heartofdakota.com

Hello everyone,

I have two boys ages 5 and just turned 4. The older one will be doing kindergarten in the fall and the younger one should be in preschool. This year we had done abeka preschool (K4) materials with both of them. We were thinking that the younger one will redo preschool this fall. However, the younger one has done just as well in most areas.
Our thought for this year is to try doing a curriculum with bible, history, and science together with both boys, and maybe do phonics and math separately, if warranted.

1) Could I do LHFHG this year with both, and then do beyond with both next year? Would that be pushing the little one too hard?
2) Is there enough material in the LHFHG for two years, if we change the science, math and phonics to the next level? Or would it be boring the second year. Has anyone done that?
3) Our state requires 180 days of instruction, is there enough material for at least 170 days, taking 10 for field trips? I’m thinking later on where some of the curriculums have 4 days of instruction.
4) How does the curriculum measure up to standardized tests? Our state requires standardized tests, I think in 3rd, 5th, and 8th grade.
5) If I keep the younger one with the older one throughout, when we get to the end, what will the younger one do, since he would be 16 entering into 12th grade? I think our state requires him to be in school during his 17th year. I know that is far off and I shouldn’t even concern myself with that one.

This year, I was somewhat loose with the younger one, passing on some worksheets, but for the most part he has kept up with his older brother in phonics. In some ways, the younger one is more linguistically minded. The younger one is very articulate and is able to blend and read (3 letter words with short sounds) with greater ease in some areas. In math, the younger one is a little behind in his number recognition, but can count just as well as his older brother. All in all, there is not a grade difference between the two of them to warrant two separate curriculums in my opinion, and my husband concurs. He says that maybe we can redo kindergarten with the younger one next year if need be, or just teach to his weaknesses as we go along. I was also thinking maybe even get him some of the K4 worksheets instead of K5, but still teach the same phonics. Since we have done abeka k4, my husband does not want a less rigorous phonics program for the little one.

My concern is that I don’t one to push the younger one too much, but on the other hand, if he is capable, why hold him back?

6) Do you think that HOD would work for us? It seems like that it can be tailored to our situation, but I am a little hesitant to jump in, coming from a traditional school text background to real books.
Any thoughts welcomed!

Thanks,
HSMommy

Hi! I am new here and unfortunately can't help you out. Sorry! I just wanted to bump up your post so hopefully some others can help you out! We are excited to start using HOD this fall and this board helped me in placement of my daughter.
Katie

Hi,
I wanted to respond because I am in a very similar situation, and have been wondering the same thing. I won't be much help, but wanted to offer what I am contemplating for next year. Next Fall, I will have 2 boys who I will be schooling, ages 5.8 and 4.3. They are as different as the moon and sun. The older is very bright academically and picks up on things very quickly. The younger is more sports oriented and really doesn't care a whole lot about learning anything at the moment. I am okay with that since he's only 3 now, and I generally don't want to push academics too early.

I dont' know what to do in the Fall either b/c my older would fit beautifully into LHFHG, but my younger would be left behind...meaning, he probably wouldn't absorb much of it. But-they do EVERYthing together so I think it might be weird to do LHFHG this year and then repeat it next year with him. I mean, he would already have participated in the readings, science, etc already. I really REALLY wanted to keep them together (have a almost 2 and almost 1 year old who I will combine down the road). I figure if I don't combine now, then I will forever be running 3 (or more) guides.

My plan as of now is to either 1) do an eclectic year pulling together my own curriculum or 2) do LHTH with both of them and focus mainly on the history/bible. I of course will add in a reading program, math and handwriting appropriate for my older's level. I really don't know to do either. I never really considered using LHFHG over 2 years because then my younger son will still not get the whole 1st half. I don't see the point in that. I hope others respond who have been through this who can offer us advice. Good luck in your decision.

Amy

Hey there,

I am short on time but will answer your questions the best I can. First of all, you need to check the placement chart found on the HOD home page and see where each of your children place as individuals. Correct placement is really key to success when using HOD. Now, if both of them place in LHFHG, then it is possible to combine them in the guide. I am doing that now with my 4.5dd and 6ds. The way it works for us is that we do the guide 4 days a week which is stretching the guide out to 1 1/2 yrs. However, ds who is K this year and will be 1st next year does the 3 R's 5 days a week and then we just add fun extra reading as time allows that day and it qualifies as a full school day. So, as he enters 1st grade next year, he will be using the Beyond Guide for Math, Emerging Readers, and Spelling, but will continue in LHFHG with dd for everything else. My plan is to continue the 4 day week path until both of my children fall in the age range of guides. So far, this has been working great. By keeping ds on grade level for the 3R's, he should be well prepared for testing, since those are the key areas they test anyway. By continuing the basics on the 5th day, we have no problem meeting the required amount of school days. If he gets to the older end of the age range for the guides in a few years, we can start adding extensions for other subjects as needed - they are scheduled starting with BHFHG.

I know you had more questions, but I am out of time. Hopefully others will pop in with answers or I will check back as time allows.

P.S. Wanted to add that if you read through other threads you will find several answers to your questions. There is a scope and sequence thread where Carrie addresses what to do with an extra year at the end of the guides and I asked about testing a few weeks back, so that is one of several threads that addresses that question

Alicia had a great suggestion, if they place in LHFHG! I just wanted to add that I'm doing LHTH for Kind. My son will turn 6 before the end of the guide. If your younger one places there, and your kids are both new to HOD I don't think you'd be holding your K-er back with LHTH. Just put him in phonics instruction if he's already learned his letter sounds, and his level of math. Could add a day or two each week in a handwriting book if you wish, or wait for next year with both. They will still both enjoy the finger plays, the Biblical History stories/activities, and devotionals/memory verses.

There are several things you can do, and I agree that it doesn't sound like you need to separate them But definitely look at the placement chart to see where they fall. One suggestion of going 4 days per week has already been given... here are a few more.

1.) Put both of them in LHTH, doing it as written for the younger one, and as written and add in the K level fine motor skills from LHFHG (Do it Carefully, Finding the Answers, and handwriting) for the older one, then when you do LHFHG the next year you would use the K level fine motor skills books for the younger one and the 1st grade fine motor skills books for the older (Thinking Skills and 1st grade handwriting). This would take two years, and get your younger one into the age range for Beyond.

2.)Put both of them in LHFHG with the K level, and go half speed with full speed fine motor skills (do half the boxes each day, but do fine motor skills every day... it would get you through K and 1st FMS with both of them by the end. This would take two years and get your younger one in the age range for Beyond.

3.) Put both of them in LHFHG and go half speed for half the guide (through 17 units... one full school year) and then full speed for the rest of the guide (17 more units... half of the next school year.) The start Beyond half speed and go half speed as long as necessary to get your younger one fully able to partcipate in the guide. If you did Beyond half speed for long enough to finish out that school year, you'd be roughly in unit 9, and could start the next school year (when your younger one would be 6) wherever you left off at full speed 4 days a week to finish out that school year... it would give you 33 weeks roughly if you start that school year at unit 9 and did school 4 days per week.

It is definitely enough work... I have never had trouble filling out my attendance chart. Even a trip to the beach is so much learning and can be a field trip. A day reading, cooking, and playing outside is a full days worth of school for an elementary age child.

Thanks for all the replies. I never thought of doing LHFHG 4 days a week stretching it out to 1 ½ years. That is an idea. I think both my boys fit into the LHFHG guide. I like the idea of doing the phonics and math on the other days.

Amy, my two boys do everything together as well. That’s why last year we started them off doing the same curriculum. I was surprised how well my younger one did. Sometimes I used rewards to give him an incentive to do his worksheets. That has been working remarkably well. We just purchased chocolate covered raisins and popsicles for that purpose.

Putting them into LHTH is something I didn’t think of before. That is definitely something to consider.