Go ahead and start LHFHG?

[hs.mama07]

Hi! My DS5 is on unit 23 in LHTH. I skimmed through the rest of the guide and there’s really nothing else in the book he needs to learn...he is more than ready for LHFHG. I’m considering just stopping LHTH and starting LHFHG now (instead of next year when he would have been in K in ps)...but part of me feels bad about him missing the rest of LHTH. It’s such a fun guide and he does enjoy everything, but it’s just way too easy for him. Any thoughts or advice?

[luv2homeschool]

If it's fun and he enjoys it, then I would keep on in Little Hands, even though it's easy. The problem I see is that if you start him young in Little Hearts, then he will be young for the rest of the guides going forward. I personally don't believe in rushing things academically.

[countrymom]

If he is ready for the basic skills book, earlybird math, or even the phonics program you could add those, but I would also finish the guide. Like the other poster said, you want to be well prepared for the higher guides.

[mrsrandolph]

I know it is not the opinion of the authors , but I REALLY like to wait until they are 6 to start LHFHG. I really like for them to be able to grasp the history in LHFHG. So I agree that I would finish out LHTH. : )

But that's just my opinion having gone through it with my 4.

[hs.mama07]

Thanks so much ladies. I too don't like to start academics too early, but he's so smart and asks for more school everyday, I think he's ready for some more depth. Guess I should have included more details about where he is at. He can listen to long stories, with no pictures, and has no trouble understanding what he hears. Knows all his letter sounds and has started blending some on his own. He can count to 40 on his own and with just a little help can count to one hundred and beyond. Understands the concepts of adding and subtracting, less than/greater than, and a bunch of other basic math concepts. And especially excels in his understanding of science stuff. Like, he can explain the steps it takes to make electricity at our power plant and then the course it takes to get to our house (though it's not a deep understanding, it's still pretty impressive. knows more than I did before he started asking me questions, lol. Thank goodness for the internet and libraries). And on and on it goes. I haven't done any formal teaching beyond LHTH, but he absorbs everything he hears and asks thousands of questions (like driving by the power plant: what is that place? what is electricity? how is it made? etc). Just about everyday I'm looking things up on the computer and running to the library to satisfy his little thirst for knowledge It's a lot of fun!

So all that being said, I really do think he is fully ready for LHFHG, but he is a young five and I'm still pretty new to HOD so don't want to mess things up from the beginning by skipping an important first step. What do you think?

[Mercy]

Hello,
I don't really have an answer but just wanted to say your son reminds me of my oldest who was very curious and advanced in his thinking and learning early on. In my case I did not use HOD and I wish I had! I switched curriculum so many times and my son never was grounded in the basics and never was grounded in the habits the HOD teaches. I am jus encouraging you to continue the HOD plan....it looks like you are already. But whichever program you decide on (LHTH or LHFHG) it will give you plenty of time to explore his questions and curiosity.

Enjoy this time as it passes so quickly!!
Mercy

[my3sons]

I've found it important for our dc to finish an HOD guide to be ready for the next guide. The maturity of content and skills generally increases in progression within a guide, and by missing the last third of LHTH, I think you'd be missing some important things. LHTH is a chronological journey through time from Creation to Paul's Missionary Journeys. Unit 22 begins with Jesus' birth, His ministry and miracles, His death and resurrection, and ends with the spread of the Gospel. We found this progression to be moving and a great foundation for beginning LHFHG, which begins at creation but moves much more quickly through history to end with the 1970's. Much less time can be devoted to this all-important time of history in LHFHG, when our Savior was born and changed the world. Obviously this is a more mature topic as well. The math skills covered in the last third of LHTH are more difficult as well, and cover a variety of skills...
21 - tracing or copying designs and finding shapes
22 - counting: one to one correspondance
23 - comparing numbers: more than/less than/equal to
24 - counting and addition combinations that equal 5
25 - general measurement: area
26 - nonstandard measurement: “feet”
27 - sorting, counting, and graphing sets
28 - money: coin recognition, value, counting
29 - general time: yesterday, today, tomorrow
30 - number sense: more than 1 and counting forward/backward
31 - counting forward/backward and early addition
32 - general fractions: whole vs. part
33 - sorting and classifying: color, size, and shape

A final few reasons I'd finish LHTH are often dc's writing skills come much later than reading and math skills, and this may show itself as a hurdle later in the subsequent guides - and finally, teaching dc that finishing a guide is in itself an excellent thing to do.

So, for these reasons, I'd finish LHTH, but possibly add phonics instruction. I think you could definitely do 2 lessons of LHTH each day as well, as this would still accomplish completion of the guide and all its content and skills. HTH as you ponder what to do, and congrats on having a happy little one that loves learning and is thriving!

In Christ,
Julie

[hs.mama07]

Wow, thanks! We will definitely finish up the guide, and I really like the idea of sometimes doing two days in one. The stories are often related from day-to-day so that would be an easy way to give him more school each day. I love Heart of Dakota...you ladies are the best!

[hs.mama07]

Just an update: Doing two pages a day is working great. We do one in the morning and one in the afternoon and when DS5 asks for more school I can just tell him we'll be doing another page soon. He's loving it and is really excited to start his new K book when we finish.

Thanks again for all your help!

[my3sons]

Oh hooray! Thank you for sharing this update, and I am so glad ds is enjoying doing 2 a day! Before you know it, he'll be doing LHFHG. Time flies when you are having fun!

In Christ,
Julie

[Gwenny]

I was just browsing the posts and saw this one. After reading it, I think I'm going to move my 5 yo back to LHTH! We just moved on to LHFHG, but we didn't finish LHTH, I just thought we should move on. That's unusual for me, I'm usually the one telling others to slow down!

Thanks for your post Julie, giving details about why to finish LHTH.

I just finished LHFHG with one of my children, he was just turning 8 when we stopped, so, on the older end. My little guy now is 5 1/2. Wow. I notice a big difference in understanding and attention span. He loves Reddy Fox, and can listen to very long stories and loves to, but he doesn't understand it near as well as my other son did. We just wrote the letter to Reddy telling him not to boast, his letter didn't have near the depth that my other son's did. They are, of course, different people, but my other son was older when he did it. It really makes a difference. I think that my little guy would be fine doing LHFHG if we continued, especially if we did 1/2 speed, but I think stepping back he will soar. I like soaring better than just getting by.

Thanks everyone for the discussions. Now, the only problem is, I gave away my LHTH!! My best friend just took it to her daughter who lives in Dubai-she has young ones that need it. Oh well, I love getting boxes from HOD! I'm sure I can't only buy one thing though.....

Blessings.