After LHTH?

[runnermama]

I'm just curious what people do for their kids who finish LHTH but are too young to start the next guide. Sorry, can't remember the abbreviation My daughter will be a little over 4y/o when we finish, and too young to start Kindergarden. Just curious what others have done.

[countrymom]

In retrospect I would have started our son a year later and gone 1/2 speed, but since I didn't do that we have been filling in with Kumon books, library books, etc. We are working on fine motor skills, which are not coming easily for this child and "paying attention and sitting still for 5 seconds" skills. We have been doing this for almost a year now and I think a he might be ready to start LHFHG at 1/2 speed.

[MomtoJGJE]

I'm interested in this thread too....

Evie will be totally ready to do LHTH next fall. But then we'll have a year after she gets done before she'll need to start LHFHG. Well, let me put it this way... she's ready for LHTH NOW, but I'm putting her off as long as I can. I'm HOPING she'll settle for half speed LHFHG, but I'm not going to count on it for 2 years.

[krismoose]

We did LHTH from 3.5-4.5yo, and are now going through the R&S B (Bible stories) and D-E-F kinder workbooks, Singapore Essential Math K, and looking for a good fit for phonics. We're reading lots of library books and doing lots of coloring, cutting and gluing activities - I can hardly keep up with her . I'm using Honey for a Child's Heart to find new books to check out from the library. She's just not quite ready for the history readings yet, but I'll re-evaluate after she turns 5. Some people start LHFHG slowly (taking 2 days to cover 1 "learning about history" page in the TM, but my dd wouldn't be interested in that just yet . I also used the science and Bible plans from MFW K with her for awhile. PM me if you want more info, as I don't want to take up space here discussing non-HOD programs .

[runnermama]

Thanks for everyones replies. It's nice to know we're not the only ones who started "too early" My dd is actually REALLY wanting to learn to read; always asking what different words in our stories say, asking how to spell words so that she can write them down, hearing a word and telling me what letter it starts with, etc. I'm thinking about starting one of the phonics programs from LHFHG once we're closer to the end of LHTH and just doing it slowly. I figure I'll do that, lots of read alouds and maybe the prewriting HWT when she's ready. If there is anything else anyone would add, I'd be curious to know. I will also check out the Honey for a Childs Heart that someone mentioned. I haven't heard of that. Thanks for the help!

[AmandaNicole]

I wondered that last year when we were first looking into HOD. My youngest was 3 when we started this school year, and turned 4 in Sept. I considered ordering LHTH for him, but decided not too, because we had sent our older 2 to our church's preschool program, since I am on staff there as Children's Ministry Director, and thought we would send him next year for PreK. We will be ordering LHTH for him next year, because the prices were raised and we just cannot afford the extra $175 a month for preschool. I plan to do the book full speed.

My question to you, would be... could you just repeat the book? Could you add in extra workbooks? I know my Target has a great selection of preschool workbooks, or even work through a Summer Bridge workbook? You could choose an easy theme for each week, and plan fun things according to the theme!

[MelInKansas]

My middle was 2.5 when we started LHTH and 3.5 when we finished. I had the benefit of the fact that she has always been a "tagalong" for her older sister so the year we did LHFHG with my oldest we didn't do anything specifically for her school wise. She was able to do the crafts and activities, listen to the stories, learn the Bible verses, and things like that. About 1/2-3/4 way through LHFHG I got the R&S Kinder workbooks for my DD and she did NOT like them. I figured since two of them were in the LHFHG guide she would love it (she's always been eager about workbooks anyway). She didn't like all the coloring and would slop through it and be grumpy about it. This year I am doing a learn-to-read phonics program with her (she was 4.5 when we started the school year) and Handwriting Without Tears preschool book which she is almost finished with and I think I will just go ahead and start the K book when she's done. This is in addition to Beyond with my oldest which my 2nd born still participates in partially.

I am going to do LHTH, probably 1/2 speed, with my 2YO once she turns 3, mainly because I need something for her to do and she will be ready. She's almost ready now, at least for a main portion of what LHTH does. I will probably do 1/2 speed or 3 days a week so it will stretch out for at least 1.5 years. I think there will still be a gap though. I think you could easily do LHTH again, at that age the repetition would not be boring I don't think. Adding in phonics or handwriting if your child is ready to start those before K. If not, just do LHTH and enjoy it!

[mmschool]

My eldest needed alone time with me this year, so we have been doing LHTH at 3. She will NOT be ready for anything other than preschool next year, so we plan to repeat. The games and act it out parts will be more fun with her brother tagging along next year when he is two. I plan to use a more detailed Children's Bible and the 4/5 devotional this time. I think there are a lot of ways to give all of the activities new wrinkles, so I think repeating will work great. (A little repetetive for Mama perhaps, but just right for our circumstance.)

Lena

dd3 - LHTH
ds1
ds new arrival!

[KristinBeth]

You could either go through it again and maybe add some PreK level phonics or math game activities, or if you're not interested in repeating a guide back to back, you could just follow your child's interests and do some unit studies, worksheets, informal schooling until you're ready for the next guide. In our case, my younger daughter went through LHTH at 2 and is now (at almost 3) tagging along with her 5 year old sister in LHFHG, participating when she feels like it. I also got her a PreK-3 level workbook for when she feels like doing school with her sister at the table. She'll go through LHTH on her own when she is 4. If you want to really follow a CM style, she would have the child wait for academics anyway and focus on good habit formation, listening to good stories, nature study and free play (outdoors mostly) a little longer.

[Carrie]

This is a great thread, as there are many options for those little ones. One thing that you could consider since your child will be 4.5 is to just begin whichever of the 3 R's she could handle from LHFHG. You could look at just starting the phonics, the Do It Carefully/ Finding the Answers and Handwriting K, and possibly the Earlybird Kindergarten math with hands-on activities. You could just follow the plans from the right side of LHFHG going slowly to match your child's pace in any of those areas in which she seems ready. Or, you could consider doing LHFHG at half-speed, doing the left side of the plans one day and the right side of the plans the next day. Anyway, just a couple more options.

Blessings,
Carrie

[Heidi in AK]

This is a great thread, as there are many options for those little ones. One thing that you could consider since your child will be 4.5 is to just begin whichever of the 3 R's she could handle from LHFHG. You could look at just starting the phonics, the Do It Carefully/ Finding the Answers and Handwriting K, and possibly the Earlybird Kindergarten math with hands-on activities. You could just follow the plans from the right side of LHFHG going slowly to match your child's pace in any of those areas in which she seems ready. Or, you could consider doing LHFHG at half-speed, doing the left side of the plans one day and the right side of the plans the next day. Anyway, just a couple more options.

Blessings,
Carrie

I love how flexible HOD is. We've actually tried both ways. You could do what Carrie is suggesting initially, and then if you feel like your DD is just itching and ready for LHFHG, I like Carrie's other option. We've done both based on changing capabilities.