Need help with decision for next fall.

[Littlelight]

I am wondering if it would be possible to combine my two girls using LHFHG next year, and if so, what books/resources you would recommend for each of them to use.

My older DD will be 6 going on 7.
We are using LHTH for her kindergarten year this year, but we have also added the Rod and Staff ABC series and the Explode the Code primers. She has some special needs/learning difficulties and so she needs to take things a little bit slower. I will be using most of the LHFHG first grade recommendations with her.

My other daughter will be 4 (turning 5 in November).
She showed NO interest in 'doing school' this year, so her 'school' has consisted of puzzles, games and manipulatives in addition to drawing, coloring and being read to lots.
She does know her alphabet, and can write most of her letters though.

Would it be possible for her to join in on LHFHG with my older DD - or should I have the little one do LHTH.
(I would prefer not to do 2 separate programs...but I will if that is best.)

Thanks in advance for your help,
Michelle

[Tmisek]

Hi Michelle.

I won't even be starting to homeschool until the fall, but I have gotten some advice recently on how to keep my two youngest together. They are also 2 years apart in age. Right now they are: DS 4yo and DD 2yo.

Next year I will be doing LHTH with them both. My ds will be 5 and it will be considered his Kindergarten year...so I will also add phonics, Math and Fine Motor Skill/Handwriting from the right side of the LHFHG guide. My dd will be 3, so she will just do the activities from LHTH. That's kind of similar to what you are doing this year.

Then, the following year they will both move into LHFHG and I am planning to take that at half speed...left side of plans one day, the right side the next, so it may take about 2 years. The reason I am going to take it slow (at least at first) is because my dd will have just turned 4 when we begin. My ds (who will be 6 by then) will be doing the right side of BLHFHG for Language Arts, Reading, and Math, but they will be together for the left side of LHFHG and Storytime. DD will be using LHFHG with the Kindergarten options.

I definitely think using LHFHG for both of your dd's sounds great, just making sure they are in their correct level of math and Language arts. Your younger would probably do great with the Kindergarten options while your older could do either the first grade options from the appendix or even the right side of Beyond as has been suggested to me. You could always start out at half speed, too, if that would work better.

Please take my "advice" with a grain of salt, though, as I have not even started homeschooling! Hopefully you will get some words of advice from someone with actual experience!

[water2wine]

Hi Michelle. I think you might be able to do it especially since the older one needs to take things a little slow. We are doing LHFHG and mine were almost 4 and almost 6 when we started. We did it at half pace for a while and then had a simmer break even. I have one with special needs as well. Usually when they are young if reading and math is hard for them you are focusing a lot more on that. Working at half pace for a while might work well for you to give you more time to focus on phonics and math as well as give your little one a chance to mature. As long as your youngest can listen and pay attention you should be OK especially since it sounds like she is picking up a lot already. My six year old used to not be interested in school and now in all honesty she would do school 24/7 if I would let her. So those ones that can't be bothered later can turn out to be school lovers.

I think if you are a mom working with a special needs child you already know to be flexible and see how it goes. HOD is very flexible and LHFHG is very easy to use however works best at whatever pace you want. I think you will do great. I would give it a try and if the little one is not ready then maybe try LHTH with her or just give her some time to grow. I think you may find though that it is perfect for your two together.

Hope that helps a little bit.

[Littlelight]

Which Bible would you recommend to use with my girls?
The Family Time Bible or 101 Bible Stories?

[netpea]

We use and love the Family Time Bible. I bought the 101 Bible Stories thinking I would use it, but my kids prefer the Family Time Bible.