5 year old and a 5 year old. My youngest knew her letter sounds, has some writing down, Knew all her letter sounds and was starting to blend three letter words when we started. She is able to listen to stories and narrate back to me what I read. So based on all that it's a great fit. I think the skills on the placement chart to me are more important sometimes than age, especially between Little Hands and Little Hearts.

Our plan is to move slow at first and add from the appendix and give ourself the option to do a 2 year LHFHG, or a 1.5 or less to do the program. There is flexibility in how fast you can move depending on if you choose to do the whole lesson or break it up over tow days and or add from the appendix.

I hope that is answering you, not sure if I am.

Also just to add my dd will be 4 in a few weeks.

susie in ms · Post by **susie in ms** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 1:38 pm

Thanks everyone!! It really helps to get different perspectives on reasons to wait or proceed. I guess this is a wait and see, then check Hannah's placement when we finish Lil Hands. There is so much good in LHTH, and I do have other R&S workbooks plus Language Lessons for Little Ones just arrived. So I do have plenty to go along with LHTH, or to tidy us over if need be. I will also start her on Get Ready for the Code in the next 6 mos to a year, depending on her abilities. Thanks again! You all have given me much to chew on!!

my3sons · Post by **my3sons** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 1:44 pm

Hi Susie - I know I'm late to this post, but I am another mom who started LHFHG with my dc at 4 yo. I've actually done it with both of my children, and they did great with it! My first one finished it in a year, and my second ds will take more like a year and a half to finish it. We started doing just a page a day for quite a while until he showed he was ready for the whole thing. It sounds like you'd be just fine may starting a page a day at first and then adding the other page when she's ready. But, you already got some great advice here, and the placement chart is very helpful too!
In Christ,
Julie

Melanie · Post by **Melanie** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 3:46 pm

susie in ms wrote:I do have other R&S workbooks plus Language Lessons for Little Ones just arrived. I will also start her on Get Ready for the Code in the next 6 mos to a year, depending on her abilities.

Ummm....you're going to do all of those plus Little Hands with a 3yo????

Susie, Susie, Susie....I'm begging you..... Pretty please with sugar on top, please wait til she's 5.... Do I need to come to MS and track ya down? I know my way around down there!!

susie in ms · Post by **susie in ms** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 5:53 pm

Melanie wrote:
susie in ms wrote:I do have other R&S workbooks plus Language Lessons for Little Ones just arrived. I will also start her on Get Ready for the Code in the next 6 mos to a year, depending on her abilities.
Ummm....you're going to do all of those plus Little Hands with a 3yo???? Susie, Susie, Susie....I'm begging you..... Pretty please with sugar on top, please wait til she's 5.... Do I need to come to MS and track ya down? I know my way around down there!!

Hehehe! I think I mislead you!

I have those to do along the way as they fit, no matter if it is with LHTH or LHFHG. Butr it can also be used to stretch the time between the two HOD books if necessary. The R&S workbooks I have are the ones for 3 and 4 yos. I do have the other set that is for K, but she won't get to those for quite a while.

Two are assigned in LHFHG. I can see any 3 or 4 yo going through these pre-k wbs in a matter of a few days if allowed to. They are very simple and fun. I have only just started Hannah on them a couple weeks ago and we do it when I think to take it out. I limit her to one or two pages to her dismay. Right now it is just drawing lines from one picture to its match across the page with only 4 sets per page. REALLY simple I assure you.

LLFLO will be taken slow, but she loves to be read to. There are lots of poems and one excerpt from a book. It covers letter recognition and not even sounds as LHTH does. It will provide hand writing practice when she is ready. Not yet though. She loves to write, but it is still the simple circles, lines, and imaginary pictures she dreams up. The pictures will be fun to look at and talk about as we do with her picture books.

Believe me, I won't be pushing. But she is always asking to do stuff like this. Always.

You made me laugh!

Hey she knows her coins. I told her one time what they were cuz she was calling them all pennies. Now she knows them. I'm telling you...she is a sponge.

Candice · Post by **Candice** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 7:36 pm

Susie,

I love LLFLO, it is so sweet! We have it as well and will pick up with it sometime soon I hope.

Sounds like you have some wonderful things planned for your bright little girl!

Candice

Melanie · Post by **Melanie** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:51 pm

OK.....whew! That does sound better! Sorry I got so confused....if you're on this board for very long, you'll learn that it's a short trip for me to the land of confusion.

Ya know....with all that going on, you probably won't get to Little Hearts til age 5, so I guess I can rest easy and not be on the hunt for ya!!!