What Would You Do?

[Dustybug]

Bear with me here, I don't know if I can get all my thoughts out here coherently or not. lol

Okay, so my DD is 5, will be 6 in Feb. My DS is 3, will be 4 in Dec. They are both currently doing LHTH, my DD for the second time with older options, Abeka phonics and some supplemental workbooks. Originally, I was planning on starting LHFHG this fall with DD using the ERS from Beyond then cycling back through LHTH again with DS similar to what DD is doing this year. However, after doing LHTH for 2 years now, I kind of want a break(even though I love it!) and since we school year round, DS would only be 4 1/2 when we finished and not ready to move into LHFHG.

I think, to give myself a break from teaching LHTH, I will wait another year to cycle DS back through it and do other things for his K4 year. This would make the second trip through LHTH sort of like K for him, but would put him at 5 1/2 starting LHFHG for first grade.

I've also heard that LHFHG makes a better 1st grade guide than a Kindergarten guide so I was thinking of waiting another year before moving DD into it. If I did that, I think I would still purchase the ERS for her, the science text(and do it cover to cover, incorporating Carrie's hands on activities with the appropriate lessons from LHFHG since I already have the guide), A Reason for Handwriting K(or maybe A) and the math and do those with her this year along with some other things and then the next year do LHFHG with the first grade options and DITHOR.

The problem(if I should really call it that) is that if I wait a year on both of them, I will always be teaching a guide two years in a row (DD would be in one first, then DS the next year). Also, DD is ready for LHFHG on all accounts, so I'm only holding onto it for my own benefit, not hers. If I go ahead and do LHFHG this year with her, but still wait a year to put DS back into LHTH then I've set it up to have a year break between reteaching manuals. Does all this make sense?

I've thought of holding out a year on LHFHG and then combining them, but I want both of them to get the fullest benefit out of each guide and I think that DS would then be on the younger end of the age spectrum for every guide and I'd rather him be more towards the middle or older end.

What would you all do? Any other suggestions?

[creativemommy]

As a mom of a ds who was 6 doing LHFHG for his K year all last school year (though he was ready for the 1st grade options and we chose to use those), I would recommend you put your dd in LHFHG now if you feel she is placing in it. Then wait on your son until he's ready do LHFHG on his own (boys mature so differently than girls do anyway).

HOD is very easy to do two guides at a time - I do it currently and will continue with my dc until my youngest begins HOD then we'll be tackling 3 HOD guides in a year!

I understand not wanting to do the same guide back-to-back, but it will be with a different kiddo and that will make it a different year. I'm excited about going through LHFHG this coming year with my dd.

[shaffer96]

We have done LHFHG for K this year and have really enjoyed it. We did it slowly and will be finishing it up in a few months. It was a great fit for my dd this year, but I do know many who do it for 1st grade. She has done very well with it as a K. The only thing we didn't do was the storytime. My dd never really got into the books, so we just got books of interest from the library and read those instead.

[Carrie]

Dusty,

I agree with the ladies' wise advice and would lean toward starting your oldest in LHFHG. It definitely sounds like she is ready! It is so true that often our oldest kiddos are just ready-to-go and more mature, so I wouldn't hold that little one back waiting for the next sibling in line. It is also often true that we have more time to teach the oldest, before we get so many going in school, so with that in mind I'd just jump into LHFHG with your oldest. Since she'll be 6 this year, there's no need to wait until the year she's turning 7 to begin LHFHG.

Blessings,
Carrie