heartofdakota.com

Hi! i am new to HOD and planning to start it in the fall of 09' I am very excited! I have a couple of questions about exactly what to do and I would love some input!
My oldest (almost 7) will start "2nd grade" this fall and we are planning to use Beyond little hearts for His Glory with her. My 2nd will turn 5 this summer and we will start her in Kindergarten in the fall. I am unsure if I should start her in Little Hearts for His glory or move her up to the Beyond and teach them both. I don't want to hold back my oldest or rush my youngest...I am not quite sure what to do. (My 5 year old is very motivated and is doing teaching herself alot just by listening to me with the oldest.)
2ndly my 3rd is 3 and I am not sure where he fits in to all of this and what I should be doing with him, or just wait one more year. In short I have 4 kids close in age and I would love to know how to combine them or if I should...I hope this makes sense! Thanks in advance!

Welcome! We're glad to have you here. If you haven't already had a chance to check out the placement chart, I'd love to have you do that at the following link: http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php

Then, if you get a chance to pop back in and tell us where your kiddos place on the chart, all combining scenarios aside, we can help toss around possible options. It will make a difference what your almost 2nd grader has already had in the way of history and science and also how well your 5 year old listens to read-alouds without pictures too.

One more thing I'd love to know is the ages of all 4 of your kiddos.

Blessings,
Carrie

Sorry to not be very specific, it occured to me my info was vague after I had sent it in. My kids are 6 (almost 7) 5, 3, and 15 months. We have been doing a hodge podge of things this year in what we would call 1st grade. Rod and Staff math, LLVY, Ordinary Parents Guide to teaching your child to Read, A Reason for Spelling 1 and a Reason for Handwriting A. We are behind on some of it and are desperatly trying to catch up(I was in the hospital the beginning of this year.) So, my 5 year old has been doing workbooks for preschool stuff from the dollar store and listening to us with my older one, (she loves to answer first!) My plan is to start HOD in September and we will work all summer to catch up.
My oldest is still struggling in phonics we are working with her and trying to get her to love to read! My 5 year old has had no formal phonics but is picking up books (easy readers) and figuring the words out and reading it to me. If I have this figured out based on the chart My oldest would be in Beyond and my 5 year old in LHTH based on where they are. So I am curious if I should buy both and teach them differently or combine them with one, and use handwriting and math level approperiate? Is there a handwriting included in Beyond? One other question, Would it be to difficult to grasp to switch to Italics from A Reason for Handwriting A or B or should I just wait one more year and do a cursive program? I hope all of this makes sense, thanks for any response

You are so kind to share a bit more with us about your sweet kiddos. It sounds like you are a busy momma!

I have a couple of scenarios running through my head. The one I am leaning most toward would be doing Little Hearts with both your 5 year old and your almost 7 year old for the "Learning Through History" side of the plans each day (left side) and also the "Storytime" box on the right side of the plans. Then, for your 7 year old, you would add the right side only of Beyond Little Hearts to raise the level of language arts and math for your older child. This would include doing the spelling lists from Beyond, the Singapore Math from Beyond, the gentle grammar lessons once each week from Beyond, and eventually the Emerging Reader's Set in the Appendix of Beyond. Or, you could use your own choices in those areas. In this scenario, your 5 year old would do all of Little Hearts with all of the K options. This would work well if your 7 year old hasn't had much exposure to history or science yet, as Little Hearts is a good introduction to those areas.

The other scenario I'm thinking of would involve placing your 7 year old in Beyond and your combining your 5 year old with your 3 year old in Little Hands to Heaven.

I'd love to hear more of what you're thinking when you get a chance to pop back in.

Blessings,
Carrie

I like Carrie's idea of doing LHFHG with both. It's a wonderful program and if you add in some of the other literature readings from the appendix it will be very full. Carrie's gave you great ideas for beefing it up for the 7yo. You will have a great year AND you'll be on track to keep your kiddos together, which is a bonus.

Carrie, thank you so much for your input, this really has been so helpful. This scenerio did not occur to me. We have not had a lot of exposure to Formal history or science beyond reading history books and checking out nature in the backyard and the park this year. So it would be okay to put the 2 together in Little Hearts and that would not be holding my oldest back from where we should be, age and grade appropriate? Have you used Italics? Is it possible to switch from a Reason for Handwriting to Italics early on (like before cursive) or would that be too confusing? Have a blessed day!

Hello and Welcome.

I also agree that LHFHG with both would be great. I am currently using it with my kindergartner, my newly turned 7yo first grader AND my 3rd grader (she does her own grammar, math, reading etc). It has been working out very well this year for us and they have fun doing it together.

Here is another one voting on LHFHG for both. I think since your almost 7 yr old isn't too keen on reading and still struggles, she would benefit from slowly gain the confidence to read without being overwhelmed. The history and science part of LHFHG is great and they'll probably enjoy doing the experiments and Bible Memory together! Then the following year you could move them both up to Beyond together and keep them together for the duration. It would make it easier on you as you have four lovelies running around! Oh and for the 3 year old, I'd just let him listen in if he wants and do the rhymes in motion but dont' force it to much. Get this year under your belt and then I'd start your son in LHTH (that is what I am doing with my little guy) the following year when they are in beyond. Just my thoughts.... not sure if they help. I too am using Ordinary Parents Guide to teach my daughter to read. Does your almost 7 year old like to draw? I ask because with my daughter while she loves OPG for phonics she gets a bit bored with the "stories" on each page. I have started having her read it to me and then she gets to draw a picture of the story when she is done. It has made her way more excited about her reading and she is retaining much better having to pay attention so she can draw a picture to go along with the story. Again, just my rambling thoughts.

So glad you are here and I hope you find the PERFECT placement for your lovelies. Welcome to HOD!

Here's another vote for combining in LHFHG, and doing the right side of Beyond Little Hearts for 7 yo. I think that would be a great start and also provide a great path for combining in the future. I would not worry about doing cursive for another year. It is usually done with Bigger Hearts or 3rd. grade. You can just have your child slow down with A Reason for Handwriting A now, and either finish that next year. Beyond will have enough writing practice in it for your oldest, and your younger can still do A Reason for Handwriting to cement letter formation better. As for your younger 2, looking ahead - I'd combine them in LHTH when they are around 3 and 5 yo. This should give you a nice path of easily doing 2 HOD programs in the future (one with your older 2, and one with your younger 2). You are going to love HOD!

In Christ,
Julie

Thank you all for your input I REALLY APPRECIATE IT! I think I have it mapped out, and am eagerly waiting for the book fair in Arlington,TX in May to purchase it! I love the idea of having them color the picture of the story after OPG i will be tring that my oldest loves to draw! Thanks again to everyone!

Welcome!

I just wanted to pop in and say hi! It sounds like you've got a good plan going now. (Isn't that great?!) I'm another mom who is so happy with HOD, and I look forward to seeing you here more in the future.

Kathleen

Just a shout out to my buddy from Fort Worth . I'm excited your doing HOD!!!!

I got mine in the mail yesterday!!!! LOVE IT!!!!

Blessings,
3musketeers
I