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did you do many of the program half speed or repeat guides? I ask a similar question about how to proceed with my DS5, but I am just looking at the fully laid out program and I do not feel that it should be started before age 5, but many kids need/are able to start younger, but will then hit a wall and need to go half speed or repeat.

It seems to me that there is sort of a gap in Guides. If you start a kid at age 2-4 then you get to the other levels "too fast."

My 3YO can do LHTH and DS5 LHFHG. But next year I am not sure that DS5 will be able to do Bigger full speed and DS3 will not be ready for LHFHG. So I will be having to half speed things at some point or repeaat a guide.

I was just wondering if most are having to do that, or if you try another program in between or what. Kind of curious how it worked out for others starting DC at the younger end of the Guide years.

I started DS (almost 3.75) in LHTH in January of this year. He has been fully able to do LHTH as written, especially as he already knew the letters and letter sounds. We will be repeating the guide before starting LHFHG. I think LHTH is easily repeated (i.e. not boring for mom!), as it is short and very sweet. From what I've read on various hsing boards moms seem to worry a lot about repeating things, especially the repetitious activities within some preshool programs, and think that their children will get boared with it. But I think that children of such a young age thrive on repetition. Knowing what's coming and understanding how to do certain activties makes children feel confident, capable, and secure in their schooling. I believe many moms go through LHTH two (or more!) times, and each time through will reap its own rewards. I personally have no interest in filling gaps with any other program, and I know my DS will not object to having the opportunity to experience the fun of LHTH again.

I started my DD in LHTH when she was 3, started it half speed and then went to full speed later on, so it took us about a year and a half to complete. She used the younger option bible/devotional. We took a break because I had a baby and now we are going through LHTH again, but full speed, and my DS(3) is now doing it as well(using the younger bible/devotional). This year, DD(who is 5 now,) is using the older bible/devotional and older options on math activities and the Count On Me worksheets. When DS is doing number or letter activities, DD works on a Kindergarten workbook that I bought since she has the letter sounds and numbers 1-10 down pat. Also, she does Abeka K5 phonics after the LHTH lesson for the day is over.

This upcoming year(we will start in september), I will be putting DD in LHFHG, and she will be 6 in Feb. I think that I'm going to do some other things with DS (R&S workbooks and another preschool program) and then the NEXT year (we school year round so he would be only be 4 1/2) we will probably cycle through LHTH again with him, using the older options, and phonics like DD is doing now.

I'm doing LHTH with a 4 and a 2 year old. It is great for my 4 year old and she will move straight on to LHFHG right around the time she turns 5 in September. My 2 year old likes the story time and projects and activities, but doesn't know her letters and sounds so we're going to wait until she's 4 and then do LHTH again for her on her own. She will just tag along with the "fun stuff" of little hearts with her big sister while she's 3 so that she doesn't have to do it three years in a row. I think LHTH is fantastic for a 4 year old. Even though mine already knew all her letters and sounds, she loves every bit of it.

We did LHTH last year with my oldest at 5 and my second daughter at 3. I added in phonics, handwriting practice, and math from LHFHG for my oldest because she was ready. It was a great fit. We'll be repeating LHTH next year with my second daugther who will then be 5 with her younger sister who will then be 3. Anyway, just wanted to mention this option as it's been great for us.

Shimmer wrote:We did LHTH last year with my oldest at 5 and my second daughter at 3. I added in phonics, handwriting practice, and math from LHFHG for my oldest because she was ready. It was a great fit. We'll be repeating LHTH next year with my second daugther who will then be 5 with her younger sister who will then be 3. Anyway, just wanted to mention this option as it's been great for us.

So when you add in stuff fro LHFHG (phonics, etc) what do you do when you get to LHFHG? Are you always ahead on some things?

LHFHG has K and 1st options listed.... A lot of people use the K options with LHTH and then the first when they get to LHFHG, especially with fine motor skills and handwriting. Beyond doesn't use workbooks for those subjects, so it's easy to do both with LHTH and LHFHG.

There are many great responses here - thanks ladies! I will just add that we are doing LHTH half-speed with our third ds, and enjoying that. I got both Bibles. We read one Bible selection one day and do half the boxes, and then we read the other Bible the next day and do the remaining boxes. My ds will finish LHTH when he is about 5 yo this way. This has been perfect for us! I think it makes a difference if the child you are doing LHTH is your only child, your oldest child, or a child further on down the line. For my oldest ds, I would have gone full-speed with the younger options and then full-speed another year with the older options. I was dying to do school, and I needed to fill his time more as he was looking to ME for entertainment since he had only an itty-bitty baby brother around for a playmate (and most the time we were just trying to keep baby safe)! There is much flexibility in how LHTH is done, and the varied levels of resources make a repeat have a different feel to it. I hope something here helps as you decide which option is best for your dc!

In Christ,
Julie

Thank you for the feedback!

I am going to order LHTH and I have LHFHG. I am thinking I will just start them both at half speed and see what happens!