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Goodmorning,

My son is 5 1/2 and started on LHFHG Kindergarten.... This curriculum is stated to be used for k and 1st.... What are most people doing: Full speed through the curriculum and doing it all AGAIN for 1st grade (with 1st grade math, etc) or taking it half speed with doing math, motor skills, etc everyday? I'm just curious how the creator intended this to be used for K AND 1st....

Thanks and sorry if it's been asked already...

It's not intended to use for K AND 1st (unless you make it last more than a year, if your child needs to slow down for example). It's for K OR 1st. The options given there are for either one but you would go through it full speed (again assuming your child can handle that pace) and then move on to the next guide, Beyond, afterwards. You would not need to have completed the K and 1st grade options to move on. I have always used LHFHG for K and find that works fine for my kiddos.

There are some people who stretch it out and like to use LHFHG for 1st grade, it's really a matter of preference and again, maturity. Bigger Hearts is where the workload starts getting pretty heavy so you don't want to be in a hurry to get there, though if your child goes through LHFHG and Beyond and does everything well then they will be ready for Bigger Hearts.

I started my 5 year old Kindergartner doing only 4 days per week of LHFHG. I will continue doing this for all of the guides that have 5 day weeks instead of 4. So next year, when he's in 1st, we'll still be doing LHFHG for part of the year, and then moving into Beyond. For 2nd grade, he'll be doing some of Beyond, and then moving into Bigger sometime mid-year.

We also do 4 day weeks to stretch the younger guides. Our 5th day is our homeschool co-op, but you could also use it for library visits, field trips, service projects, aRt projects, cooking, etc.

My 5yo is doing LHTH for K, but he's finding it so short and easy that despite me doing 4 other guides we're completing more than one day each day (sometimes as much as two days). This way we'll start LHFHG early (maybe March or April?) OR I may decide to slow down after Christmas by adding in phonics instruction (from LHFHG), which will make him take the rest of the year, or most of it, in LHTH but be a bit ahead for phonics, making LHFHG our Grade 1.

All this to say, there are lots of ways to adapt it to fit your child. I don't think squishing days (doing more than one in one day) is usually advisable, but it's a better option for us than skipping to LHFHG right now. Conversely, going half speed permanently isn't a great option because once they finish one guide half speed they aren't used to the work load of full speed, so are really not ready for the next guide. However, if you wanted to go half speed for this year, then go to full speed (finishing LHFHG in 1 1/2 years) and move on to Beyond part way through Grade 1, then that would work. (You could even do the same with Beyond, taking 3 years for the two guides, if she wasn't ready for full speed Beyond at that point.)

That said, I like the 4-day/week option to spread the 4 elementary guides over 5 years, too!

Blessings as you decide what will work best for you!

We are using it for 1st grade and the level is perfect for my 7 year old son. He is very active and does not really like 'school work' so the amount of work is good for him.

Hi! My older son is a calm kid who loves school and he was ready for LHFHG when he was 5. We started and finished it in a little over a year (doing some four day weeks and some five day). We started Beyond when he was 6 but as we approached the middle I realized his fine motor skills weren't going to be ready for Bigger (he hated writing), so we slowed down, doing some three day weeks and taking some extra weeks off. Now he is 7.5 and we are starting Bigger and it is perfect. All that to say, you can just do what works for your child now and it is easy to accommodate later. If he is ready for full speed, then you can do that, and if need be, you can always slow down later. I loved LHFHG for K! But, I'm considering using it for 1st with my younger son who is VERY active and not interested in school (or sitting still in general, lol). Either way, have fun!!!

At 5.5yo, if he can handle full speed, then go for it. We just started with my son who will turn 6 in November, and we are doing 4-5 days a week (and we school year round). My oldest started at 5.5yo, and she has been fine doing a guide a year. But, if my son needs me to slow down, we will. I like to build in the extra wiggle room and start LHFHG at about 5.5 and try to go full speed.

Every child is different and that is why Carrie put ages ranges on each level. My girls are currently on the lowest end of the age limit and my son is in the middle. It truly does depend on each child.