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I'm debating which course to use for the Fine Motor Skills with LHFHG. I would like to hear opinions of what is covered in each book. My 5 yr old will be starting LHFHG this fall. He loves to color and cut and paste now and he knows his shapes and colors and is able to read independently... Without seeing the books, it's hard to tell what the lessons in each cover. So, I'd like to hear what others have found to work for them?

I purchased both, as I wasn't sure. My son will be 5.75 when we begin, which is young for 1st grade, but he already does a lot of K level work at just-turned 5, so it was a hard guess without seeing the books. Now that I have looked, he could easily do the R&S books now. The Thinking Skills had some he could handle now and some that would challenge him now.

I think we are going to go through the R&S books now and start with Thinking Skills when we begin LHFHG in August.

Has your son had any formal lessons yet? Will you be starting soon, or will he have a bit more time to learn and mature? It sounds to me like he is a bright boy. I'd take a chance and recommend the Thinking Skills, but I don't think you could go wrong either way. But that's just my opinion as a mama and former 2nd grade teacher...I'd love to hear what those who have used the books would say!

OK, thanks. We have done some schooling this year, but nothing formal. He was in an early learning center while I worked from the time he was born until age 4 and they seem to focus a lot on fine motor skills. They were constantly working with their hands, coloring, cutting, pasting, writing in shaving cream, etc... so, he has done some of that. He's doing very well coloring right now. Just lately, it's really started to click and he's staying in the lines and using several colors and really taking his time. Once again, though, without seeing the books, I don't know what other concepts are covered besides coloring/cutting/pasting... I will have a new baby and a 3 yr old to take care of by the time we start in August, so selfishly, I don't want him to be too frustrated, because I will be preoccupied. Of course, I don't want him to be bored either. Maybe I'll think about buying the R&S ones early and working on them over the summer and trying to start Thinking Skills in August... Anyone else who has used these have any suggestions?

Weeeeeeell, I am another one who couldn't decide and got both options. I figured if the R&S was too easy, I would just save it for dd's LHTH years. But after looking at them both I decided to do R&S with my son (and purchase again for dd). The rod and staff is soooo cute, they get me with the woodland scenes. LOL. Some of it is easy, yes. But I think kindergarten should be fun and build their confidence. Now, if your son has already done lots of cutting and glueing and logic and all that, then you should probably just go with thinking skills.

With dd, next year I am going to incorporate R&S workbooks with her in LHTH because I don't want her to miss them, then in LHFHG we will do thinking skills.

If you haven't started LHFHG, you could do R&S now, and over summer, then move onto Thinking Skills when you start your new guide. R&S is less than $6 for the pair.

My dd is going to use the thinking skills book because we already used the R&S books. I can't say enough good things about the R&S books! My little left-handed 5 year old struggled with her fine motor skills a bit. I bought the entire ABC series, while attempting to plan my own lessons, after previewing a couple of the workbooks. While most of my planning didn't compare at all to the awesome HOD plans (explains why I returned), the R&S books were the best! My dd went through them and her skills improved so much! Her fine motor skills are solid now, especially when compared to how they were.

Tremains, I sent you a pm!

Thanks for all of the advice! I think we may go ahead and get the R&S for the summer and then begin Thinking Skills in August. Although he has done a lot of the patterns, shapes, logic, cutting and pasting and he is able to read the directions himself, it doesn't always mean he FOLLOWS directions like he should... so, extra work in just the following directions part cannot hurt!