Where to start?

[MTpreacherWIFE]

I have a VERY smart 4 year old who will be 5 in July before we start school. We haven't done any preschool other than teaching him to write his name and recognizing (some) letters. I have not done any homeschooling before and have no idea where to start. We were pointed to HOD by a good friend and I am excited because there is minimal planning on my part. I am not a planner! I am confused by the phonics though. Am I right in understanding that we will need to purchase a separate phonics program from another vendor? Is that the only portion that needs purchased to make a full Cirriculum? I am also looking for suggestions on what level to purchase he is super smart and I don't want him to be bored, but I don't want to purchase something too hard.

Thanks for any/all help you can offer.

[Rice]

You can purchase a learning-to-read/phonics from HOD, if you want to use one of their options, found with the LHFHG (Little Hands for His Glory) guide. (It is an option to purchase another program elsewhere, of course.) You can find HOD's suggestions here: http://www.heartofdakota.com/phonics.php

If you are going to use LHTH (we are using it for K with the K options from LHFHG for fine motor skills and math) then you can add in phonics (one of the programs mentioned above), if and when he is ready, although LHTH does teach the letter sounds, which are essential building blocks before starting a learning to read program.

If you choose LHFHG, you may find him in over his head, not for intelligence but for workload and overall content within a few years, so that's why I always suggest to start with LHTH - you can always do more than one day's worth of activities (work through it a bit faster than scheduled) if he is looking for more, or, even better, explore his interests after you're done the (appropriately short for his age) school day.

HOD is a full curriculum. Physical education is the only thing not expressly taught.

Blessings,

[hs.mama07]

Hi and welcome to HOD!

From your description, I would lean toward Little Hands to Heaven (LHTH), adding in Kinder math, phonics, and handwriting/fine motor skills as he is ready. The reason is that LHTH is a very good foundation for school on many levels and it is short enough to give you time to focus on some of those basic skills like reading, math, and handwriting (and plenty of time to just be a kid and explore and play too!). I'm afraid if you jump straight into Little Hearts for His Glory (LHFHG) it will be overwhelming, like Rice said. Plus, the guides get deeper and move challenging in just a few years...its very helpful to spend these young years laying that strong foundation.

If you do start with LHTH, don't feel like you need to start K options right away. It's okay to get started with LHTH and then add K math, phonics, handwriting a little at a time as you see he's ready...at his own pace. With my 5 year old, we started LHTH a little before he turned 5, then started math a few months later, then phonics a little after that. We still haven't added in handwriting because he is allergic to pencils (or at least he thinks he is, lol). Giving him a tad more time before jumping in to that. When people ask what grade he's in I never quite know what to say. Uh, half prek, half K. But that's the beauty of homeschooling I guess!

You can find those K options on the LHFHG page. In the LHFHG guide, Carrie includes hands on activities to go with the math workbook. They are helpful and fun (and often yummy). If you'd like to utilize those activities, you would need to purchase the LHFHG guide along with the math books. (They will still give you the package discount for LHFHG when you order that later...just tell them what you did).

These early guides seem very simple and with my first highly intelligent son, I was concerned they wouldn't be enough. But Carrie packs so much into the short school time, it's pretty amazing. She keeps a good balance and it encourages us to let our kids enjoy just being little!

[rumkimom]

I am with the other 2 ladies....I recommend LHTH to start with. My 7 year old son is doing LHFHG for 1st grade this year and it is the perfect about of work for him. He has not yet learned how to read so we are working on that but not trying to push too much. His situation is different than most as he was adopted from Haiti when he was 6.5 so just learning the language is a huge learning item.

[Nealewill]

Have you looked at the placement chart? http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php

I would use this to assess where you think your child would fit best. My girls have always started their levels on the lowest end of the age range and thrived. I used to have my son in the middle age range but I wanted to combine him with his younger sister to save me from running three guides. Even though he is on the oldest end of the age range, I still consider him to be in extension grade range so he will do those with each level.

I think the placement chart will help you tremendously when you are deciding which level. LHTH is more like a preschool level IMHO. It does include letter introduction and number introduction. It gets kids used to having something formal. It lasts for about 30 minutes a day. LHFHG is more like a kindergarten program. It lasts for about an hour a day and has the kids start reading in this level and doing a little bit more math. If you feel like your child is ready to read and can sit for about an hour a day with more organized activities, then I would choose LHFHG. If you child has a hard time being still and focusing, then I would go with LHTH.

Honestly, I don't think any of the program levels are boring. My kids have really enjoyed every level they have completed regardless of their age in the age range.