What would you do if you were me? 4 programs?

Post by **Carrie** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 5:18 pm

Rebecca,

The ladies are wonderful about helping talk through options aren't they!

From the things you've shared on the thread so far, I am thinking that putting your older two in "Bigger..." would work well. This is due to your 7.5 year old's ability to listen to longer read-alouds. Both your older kiddos fit well in the age level for "Bigger..". I also would teach the language arts and math from the Beyond... guide to your 7.5 year old (instead of the language arts and math in "Bigger").

As to your 6 year old and 4.5 year old, I would slide both into LHFG. Again, since your daughter is the one who is 4.5, you have a better shot at combining her with your 6 year old, since girl's fine motor and listening skills often develop more quickly than boys. With both of those programs, you will still be done before lunch or shortly thereafter.

For your littlest one, you could definitely wait to start LHTH, or since I feel your heart saying you feel guilty and want that little one to have something special... you could just do LHTH as time allows. I scheduled 20-30 min. a day with my toddler and when I could I did part of LHTH or all of it. It took us several years to go through the guide, but my little one felt special, and I felt great about having something special to do with my little one (that didn't require any prep. or planning).

LHTH only adds 30 min. to your day and is a real life-saver for mommy-time.

Blessings,
Carrie

tmcg · Post by **tmcg** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:21 pm

Rebecca,
You have had some really good suggestions passed onto you. We are just starting HOD, but I would agree if I were in your shoes, combining seems logical. I have a 6 yo (next month), a 4 yo (who thinks she should do everything her older sister does) and a 2 yo (little guy). We will be doing LHTH w/ the 4 yo and LHFHG with the 6 yo. I won't do anything formal with the little guy, but one thing I thought of so he won't feel left out is to do My Father's World for toddlers. It is basically Lauri toys to help w/ motor skills or when he is 3 yo work on Before Five in a Row (mostly reading with some activities related to the books). That way he has something special but I won't 'worry' if we skip a day or something. Then when he is 4 yo I'll do LHTH. There are so many educational toys or classic books to read that I would suggest setting something special aside for the littlest one. You can always do LHTH with the 4.5 yo, but it looks like Carrie had a good suggestion about putting your 4.5 yo into LHFHG with the 6 yo.

Let me know how you decide to proceed!

God Bless,
Tammy

Homeschooling6 · Post by **Homeschooling6** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 8:43 pm

Rebecca wrote:Dear Homeschooling6,
It can get busy can't it???

Thanks for sharing...

Best wishes with whatever the Lord directs you to!

By the way, Why would you put your middle two in Little Hearts and not Beyond?

Sincerely,
Rebecca

Brent will have just turned 7yrs old so I would rather go more with his age. They are both in the "learning to read" and I think it would give us more time to concentrate on that. Also Caleb the 8yr old will most likely join in on Preparing now and then too. Another reason, with three programs I think it will keep things doable. But most of all I want to keep it fun as long as possible with my younger ones. I rushed with my oldest and he has noticed.

Thanks, I am almost sure that we will use Preparing with the two older ones & Little Hands with the two youngest (along with MFW-K with Ethan). Than switch the middle two over next year 09/10 begining with Bigger. Whew! Did you get all that

Rebecca · Post by **Rebecca** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:26 am

Dear Carrie,
Thank you for the warm response! I feel like you really "read" my heart!

I would like to share a little testimony...
several years ago (like three at least) I recommended Little Hands to my sister who is a dear Christian and was also a high school math teacher before her little son came along... I just knew it was "her" and that she would love it! We both love and use Bible in Pictures, etc. She has used it happily with her son and daughter (son will now be going to kindergarten in fall) and will be starting it over again with her three year old daughter a second time through.

She was a real encouragement to me this year that I should try HOD with my children- even Little Hands with my little ones. This was due to my husband and I desiring a truly Christian education for our children- and running into so many issues and struggles with books in other curriculum. She said it is easier to adapt a "good" curriculum that is solid at the root than revamp a bad one!

Being a teacher she has encouraged me with how I can make the lesson plans work for me and my family!

She has loved Little Hands and the connections her children have made- and also highly praised the "beginning" phonics...

So here I am- using HOD which I initally recommended to her!

Thanks for the encouragment and help,
Rebecca

Rebecca · Post by **Rebecca** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:37 am

Dear Tammy,
Thank you for those ideas!
I love the Lauri Toddler shape sorter and Number Express and have had a lot of fun using those with my two's and three's!

I am hoping to be able to develop the habit of sitting and enjoying board books with my little guy this year...

I also received Little Hands and might try doing it over several years- or maybe waiting and going full force? We'll see!

Thanks again,
Rebecca

Rebecca · Post by **Rebecca** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:40 am

Homeschooling6,

I just received my Little Hearts guide and was really surprised with the "meat" of it! I could definitely see using it with a second grader with the alternate schedules... and also all the books listed in the appendix!

I "understand."

I have enjoyed using MFW- K (phonics) with my children as well...

Best wishes,
Rebecca

Post by **Carrie** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 11:06 am

Rebecca,

Isn't it amazing how our homeschooling takes a more specific direction over time, as we find our way through the curriculum maze!

It has taken me almost 20 years of teaching to really find what I believed philosophy-wise about how a curriculum should be designed and function, so it's definitely a process!

My husband and I were just discussing last evening how the dynamics of our family and the desire for more of the Bible throughout our school has changed and shaped our curriculum decisions (in a way we couldn't have imagined before). There is a reason that Jesus didn't start his ministry until he was 32! There is clarity, focus, and direction that comes with age!

Blessings,
Carrie