heartofdakota.com

Hi Ladies,
I have two precious girls - a 3 year old and a 1 year old. I always assumed that I would send them to public school (I was formerly a public school teacher), but God is laying it on my heart to homeschool! I've been reading and researching everything I can about homeschooling in general. I stumbled across HOD last week, and I really love what I've seen so far.

One question I have is... If I start my oldest in LHFHG when she's five, I will always have to run 2 programs. Do you think it would be wise to use another curriculum when my oldest is 5 & 6 years old so that I can combine both daughters into one LHFHG program when they're 5 and 7 years old? Is LHFHG academically light for a 7 year old assuming that my oldest will be working at grade level or above?

I know I'm thinking a little far into the future, but I'm just trying to understand if this will be doable and what it will all "look like".

Thanks in advance!
Catherine

You could do LHTH when your dc are 5 and 3, you could sub in the right side (math, and phonics) from LHFHG for your 5 year-old and do storytime with both. To keep them together you would probably have to go slowly so that your younger one doesn't get left behind or struggle to keep up. If you went this route you would just keep subbing in the math and phonics from the next manual for your older dc and do the curriculum as written for your younger dc.

I don't have any advice... I just wanted to say that if you think you are planning early...MY kids are 18 months and 3 months...

Haha Tiffany! We'd probably get along very well. It's so hard for me to imagine waiting another 2 years! You're probably going to drive yourself crazy too.

Catherine,

Right now I'd take a look at LHTH for your oldest and wait to see how your kiddos mature when deciding whether to combine or keep them together. As your kiddos grow you'll be able to tell much better whether they would combine well or not personality-wise, whether you'd be holding your older one too far back to combine with your next little sweetie,or whether you'd rather have them be separate. I am a planner at heart too, however so much can change as kiddos grow (especially from babyhood and during those toddler years)!

LHTH will be a wonderful first homeschool experience for your 3 year old and will give you a solid introduction into homeschooling.

Blessings,
Carrie

Hi
just wanted to welcome you here

Running 2 programs is REALLY not hard at all! I am doing LHTH and LHFHG. I sit in bed at night and get ready for the next day...just prepare my mind and pray over it. Then I start with the biggers. I do 2 or 3 blocks and then do a block or 2 of Preschool. I just alternate programs according to who is "ready" at the time and who might be too "crabby" : )

All of my kids seems to like to listen in to their older and younger siblings programs. I tell them...run off and play while I work with so & so. They say,"Can we to do it too?"

So, I will have a 6 year old doing alphabet rhymes with my 3 year old! : )

I understand the feeling. I love to plan too. I didn't find HOD at first, started with another curriculum for my oldest. So I'm combining my boys now in LHFHG at ages 5 & 7.

But I'm not sure either what to do with the two girls, whether to hold back the oldest to wait for the youngest or not. I think I'm going to start using LHTH when they are 5 and 3. Then we'll just see where they go from there. My oldest girl is, at least, a late birthday and doesn't officially start kindergarten until age 6.

I have two boys 26 months and 5 months.

I started my eldest on LHTH a few weeks ago. He loves the finger plays and bible songs and enjoys the activities. I wasnt expecting him to pick up the letters this early but he is doing the a a a with hands on face and b b b hugging himself at times. He can be hit and miss with what he does but Im doing it for me this year, not him. Its really to get me into the habit of doing school each day and also it does a little bit of bible each day too which i find really important.

Next year we will do it again properly and hopefully get the letters done right. He will also be able to do the crafts a bit better himself. The following year we will prob do it again but using the next version up of the Bible and the other devotional and i will up the anti with all the activities and may add a phonics lesson for him and start the little on on the very basic version. I realise this means I am going to be doing it for around 4 years in a row by the time Ive done it with me other son too but its such a nice quick fun programme Im not expecting it to be a chore.

I just couldnt wait to get started and Im loving it and seeing results already. I wasnt sure if I could do homeschooling and this is really giving me the confidence that Lord willing it is something that we are going to get on well with.

Sheilagh x