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I was working on LHFHG with my ds6, who is in 1st grade, and we got through Unit 19. We started last Jan. and stopped in June at the end of the school year. We were doing The Reading Lesson but stopped in June as well. This year we started back with Abeka grade 1 phonics/reading. I am not doing the entire Abeka program, just basically using the Handbook for Reading and the first-grade readers. Anyway, I would like to get back into HOD with ds6. He is a curious boy who loves books and school. I'm wondering though if LHFHG is going to be too easy for him at this point. Age-wise he fits fine but I think his math would be Singapore 1A (we're using a different math right now too.) and as far as his reading, he told me today that the readers we've been doing are too easy. I gave him "Frog and Toad All Year" to see how he would do and he read a few pages, no problem.
Should I finish The Reading Lesson along with LHFHG, or start Beyond along with The Reading Lesson and then start the emerging readers or just start Beyond with the emerging readers? I switched from the Reading Lesson because I thought maybe it didn't teach all the "rules" in an orderly fashion. Maybe it was too gentle? I know phonics is important so I feel like I need to finish it, but I know he is feeling bored. Or should I finish the rules with Abeka?
Ugh! Any advice is appreciated.
Kristen

Hi Kristen! As far as the phonics, I'd finish "The Reading Lesson." Doing at least 1 full year of phonics is important and helps lessen the chance for having to revisit phonics later when the books get harder and those readers who read early sometimes begin to struggle if they didn't have an entire year of phonics at some point. I cannot remember what the suggested time for 6 yo dc is in the front of TRL, but I'd set the timer for whatever it suggests and do phonics each day until it's done. I'm certain your ds will clip along nicely with it. Maybe let him know you'll take him out for an ice cream cone when he's done with it - a little incentive to cheerfully complete it and feel the accomplishment of finishing. As far as finishing out LHFHG or starting Beyond Little Hearts, I have a few quick questions. Has he still been doing history, science, etc. - all of the things covered in LHFHG, since he stopped? Or, have you taken a break from that and focused on his reading more? Also, can you share about his writing? Is he able to write several sentences of copy work? One last question - when will ds turn 7 yo? Thanks!

In Christ,
Julie

Are you considering finishing ABeka 1? If so, you could just finish that and work on the Emerging Readers with that. If he can solidly read Level 1 I Can Read books and dome Level 2 ones, then he should be fine for Emerging Readers. And ABeka First Grade phonics is getting him to a solid 1st/2nd grade reading level, so The Reading Lesson might be behind what he has been doing in ABeka. As for LHFHG or Beyond, I think it just depends on your desires. I think at half way through 1st grade both would be a good option. You could start Beyond out slow - maybe half speed, and then go full speed once he is ready. Or you could buy Beyond, use it for the right side (math and language arts_ and use LHFHG for the left side and storytime. If you are concerned that the amount of copy work/writing will be too much now in Beyond or later in Bigger or Preparing, then I would go with LHFHG. If he has good penmanship and could do all of the copy work in Beyond, then Beyond might be a good choice.

Thanks, Julie and Stephanie, for the replies. I know I should finish phonics, especially since I did not do that with my older two. I don't have TRL anymore but I can get it from my library. I'll look at it again.
I think I'm leaning toward finishing LHFHG. He enjoys learning and wants more sophisticated school work. He tends to be a perfectionist too. But he won't be 7 until August. We stopped HOD for him altogether in June, but he has been doing some other history and science this year. Actually for science, I have been using Jay Wile's book, "In the Beginning" with him and ds12. There is notebooking for the older kids, but ds6 insisted on doing it also. So he has his own notebook where he draws a picture and writes 1-2 sentences about the lesson. He also enjoys writing his own stories sometimes. I think the biggest thing about his writing is the physical act of writing. I think his body needs to catch up to his brain. He tends to write everything in capitals if I don't remind him. He also needs help with spelling.
So maybe I'll finish LHFHG so that he gets the phonics, handwriting practice and fine motor skills (he enjoys the R&S books). We'll add in the other science since he is wanting to do more. And we'll just go at a comfortable pace for him, whether that's faster or slower. And then start Beyond, along with the Emerging Readers, whenever we are done.
Thanks for helping me to think this out! If I missed anything please let me know.
Kristen

I think this sounds like a a good idea! ...

Kristen wrote:... So maybe I'll finish LHFHG so that he gets the phonics, handwriting practice and fine motor skills (he enjoys the R&S books). We'll add in the other science since he is wanting to do more. And we'll just go at a comfortable pace for him, whether that's faster or slower. And then start Beyond, along with the Emerging Readers, whenever we are done....

Enjoy LHFHG - such a fun guide to teach!

In Christ,
Julie

I would go ahead and just finish out LHFHG. You really don't want to rush them through the guides and get to the upper ones too soon. You could always go ahead and buy the Beyond Guide now and start the ER's if he is ready for them. I start the ER's with my kids before we finish phonics and keep going with phonics as well. I also like to add in the supplemental titles along with the ER's to give them plenty of reading practice.