Little Hands ... how much time per day?

[erin.kate]

I asked a question earlier today about placement and received such helpful advice. I *think* I have whittled down my program choices. This brought to light that I probably cannot combine two of my kids as I was considering, so now I'm thinking about the practicalities, like time.

How much time do you spend per day on LHTH? Our son, whom we are adopting from Ethiopia, will be 4ish, maybe 5 (hard to know his true age) ... he will likely know his English alphabet letter names, not sounds, and he will speak little to very little English. I think that LHTH will be a solid foundation to begin to settle him and to prepare him for learning, both academically and emotionally. I think it will help us build a special bond and I'm really so happy to have found HOD for this reason especially. It really fosters not just home schooling, but family and Christ.

My next oldest is the same age, actually, as Shaw, but we will do LHFHG, at half speed, with the hopes that she and Shaw can work together a lot and eventually be in the same program. Most kids come home from Ethiopia and flourish in an amazingly brief period of time.

So, I guess in a roundabout way my question is really how much time do you devote to LHTH for a 4/5 year old to truly maximize the beauty of the program, keeping in mind that I will also be teaching LHFHG and Beyond (dd7).

It already feels a little daunting.

Thank you for helping me along!
Erin Kate

[doubleportion]

We are doing LHTH with my 4 yr old ds and it takes about a half hour for us, maybe a little more when he gets into a project or craft.

Jessica aka Mom4Him has a great blog http://www.ourfamilyforhisglory.blogspot.com/ and she is doing LHTH and LHFHG this year. You could take a peek at what they are doing. Her blog was what got me interested in HOD in the first place for my little guy and God took it from there to where we are now!

You can look at my blog as well http://quietlyrunningtheracehomeschooling.blogspot.com/ and see what we have done with LHTH. I will say I am not doing LHTH every school day but only 2 to 3 times a week right now. I have a young 4 yr old and with his other challenges that some times make formalized school activities a challenge for him. But LHTH has been wonderful for him! I choose not to push him and let him guide me in the speed of things.


Edie

[jenntracy]

I also say about 30 minutes. Sometime just a little longer when doing art or something like that.

Jenn D.

[erin.kate]

We are doing LHTH with my 4 yr old ds and it takes about a half hour for us, maybe a little more when he gets into a project or craft.

Jessica aka Mom4Him has a great blog http://www.ourfamilyforhisglory.blogspot.com/ and she is doing LHTH and LHFHG this year. You could take a peek at what they are doing. Her blog was what got me interested in HOD in the first place for my little guy and God took it from there to where we are now!

You can look at my blog as well http://quietlyrunningtheracehomeschooling.blogspot.com/ and see what we have done with LHTH. I will say I am not doing LHTH every school day but only 2 to 3 times a week right now. I have a young 4 yr old and with his other challenges that some times make formalized school activities a challenge for him. But LHTH has been wonderful for him! I choose not to push him and let him guide me in the speed of things.


Edie

You have helped me so much the last couple days! I am definitely going to take some time to read the blogs. Ours needs some serious time and attention ... that's on my agenda for Easter break. I think I can do LHTH, LHFHG, and Beyond beginning in July if I work out the schedules really well. I'm a planner and so I need four good months to get my bearings ... lol.

[Mom4Him]

Hi Erin!! It is so nice to "meet" you through the boards!! It sounds like you are really coming up with such a great plan! I know you are going to love HOD!!
We are the ones using LHTH & LHFHG right now, & truly are loving it!! Next year, we will be using LHFHG & Beyond- just like you- although we will wait to start until August, & will be waiting on LHTH for our youngest ones for another year.
I am so excited that we will get to share our journeys together & I am more than happy to answer any questions you have! I like to have a good plan in place too! I've already been trying to figure out a schedule/routine for next year in my head- trying to work in a little nursling!
I would say LHTH takes only about 20-30 minutes each day at our house. Once you go through the guide a bit, you understand the "flow" & are able to "see" how things are going to go- it is easy to put the activities that take a little longer at the end... for example, I will have my little preschooler finish with the art project, or letter art... so she finishes & can work as long as she would like... while I am doing school with her sisters.
I hope this helps a little! Feel free to keep asking questions!
Blessings,
Jessica

[erin.kate]

Hi Erin!! It is so nice to "meet" you through the boards!! It sounds like you are really coming up with such a great plan! I know you are going to love HOD!!
We are the ones using LHTH & LHFHG right now, & truly are loving it!! Next year, we will be using LHFHG & Beyond- just like you- although we will wait to start until August, & will be waiting on LHTH for our youngest ones for another year.
I am so excited that we will get to share our journeys together & I am more than happy to answer any questions you have! I like to have a good plan in place too! I've already been trying to figure out a schedule/routine for next year in my head- trying to work in a little nursling!
I would say LHTH takes only about 20-30 minutes each day at our house. Once you go through the guide a bit, you understand the "flow" & are able to "see" how things are going to go- it is easy to put the activities that take a little longer at the end... for example, I will have my little preschooler finish with the art project, or letter art... so she finishes & can work as long as she would like... while I am doing school with her sisters.
I hope this helps a little! Feel free to keep asking questions!
Blessings,
Jessica

Thank you for the warm welcome! We may actually start in August depending on when Shaw gets home to us. We are at the mercy of the Ethiopian courts right now, so we are remaining faithful and hopeful. Anyhoo ... I digress.

The more I pour over LHTH and LHFHG I feel at peace that these will be the right blend for Ellie and for Shaw. I am still so torn on whether to put my dd7 in Beyond or Bigger next year, which is second grade for her. I sent Carrie a long message so I'm hoping to glean some advice there, too. I feel that she is ready but could first use more reading aloud practice and spelling readiness. We can start doing that before second grade, too ... part of the beauty of being a planner.

Can't wait to find the right path but tremendously thankful for HOD already!

[MomtoJGJE]

Total time with my child who is doing LHTH is no more than 30 minutes a day... and we add in workbook pages and do both her Finger play and the Rhyme in Motion from LHFHG (over and over and over) during her school time (going between LHTH with her and LHFHG with #2)

If we just did it as written and only did the Finger play once then it wouldn't take more than 20 minutes total.

When we do the dramatic stuff and other activities we also let that drag out if she's last to do school during the day or if she's doing school while DD1 is doing her independent work and it's taking longer than expected.

[HappyMama]

I took us about 30 mins. per day too.

[erin.kate]

Sounds completely doable with two other HOD programs simultaneously. Hooray!

[striving2Bprov31]

Totally agree with 30 minutes per day.

It works so well to do it all at once, or broken up throughout the day. I break it up throughout the day for my little guys. It just meshes right in with our life here at home!!!!!

Fun for them and easy, easy, easy for mom!

You'll love it, I'm sure.

[erin.kate]

Totally agree with 30 minutes per day.

It works so well to do it all at once, or broken up throughout the day. I break it up throughout the day for my little guys. It just meshes right in with our life here at home!!!!!

Fun for them and easy, easy, easy for mom!

You'll love it, I'm sure.

It's refreshing to see that you are teaching several HOD programs at once. Encourages me.

[Kathleen]

Another LHTH-lover here! 20-30 min per day. I love my LHTH time with my little guy! It's perfect for us!

Kathleen

[erin.kate]

Another LHTH-lover here! 20-30 min per day. I love my LHTH time with my little guy! It's perfect for us!

Kathleen

Hi Kathleen ... thanks for popping in. It's great to see that you are also studying several programs at once. I can totally do this.