4 day vs 5 day and proper placement for my dd

[Mercy]

How do you work the 4 day week out when you are working with your younger chldren 5 days? I want to encourage my preparing child to work hard so he can have that day off, but my LHFHG student (who already fights me to do school each day) would be so jealous. Otherwise, even if my preparing student works 5 days, he will go into his new curriculum a lot earlier so...she will be jealous then too! Lol! Poor thing, life just isnt working out for her.

I sometimes wonder if I placed her too young. As I mentioned, she fights schooltime each day. She does not like the rhymes (thinks they are for babies...). She complaines that the reading lesson is also for babies and althouh she is reading each page very fluently, she fights hard to not do more than a two page spread each day. Honestly, it is very confusing for me how to properly deal with this....

She is using Happy Handwriting for her handwriting. She was fighting that each day, so I finally cut it down to a half page daily. But really, she writes all over the place, all day long! She is the type that has already made the thank you card and given it away before I even think to tell her. It is not pretty to see, however, as there are capitals and small letters mixed and spelling is as good as she can by sounding out...but the card is a FULL ON letter!

Am I missing something here? She will be turning 6 in april. We are currently in the 4th unit of LHFHG. I have been just assuming that as we settle into the routine of doing school daily the fights would lesson. I know part of it all is training...she fights even saying her memory verse. If she gives me trouble I just tell her to sit in the chair until she can participate. Usually after some alone, thinking time she is ready to do her schooltime...

Thanks for any thoughts.
Mercy

[pjdobro]

I can't really address the 4 day versus 5 day schedule yet as we will just be getting to the 4 day schedule next year. I am planning on doing some other activities on day 5 though that we haven't gotten to before. So my dc won't have that 5th day off. It will just be different. I know many people do a co-op so that 5th day is for doing work within that co-op. So I don't know if I would totally let your older ds have the 5th day off, but either allow him to pursue other academic interests or continue the program 5 days a week. You could allow him to take the program more slowly through the week so he could finish the 4 days in 5 instead of 4 and have a shorter day like your younger dd.

I am blessed to have two dc the same age so if one is having a bad attitude day, the other often counters that with a good attitude so there is a good example to follow. Perhaps the attitude of your older son can set the tone for your dd. My dc did LHFHG starting at age 6 years 3 months and enjoyed the rhymes. I thought they would think it was babyish, but they didn't and really enjoyed them. Perhaps it helped that there were two of them doing it. Do you think you could get your older ds to join in? It might help your dd feel more comfortable with them.

I haven't done TRL, but I'm thinking if she can do the lesson as scheduled very well and wants to do more, perhaps you should allow her to move ahead. Perhaps she is ready to move at a faster pace with phonics. I don't think there would be a problem with that.

It could just take time to settle into a routine. It is different for each child. I have one more compliant child and one that is more difficult. Occasionally they switch roles. It is still early on in the program, so hang in there and be consistent each day. You are the teacher and there are lessons that need to be done. In the early days if my dc gave me grief over doing lessons, I would remind them that we were required by law to have school everyday. It helped to remind them that this was something that we were required to do and point out to them that their PS peers were at school for 7 hours each day, 5 days each week. They came to appreciate the fact that they were playing for hours before their peers were home from school each day and that they didn't have additional homework.

That being said though, you can always re-evaluate the placement and see if perhaps your dd belongs in Beyond. I'm thinking though with the writing that she is perhaps placed correctly. You don't want to reach Bigger too soon since the writing is much more intensive. You can always re-check the placement and see if you feel she should be moved up. You might try looking at the placement chart with fresh eyes and see where she falls. Beyond at a slower pace could possibly be an option. HTH! Hang in there!

[Kathleen]

Mercy,

I've just been doing my younger ones 4 days a week like the older one. It takes longer than a "school year" to do a guide, but I'm fine with that and it really works. I'd like my kids to hit Preparing at "4th grade" and then complete a guide per year after that. But we're not real close to that yet, so we'll see when we get there. For now I'm just happy to be moving along & learning & making progress. I don't know if you're schooling year-round or following a more typical school calendar. But, we plan to finish early May for this "year". If you're thinking the same, I'd just move them both along 4 days a week through this "year". We like to do 4 days of 'normal' school and then use our 5th day together - whether that be for some major house-cleaning, a field trip, some fun art or music study, a trip to visit cousins, etc.

Kathleen

[Mercy]

I just wanted to say thank you so much for your thoughts both Kathleen and Patty.

Patty, I had my 11yo join us today w the rhymes and it worked out a lot better. My 11 yo has such a great attitude and I think that is such a wonderful idea! God has been pressing on me to do a mini together time once again before school begins to have more unity in our home and this will just be a fun little thing to add to it. Thank you!

Kathleen, I am still praying on how we will work our schedule out, but I am leaning towards exactly as you mentioned. I enjoy the four day week, but I am having trouble working the five day schedule into four days... I just read the new post just posted about the four day week and she gave me the idea (I had never thought of!!) to do a little bit more each day, instead of being off schedule. I will have to think on that...

Anyway, I am still struggling through each day her w my little girl. There are so many dynamics involved, it is just hard to know how to handle this situation.

I'd take prayer as well if anyone feels led.

Thank you all so much!!
Mercy

[lharris]

Hi Mercy,
Sounds like your older dc will really be a great help. Don't be tempted to give in too much with your youngest, don't eliminate something that is actually important for her to do, just because she thinks its too young. Don't let her dicate content of your school day. Let your storytimes be fun for her in the sense that she can color while listening, or playdough-- but then help her stay focused on the few minutes when you're trying to do phonics and math. Ask that she give you her full attention, just keep it really short but keep your expectation high for attitude and behavior, her posture and complaining should be better for those short 5-10 minute intervals when you are doing "focus" work. This will set the standard for your school day, and eliminate struggles... hopefully Praying for a joyful school day for your little one!
In Christ,
Laura

[blessedmomof4]

Mercy,
i would like to add that personally I feel it is better to be "off schedule" by doing 4 days as written per week than to add a little more each day to squeeze 5 days into 4. The short lessons of the Charlotte Mason method can be hindered by making each school day longer. From the FAQ page on the HOD website, Carrie mentions you can do this guide at whatever speed suits your needs.
http://www.heartofdakota.com/faqs.php#F ... _to_Heaven
"Q: How long does the program last?
A: Little Hands to Heaven contains 33 five-day units. It is meant to take one school-year to complete. Often customers stretch the program out to a year and a half by doing lessons 3-4 days each week, rather than five. Make the schedule suit your needs."
You don't need to school year-round to do this. If you want to take a summer break, you can just stop wherever you get to in the summer, and pick up the same guide right where you left off the following fall.

[pjdobro]

Patty, I had my 11yo join us today w the rhymes and it worked out a lot better. My 11 yo has such a great attitude and I think that is such a wonderful idea! God has been pressing on me to do a mini together time once again before school begins to have more unity in our home and this will just be a fun little thing to add to it. Thank you!

I'm so glad that worked out well for you. How wonderful that your ds is gracious enough to join your dd in the rhymes. It makes it so much more fun to do some of these things together. I pray your school day with your dd continues to improve.

[Carrie]

Mercy,

The ladies are doing a great job of helping you and have shared such good ideas. While it is possible that you may have placed your daughter incorrectly, from what you've shared so far, I would likely still recommend placement in LHFHG. Typically, if kiddos are placed too low, they are breezing through the lessons easily, writing easily, reading easily, and wanting more. I'm thinking that you're running into a bit of an attitude and control battle over school and that you are still early in the "training" time of showing your little one that school does need to get done each day and needs to be done with a cheerful heart. Almost all children would rather be playing than doing school, so a joyful heart is a choice at all levels.

Expectation-wise, if your little sweetie is 6 years old, then she is likely ready for the 90 min. of school that LHFHG takes to complete each day. A couple of things you can do to help make your day go more smoothly would be first to only do what is written in the guide, without adding additional subjects or work to your daughter's day. This will keep the day short and sweet. Second, make sure to keep the lessons moving along quickly and do whatever you can to minimize interruptions. This will make the day go more quickly. Third, do not linger or lecture on areas that she may seem like she doesn't enjoy. Often, this is a power play that little ones use to test the parent to see if they can win. Simply tell her that each of the boxes in the guide is a part of her school day, and she is required to participate in them. Explain to her that not participating is not an option, and you will not wait for her to be ready as your time is important. Explain that when you are ready to teach, it is her job to be ready to learn.

Another idea is to allow her to place a checkmark in the corner of each box as she completes it, showing her progress through the boxes. Also, make sure to jump in and do each box with her, keeping all things moving along quickly. Especially make sure to do the rhymes with her, and participate in all things with her, rather than sitting and watching as she does it. Fourth, be sure to alternate worktime with playtime, so the schooltime doesn't feel too heavy. For example, you could have her do 2 boxes from the right side of the guide, and then have 30 min.or so to play. Then, meet with her to do the left side of the guide (which takes 30 min.), following it up with a recess break or lunch. Then, finish up the right side of the guide right after that for 30 min. Anyway, just a few ideas that have helped me with my kiddos!

Blessings,
Carrie

[Mercy]

I have a brief moment to post and say thank you so much for all of the replies and prayers! I really appreciate all of your thoughts on our situation. (Especially thank you to you Carrie as I know you are in a busy season right now!) My daughter is the only girl, the middle, and the quiet one by nature. Add to this, her younger brother (the baby) has a personality that takes all of the attention!

This is one reason why HOD has been such a blessing! She needs that one on one time with me and I think she's just been giving me a hard time because she doesn't know what to do with all of the focused attention. Truly, she has grown so much already in so many ways since we started LHFHG.

I want to mention that it concerned me that she was saying that she didn't like the Bible time and always wanted to do that last. I read a post where Carrie was talking about how much her sons loved the children's bible in LHFHG. Well, we hadn't purchased the bible for various reasons. After reading that post my husband and I decided to go ahead and get it. I wish I would have just started with it!! She LOVES it! She has been sleeping with it next to her and asks for tea in the morning so she can read her bible & pray! Isn't that sweet!! In fact, she has always clammed up whenever our pastor talked to her, but the day she took her new bible to church, she ran up to him & showed it to him! That's such a testimony of how God has been working in her heart!

Even though she is fighting me so hard each day on her school, the truth is - she really does love it! That's why it has been so hard for me to judge. I do think she is sort of "in between" LHFHG & Beyond, but I think LHFHG is working well for her at this point. I will probably buy the readers soon for her and maybe begin the spelling. (This is all after she has settled a little better in the routine.)

I totally respect that we need to keep school light! She is more than able to do LHFHG now & breeze through it. I think I am dealing with a training issue more than anything. I just find it so hard to use school as a training time, if you know what I mean. I would rather deal with that in chores, obedience, etc. outside of school. Mostly because I need to be able to judge where she is at by how she is reacting to school, maybe?

I broke down crying during LHFHG devotional the other day. It was a Holy Spirit moment of conviction for me about punishment. I have gotten a little inconsistent in discipline within the past year or so. My little guy has such a persistent personality and you can already see that my little girl is a bit stubborn too - I think I was just worn out! God is so faithful to give us His loving correction. Thank God for His grace!

As you can see, Jesus knew what He was doing when He called us to HOD. His Spirit has been so obviously moving in our home since we began. In so many ways we have been blessed!!

I thank God for leading me here.

In love & prayers,
Mercy