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I feel so blessed to be using HOD, I can't imagine any other curriculum choice for our family and wouldn't dare since I know the LORD led me to HOD. I love this blog and I feel I know all of you woman. I wish we could all get together and drink tea/coffee and eat pastries. This blog has been such a blessing and a place of encouragement.

My dd6 is doing LHFHG and will be doing BHFHG for 1st grade in the fall.
My dd4 is somedays doing LHTH but mostly listens to LHFHG and then works in little workbooks you can get at the store to feel like she is doing real school. Should we do LHTH next year (since we have not done much with it this year) with the
A Reason for Handwriting K and Earlybird math or LHFHG half speed? She will not be an offical K until the 2011/2012 school year...boy that looks weird to type. I don't feel as though she will be ready for BHFHG for kindergarten and I feel like doing LHFHG half speed will not satisfy her either. And also is it too early for me to be wondering about such things? I know anything can happen between the next 1 1/2. I was thinking the first idea since we will already have the books from dd6 and we can easily switch guides........um, I think I just answered my own question.

If someone has a better idea, any suggestions would be great!

Sounds like a good plan to me

For your 4 yo, I'd continue with LHTH. You can add in more handwriting or whatever they need, but they still don't need much at that age. Definitely plan on picking up storytime books at their level. Once they know their letters really well or you feel they are ready for a new challenge start phonics.

You obviously know your "littlemisses" best!

....however, you asked for thoughts....When I began LHFHG with my oldest, my younger loved to sit in and listen to all of it!! And that continued with Beyond...So now that the oldest is moving into Bigger, we have all enjoyed and become quite accustomed to doing the "left side" of the lesson plans together...I love that we are working on the same memory verses and will begin learning the same Hymns together!! As we begin our next guide, they will both do the "left" and then we will work seperately on the "right"...this works beautifully for our family!! As for planning ahead, if the younger is ready, go for it...don't worry about where the PS would place her!! If she is ready for LHFHG full-speed right now, that is great!! (My 4yo was too!) She may hit a spot later where you need to slow down...that is the beauty of HS!! Hope that helps!!

I'm so glad you are enjoying HOD too- it really is such a blessing, isn't it!? It would be nice to get together for tea/coffee & pastries- yum
I think both options could definitely work for your family! We have really enjoyed doing LHTH at our house! I think a lot of our enjoyment stems from doing it each day- my oldest girls have been five for most of the year, but have really learned so very much! We just added in handwriting & the Rod & Staff books from LHFHG, & it's been perfect. This may be great for you too- so you could get in all of the fun activities & have special time with both girls & it would keep you from doing back-to-back guides. But, certainly doing LHFHG 1/2 speed would be a great option too! Either way, you would end up ready for Beyond for her 1st grade year. In what ways do you hope she will mature within the next year? Maybe that will help your decision...
In Christ,
Jessica

I've started doing LHTH very SLOWLY with my 4 yo. I'm planning on using it with him this year and next year. We're doing each unit over 2 weeks and adding extra little letter activities to stretch it out. We're also using both Bibles. About the time he turns five we're going to add in math, handwriting, phonics, and the little R&S kinder workbooks. Then when he gets to LHFHG he'll use the first grade options. So I think LHTH sounds like a great plan!

Thank you ladies for your suggestions. I have made my decision. I am going to begin on Monday (cuz I can't start on a Friday...plus it is the first of a new month LOL) doing LHTH daily and using her little store bought workbooks. With her listening in on LHFHG and not serious about learning late in the fall , we are only on Unit 4 in LHTH. We will finish that and then on to LHFHG. That will also help with the back to back, it will be more like back to side with the overlap from LHTH. She wants to read so bad but doesn't know all her letter sounds yet. So, I guess the maturing part I am hoping and confident will change during the next year is her understanding of the concepts and meaning of the history lessons in LHFHG and the period of time she can sit and listen. There is quite a difference in the guides with that. She can tell back the stories and answer questions great. I just want her to grasp what she is hearing and not just get through it. Waiting to do LHFHG will help with that. She turned 4 the end of November so she is a new 4. She wants to do what 'Sister' does. And she really wants to be doing it everyday NOW and likes it when they get seperate and together time. I had better take advantage of that when I can because at 4 years old anything can change. When I go to the conference here in June I will get her consumeable books for LHFHG in case we need them earlier. I know we will need the math and LA by then.

We love HOD. When I bought the curriculum last year at the conference I came home with all the new books. I love that you don't have to order and they have everything there. Julie just bagged everything up for me and I went straight home. I dumped everything out on the floor and the girls were so excited and guides are so organized and to the point that we started right then and there with our first page! A A A ADAM..... Then after a couple of weeks dd4 realized what was happening and started to get nervous and thought she had to start doing school forever. DD6 continued at half speed until the end of August when we started at full steam. DD4 did it when she wanted to and that worked fine. I am happy she is curious and wanting to learn now.

Thank you again for all the great advice! I never feel alone with the HOD gals there at my fingertips.
Blessings!