Hi and placement question

[gingel]

Hello Ladies! I have finally decided to use BLHFHG for my 7yo dd and I am so excited. Your posts on this web site have helped me immensely! I feel like I'm getting to know you, so I thought I should introduce myself. My daughter will be in 2nd grade and we have been homeschooling since K. My son is 4yo. Both kids are very active and hands-on, so I think HOD will be a great fit for us. Most of my days are filled with kid things and keeping up with the household stuff (well, trying at least!). I also enjoy dinner w/friends and stamping and scrapbooking when I have a little extra time. We live in Columbia, MO and my dh is in IT.

My placement question involves my son. He knows his ABC's and sounds and numbers 1-10. I think he is ready to start a formal phonics program. I'm wondering the pros and cons of doing Little Hands and adding a phonics program OR doing LHFHG and just doing one page a day. His attention span is short, but he loves learning. What do you think? Thanks in advance!

[Mommamo]

I'm fairly new here but I just wanted to share my experience. I'm currently doing LHFHG with a 4.75 year old dd. She is doing beautifully. She totally placed into LHFHG on the placement chart (all except for age). We look forward to what we are going to do every day, and on Saturdays she begs me to go ahead and do school. (We don't, but she still begs every Saturday. She would Sundays too but we're too busy )

That being said, I sort of wish we'd gone ahead and done LHTH and modified it a bit for her: added math and phonics and done it at a slightly faster pace, maybe 2 pages a day. It's such a sweet program and she's still so young. I do not regret choosing LHFHG at all, but I do think LHTH would have worked really well and would have given her a little more time. Plus I think my 2 year old would have enjoyed doing it with sister. He likes doing LHFHG with us though.

[water2wine]

I just wanted to say welcome. I can't answer your question since I have not done LHTH only the reading lesson. But I just wanted to ask if they are ready for phonics could they be ready for LHFHG since they already know letter sounds. Would maybe going through LHFHG slower be a good option. I do it for this reason. My four year old knows all her sounds and is doing phonics so it made sense to me. We do it at half pace doing one side a day but we do phonics every day. That might be an option for you. But I will be interested to see what others say.

BTW-nice to meet you!

[inHistiming]

Have you looked at the placement chart? You will find it here: http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php This will give you a good idea of where your son will fit according to his abilities. Maybe once you've looked there, come back and tell us where he places, then we can help more.

I will be using LHTH with my just-turned 5-year-old for Kindergarten, along with Reading Made Easy for phonics instruction. We'll also add Math if he seems ready during the year, but we'll start with the number activities Carrie has in the manual.

We've done no formal schooling, so I decided to go back to Little Hands..., after we got Little Hearts... and tried it for a week. My ds just wasn't ready for the History readings and questions...but many are ready at his age. I was also looking ahead to the next couple of years, and kind of wanted my son to keep the same pace as his sister....Beyond...for 2nd, Bigger... for 3rd...and he would have been a year ahead if we'd done LHFHG. Being a very young 5, I just didn't want to push him. However, the manuals are meant to move right into the next one once you finish a year, so it should be possible. This is just how I envisioned our schooling. I'm sure you'll get some great advice here. Everyone is very helpful!

[skillet04]

no advice on the younger child but wanted to say my son is currently using Beyond and we're having a good time so far. We too are in MO -- KC area and my DH is a railroader.

nice to meet ya,

[gingel]

I was away from computer for a few hours and I'm amazed to see all of your posts! You are great!

I looked at the placement chart (I should have it memorzied by now, I've stared at it so much), and I'm still confused! I agree w/you, inHistiming, that I'm not sure if my ds is ready for the Little Pilgrim's history questions. I used that book last year w/my dd, so I'm familiar w/it. Fine motor is especially difficult for him...if we did LHFHG right now, we'd have to modify or skip the writing for now. He eats up anything math or science related. (He has been playing w/the concept of "0" this week - when he's "done" w/something, he says he's "zero!") If I do LHFHG now, we'll probably do it over the course of 2 years (a page a day.) We don't have to rush. I like that Little Hands would give him a great overview of the Bible in most of the subjects...anyway!

I guess I'm most concerned about the reading part. I want to teach him when he is ready, and he is showing signs that he is. We did a "letter a week" theme this past school year. If we did Little Hands, could we skip that part, or is it integrated w/the other subjects as well?

Skillet04, my sis lives in Liberty (2 1/2 hours away for the non-Missourians )...but w/gas prices, it feels like she were on the moon!

We haven't actually started Beyond yet, but I looked at the first week's lessons today and I think we'll give it a go in 2 weeks. I'd love to do some school now while it's hot so we can take off some beautiful fall days.

Thank you, new friends, for your input!

[Candice]

Hi Gingel, welcome!

Candice

[water2wine]

.if we did LHFHG right now, we'd have to modify or skip the writing for now. He eats up anything math or science related. (He has been playing w/the concept of "0" this week - when he's "done" w/something, he says he's "zero!") If I do LHFHG now, we'll probably do it over the course of 2 years (a page a day.) We don't have to rush.

That is pretty much we have done and if you want more read alouds the appendix in that program is awesome. It coould easily be stretched out over two years especially if you add from the appendix when they are ready for more. Another way is to start out half paced and then go full force when they are ready. This year we are part way through Bigger starting the year but it turned out to be a blessing. Now we can go 4 days a week and have one for Bible. So there is a lot of flexibility there.

It may be OK to do LHTH and just add phonics. I think it is a great question hopefully someone who has done it will chime in. I know Julie and Carrie are gone planing.

[holyhart]

Just wanted to say hi and welcome.

[gracelikerain]

I wanted to say hello & welcome.
I am new too & will be using LHTL with my 4ds & Preparing with my 7 & 10dd's.

Blessings,

[netpea]

Welcome to the boards. I'm not sure what I would suggest, but I might lean more to LHTH and add math and phonics if he's ready. It's easier to beef up a program than to water one down.

[gingel]

I'm one of those people who likes to know the conclusion to something, so here's my prayerful decision. After reading through the first week's lesson's plans (again!) AND thinking about your great ideas, I THINK my son can do Little Hearts at a slower pace. If we find it's too much for him, though, it's nice to know we can always do Little Hands.

I'm getting ready to start Beyond with my dd next week (I want to do some school while it's hot and boring so we can take some cool fall days off.) With the copy work, do you recommend using regular wide-ruled paper or traditional handwriting paper? Thanks again!

[my2guys]

Hi there! Welcome! My ds is finishing up LHTH this summer. I went searching older threads because I remembered posting on this topic a while back. Here's the one I was thinking of. Hope this helps!

http://www.heartofdakota.com/board/view ... sc&start=0

[gingel]

Ohhh...great thread...now I'm 2nd (or 9th or 10th) guessing my decision. I get the night off from my dc, so may be I'll go to the local coffee shop and pray and think!

[my2guys]

Ohhh...great thread...now I'm 2nd (or 9th or 10th) guessing my decision. I get the night off from my dc, so may be I'll go to the local coffee shop and pray and think!

Sorry! I read the first couple of posts and didn't finish reading all the way to the end. When I saw what the topic of your thread was I remembered the other one and ran off to find it. I didn't mean to mess you up. Just remember that every little one is different. You'll make the right decision for your family. I don't think you can really "go wrong" with any of the HOD programs.