How do I "beef up" Little hands for kindergarten?

[mjlamarche]

I'm using Little Hands for my "just turned 5 yr old" and want to start with a phonics or simple math in addition to what the guide has. I'm nervous Little Hands will be too easy for her since she's gone through 2 yrs of private preK and is pretty smart but I don't want to push her since she's so young. I do want to start with simple math and reading though. Sight words or something? What have you done?
thanks so much!

[StephanieU]

Fit reading, I would pick whatever phonics program you want to use. The two suggested by HOD have pacing suggestions in them based on age. And you can modify that as desired. The count on me pages in LHTH will be a good challenge. You can add in simple addition, money, shapes, etc as well, working with hands on things. If you feel you need more, you could always by the LHFHG guide and start the K math in that slowly, doing it on days that Count on Me isn't scheduled.

[hs.mama07]

Hi! I also have a just turned 5 yr old who is using LHTH for sort of a split between prek and kinder.

For math we are using the Singapore math from LHFHG--including her hands on activities (we had the guide from our first son). It is very gentle and he is enjoying it.
We have started The Reading Lesson for phonics--it's great for young children (that's also on the LHFHG page...though you don't need the guide of it).
I went ahead and bought the Rod and Staff fine motor skills books from LHFHG and also the K handwriting book...but my little wiggly guy isn't really to sit still that long. We'll try again in a few months.

My hope is to use LHTH for Kinder (or at least most of it) and then LHFHG for 1st. So we'll use LHTH but add the kinder math and fine motor skills/handwriting and phonics from LHFHG. Then, for 1st, we'll use the LHFHG guide and add first grade options for LA and math.

Hope that made sense!

[Samuel'sMommy]

So we'll use LHTH but add the kinder math and fine motor skills/handwriting and phonics from LHFHG. Then, for 1st, we'll use the LHFHG guide and add first grade options for LA and math.

This is what I would do as well. Also depending on your child's readiness, you could add storytime from LHFHG and then next year when they get to LHFHG use the Beyond storytime since you will need the Beyond guide for the math activities anyway. There are 3 storytime sets for Beyond so once you got to it for real you could redo the storytime box with completely different books. Does that make sense?

[hs.mama07]

Also depending on your child's readiness, you could add storytime from LHFHG and then next year when they get to LHFHG use the Beyond storytime since you will need the Beyond guide for the math activities anyway. There are 3 storytime sets for Beyond so once you got to it for real you could redo the storytime box with completely different books. Does that make sense?

That is such a good idea...I've never considered that! My little guy isn't ready for fine motor skills, but he can listen to stories for a long time! We might have to give it a try!

[mjlamarche]

totally makes sense, thanks everyone for the replies!

I'm going with K math essentials (singapore), The Reading Lesson, and Reason for Handwriting in addition to LHTH.

This way my 3 yr old has something to do along with my K student but she has a few extra things to do.

[gardenmama28]

This year I tried beefing up little hands for my 5 yo Kindergarten student. Looking back, I think it would have been better to start LHFHG and just go half speed. Of course you know your child the best but I found that with my daughter, LHTH was just too simple and geared more for preschool. If it were me, and I could do it again, I would do LHFHG half speed for the Left hand side of the page, and I would just do A Reason for Handwriting K, Rod and Staff workbooks, and the math activities in the guide - the hands on parts, not the math workbooks.

[mjlamarche]

This year I tried beefing up little hands for my 5 yo Kindergarten student. Looking back, I think it would have been better to start LHFHG and just go half speed. Of course you know your child the best but I found that with my daughter, LHTH was just too simple and geared more for preschool. If it were me, and I could do it again, I would do LHFHG half speed for the Left hand side of the page, and I would just do A Reason for Handwriting K, Rod and Staff workbooks, and the math activities in the guide - the hands on parts, not the math workbooks.

Now this thought never crossed my mind. I'll have to think about that one! Thank you!