heartofdakota.com

I've been checking out LHFHG on and off for several months now. I really like the looks of it but I'm caught up on a few details. Mostly I'm worried how my two dds will fit together as I don't think I could pull off doing two different levels and chasing after a soon to be toddler. Also I'm worried about continuity, once I start something I like to stick with it.

My dds who I want to combine will be (coming school year) a young 2nd grader, the other a Kinder. My oldest reads at or above level, and my youngest reads cvc. For my oldest we just stuck mostly with the three Rs (CLE). I really want to add more fun stuff and love how the art, history and science all seem to go together in LHFHG.

So, I guess here's my questions:
Anyone else combing these ages successfully ?

Would I buy the K & 2nd grade science books, or just combine them on the 1st grade one?

Looking ahead, should having a 1st & 3rd do Beyond, then a 2nd & 4th do Bigger work well?

Thanks for any help

Hi and welcome! I'm not sure how helpful I can be, but I'll throw a few things out for you. Of course, the first step would be the placement chart.

Little Hearts would probably be perfect for your K'er for next fall. I'm not sure about your to be 2nd grader. She will be a young 2nd grader.... If she hasn't had much history than Little Hearts would be a good intro and she will still fall into the age range. I'm using Little Hearts with my twins that turned 7 in Dec. but they are in 1st and I am also seriouly laid back! It's also very easy to do two programs, it you choose to go that route.

I think it would probably be alright to use Little Hearts for both, just do LA and math at each level. I think either the K or 1st science book, you'll use the 2nd grade one in Beyond Little Hearts. Do you plan to stick with your CLE math??

Nice to meet you and I hope this was somewhat helpful!

Oops ) Forgot to mention that older dd will stick with CLE for three R's, CLE doesn't have K curric. so younger dd would being doing ETC along with the suggested things for a Ker in LHFHG

Have you checked out the placement chart yet to see where they would fall. It really is a helpful tool.

http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php

Welcome to the HOD board! I would like to hear your thoughts after you check out the placement chart. It's pretty easy to use, and we've found it to be right in placing our dc. I am doing several programs right now (LHFHG, Bigger..., along with DITHOR), and I also have a toddler. I'd like to encourage you that it truly can be done very easily with HOD curriculums, if the placement chart indicates that would be a better fit for your dc.

LHFHG takes us only about 1 1/2 hours a day to do, and Bigger... takes us about 3 to 3 1/2 hours. I just open up the guides each day and teach - no prep. time at all. My toddler is VERY active right now - little honey is positively into everything! Yet, I am having a very stress-free, happy year doing HOD.

Of course, if combining is what you need to do, I think that can be done too. I do think that Bigger... is a jump in writing, and that could be the point your 2 may not be able to be together anymore. Oh, and we did Beyond... last year, and that took about 2 to 2 1/2 hours to do.

The programs are very complete, and the activities are short, hands-on, and fun to do - there are no time wasters or busywork type things in the programs, which is how they can be taught in the time allotment I've mentioned. HTH, and hope to hear what you're thinking after the placement chart!

In Christ,
Julie

mamalbh wrote:Oops ) Forgot to mention that older dd will stick with CLE for three R's, CLE doesn't have K curric. so younger dd would being doing ETC along with the suggested things for a Ker in LHFHG

Sounds familiar.....I bought Little Hearts thinking, I'll just use this for history, science, storytime and Bible and stick with my own LA and math. Now I am working hard to get my kids on the same LA schedule for Beyond....that's how wonderful HOD is and Carrie's suggestions are perfect.

If you're just going to use it for history, science, storytime, and Bible...then LIttle Hearts would be a good "trial run" for you and your K'er could use the whole thing as written. When you move up through the years, you would always need to keep their LA and math levels seperate.

Don't be surprised though if you start really liking the whole package!!

I am going to try to give you some ways to combine since that is what you want. The charts will probably show you to separate them and that probably would be best BUT I understand wanting to combine. One way is to do it for just this year until your Ker is stronger in reading and your toddler grows up a little. Then you could split them again. I will give you two things I think might work but will require a little creativity and you can look for your kids and see if either will work. NOTE: Read ONLY if you are not easily overwhelmed by details. SKIP if you are!

I am giving you two options I think (but you should run past Carrie or someone more experienced than me ) will work. Option one is this year survival plan. Option two is long term with lots of tweaking. But both are to keep your oldest two together.

1. Do LHFG with both this year doing only the first grade science. BUT buy do LA and Math on the older child's level by using the Beyond manual just for those two subjects (then you can use it next year at a slower pace for your middle child only) at your oldest child's level and just for her. Then next year your oldest skips Beyond and goes into Bigger and your middle child does Beyond at her pace. This is sort of the "survival" year method while the toddler is into everything. You may want to also read some of the appendix suggested books in the back of LHFHG as well for the sake of your oldest. She may be able to read some on her own. If your oldest child is ready for DITHR she could do that as well on the 2/3 level.

2. A way to keep the oldest two together for good possibly. Do LHFG with the higher level science for your oldest and math on her level separately. You can optionally use the books in the appendix to add to LHFHG for your oldest if you feel she needs more. Then when you hit Beyond next year your youngest does it at her level but you do LA and Math separately on level for the oldest. You get the deluxe package and you read the extra books. Then you select books for DITHR for your oldest that reflect the history period so she can go deeper on her own and also in science you have her read some living books science as well and fit that into DITHR. When you hit Bigger you kind of even out and you just use the extension pack for the older child who for you will be 4th grade level. I actually have a fifth/sixth grader doing that with some beefing up. It is working very well and I am a long term planner as well. It will always be a little bit of tweaking this way but I am finding it totally worth it. I also like to keep them in groups when possible. Just something I have in my head about building closeness and having family time.

I know these are kind of complicated answers and you know the reason for that is we are really trying to go against the easiest fit way which is to follow the chart. I think you can do that but you just have to be willing to put in a little bit of extra effort to make that happen on the self creativity side of things. I hope this helps!