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Hi ladies!

I am wondering if I could get some input on placement for my 5 1/2 year old son. He will be 6 in October and this fall will be his Kindergarten year.

Looking at the placement chart, I would say he is ready for phonics instruction- we started using The Reading Lesson free trial, we are on lesson 3, it is going pretty well and he seems to do OK with decoding words. He enjoys sounding the words out so even if he knows what the word says he will still sit there and go C-A-T instead of just saying it. Lol. "What does it say Mommy?" Like he's trying to turn the tables and teach me. But when I turn my back he'll read the whole page. So I think that he will do OK with being ready for phonics instruction.

For writing, placement chart says "Ready to begin formal manuscript printing, or able to begin writing words. I believe his skills are in the beginning stage as far as this goes. He just finished a year of 3 day per week Pre-K at a private school. He hates handwriting and coloring, which I believe is part of his problem- I think it's an issue of his will. However I know I can motivate him at home better than the schools. His name is Judah. For example, he writes the "J" and the "u" really well, but the "d" "a" and "h" are questionable. Sometimes he writes from right to left instead of left to write. I don't believe he is dyslexic as he doesn't seem to have any issues with reading. Any time he sits down to write or color it is forced. He will be half looking at the page and half staring off into space, not really concentrating. So I don't know, but I feel like if he was actually interested in the activity, writing from left to right wouldn't be a problem. I believe he may be exhibiting a little bit of micro-rebellion in this area as well. He can draw a stick figure and most of the body parts are there. But honestly I haven't been working with him too much on fine motor stuff at home because he was under so much pressure at school. Today actually I am making him some sensory boxes to play with over the summer as an activity to strengthen his fine motor skills.

Ready for gentle intro to basic parts of speech, he's probably ready for this. Although he was a little late to the game with speech, which I believe to be due to some major allergy issues he was having with swollen tonsils/adenoids, and also a chronic constipation issue he was having. He really took off in all areas when we got these issues addressed about a year and a half to two years ago. When he was evaluated by our school district they did not have concerns for his speech, he is not in speech therapy at this time.

Math will be no problem, he is strong in this area.

Thanks for any placement help. With the handwriting skills being being number two on the chart in order of importance as it regards placement, I wasn't sure if LHTH would be a better fit. Although with him having just finished a Pre-K year, perhaps LHFHG would be a better fit. We could always repeat LHFHG with 1st grade options if he needed it, right? Has anyone used LHFHG two years in a row like that? I've also heard people say that the child should be in the very upper ages of the HOD guides for them to be as successful as possible.... Any thoughts on that?

Thanks and sorry for this lengthy post!

I will chime in and tell you that I wound not repeat LHFHG. Even if you used the 1st grade options, the bible, history, art, (left side) would be the same.

This year, my son is doing only the right side of LHFHG, with K options. He was 5 1/2 when we started. Initially, I thought it wasn't meaty enough for K, but with tons of reading aloud and other things, it's been a light, enjoyable year. You could do the fun activities in LHTH and then do the same. Then the following year do all of LHFHG with the first grade options. That is what I will be doing with my 2 oldest guys and can't wait!

It sounds like our sons are very similar. I would love to do LHFHG starting this fall when he is 5 1/2, but he is still really struggling with fine motor skills and writing. I've decided to give him an extra year to develop these skills and take it easy for K. I'm planning to do LHTH with his little brother and will be doing another curriculum just for his Kindergarten this year that is very gentle. I just feel that he would be under stimulated with LHTH after 2 1/2 years in preschool and his writing and fine motor skills need time. I'm really more concerned about Beyond after LHFHG. I know that he will not be able to write sentences within a year, so that has also helped me make this decision. We will be using Handwriting Without Tears and a fine motor skills curriculum to give him extra practice in those areas.

With all that being said. I love the look of LHFHG and can't wait to start it with him for first grade next year!

Amanda

That is exactly my concern, I'm not sure if he will be ready for Beyond in one year in terms of what will be expected of him fine-motor wise. I DO feel strongly that he would do well in LHFHG as written. I never considered doing only the right side of LHFHG and something else for the other. I'm one who likes to do programs as written... That's why I want to use a boxed curriculum. =-) Because I have that trust that all my bases are covered and it's less work on my part. I'm curious to know what the creator of HOD would think of this option. Again, I feel that he would do great in LHFHG. But I am concerned about what to do for 1st grade if he is not ready for Beyond at that time.

I can't speak for Carrie or Julie, but I can you that Carrie personally recommended that very option for me last year (doing LHTH and right side K skills from LHFHG). Its actually quite a popular option from the posts that I've read here. I know I was a little disappointed to wait to jump in to LHFHG, but looking back now, I am so glad I waited. As I've gone through the right side this year, I've read the left side plans every day and sometimes look at the readings. There have been many times that I've thought "I think that's more appropriate for my child as a 6 year old"... Mostly speaking of the history book here. That's just my opinion of my child of course.

I too, am of the opinion that there's really no rush for K. I'm starting to see that now after just one year of homeschooling. I will keep the same plan for my little ones coming down the line. HTH!

Thank you so much for sharing this idea with me! That actually may be a really good option for us. My only thought on that is, would he be on grade level with other Kindergarten students if we went that route? I'm not planning on putting my children in public school anytime soon, but in case something unforseen made that necessary, I would want them to be on grade level with their public school counter parts. Another thought is, my son is turning 6 in October. Do you think he is too old to do right side LHFHG with K options and LHTH? He pretty much has everything mastered that LHTH would cover, I believe, minus the fine motor stuff that he needs more time to develop. His mathematics are very strong. So I don't know if LHTH would be too repetitive? Because LHTH only counts up to 12, right? Judah counts to 30+ and knows his letters and letter sounds. Is there enough other meat in the curriculum that it would still be a good option, in your opinion? I really appreciate the input. =-) This is my first year and I want to set him on a good path. Thanks!

So when you say "right side" of LHFHG you are referring to the "Learning the Basics" section? And then the left side is Learning Through History? So using LHFHG with K options right side, along with LHTH, would you do the scheduled read alouds also? Or would you save those for 1st grade year? Thank you!

SarahAngelina,
If you do LHTH and right side of LHFHG you will be covering the basics for K. In our state kiddos must be 5 by Sept 1 so dc would only be in K. As hs you can tailor their education to their skills so I wouldn't be so concerned about the grade level. What worked for my dd was this same plan but for different reason. My dd fine motor skills are advanced for her age but her language is behind. I did not use the read alouds until she was in LHFHG. I used the older resources for LHTH (Bible, Devotions, ?). I focused on the basics (her reading/phonics, writing, math-Singapore). I read from some suggestions in Appendix & other family favorites. It was perfect for her. Gentle but thorough. She finished her school day and had time & energy to independently explore her world thru play & imagination. She loves school and is challenged. Will be in 2nd grade/7 1/2 yo in unit 5 of Beyond. She started K in LHTH with K resources from LHFHG. The most exciting thing is that she has The Lord in her heart and desires to share that with her friends. She feels that burden as a desire to share and knows so much about The Lord because we lingered in LHTH and LHFHG for 3 years and it is strong in Bible stories.

Tammy

Thanks for all the great feedback ladies. I still am unsure where he needs to be placed based on his current ability. Is LHFHG good for someone who is just beginning to learn how to form letters? The only thing I have concerns with as far as LHTH goes is that he already counts pretty high, knows letter sounds, is starting to read. I suppose we could try LHFHG as written and see how it goes. What are my options for modifying the program to work for 1st grade if he is not ready to move to Beyond at the end of the year? Thanks so much.

Something else to be aware of with this is, while I think it would be great for him to have two years to linger in the LHFHG guide (using right side LHFHG and LHTH for K, then as LHFHG as written for 1st) to give his fine motor skills extra time to develop, I'm afraid he will be taking off with reading by the end of the first year. So then we'll be on to the emerging readers from Beyond even though we won't be in Beyond yet?

Another factor... I've read that ability to write is linked with reading readiness. He is ready to read. We've done the first three lessons in The Reading Lesson and he's caught on beautifully. I'm not certain that his fine motor issues aren't more to do with his will and less to do with his actual ability. He is able to pinch pennies and put into his piggy bank, he is able to use tongs, put pipe cleaners through the holes in a colander (we're trying those kind of activities this summer to strengthen his hands). He has some difficulty snapping his pants. Tying shoes is out of the question. All this to say... I know it would be more gentle on him and less stress, feel more natural to do right side LHFHG with LHTH for K, then LHFHG for 1st grade. However, sometimes I also think his little brain needs a challenge. I was so excited to do the Burgess read alouds this year for the challenge. I know he will have difficulty with the comprehension and verbalizing responses back to me, but I know this will really help him grow. So I'm torn between my options because I DO want him to be challenged.

I just have a quick reply to your concerns about reading: you can use the Emerging Readers with any guide, as needed by your child. My son is using the LHFHG guide as written while working through the ER's and their questions from the Beyond guide. Not a problem. When I ordered LHFHG I also needed the Beyond guide for the ER schedule, so I went ahead and ordered all the Beyond materials because I'm an HODie for life and I wanted to take advantage of the wonderful free shipping option.

ETA: If money is a bit tight, I do believe that if you order just the Beyond guide for the ER schedule now, HOD will honor the discount you would normally get with the Economy Package when you need to buy the other 3 books later.

Honestly, I think from what you've said that if you do the K level FMS, math, and phonics with LHTH he will be perfectly placed. The activities in LHTH teach them how to listen and narrate for LHFHG while not tiring them out. Then you can do the 1st grade basics along with the ERs with LHFHG and the Beyond guide for the ER and math schedule.

It seems like it's not enough when you look at it, but it really is.

The alternative, and I can't remember now what you've said previously and in other threads, if you aren't starting until the fall then you could wait and re-evaluate closer to time you'd need it.... a few months makes a big difference at this age sometimes. He might be ready at that point to begin LHFHG half speed until his comprehension and stamina both with FMS and with listening builds up.

Thanks MomtoJGJE,

I just made some "sensory tubs" for him to play with for FMS, and picked up some Kindergarten workbooks from Dollar Tree. Also bought some sticker books. Every time he does a lesson, he gets a sticker. He's really easy to motivate one on one. A sticker and praise are all he needs. I should have homeschooled him for Pre-K... The teachers weren't able to work with him one on one and if he didn't want to do an activity he basically didn't. But it was still a really good experience for him socially and for me helped confirm that homeschool is the right choice for us. I'm waiting to order the new LHFHG guide, Carrie just let us know that it should be available for shipping mid-July. So I will see where his skills are at that time. I'm loving that I can customize to fit my sons needs perfectly... I can't wait to get started!

SarahAngeline,

The ladies are doing a wonderful job of talking through possible placement options with you. They are amazing women with such wise counsel. As I was reading through your initial post, I was thinking that LHFHG would be a good fit for your son. It sounds like he fits well there on the placement chart, and much of what you shared as far as fine motor challenges isn't that uncommon for boys upon entering LHFHG. Your description actually fit my own third little guy when he began LHFHG as he was turning 6.

Two factors in considering whether to do LHFHG or whether to do LHTH with K options are your son's age and the fact that he has already been through quite a bit of Kindergarten readiness. Another factor is that he seems to really make strides when you work with him one-on-one. So,these factors make me lean more toward LHFHG with the K options, perhaps done 4 days a week (and stretching 9 weeks into the next school year to finish). This plan would allow him to grow up a bit before getting to Beyond, but it would also keep him moving forward more closely with his age-mates. While I dislike comparison greatly, age does help give us some guidelines when were trying to decide between two good options. In your son's case I think it tilts the decision more in favor of LHFHG.

Once you get the guide and the books that go with it in hand, you'll be able to tell better. You also are welcome to return anything within 30 days for a full refund or in exchange for something else. This should help ease the decision-making process a bit!

Blessings,
Carrie

Carrie! I feel so blessed that you have taken the time to help me. =) I've been talking this over with my husband and other wise people in my life... Praying about it... And I really see your taking time to personally respond to my question as an answer to prayer. Thank you so much! =)