9 yo in LHFHG??? Anybody???

[ncmomof5]

Hey Ladies,

I know this sounds crazy as there is no extension for LHFHG, but I don't really know what to do with this guy. Last year I had him in Bigger because I thought that was where he placed, but it was a struggle. There were a lot of things (writing, notebooking, etc) that we skipped, because it took him too long to write things (and still does). I knew he wasn't ready for Preparing, and we've already done 1/2 of Beyond, and most of Bigger, so what to do? I was going to have him just kind of do his own thing, but that's not really working out either.

Sooo, his 6 yo brother is doing LHFHG and is on Unit 8. I know that this may sound like a big drop for a 9 yo, but he really is immature for his age. He is slow to catch on to things and just really struggles with academics in a lot of ways. I haven't had him tested or anything, but I wonder if there may be ADD or some other issue that makes it hard for him to make connections and retain info. Anyway, I just wondered if anyone else has done this and what your experience was. Also, if anyone has done this, what did you do to beef it up?

TIA,

[sw1ssm1ss]

One thought that immediately comes to mind is having him read the from the real Bible after you read to both of them from the storybook Bible. Another idea would be to have him look up (or look up with him) the science topics either in a children's encyclopedia, a regular encyclopedia, or the internet after you read about them in _The World God Made_. You could have him write a paragraph about the topic, if that's something he could do without pulling teeth.

[countrymom]

I would also suggest beefing up the science. You could also use library books for some days. It takes a little planning ahead, but once you get a system it isn't bad. I have been doing weekly library runs for 2 years now. You could have him notebook, we actually started doing that midway through Little Hearts. He can illustrate what he learned with combo drawing, writing. For example, you can write year = and then have him illustrate the earth circling around the sun. I have found there is tons you can do with notebooking. You could also do some of the extra readings suggested in the back with him, as he will need to become proficient at sitting and listening to chapter books as he advances.

[sw1ssm1ss]

That's true--I forgot about the books that are recommended in the Appendix. We didn't use those, because I didn't even notice them until the end of the year.

[ncmomof5]

Thanks for the suggestions and for not telling me I'm crazy for considering this. I really want to put him where he can focus mostly on the 3 R's and have the other stuff be minimal for right now. I am planning to do some extra science with him, and I will look up the supplemental books for history to see what our library has.

Thanks again for your input. We will see how this goes.

[psreit]

I don't have anything to add as far as beefing it up. I just wanted to say that I don't think you're crazy for doing LHFHG with a nine year old. My dd is 7 in LHFHG. It is a great fit for her, but I understand what you are saying about the three R's. We may not have a problem this year, but, with later guides, I may need to take it slower. There are certain things dd just has trouble processing, like certain math concepts. Even reading will take a while to become fluent. She needs the repetition to make certain things 'stick'. She has some attention issues as well. We are doing the guide full speed, but I am making sure I don't require too much handwriting and phonics at one sitting. I even started her in Earlybird K Math, even though she is 1st grade, because I knew there were concepts there that she still didn't master. So, take your time and enjoy LHFHG.

[ncmomof5]

Pam,

Thanks for the encouragement. The struggles your dd has sound a lot like my ds. He also has trouble retaining new material. He has to review and review and review before it will stick. We will do something one day in math and the next day he will look at me like he never heard of it before. And although he may be able to understand the mechanics of say, how to read, that doesn't mean he is comprehending, analyzing and processing the information on the same level that he is able to read it. Does that make sense? That's what has made it so hard to place him. He is able to do a lot of things that are on the placement guide for his age, grade and level, but he does them a lot slower and he is not necessarily retaining and really being engaged by the material.

I have done LHFHG with him and my other ds 6 for 2 days this week, and it has been really great. My ds 9 is listening, narrating and participating, and it is making it more enjoyable for my ds 6 to have someone to do the activities with,etc. I never would have thought to do this. It had to be God showing me what I could not see for myself.

Thanks again, everyone for being so encouraging and for giving me ideas how to make it better. I am on my way this morning to the library to get some books and cds that should enhance LHFHG for my 9 yo ds.

[psreit]

RuthAnn,
I'm glad LHFHG is working for your ds. I know it is working for my dd as well. It just may take some extra effort to ensure that she is really grasping what we are doing. She is very bright in a lot of ways, but she just takes a while to process certain information, particularly in math. She has a great comprehension when we are reading, but keeping her attention from wandering is sometimes a problem. Then I feel I have to reread something. Many have said they allow their children to color when reading, but I have found out that does not work too well with my dd. If she doesn't have pictures to look at, she does seem to need something to do. But when I tried giving her coloring or something, she becomes focused on that and misses what I read. Maybe I'll just try a squishy ball or something. I think she has held her baby doll already and that seems to work okay. I may just open a thread and find out what others use in a situation like this. I'm at a loss for trying to 'train' dd to keep her attention on something for a certain period of time. Hope next week goes well for you.