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Hi! I'm new here with three girls age 5, 3, and 1. We have done MFW K (when oldest was 4), and are on MFW 1st grade now. DD is doing very well, but I want to give her another year before jumping into MFW next year up. In the fall my girls will be 6 and 4 and I'm considering LHFHG for them together.

History- looks like it's mainly read aloud? Is it scary or touchy at all? My girls are sensitive. I'm thinking it will be on level for the 6 yr old and the 4 yr old might miss some of the concepts but would listen along.

Is Thinking Skills scheduled in the book? It looks ok for my 6 yr old. 4yr old would do the Rod and Staff or another easier workbook, she's not a workbook kid so I might just have her do a couple pages a week. I think doing the handwriting would be fun for her though.

Science - I'd get the 1st grade book and have both do it.

Bible and Storytime - should be good for both

phonics - not sure what to do here. I'm not sure if 4 yr old is ready for phonics this fall? I do want her to learn ABCs, but not push reading yet. What could I sub for her? 6yr old reads well, maybe the emerging reader set for her? We'll see how she's doing by then I guess. But I'd have to by the next book up to get that info?

Math - is the hands on only tied to the K text? I'd have 6 yr old do primary 1a and b but the hands on doesn't relate?? I was thinking of just the hands on for the 4 yr and not getting her a workbook.

Phew, ok, what do you think?

We've been doing LHFHG the past few weeks with my 6 yr. old. We're both enjoying it a great deal!! It's nice to see him having so much fun with his learning .

History is one of his favorites! It's really a journey through the Bible-from creation and moving forward. There is a History text that covers this, and it's always followed up with the Bible account. He loves to look at the pictures in the text book, and they bring up great discussions for us! In fact last week he decided to accept Christ as his Savior as a result of a discussion we were having in History!!

The workbooks are only scheduled a few days per week, alternating with handwriting. They are nothing intense at all (we're doing the Thinking Skills, so I can't speak for the K level book), but it's pretty easy, straightforward, and quick.

Math activities do only correspond with the K level books. We have the manual for the next guide and follow the hands-on-activities in there that correspond with the 1A/B workbooks. With that said-have you had your older child take the placement test for the Singapore math? I think that's found on the Singapore website. I skipped this step with my younger son, sure that he'd be ready for 1A in 1st grade, but now wish I'd started him in the earlier books. 1A has been a huge struggle for us, having to take it very slowly, and go back and review concepts often, and also at times completely break from the book and work on concepts that he needed before attempting the workbook. The hands-on activities have been essential for us-he'd have no hope of getting it otherwise! My plan is to not even try to put him into 1B at this point-we've spent this week looking at the K books for those building concepts. I'd actually recommend getting the workbooks that correspond with LHFHG and have both children do them (I put my workbook pages in sleeve protector pages in a 3-ring binder so more than one kid can use them-dry erase markers wipe off cleanly) unless, of course, the placement test firmly puts them in 1A.

Phonics would be a difficult step for your younger daughter. I know that the first guide, Little Hands, introduces letters and all the sounds before attempting to start phonics instruction. I haven't used this guide yet, since our kids were in public school prior to this year, and my 6 yr. old was needing phonics as a review before starting the ER's... Not sure what to suggest for you to try with your younger child, but I'd definitely find something that, like you mentioned, introduces the ABC's and letter sounds before attempting either of the recommended phonics programs.

HTH! I think you'll really enjoy this program with both of your kiddos! My barely-4 yr. old is not in anything formal yet, but he loves to sit and listen to big brother's school! It's got him very excited to begin his "cool" with LHTH next year for kindergarten!!

Thanks for the reply! I forgot about the Singapore placement tests, but just checked and there isn't one for Earlybird K? I think she's ready for primary 1, but definitely want the hands on help. Hmmmm. I wish I knew if Earlybird were way to easy for her or what...

Do the science experiments tie ok with the Our Fathers World book?

Very cool about your son! (i'm typing on an iPod, not sure why it's making that sentence shrink really small?)

Hmmm-I looked at the singapore site, and it looks like you'd just use the test for 1A. Since the tests cover what is taught in the book you'll probably be able to get a pretty good feel whether she's ready for that material. My son really didn't have much concept of what it meant to add or subtract, and the 1A book didn't really teach what that meant, or how to do it, just jumped in with those things. The Early Bird books use diagrams to show these concepts before putting in actual math problems-for example, this week we did a page that had pictures of six cars lined up vertically next to picture with 4 cars. The child drew lines to match up the cars and then found that there were 2 left over, so 6 is 2 more than 4. Early Bird also looks to cover counting money and telling time in the 2nd workbook. My daughter in 3rd grade is perfectly placed in 2A/B this year, so it seems like these levels are one number behind their grade-so the 1A/B might be a better fit for a 2nd grader than a 1st (I suppose that depends on whether a child did the Early Bird in Kind. They might be very prepared for 1A in first grade!)

I don't know about the science experiments corresponding to the text book-I chose not to buy a science text book, we just do the experiements only. I do have both the text and do experiments in Beyond, and they do seem to correspond together-sometimes loosly, but it's there

Maybe someone else who actually knows these answers will jump in to help you out!

Hi mercymom!! Welcome to HOD! We are a little more than half-way through LHFHG with our 6-year olds & are loving it!! This is their kindergarten year, however, so some aspects will be a little different. So, hopefully I can help at least a little with your questions!

History is read aloud, & the first half is all right out of the Bible... as LHFHG covers creation through the present day! We have very much enjoyed our journey through the Bible, & the activities- art (1x a week), thinking games (1x a week), dramatic play (1x a week) & Science (2x a week) all correspond with the History story! As do the Rhyme in motion & Bible Study! I LOVE this!! I haven't read anything too scary/touchy (my girls are sensitive too), except for the fact that there are "touchy" stories in the Bible... people sin & are punished... so it's a wonderful opportunity to talk about God, the world, sin & how we need Jesus!!! (I did notice when glancing through that if a story seems a bit too "intense" there is a warning that you might skip that story with your little one... so HOD has screened their books very well) I think your 6 year-old (come fall) will really enjoy the stories & the fun way that everything is put together! I agree that your 4-year-old would miss some concepts (we have a 4-year-old at our house now too), but if she is a good listener, could still benefit from the readings!

Thinking Skills & the Rod & Staff workbooks are scheduled right in the guide... 3 days a week (usually 1 page a day) & handwriting is scheduled the other 2 days of the week (1-2 pages a day). I think the Thinking Skills book would be just right for your 6-year-old & either A Reason for Handwriting A or Getty & Dubay Italic Book B. If you wanted to get the K handwriting & Rod & Staff books for your 4-year-old... she would probably enjoy them... but you will know that more come Fall.

For Science, you could definitely get the 1st grade Science book, but I've heard that it is very similar to the Kindergarten book & others have seemed to prefer the Kindergarten book (but, I can't remember for sure where I read that )... the kindergarten book is scheduled right in with the activity- whereas the first grade alternative schedule is in the appendix- if that makes a difference to you. I think either would be a good choice- just something to consider.

Bible & storytime would work well for both- if your 4-year old is a good listener (our 4-year-old sits in on storytime & can often answer the questions faster than her older sisters, but other 4-year-olds need a bit more time to grow into listening to stories without pictures).

For Phonics- when you are ready for your 4-year-old to start something more formal- you could definitely use one of the HOD choices (We use the Reading Lesson & love it!). But, if you are looking for something to teach her the letters & sounds- as you stated- I would highly recommend going through "Little Hands to Heaven" with her- as this is such a sweet program that teaches kids their letters & sounds with many wonderful activities & is also completely centered on the Bible- it only takes us about 20-30 minutes to do each day & is so fun!
When your 6-year-old is done with phonics, she can move right into the Emerging Readers set (which we have been enjoying at our house too), but for that you do need the next guide (Beyond) for the wonderful questions to go along with the books... this was VERY worth it for us, as we will be using Beyond next year, & would have needed that guide anyway! Plus, if you decide to use Math 1A & 1B (instead of the Earlybird books), Carrie has written excellent hands-on activities to go along with the math concept, & those are written in the Beyond guide as well (or there is a schedule for using 1A & 1B workbooks with the textbook- instead of the activities- in the LHFHG appendix). This year we are going through the Earlybird books & enjoying the hand-on activities written in LHFHG!

I hope this helps a little as you ponder! I do think your 4-year old (& maybe even your younger one) could really enjoy LHTH- if you wanted to add that in!
Feel free to keep asking questions- people around here are so friendly & helpful!
Blessings,
Jessica

Agreeing with the previous poster about using Little Hands to Heaven for your 4 year old. It only takes 30 minutes a day, which you could do all in one sitting, or in 5 to 10 minute segments throughout the day. I have a copy because my neighbor asked me to teach her 4 year old son (haven't started yet, but looking forward to it). I love what I see as I look through the guide, so simple yet so rich, and so full of God's word! Little Hands teaches letters, letter sounds and numbers concepts, and much more.
Do check the placement chart for Heart of Dakota here: http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php With Heart of Dakota, placing your children where they fit on this chart is your key to a successful year! From what you have shared, I am guessing that your older would fit best perhaps in Beyond Little Hearts since she is finishing phonics in MFW 1, and your younger in Little Hands, but you will know best

You're right, I think she would do best in Beyond! I was avoiding that because its similar to MFW 2nd grade and I was thinking of this as a gap year before that one, but it looks like she places there and the more I look at it I'm liking this better than MFW for us right now. DD is such a perfectionist that I dont want her in a program thats over her head and have her frustrated, but it looks ok. She'll be 6 the entire year, but math, reading, etc place her there. *thinking out loud*

Such good thinking here about placement, and I think you are coming up with an excellent plan for your dd! I just wanted to encourage you that I don't think that she'll find Beyond to be a repeat of what she has done. The history activities that follow up the living books are unique to Beyond, (and very fun, I might add. ) Also, the timeline, geography, and art activities, are all written to match the history theme each week - even the poetry, Bible study box, and the science reinforce the history theme and in so doing, add depth to it and make Beyond a very memorable, unique year of learning early American history. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie