For the experienced-combining question
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For the experienced-combining question
Ladies, I need some advice on combining my two youngest. My 7 & 9 year old are combined, working through Bigger Hearts (though they are doing their own level Language Arts, Reading, & Math). Having them combined is such a blessing and help so much with time! Here's my dilemma...my 5 year old (turned 5 in mid-August) has recently started Little Hearts sort of half-paced. I'm thinking ahead...in that I have a 3 year old that will be 4 in September. If I keep letting my 5 year old go as she is, then I will soon have kids in 3 different guides which seems very overwhelming. I'm wondering if I should sort of "hold my 5 year old off" on the "Learning through History" portion of the guide so next year my will-be 4 year old can double up with her on that??? My 5 year old is working now through the math, handwriting, Rod & Staff books, and Phonics (which she loves and is very much ready for). Can't figure out if I will be holding her back by not doing the history/science portion this year (although she hears a lot of history and science from her older siblings). Help please on how I should move forward and combine or not! Thanks so much!
Meredith
Trusting in Him to supply all my needs! Phil. 4:19
Mommy to:
Quinter 15 WG
Gabry 13 WG
Ainsley 12 Res to Ref
Bryn 9 Preparing
Silas 6 Beyond
Trusting in Him to supply all my needs! Phil. 4:19
Mommy to:
Quinter 15 WG
Gabry 13 WG
Ainsley 12 Res to Ref
Bryn 9 Preparing
Silas 6 Beyond
Re: For the experienced-combining question
I personally don't think you'll be damaging her by holding off on the History and Science portions and keeping her moving with the math and workbooks and reading things. I think you have a good plan; when you're ready to begin LHFHG with both of them she can do the higher level workbooks and move on to the Emerging Readers.
Becky, married to my preacher-man and raising:
DD 12-7th grade public school
DS 10-Preparing
DS 8-Beyond
DS 3-Just doin' his thing
DD 12-7th grade public school
DS 10-Preparing
DS 8-Beyond
DS 3-Just doin' his thing
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Re: For the experienced-combining question
That's what I'm thinking, too, but I tried sticking to just workbooks and phonics yesterday, and she was INSISTENT on reading Reddy Fox and doing all the history and science readings! I'm not sure she's going to let me get away with this!
She's one that's been begging to do "school" since she was 3! We'll see... Thanks for your input!

Meredith
Trusting in Him to supply all my needs! Phil. 4:19
Mommy to:
Quinter 15 WG
Gabry 13 WG
Ainsley 12 Res to Ref
Bryn 9 Preparing
Silas 6 Beyond
Trusting in Him to supply all my needs! Phil. 4:19
Mommy to:
Quinter 15 WG
Gabry 13 WG
Ainsley 12 Res to Ref
Bryn 9 Preparing
Silas 6 Beyond
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- Posts: 152
- Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2010 10:05 pm
Re: For the experienced-combining question
After some more thinking, I'm wondering if I should just let my 5 year old continue as is, and when my 3 year old is ready to join in, then maybe I could just have her jump in with history, science, etc. in Beyond (with her sister) and have her working her own place in workbooks, etc. Would I be cutting her out of something important though throwing her into history and science in Beyond and having skipped all that in LHFGH (although she does hear a lot of it just by being around and does do Rhymes in Motion and Bible Memorization already)?? Oh, the questions! Thanks again for any advice.
Meredith
Trusting in Him to supply all my needs! Phil. 4:19
Mommy to:
Quinter 15 WG
Gabry 13 WG
Ainsley 12 Res to Ref
Bryn 9 Preparing
Silas 6 Beyond
Trusting in Him to supply all my needs! Phil. 4:19
Mommy to:
Quinter 15 WG
Gabry 13 WG
Ainsley 12 Res to Ref
Bryn 9 Preparing
Silas 6 Beyond
Re: For the experienced-combining question
It's really not hard doing multiple guides if everyone is placed correctly. We are almost done here and have been working three hours. And I've done four guides. Everyone is placed where they should be so it flows very very smoothly.
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Re: For the experienced-combining question
Lora Beth, For your 3 oldest, do you do the History, Science, Geography, etc. readings and activities with them or do they do it independently? Maybe I'm doing too much with mine. My oldest 2 do all of their workbooks and reading stuff independently, but I do all their history, science, etc. with them. If we do everything in the guide (Bigger) it takes a good 3-4 hours, plus my time working with my 5 year old on LHFHG. Suggestions?
Meredith
Trusting in Him to supply all my needs! Phil. 4:19
Mommy to:
Quinter 15 WG
Gabry 13 WG
Ainsley 12 Res to Ref
Bryn 9 Preparing
Silas 6 Beyond
Trusting in Him to supply all my needs! Phil. 4:19
Mommy to:
Quinter 15 WG
Gabry 13 WG
Ainsley 12 Res to Ref
Bryn 9 Preparing
Silas 6 Beyond
Re: For the experienced-combining question
I do not do everything with my oldest. She is quite independent because I started working with her in Bigger on being independent... plus we've been doing Preparing for a year.
In fact, I don't really read much to her at all. I read the storytime at bedtime. So therefore, the vast majority of her work is independent with me checking in periodically, asking questions, going over her work, etc.
I do not do storytime for Bigger because we are working through DITHOR, or rather will be when Jayden starts CTC and starts her new "year" of DITHOR. I'm going to have them together. Carrie suggested that if I have to cut out a storytime, that the readings in Bigger go over the same topics as DITHOR.
My second DD is semi-independent. She does math, cursive, notebooking/timeline/vocabulary/music on her own after I explain it to her. She's fairly "advanced" in that she can read and understand directions
so it's simply my peace of mind that makes me go over it first. Well, obviously I explain math concepts. But everything else she could do independently. I read history and science to her. And poetry and dictation take about 10 minutes total. English also takes maybe 10 minutes... we do it all orally at this point. She balks at written work, but I'm pretty sure she needs glasses. So until we get her into the eye doctor I"m not forcing her to do written work we can just do orally when there is so much written work as it is. She does not need the handwriting practice or stamina. Bigger, without DITHOR, takes us about 1.5 hours, with my part being about 45 minutes. But again... she's quite unique in that I started teaching her to read and follow directions as soon as she could read. I knew I would need that.
My third is sorta-independent
I am not a stickler for handwriting, so I tell her what she needs to do in her handwriting workbook or her fine motor skills workbook and she does the work. She is also getting a bit "advanced" for LHFHG, but I want to finish it with her. She could easily go in Beyond, but I'm trying to make her and my DD2 not be in back to back guides. Because of this, LHFHG really does not take up much time for us. I can easily do it with her while my older two are doing their independent work. And I can do LHTH while she is doing her workbooks (I also let her do math when she does workbooks because she knows the concepts already)
I do not have an actual schedule. Things take longer when I have a schedule
Also, Bigger with my oldest took way longer than it does with my second. It took longer than Preparing does. Simply because I was working on learning how to get Jayden to be more independent, while still being her teacher. I do not let Grace read History or Science on her own yet because she's not THAT good of a reader, but I have no doubt that if I did she would probably come away with a better understanding. So I will likely transition her to reading science on her own (easier books in my opinion) about midway through the guide.
I have them start reading history as soon as they are able after they turn 9.

I do not do storytime for Bigger because we are working through DITHOR, or rather will be when Jayden starts CTC and starts her new "year" of DITHOR. I'm going to have them together. Carrie suggested that if I have to cut out a storytime, that the readings in Bigger go over the same topics as DITHOR.
My second DD is semi-independent. She does math, cursive, notebooking/timeline/vocabulary/music on her own after I explain it to her. She's fairly "advanced" in that she can read and understand directions

My third is sorta-independent

I do not have an actual schedule. Things take longer when I have a schedule

I have them start reading history as soon as they are able after they turn 9.
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Re: For the experienced-combining question
Lora Beth,
Thanks for the input. I feel like my oldest 2 are pretty independent. I'm not sure at this point what I could stop doing with them that I am doing. They do more than half of the stuff on their own. I think just between what I do with them, doing everything with my 5 year old in LHFHG and then dealing with a 3 year old and a 13 month old that's into EVERYTHING, it all adds up (time-wise)! I'm beginning to think maybe I should just let my 5 year old keep moving forward with LHFHG and then figure out what to do with the next one when the time comes. As I type, she's begging me to do her science and history readings (did I say how much we love HOD at our house?!)!
Thanks for the input. I feel like my oldest 2 are pretty independent. I'm not sure at this point what I could stop doing with them that I am doing. They do more than half of the stuff on their own. I think just between what I do with them, doing everything with my 5 year old in LHFHG and then dealing with a 3 year old and a 13 month old that's into EVERYTHING, it all adds up (time-wise)! I'm beginning to think maybe I should just let my 5 year old keep moving forward with LHFHG and then figure out what to do with the next one when the time comes. As I type, she's begging me to do her science and history readings (did I say how much we love HOD at our house?!)!
Meredith
Trusting in Him to supply all my needs! Phil. 4:19
Mommy to:
Quinter 15 WG
Gabry 13 WG
Ainsley 12 Res to Ref
Bryn 9 Preparing
Silas 6 Beyond
Trusting in Him to supply all my needs! Phil. 4:19
Mommy to:
Quinter 15 WG
Gabry 13 WG
Ainsley 12 Res to Ref
Bryn 9 Preparing
Silas 6 Beyond
Re: For the experienced-combining question
You have gotten some good advice here already!
There are many options with HOD, which is so helpful, but which is also why we end up talking about options a lot.
From all that you have shared, I would keep going with your 5 yo as you are, and look down the road to combine the 3 and 1 yo together. Your 5 yo sounds well-placed and like a little go-getter. It is honestly easier to DO school with this kind of a child than to try to think up other things to stimulate them or to do with them that is time as well-spent as simply doing LHFHG is. You are going to see that HOD plans for you to be able to teach multiple guides well (after all, Carrie has 4 dc herself, all quite spread out). So, once your older duo reaches PHFHG, you will see "I" boxes popping up in the plans. These boxes are planned for dc to do independently. The "S" boxes (semi-independent) are meant to be half taught, half independent. The "T" boxes are teacher-directed. This plans for you to have time to teach the littles, as well as for your olders to learn some needed independence.
You will be just fine!!! HTH!
In Christ,
Julie




In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie
Re: For the experienced-combining question
Oh, and when your duo reaches PHFHG, PHFHG is a 4 day plan, giving you the fifth day off. I'd have your LHFHG child at that point drop to 4 days a week too. She'll be young enough to do it, as she is in the youngest target age range of LHFHG. You can have her do 4 days a week for LHFHG, Beyond, and Bigger, and she'll finish those in about 4 years instead of 3 years. This will give you some wiggle room, a common day off for everyone, and a little gal that loves her school! HTH!
In Christ,
Julie

In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie
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Re: For the experienced-combining question
I recently posted a schedule with how we do 4 guides with 4 kids in our house (it's in the sticky at the top of this board "Let's Share Our Schedules"
It is doable! I think 3hrs sounds about right for Bigger too. We usually took about 2.5 to 3hrs at that level for my oldest.

~~Tamara~~
Enjoying HOD since 2008
DD15 long-time HODie finding her own new path
DS12 PHFHG {dysgraphia, APD, SID}
DS9 PHFHG
DS6 LHFHG
DD new nursling
Enjoying HOD since 2008
DD15 long-time HODie finding her own new path
DS12 PHFHG {dysgraphia, APD, SID}
DS9 PHFHG
DS6 LHFHG
DD new nursling
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- Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2010 10:05 pm
Re: For the experienced-combining question
Julie and Tamara, thank you so much for your input! I really appreciate you taking the time to respond Julie. Thanks Tamara for your schedule, I will check it out! I will carry on with my little "go-getter"!
Meredith
Trusting in Him to supply all my needs! Phil. 4:19
Mommy to:
Quinter 15 WG
Gabry 13 WG
Ainsley 12 Res to Ref
Bryn 9 Preparing
Silas 6 Beyond
Trusting in Him to supply all my needs! Phil. 4:19
Mommy to:
Quinter 15 WG
Gabry 13 WG
Ainsley 12 Res to Ref
Bryn 9 Preparing
Silas 6 Beyond