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Good Morning!

I am extremely new to Homeschooling...as in have yet to start and getting very nervous to begin!
I just want to make sure I am as prepared as I can be to start and then just learn and pick up new things a long the way!

I ordered Little Hands to Heaven and received it in the mail yesterday! It all looks great, however I am just wondering exactly how to use...or rather how those of you who have used it, use it! Do you use it in conjunction with anything else? My daughter is 4.5 yrs old and is really a quick learner, so I want to have fun with this and allow her to grow and learn as much as she can!

My husband and I are both praying that we can be successful in this, as we are feeling led to teach our children at home, but the decision on what to use in the aiding of that teaching is extremely overwhelming. I mean, there is tons of free stuff, paid curriculum, and not using anything at all! I was thankful when I good friend of mine suggested HOD to me. It looked like something I would like to start with and learn with.

Anyway...I guess in all my rambling I am just asking exactly how to schedule my day to get the most out of this curriculum. I understand that what works for one, might not work for another, but I am open to all ideas and suggestions that you are able to offer me!

Thank you so very much in advance for your time!

Amy

I use HOD as written with lots of free play time, puzzles, arts and crafts, read alouds, snuggle time, etc. 4 is a wonderful age! Enjoy!!

Welcome to HOD and HS'ing!

Welcome! One thing we've loved about HOD is the flexibility. With my son, I split the boxes up throughout the day as fit his attention span and need for activity. With my daughter, We did it all in one sitting. They both did best if I alternated movement activities with sit-down tasks. Oh, and this last time I made all the copies for the whole year before I started...it was easier for me that way. HTH

Here is a thread where people share their schedules. Not sure if that's what you're looking for, but it has been helpful to me.

Amy you will do great and honestly just being home with you and learning along with you will be better than putting them in school.

Thank you all for your kind words and encouragement!

I am just over-thinking this way too much! I think I just need to sit back...Pray and let the Lord lead...and enjoy this time teaching my daughter whatever may come our way each day!

So glad to have found HOD and this community of support!

Blessings to you all!

Hi Amy, I agree with Kim. Just relax, enjoy your daughter and make each day one of praise to God and wonder in His creation. Little Hands will cover the "academics" nicely and give plenty of time to do other things that your day may bring.

My daughter wanted workbooks. I picked up the prek workbook from Walmart, she loved it. It contained mazes, dot to dots, tracing, coloring pages. Fun things that allowed her to feel like she was doing schoolwork.

We did LHTH with my 4 year old this year. It was short (only 20-30 minutes a day) and sweet and we have enjoyed it very much, but my daughter wanted more more more so she did some Rod & Staff workbooks (a couple of them are used in Little Hearts) and are working through The Reading Lesson since she was asking to learn how to read. These rounded it out nicely, along with nature study and lots of trips to the library. Have fun!

I ordered my dd the all of the R&S ABC workbooks, and she is doing the ones not used with LHFHG with LHTH.

Try LHTH as written for a week or two. It probably won't take you long to figure out whether it is just right, or what she would love more of. My daughter loves being read to, so I do the LHTH activities and then add a twenty minute read aloud session taken from a combination of other preschool curricula and library books. As you see above, some kids love workbooks. Some kids probably just need outside playtime. (My kids will when this wretched summer is over!) Once you have an idea of your daughters favorites you can add whatever she would like best!

Lena

dd3 - LHTH
ds1
ds on the way.

Hi Amy! I just wanted to welcome you to the HOD board, and congratulate you and your dh on your good decision to homeschool! Remember, dd is only 4.5 yo. I was doing a lot of running around outside, a lot of playing with my kittens, a lot of picking dandelions for my mom, and a bit of alphabet singing, maybe some counting, and a few tries at writing my name on the side when I was 4.5 yo. I managed to get through a lot of years of education (a master's program even) with this happy start to learning. Enjoy LHTH - the years after get harder and longer, and they are enjoyable too, but not the way LHTH is - that is such a favorite guide of mine to teach. As I am finishing LHTH with our last ds, I am stretching it out, loving every moment of it, as it will be my third and last time I get to do it. Enjoy the journey with HOD - it's a marathon, not a race, and if you can teach your dd LHTH, she'll have learned some great skills along the way, but also she'll have learned school is fun, mom is a wonderful teacher, and "I can do this!". What a wonderful way to begin!

In Christ,
Julie