heartofdakota.com

Hi,
I started my oldest in LHFHG 3 years ago the month she turned 5 years old (Aug). I had worked with her and printed off worksheets and had a good idea of what she would be capable. There were a few struggles, but I considered them personality flaws and my personality filled in the holes. Two months after I started her in LHFHG I gave birth to my twins, and I also had a 3 year old. I can explain my eagerness only by saying she was my first child. I took a month or so off from schooling and then we got back to work! We finished the curriculum in late June including 80% of Reading Made Easy including the optional worksheets. Her ability to answer questions after a reading was poor and the phonics work went painfully slow even with a lot of aid from me, but she was ahead in math and fine motor skills. She just didn’t seem interested in learning to read well and didn’t focus during read-alouds in order to answer questions. Her older half-brother (whom I didn’t school) was like that even in high school so I didn’t think of it as a factor in choosing her educational level. I also was mentally occupied with all my parenting responsibilities. I was literally just surviving. When it came time to order curriculum again I ordered the next manual Beyond for her because we had finished LHFHG and I thought a little challenge meant she was learning. Since we had completed almost exactly 80% of the phonics program we went on to the Emerging reader set and I had her read to me and I helped her sound out many/most words and it was long and grueling. She still couldn’t answer questions after read alouds. A few times I read the section completely over again after voicing my frustrations with her lack of attention. Once we finished Beyond, the catalog said the next manual is Bigger so I can follow directions and I ordered Bigger and DITHOR and we started it this past Aug for 2nd grade. The first week was horrendous as far as the work load and her slowness at completing it. I cried and was in a generally foul mood because of the new weight around my shoulders called Bigger. My 4 year old is very different personality wise from my oldest and she had asked previously to start school that year. Because she is very focused, talkative, competitive, and a direction follower I decided not to put her off and we started LHFHG also last Aug. Schooling became an all day grueling affair. My twins were almost 2 at the time. Finally, after nearly a whole school year it occurred to me to reach out to Heart of Dakota for advice through Facebook and Julie sent me a very nice response suggesting my oldest is probably doing work too advanced for her age and development. I had not thought of that, but I think she may be exactly right and I feel like a dunce. Her suggestion was to start Preparing in the fall and take two years to get through it. But after mulling it over I wondered if it would be good to attempt an even easier year to build confidence and a better grasp of earlier concepts. I looked at the placement chart and for the first time questioned her competency in several areas for the next manual (Preparing) and she seemed to fit in Bigger. I have wondered if we should repeat Bigger with some variations. Also I am leary about getting too ahead with my 5 year old now. I’m a little confused about how people end up in Bigger for 3rd grade if they start with LHFHG for Kindergarten. My 5 year old did great with LHFHG including phonics, but felt the phonics lessons were too long (my fault for not spacing it out enough). Should I repeat LHFHG with her with 1st grade options and stretch Reading Made Easy for a whole other year?

I remember having gotten myself in a similar situation with my oldest. I think it's easy to have a mindset of having to complete a curriculum level within the one school year, and letting the curriculum lead you rather than seeing it as a tool. I think Julie's suggestion of taking Preparing slowly and stretching it out over two years is a really workable solution. It will give your daughter time to grow into the upper guides developmentally, and take a lot of the pressure off of both of you. However, if you don't feel repeating Bigger would feel negative to your daughter, then perhaps that could work as well, since you said she fit there now. For your younger, it is totally possible to repeat Little Heart with first grade options, and just do Reading Made Easy at a comfortable pace. All children are different-my five children each have a different learning style and developed at radically different paces in different areas, Give yourself grace, as we all start this journey as beginners. We are learning to teach effectively as we go along. Also give yourself a pat on the back for realizing that things were not working well and looking for a better way You are doing great, and your children will be fine.

Thank you for the encouragement!

If you looked at the placement chart fresh for her, without thinking about anything you have already done, where does she place? As for the younger, I'd say there would be absolutely nothing wrong with doing LHFHG over again.