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I'm thinking of starting LHFHG with my 4 year old in late summer/early fall, and to go 1/2 speed because she has a late summer birthday. I really don't want to start phonics instruction with her until she is at least 5 1/2, maybe 6. Is there a reason why I can't start LHFHG, but delay phonics instruction until I think she's ready? I'm okay with starting handwriting. It would just be reading instruction that I would want to hold off on.

Thank you!

I don't see why you couldn't do that. I say, if that's what works for you and your dd, then go for it.

Usually dc need anywhere from 1-3 years of phonics instruction. At the end of LHTH, dc should know 1 sound for each letter already, which is always very helpful for beginning phonics instruction. Your dd will be starting LHFHG half-speed at a young age, so that is certainly something to consider. Whenever you choose to begin phonics instruction, I do think that it would be very beneficial to review the letters and their sounds she knows so she is sure to retain them better until she does begin phonics. Looking ahead, by the time dc begin BHFHG (target ages 7-9) dc should be able to either be reading the Emerging Reader's Set or using DITHOR 2/3. So, yes, you could wait, though you may want to review what she already knows, but also just keep in mind the approximate time she would be needing to be reading to be able to move through the guides. I will say, there are many different kinds of phonics program, and "The Reading Lesson" especially is a gentle beginning to phonics that may be started at a younger age very easily. That would be something you could consider beginning your second year through LHFHG half-speed if dd was ready and you felt so inclined. You will certainly know your dd best here though.

In Christ,
Julie

my3sons wrote:Usually dc need anywhere from 1-3 years of phonics instruction. At the end of LHTH, dc should know 1 sound for each letter already, which is always very helpful for beginning phonics instruction. Your dd will be starting LHFHG half-speed at a young age, so that is certainly something to consider. Whenever you choose to begin phonics instruction, I do think that it would be very beneficial to review the letters and their sounds she knows so she is sure to retain them better until she does begin phonics. Looking ahead, by the time dc begin BHFHG (target ages 7-9) dc should be able to either be reading the Emerging Reader's Set or using DITHOR 2/3. So, yes, you could wait, though you may want to review what she already knows, but also just keep in mind the approximate time she would be needing to be reading to be able to move through the guides. I will say, there are many different kinds of phonics program, and "The Reading Lesson" especially is a gentle beginning to phonics that may be started at a younger age very easily. That would be something you could consider beginning your second year through LHFHG half-speed if dd was ready and you felt so inclined. You will certainly know your dd best here though.

In Christ,
Julie

She is certainly learning letter sounds with LHTH! And you're right that she'll probably forget what she's learned if I don't do any phonics instruction with her at all until she's 5 1/2. I like the idea of starting phonics, but going v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y.

Thanks for your help; I'm thinking about this in a different way now!

Yes, The Reading Lesson is definitely "gentle". I began this with my youngest son when he turned five and we've been working through it very slowly at a pace he can be comfortable with and even enjoy it. If The Reading Lesson is a possibility for you, I would encourage you to try it sooner rather than later ...

tjswaine wrote:Yes, The Reading Lesson is definitely "gentle". I began this with my youngest son when he turned five and we've been working through it very slowly at a pace he can be comfortable with and even enjoy it. If The Reading Lesson is a possibility for you, I would encourage you to try it sooner rather than later ...

Thanks for recommending this! I'll definitely keep it in mind!

I have a new idea!

I was just thinking that if I don't want to start phonics with my daughter until January or so of 2012, I could just start doing LHTH at half speed!

I think that's my new plan!

Very good idea - and a solution to slowing things down a tad and giving time for dd to ease into things! I think I see a great plan coming together for dd because her mom loves her enough to really think it through with her dd's best interests in mind.
In Christ,
Julie

my3sons wrote:Very good idea - and a solution to slowing things down a tad and giving time for dd to ease into things! I think I see a great plan coming together for dd because her mom loves her enough to really think it through with her dd's best interests in mind.
In Christ,
Julie

Thanks for the encouragement, Julie!

I think super slow is a great idea. Take a whole year for letter sounds and then see what you're ready for next. My dd is 4 and she was asking to learn to read, so we're going through The Reading Lesson while doing LHTH. But we're taking it really slow (3 days a week or so, two or three pages at a time), and it's paying off already. I wanted to be more CM style and wait until she was 6 to teach reading, but it just didn't work out that way in our house. Every child is different! Best of luck to you!
Kristin

KristinBeth wrote:I think super slow is a great idea. Take a whole year for letter sounds and then see what you're ready for next. My dd is 4 and she was asking to learn to read, so we're going through The Reading Lesson while doing LHTH. But we're taking it really slow (3 days a week or so, two or three pages at a time), and it's paying off already. I wanted to be more CM style and wait until she was 6 to teach reading, but it just didn't work out that way in our house. Every child is different! Best of luck to you!
Kristin

Hi, Kristin!

My desire is to teach my daughter to read once she's 6, or to at least wait until she's 5 1/2. I agree with you that each child is different. That's great that your daughter is ready to read now! My daughter is just about exactly 4 1/2 right now.

I started teaching my oldest to read before turned four (and he wasn'tasking to learn to read ), and he learned very little for a l-o-n-g time. (As in, still struggling with The Cat in the Hat when he was almost 8!) That was partly because he just wasn't ready when I started them, and partly because he had vision issues that we did not know about.

I waited until my second child was a few months away from her 6th birthday to start teaching her to read, and she was reading The Cat in the Hat very well within a few months! That totally shocked me, especially after my experience with my son.

So.... we'll see how it goes with my 3rd child. At this point, she seems to be retaining the letter sounds pretty well, but I don't think she's ready for formal phonics instruction yet. We're in Unit 18 in LHTH right now. I'd rather wait a little too long rather than start too early.

Thanks for your encouragement!