heartofdakota.com

Hello!

I've been looking over HOD for almost 2 years now...along with everything else out there. My little girls are sixteen months apart, with one turning 4 in early August this summer, and her sister turning 2 this past December. After oodles of research, I know that I want to follow a Charlotte Mason approach. I really struggle with whether or not to combine them when they are so close in age, or whether I should not do formal schooling until age 6, or whether I should do Ambleside Online or HOD. It. all. looks. wonderful.

One option would be: start G in LHTH this fall when she is newly 4, and let S join in when she wants. They would be 2 grades apart in public school due to birthdays, but if we didn't register G until age 6 that would make a one year grade difference. Option 2: wait until G is 5 and S is 4 to do LHTH, adding phonics, math, and handwriting for G. When people choose this option, do they go ahead and purchase LHFHG and work out of both guides? This is probably simple but always baffles me. Option 3: Start G in LHTH at age 4, let her proceed through her own guides, and then when S is 4 (16 months later), begin her alone in LHTH. This option worries me, as it seems she will have just heard all of the material and it might be redundant. I know she will want to join in on activities with G as they do everything together.

I know I am the only one who can make a final decision, and that everything might change once I actually begin teaching and learning with them. I don't know abilities, strengths, weaknesses...much more than personalities at this point! I can tell G is a perfectionist who gets frustrated easily and S is relaxed and extremely verbal for her age.

These boards are always such an encouragement to those of us beginning this journey. I really appreciate the advice and hearing others' stories! My husband was so amused by me last year when I saw the HOD booth at the Greenville, SC convention. I was nervous to go over and talk to Carrie because to homeschooling mamas, these fabulous authors are our celebrities! She was wonderful, of course.

Blessings,

Jessica

If it helps, my 3.5 year old knows all of the letters and their sounds very well. My 2-year-old knows all the letters and most of their sounds, but doesn't recognize them as easily yet without mistakes, which is of course expected.

Blessings,

Jessica

Welcome to the HOD board!

I had to smile when you described your girls' personalities, because it could have been me describing my girls! It has really helped my older "perfectionist" daughter to work on projects alongside her little sister, who is a great encourager and who is invariably happy with her own project no matter how it turns out. It has helped my older one relax & work a little more quickly with less frustration!

LHTH is a lot of fun and I highly recommend it! If I were you, I would either start it when your older one turns 4 or perhaps better when your younger one turns 3 (i.e. next January). I think your 3 year-old would most likely be able to do it all as written & wouldn't just be tagging along. Then I would work through it slowly - perhaps just doing it 2 or 3 days a week. As soon as your older one is ready for phonics/math instruction, you can add that in for her (do phonics 5 days a week for better retention). If you just add phonics you could just buy The Reading Lesson or Reading Made Easy (I like RME best, but many moms on the board prefer TRL) and go through it with her - maybe working on phonics for about 15 minutes per day. You wouldn't need the Little Hearts guide for that. If you did want to add math, you would have to buy the Little Hearts guide to get Carrie's activities, but it wouldn't be hard to pull out that guide just for math. Adding the Fine Motor Skills workbooks is easy too.

If you took 1.5 years to do LHTH and slowed down the later guides too - perhaps doing Little Hearts, Beyond and Bigger only 4 days a week, or by doing any of these guides half speed for a while, you can allow your younger one to grow into any skills needed and to reach the recommended age range for the guides. Just keep your older one progressing through her reading/math/motor skills and you would be set! I have found it to be easy to borrow 3Rs from a higher guide for my older one who is combined with her sister.

Anyway - this is just one idea for how you could do it. I am sure others could suggest other good plans. Best wishes as you start your homeschooling adventure!

Welcome to the HOD Board, Jessica! Thanks for sharing about your dc. It really does sound like the two of them can be combined, and like you would enjoy that. I agree with farmfamily, I'd start "Little Hands to Heaven" with them, but move through it a little more slowly. You could actually do LHTH, LHFHG, Beyond, and Bigger Hearts just 4 days a week and finish them exactly in 5 years if you wanted. No matter how you slow things down, which fits BTW very nicely with your line of thinking about starting slowly, I'd not get to Little Hearts for His Glory with your younger dd until she is at least 4 1/2 yo. That would be the absolute earliest I'd start a child on LHFHG. Likewise, I'd not start Bigger Hearts for His Glory until your younger dd is at least 7 yo or older. Starting early offers some wonderful pacing flexibility. I highly recommend it! As farmfamily wisely suggested, your older dd can begin her phonics, k math, k fine motor skills, and k handwriting anytime along with "Little Hands to Heaven." You'd just get the "Little Hearts for His Glory" guide. It is super easy to work from 2 books like this - honestly. But, I'd start with the 2 of them in Little Hands... as is. We have done LHTH 3 times now through the years, and it is hands-down the best start to homeschooling ever. Such fond memories we have of LHTH - if we lived closer, I'd come teach it for you now and then! Grandchildren, right? Can't wait to do LHTH again someday. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

Thank you so much for clearing the fog for me! I knew there was a simple solution I must be missing. It never even occurred to me to combine them and do the first 4 guides at 4 days a week. Then we could use that fifth day for art, nature study, more outside time, free reading...I am so excited!

Even if we wait to start LHTH in mid-September, dd2 would only be 3 months from turning 3 (sniffle!) and dd1 will be newly 4. I think they would have a blast with the guide, and I feel God is leading us to HOD because the girls' favorite books are their Bible stories and devotionals. What better time to hide God's word in their hearts and solidify/set the tone for our homeschool?

Many thanks. These forums are more than a newbie could ask for!

Blessings,
Jessica

I'm so glad to have been of some help! In a world who is so ready to deem Bible stories and devotionals as unimportant, or as covered 'enough' outside of homeschooling, it really made my heart sing for joy to read your words here...

Blessed Jess wrote:...I think they would have a blast with the guide, and I feel God is leading us to HOD because the girls' favorite books are their Bible stories and devotionals. What better time to hide God's word in their hearts and solidify/set the tone for our homeschool?

You've got your heart in the right place, Jessica. Your dc are blessed to have a mama who is serving the King. Have a wonderful year with your sweet girls! I think you have made an excellent decision.

In Christ,
Julie