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If you don't use the text, The World God Made, and choose one of the other texts instead, does that mean that you don't have Carrie's fun lesson ideas to go along with the book? It looks like the guide only includes lessons to accompany that one book. If you choose another book, do you miss out on alot of the fun?

After alot of prayer, we've decided to order Little Hearts for my youngest son (he's now a first grader). He could do Bigger Hearts, but we've decided that doesn't mean he should . I want to have a special time with him each day that will not be focused on academics, but rather on fun and enjoying one another. He is strong academically for his age but has character issues and maturity issues that I want to help him with in a low-pressure way. He'll still be doing LA and math at his level (though I'm slowing the pace) so we won't get the full use of the guide.

I really just feel like crying about it... when I told him today about our decision and showed him the package, he literally BEAMED!! He hugged me and told me that he was now excited about school and looking foward to it for the first time in his "whole life." He loves the Burgess books already and guess what... we have read several together but none of the ones that are in LHFHG, so they will be new titles for him!

He has had an awful (his attitude and mine, I'm afraid) first grade year and has just been tagging along. Fortunately, he loves math and has pretty much taught himself to read. He hates handwriting. I'm going to back off on some things for now and look forward to doing LHFHG this summer and letting him sit in on Biggers as he wants to.

I just feel like God has smiled on me today.


Wondering about the science though. He loves science and I want him to learn something without it being "too" much. I'm thinking the first grade text would be good, so he could use the second grade one the next year with Beyond.

Donna,

Your plan to do LHFHG sounds wonderful! Seems like everything has fallen into place for you and your son.

As far as the science goes, you will definitely get to enjoy Carrie's fun science activities if using the 1st grade science text (Our Father's World) that you prefer, as she has scheduled in the appendix of LHFHG, the page numbers to reference so that you will not miss out on anything. So, instead of following along with the page numbers for the K science text (The World God Made) as noted in the "Science Discovery" boxes, you just simply refer to the Appendix instead...easy-peasy!
Both science texts are scheduled to coordinate with the science discovery plans, or shall I say, the fun science activities!!!

Candice

DHT1999 wrote: After alot of prayer, we've decided to order Little Hearts for my youngest son (he's now a first grader). He could do Bigger Hearts, but we've decided that doesn't mean he should . I want to have a special time with him each day that will not be focused on academics, but rather on fun and enjoying one another. He is strong academically for his age but has character issues and maturity issues that I want to help him with in a low-pressure way. He'll still be doing LA and math at his level (though I'm slowing the pace) so we won't get the full use of the guide.

I really just feel like crying about it... when I told him today about our decision and showed him the package, he literally BEAMED!! He hugged me and told me that he was now excited about school and looking foward to it for the first time in his "whole life." He loves the Burgess books already and guess what... we have read several together but none of the ones that are in LHFHG, so they will be new titles for him!

I just feel like God has smiled on me today.

God did smile on you today, and I'm getting all teared up reading this, so He's smiling upon me as I read what you've shared from your heart here. Only a tender mother's heart would be able to know her ds so well and adjust things to fit him so well. I'm very excited for you to do LHFHG, and the first grade science has a schedule in the Appendix and will go very well with the hands-on math in the Science Exploration box. I wish I could have seen your ds beam - that's one to do as Mary did, and ponder it in your heart.

In Christ,
Julie

Oh, Great! I should have known that would be the case.
We did our 2nd day of Biggers today! I love the guide. I just can't believe how well put together it is. It really does seem that Carrie has thought of everything.

Thanks for the encouragement! I feel great about this decision. I'm glad my youngest son will get to enjoy more of HOD in the long run.

my3sons wrote:
I wish I could have seen your ds beam - that's one to do as Mary did, and ponder it in your heart.

In Christ,
Julie

Oh, Julie... I wish you could have seen him. I shudder to admit this, but I was actually taken aback by it. I just don't recall every seeing such a sweet look on his face. I even questioned him about his thoughts. I told him that we could always just read the Burgess books on our own, if that was what was exciting him. He said, "No, no... we're gonna do it. We're gonna do it right. I just love it. I can't wait to get started!" Then, my oldest son said, "Hey, you know... I'd just love to do that with ya'll, maybe I could help you some."

Pondering...
Donna T.

Donna - your sons sound like they love each other so much. What a blessing! I'm so glad your boys are excited. They will surely love doing HOD. Thank you for sharing this - it is such a blessing to see God at work in the hearts of our dc.

In Christ,
Julie

Donna,

You've got me all teared up, and I'm not really an emotional person by nature! I had to smile when you shared your little guy saying that he was excited about school and looking forward to it for the first time in his "whole life". Our little Greyson uses the "whole life" expression when talking about himself too. He will also be a first grader this year. I'm wondering if this is a first grade expression for little boys?

Seriously though, we pray you will enjoy Little Hearts as much as we have. My boys have adored the program, and I loved the time we spent alone (just me and my son) snuggled on the couch and doing his "special school".

I'm so glad that you are enjoying Bigger Hearts too! We loved it last year.

Blessings,
Carrie

Carrie, thanks for responding!

I can say with all sincerity that everything about us discovering HOD and planning how we were going to go about including it in our lives has shown us that the Lord God is considering us. There are specific needs that we've taken to HIm and He has provided for those needs and we know He has led us to HOD.

God has always blessed us but never have we felt such a strong sense of His direction, in regards to our homeschool.

Praying for you all...

Donna,

You are so gonna love LHFHG!! There is so much character building in it, you will be amazed at how you and your son will both grow through the school year. We are winding up our year of LHFHG and my dd wants to get started on Beyond right away. She loved doing school this year and I give the credit to Carrie and God's work through her. May God Bless you and you dc.

Thank you, Nancy. Thanks for taking the time to respond to me!

After I posted my original questions, I felt so silly! I thought I shouldn't even check to see what the feedback was because I really expected to hear that I shouldn't "hold him back." I used a particular curriculum in the past and I contacted the author/publishers because I really had a need to know more about how I could adapt their program for our family. I was new at homeschooling and really needed encouragement. It was the most upsetting experience as the response was basically that since I really didn't know much about it anyways, I should just do what they told me to do. I was talked down to and I felt so stupid!

Before I checked HOD out, a friend of mine told me that I would never experience anything like that with HOD. She said that the ladies here are gracious and kind.

I feel like a load has been lifted! I know we are going to love LHFHG.

Oh Donna,

I'm so sorry that you had that experience! I have had that experience in my life too, and it can be so hurtful. I'm so glad that you've found the board here and that you can feel God's love pouring through the ladies on the board. It is our constant prayer that this board will encourage and uplift those who the Lord is gracious enough to bring here.

Blessings,
Carrie

Your going to have a wonderful year with LHFHG.The science has been a real hit here .

We started LHFHG yesterday! Can you believe that? To consider using a curriculum and then have it in your home and using it five days later!!

We loved it. I had told my little guy we were going to wait until the fall. As bedtime neared, he told me that the day just didn't seem like it should be over because he really, really wanted to start his new curriculum. This is the fellow who says he hates school! So, we actually did school in bed! He enjoyed spreading all his new books out and looking through them. I am so glad I decided to back him up some. He loved the devotional. I'm particularly looking forward to the discussions that those will encourage. I consider the info. in that book to be "fundamental", in the sense that it is basic doctrine that children really need to understand. I'm glad we didn't skip it.

Thanks for all the help!

DHT1999 wrote:We started LHFHG yesterday! Can you believe that? To consider using a curriculum and then have it in your home and using it five days later!!

We loved it. I had told my little guy we were going to wait until the fall. As bedtime neared, he told me that the day just didn't seem like it should be over because he really, really wanted to start his new curriculum. This is the fellow who says he hates school! So, we actually did school in bed! He enjoyed spreading all his new books out and looking through them. I am so glad I decided to back him up some. He loved the devotional. I'm particularly looking forward to the discussions that those will encourage. I consider the info. in that book to be "fundamental", in the sense that it is basic doctrine that children really need to understand. I'm glad we didn't skip it.

Thanks for all the help!

What a great start to the school year - all cuddled up in bed, surrounded by wonderful living books, having your ds beg to do school, enjoying God's word together in your devotions - oh my! I'm not sure that start can be topped! That's great to hear, Donna. Here's to many more days together enjoying LHFHG.

In Christ,
Julie

Donna.That is so awesome that you got to start school in such a positive way