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Hi, I just trying to think out loud and see if we are on the right track. Here it goes. I have a 5 1/2 year old doing LHFHG. He is reading very well already, so I'm reading the Bible from the ER's until I'm able to purchase the whole set. We also read other books we get at the library. We are following the guide as written for the other subjects and he is doing really well. We had a bumpy start with the Burgess books, but his comprehension has improved tremendously. We are doing the Adventures of Buster Bear now and he really gets it and answers the questions. I would say he fits pretty well in LHFHG. If we continue at this pace (3-4 days a week) we will be starting Beyond slightly before he turns 6. I wonder if there is a big jump in difficulty in beyond or if the skills gradually increase. I don't want the books to be too overwhelming for him. He loves the history stories for children now.
I also have a 3 1/2 year old boy who wants to do school . We have been doing starfall.com and he already knows his alphabet and most sounds, he knows numbers 1-10, basic shapes, colors, can handle a pencil/crayon well, but I don't think he can handle to start formal phonics instructions yet. I was thinking of getting him LHTH and do it 3 times a week and get him some workbooks to do as he pleases... I want him to just enjoy being a kid, but I know he wants to have his own schoolwork like his big brother. What do you think?

Well, there is some upping in difficulty between each new guide that I've done with HOD. With that said, my experience has echoed what others on here say over and over again about each guide preparing you very well for the next one. So, yes, Beyond is harder than LHFHG, but from what you've described I think your son sounds like he's on track to handle it just fine. I do like to start new guides slower than written (half-speed) for a few weeks or so, until we both get a handle on the new expectations. That always keeps my kiddo from feeling too overwhelmed. Usually, it's me worrying that I don't know how we'll ever be able to handle it as written, but it seems to work out so that after a few weeks, they're just doing more and more of the work on each day until it's all getting done every day.

I also think it would be fine to start your 3 1/2 yr old a few days/week with LHTH. Keep it slow and fun! My youngest loves doing school in this way-he's just turned 5, and we've just started doing it atleast 4 days, usually 5 days per week. We had been doing 2-3 with LHTH.

Just echoing what the other poster said. The jump from LHFHG to Beyond is a jump, there are definitely some new things expected and it is more work, but my DD was really more than ready (she was 6.5 when we started it). If your son is doing well and progressing in his skills he will be able to do it too. Handwriting/copywork was a challenge for her, which as I had looked through the guide I knew that would be her most challenging thing. But I am so glad to say that now she is doing very well with it (we are in Unit 20) and as a result her handwriting quality and the ease with which she does it have dramatically improved.

The storytime readings - you get to select the books from a list. Some of them have been long and difficult to comprehend in parts, but I think you could control that by choosing the shorter ones. The history readings are not too long and again, though it is growing in difficulty, my DD finds them very comprehensible. And as has been happening all along, many of the other activities tie into the history readings and reinforce ideas from the stories.

I am planning to start LHTH with my 3rd DD when she is 3. Slowly of course. She doesn't really know letters yet, but colors and shapes she is doing pretty well with. I think if it doesn't stress you out too much, LHTH would be a great thing to add in for your younger one, just give him plenty of time so you don't run out of LHTH before he's ready to move on.... if that makes sense.

Sounds like you are doing excellent! What program are you using to teach your son to read? Just curious. I have been using Phonics Pathways, but either my daughter isn't ready for it or I need to change approaches. She turned 5 in Sept. Thanks!

Hi Ladies... thanks for the replies!!! This is my first year homeschooling, so it's good to check if I'm the right track .
Tina, I used "Teach your child how to read in 100 easy lessons" with my ds 5. Actually I started it when he was 4 1/2 and it took us 5 months to complete. I was a little skeptical at first, because the book looked really boring, but it worked! On my first try, he was not ready and giving me a hard time, so I put it away for a few months and restarted again and he was ready then. To me, learning how to read first is very important because everything they do in every subject will need reading skills. For example, now he reads his own instructions for his math exercises and the activities book. I promised him that when we finished his big book I would reward him with something he wanted ( a hero book), and that helped keep him motivated when he didn't feel like doing the lessons. Now he is so proud of himself and goes around reading everything around the house! Also while I was doing his phonics I didn't add too much else, so he would not feel overwhelmed.... I actually started LHFHG when we were almost done with phonics... that's what worked for me.... every child is different!

Thank you Karla. That is awesome advice. I think I have been pushing her too hard and not offering rewards like I need to. I think that would definitely help.