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4 yr old placement?
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 8:42 am
by amybarnes01
Hi everyone! I'm new to homeschooling and trying to place my dd for the fall! She is a little advanced for her age in academics/maturity. I am wondering if LHTH is going to be too easy for her and I should go ahead and start LHFHG (maybe at a slower pace) or if I should just stick with LHTH. I don't want her to get bored. She did pre-K last year and knows all of her letters/numbers & sounds and is starting some phonics/blending, as well as picking up on some sight words and does some cutting and pasting. On all of the charts she places for LHFHG except for her age, and maybe needs some more writing practice. I don't want to just push her for the sake of her being ahead, I just don't want her to be bored going over letter sounds again for a year (although I know the curriculum is much more than that). For those who have done these two programs, what would you recommend? THANK YOU!!
Re: 4 yr old placement?
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 9:35 am
by StephanieU
I am in the same boat but 1 year ahead. I realized my 5.5 yo is not ready for Beyond although she places into that guide just fine. She just isn't ready for the longer readings, etc. But, I am buying the Beyond guide so we can start the emerging readers when she is ready (she is very close) as well as spelling.
One option would be to do LHTH with the right side of LHFHG. That would give her the "push" in phonics and math that she seems ready for but keep the history and science at the level she is probably at. The other option would be what you said - doing LHFHG over 2 years.
From what I have read here on the discussion board, having the kids in the middle of the guide is often best for later guides, just because of maturity. I think it is more key when they get to Preparing, when they start to work independently. So, if you choose to to LHFHG half speed, just keep in mind you don't really want to start Preparing until she is at least 8. That is 3 guides in 4 years. I read someone just did everything 4 days a week, and that naturally spread it all out over the 4 years too.
Re: 4 yr old placement?
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 4:24 pm
by countrymom
Having been in the same spot and not making the best choice at the time, I would recommend doing LHTH and go slow with some of the right side of Little Hearts. If she is ready for Singapore kindergarten you could take that slow, start the phonics program at a slow pace and even the kindergarten handwriting book if you think she is ready. When she hits Little hearts next year you would just continue wherever you are at with math, phonics/reading, and writing.
Re: 4 yr old placement?
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 7:39 pm
by hs.mama07
Hi and welcome to HOD! My son is also very bright and at 4 LHTH was too easy for him, but he still loved it. I"m really glad I went ahead and did LHTH just so he could enjoy the guide and get a gentle introduction to having school every day. He is really smart, but he was still very much a 4 yr old and LHTH is just right for that age. If you skip the letter activities and do phonics instead and maybe add in math and handwriting if she is ready for it, then I bet she'd really enjoy LHTH. Toward the end, he was so ready for LHFHG that I started doing two days of LHTH at a time. We finished up faster but he still got to enjoy the wonderful Bible stories and activities.
Anyway, I know others have done LHFHG half-speed and that has worked really well for them, so it really just depends on your child. Both guides are great! Have a lot of fun which ever one you choose

Re: 4 yr old placement?
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 7:55 pm
by RestInHim
Welcome to the board! The ladies here are great and have already given some great advice. I'm sort of a newbie here myself
I have a question about your daughter: is she newly 4 or almost 5?
My oldest is just like your dd

She is very advanced. Started reading at 3.5, did kindergarten at 4, etc. If your daughter is almost 5, I would probably start LHFHG slowly. However, if she is just 4, then she would still really enjoy LHTH!
My son is now 4, and we are very much enjoying LHTH

Because he, like your dd, already knew his letters and so on, we have started working slowly through The Reading Lesson with him and we added in some math because he asked for it. But the program itself is wonderful for 4's!
What is most amazing to me about LHTH is the Bible history/study. We use both a standard Bible and the suggested children's Bible The New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes. The combination is very thorough. I feel like he knows more about God's Word at 4 than I did at 10.
Also, the finger plays are great

The one thing I thought we wouldn't like have become our favorites. I don't sing them, we just say them sort of rhythmically, like poetry. He loves them

HTH!
I think either way you'll be fine. They're both wonderful programs.
Re: 4 yr old placement?
Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 8:55 pm
by MelInKansas
I totally agree with Sara. I did LHTH first with a 4.5 year old and 2.5 year old (my first two daughters). My 4.5 year old already knew all the letters and letter sounds, counting, numbers 1-10, colors. All of the "academic" stuff in LHTH. She wasn't ready for The Reading Lesson quite, and I was just getting my feet wet with homeschooling, so I wanted something that was easy, that we could do together, and fun. I figured review was just fine. She loved it, and as Sara said, she learned the Bible in an amazing way that I was not expecting. You can add challenge in the areas your daughter is ready for, but don't push her too hard as even though children can be capable of a lot at a very young age, they still need to mature with their attention span, fine-motor skills for writing, maturity and ability to finish a task. Because they are emotionally immature often this comes out as resistance, even defiance, or emotional outbursts about doing school. Just take it easy and enjoy the time!