input please

[fruitofthewomb]

I have 4 girls-age 7, 5, 2, & 1. I feel confident that my 7 y/o will fit well with beyond. We are working through Abeka phonics and should finish up A Handbook for Reading soon. We also are using MUS Alpha right now but just got started on it. She has medical problems including seizures that have caused us to get a little behind (medicine changes & hospitalizations) but things are going smoothly now. Right now the seizures are in check so she has been progressing quite well and I plan to work thru the summer (2 days a week maybe) to finish up our 1st grade stuff. Her handwriting is ok although she reverses some letters and numbers still. She loves to read to herself and write & illustrate stories. I have looked at HOD for past 2 years and finally decided to give up on trying to piece together my own stuff and give HOD a try. I had actually bought LHFHG for her K year but then just didn't use it. We have had very little history and science-mainly informal as things happen in our life. We have been going through ABC Bible Verses for what seems like forever.

My just turned 5 yr old knows numbers and letters but not letter sounds. She isn't really writing much. I haven't started formal phonics with her but plan to use OPGTTR (I just can't do Abeka again lol). I will use MUS Primer also. She has been working quickly through the R&S ABC books and is on C now. She loves those! I bought a handwriting curriculum similar to Handwriting w/o Tears. I thought of doing LHTH with her and letting others tag along. Then doing LHFHG for 1st grade.

I just really want to have some fun in our school day and for school to get done! Does this plan sound alright? Am I overlooking anything?

Any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated!

Morgan

[pjdobro]

I think starting with LHTH for your 5 year old and letting the little ones listen in occasionally sounds like a good plan. I am wondering though if your 7 yo might be better in LHFHG than Beyond? How does she seem to fit on the placement chart: http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php? I can see that it would be better to have her in Beyond to give you a guide in between them so you aren't doing the same guide 2 years in a row. Also a couple of months can make a huge difference in development. Is that when you are planning on starting? Does she solidly fall in Beyond on the chart?

Either way you go, I think you are going to have some fun days ahead. We found HOD after my dc were beyond LHTH so we didn't get to enjoy that guide (I'm hoping I'll get to do it someday with my grandchildren ), but we have done every guide from LHFHG through CTC now and enjoyed them all. What fun days you have ahead!

[dschurma]

I am doing LHTH with my 3.5 yr old, but my 5 yr old (who's doing MFW K this year) really enjoys listening in and participating in LHTH with the 3 yr old. I think, if you're adding math and phonics, that it will be a great K year for your 5 yr old. LHTH only takes us 20-30 minutes to complete (unless there is painting involved...and then it could take all morning if I allowed, lol!) so you'd still have plenty of time to work with your oldest after giving the 5 yr old and youngers their own special school time

[my3sons]

HI Morgan, and welcome to the HOD Board! You have gotten a warm welcome and some great advice here already. I agree with your thoughts on placement! It sounds like LHTH for the 5 yo, along with OPGTTR, MUS Primer, R & S books, and handwriting will be a great fit. Plus, the littles can keep enjoying it. LHTH is as important to do for the history, art, fingerplays, thinking skills, music, etc. as anything else. It really is like a micro LHFHG school day, so it is important to do. It makes the transition to LHFHG a smooth one.

For your 7 yo, it sounds like Beyond will be a good fit, provided, as pjdobro mentioned, this is where she fits well on the placement chart. You mentioned she enjoys reading to herself - could you share some books she is reading well on her own? Also, you mentioned some information about her writing. Is she writing words or sentences comfortably? Is she ready for a gentle introduction to grammar one time a week? Does she listen to read alouds with few pictures well? Daily history and science will be an increase in challenge, whether she did LHFHG or Beyond. Is she ready for simple spelling words? If you get the chance to answer these questions about dd, I'd be glad to help with better fine-tuned placement advice. Thanks so much, and I think you will love HOD as much as our family does!!! I think you WILL have lots of FUN, and I also think you will LOVE opening your guide and having all you need for a balanced school day right at your fingertips at a glance, with no prep or planning. HOD is a great way to go about enjoying homeschooling. I'm glad you will get to do it with your dc!

In Christ,
Julie