How to get my kids into the same guide (or should I)?

[cmarie0126]

Hi all,
I am new to this board, but have been reading lots of posts for a while now. I am finally ready to jump in and start HOD this coming school year and am so excited. I have an 8 year old daughter that I am starting in Bigger. I am confident that this is the right guide for her so no worries there. My confusion starts when I think about the other 3 that I will be working with. My son is 5 and will be turning 6 in September. He knows almost all of the letters except for a few and can give me most of their sounds as well. He knows basics like colors and shapes, and he can count to about 15 or 20 without help. If I help a little he can keep going. He can add by couning objects, but doesn't know any math facts. I was planning on starting him with LHFHG and K options. Can anyone tell me if that seems right or should I do 1st grade options?

Then I have my 4 year old who will be 5 in March and only knows colors and some shapes as well as how to count to 10. She doesn't really know her letters, maybe a few. She is very bright, but I haven't been able to work with her as much as I would have liked to. Because of this, I was going to start her in LHTH. Or should I put her in LHFHG with K options if her brother does it with 1st grade options? They are only 18 months apart so I was hoping to be able to combine them at some point, but I don't know if that's beneficial or how I would even go about it. If my son does LHFHG with K options and she does LHTH then next year she would move up to LHFHG with K options and he would go to 1st. However, I would think I would need to have him repeat LHFHG with 1st grade options instead of moving him to Beyond in order to have them using the same guide. Then from there, they could both move to Beyond together with my daughter doing 1st and my son doing 2nd. On the other hand, I'm not sure about him repeating LHFHG again.

I've heard of people talking about going half speed and I thought I could do that with him until she catches up and jumps in, but then he would be half way through the book and she would be starting at the beginning. To me, that defeats the purpose of having them together, because they would still be in different places and being taught different things. I could also keep her combined with my 2 year old son because they are also 18 months apart (he will be 3 in Sept.). The thing is, again, I'm not sure how I would allow him to catch up to her without making her repeat a guide 2 years in a row.
Sorry this may be confusing...I'm confusing myself just trying to write it. Any advice that I can get would be a great help! Thanks so much for reading this.

[krismoose]

Hi and welcome! If you wanted to try the 4 and 5yo in the same guide, you could do LHTH with both of them, using the My ABC Bible Verses Devotional, adding a K level phonics program, math, handwriting, and workbooks for the 5yo. Then you can see how they (and you) enjoy the program together. It never hurts to take another trip through the Bible . The Bible activities are great for multiple children, and they usually have suggestions for older and younger children for those activities as well as the counting activities. You'd have to see if he was interested in the tactile letter activities - glue beans on an A, build a B with playdough, etc. My son did more elaborate projects at those times You could also go through the Bible stories with your son in the Ergermeier's Bible story book, or something similar, if you wanted to add more for him. So if this year works out, then they could start LHFHG together next year, with K and 1st gr. options. HTH

[Larissa]

I agree! In your situation, I really would want them to stay together. Not just because of their ages, but because they aren't all that far apart in skill level. Doing LHTH with both of them while doing the K options with your 5 almost 6 year old really is a great idea! I happen to love LHFHG as a 1st grade program and it works really well for K as well. So, doing LHTH would keep your son from having to repeat LHFHG and it will keep the two of them together.

You asked if he should be doing the K options or the 1st grade options - and skill wise - it sounds like you should take him through the K options.

For your son, just add a phonics program and the LHFHG plans for math. If I were you I would get the LHFHG guide to use for all the right side K options. (especially the math plans that go with the Singapore math) Then when you take the two of them through LHFHG as written the following year, you could buy the Beyond guide to use the Language Arts box, math plans, and possibly the Emerging Reader plans if he's ready for those. (This way you can beef up the LHFHG plans for him if you think he needs it) I have two children who are 22 months apart - I have tried so hard to figure out a way to combine them ... but skill wise they are my furthest two apart! I think you have a really great situation on your hands! I hope that you can figure out a way to combine them!

[cmarie0126]

Thank you both for your responses! I thought about having him start out in LHTH and add some K options so he can get his math and LA stuff in. I was a little concerned that it would be too easy for him, though. I like the idea of using the LHFHG right side to beef it up. Do you think it would be ok to use the right side with K options now and then when they both jump to LHFHG he can still use the right side but with 1st grade options so I don't have to constantly be juggling between 2 guides for him? Also, could I just have him do the K workbooks now with LHTH without having to use the LHFHG guide to work off of? The other thing is, should I use a science text for him or just leave science until 1st grade? Thanks again

[krismoose]

I like the idea of using the LHFHG right side to beef it up. Do you think it would be ok to use the right side with K options now and then when they both jump to LHFHG he can still use the right side but with 1st grade options so I don't have to constantly be juggling between 2 guides for him?

Yes, that's what I was thinking.

Also, could I just have him do the K workbooks now with LHTH without having to use the LHFHG guide to work off of?

Yes, in LHFHG it schedules 1 page of the R&S workbook alternating with 1 or 2 pages of ARFH A or K, to use both workbooks and 1 handwriting book over the course of the year. You can adjust that, of course, as needed for your ds. Mine was not ready for handwriting at first, so we did R&S only for awhile, and then I started adding in handwriting later in the year.

The other thing is, should I use a science text for him or just leave science until 1st grade?

You could just read through the K text with him on your own this year, and then use the 1st grade text with them both the following year with the LHFHG plans. Or just wait. It depends on how science-oriented your family is. If using a library is an option, you could check out a kids' experiment book and do an experiment a week (we like Janice Vancleave's Play and Find Out series), or check out those Let's-Read-And-Find-Out series science books, or really any topic of current interest We're science geeks here, so we always have a variety of books coming in and out of the house IMO, I'd wait on using one of the texts and just be less formal about science. HTH

[raceNzanesmom]

Thank you both for your responses! I thought about having him start out in LHTH and add some K options so he can get his math and LA stuff in. I was a little concerned that it would be too easy for him, though. I like the idea of using the LHFHG right side to beef it up. Do you think it would be ok to use the right side with K options now and then when they both jump to LHFHG he can still use the right side but with 1st grade options so I don't have to constantly be juggling between 2 guides for him? Also, could I just have him do the K workbooks now with LHTH without having to use the LHFHG guide to work off of? The other thing is, should I use a science text for him or just leave science until 1st grade? Thanks again

I would do LHTH using K options from the right side of LHFHG, minus the Burgess storybooks. You would really need the guide for reading (do a lesson from the program you choose, Carrie's recommendations or your own), handwriting T/Th, R&S page M/W/F. However, without the guide you miss out on the math activities. It sounds like he would really benefit from them (plus they're just good!), but you'd have to have the guide.

If you can possibily afford it, I'd get LHTH with age 4/5 options, and the LHFHG guide, a K math, phonics and handwriting program and the R&S books for your older. If you absolutely can't get the LHFHG guide, make certain you do some daily activities with him as part of his math (counting, grouping, sorting, etc), and still get the R&S books and have him do a page M/W/F.

That's what I would do anyway.

Welcome to HOD!

[Larissa]

Yes, you can do the LHFHG with 1st grade options for the following year - without getting the Beyond guide - to minimize the use of 2 guides. The only reason I suggested getting Beyond is for the Math activity plans that Carrie has in that guide that go with Singapore 1A and 1B, and the Emerging Reader plans with the questions. There is really no way to know if your son is going to be ready for the emerging readers ... but if he is ... those readers are fantastic when you use the questions that Carrie provides to go with them. It is really not a big deal to use 2 guides. I actually have to do that with my middle son. I use 1 guide for the core, and I use the next guide up as a way to beef it up a little for him. By the time he gets to Preparing Hearts, I won't have to do that anymore, though.

I also agree that you should use right side LHFGH without the storytime Burgess books. I would save those for when you go through LHFHG as written (w/ K options for your younger and 1st options for your older one)

If you want to do storytime to get them used to the concept you could use shorter books like, "The Story of Ping", "Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel", etc.

The Science - there are 2 options for Science in the LHFHG. If it were me, I would take them through the 1st grade Science this year, and use the K Science when you go through LHFHG as written. The reason I say that is because K Science option keeps with the weekly theme for LHFHG better than the 1st grade option and has the fun hands on activities that Carrie has provided in the plans. If you want to have them do Science, you can use the 1st grade book this year at your leisure. Another option would be to skip it entirely this year and pick it up next year. Or you can do what was suggested above and get fun science books at the library and do your own thing.

[cmarie0126]

Thanks again everyone, this has really helped ease my mind. I will continue to pray about exactly how to implement this, but you have all given me great, practical ideas that I think will work really well for us.
So what do you guys think about my 2 (almost 3 ) year old. I was planning on having him in LHTH as well. It seems a little strange to me that I will have him in the same guide as my almost 6 year old. I guess I can just have him join in loosely with us and start to learn his letter and stuff. I would then have him go through it again the following year for preschool. Then I guess he would move up to LHFHG for Kindergarten. I just like to hear other people's opinions and advice, because it helps me work it out in my brain. Thanks!!!

[my3sons]

You've already received great advice here! I agree that I'd do LHTH with your 4 and 5 yo, but add in the K right side of LHFHG without the Storytime. Your dc are not far apart in age, and not all that far apart skillwise, so it makes good sense to keep them together. I second the advice to get the LHFHG 4/5 package for both of them to enjoy. I also think doing Biblical history first is an excellent foundation for learning history, for both dc. For your ds, I would do the fine motor skills box from LHFHG, using "Do It Carefully" and "Finding the Answers", and doing "A Reason for Handwriting K" or "Italic A". I would also do the Earlybird Singapore math with him, using the hands-on activities in the LHFHG guide and the EB Workbooks. The first EB book will seem easier, but the second one will get into new concepts (i.e. time, money, measurement, etc.). For phonics, HOD's recommendations are "The Reading Lesson" or "Reading Made Easy". Both are excellent phonics programs, but any phonics program will work with HOD if you prefer another. Here are some links you can read about HOD's phonics choices...

Carrie compares The Reading Lesson and Reading Made Easy
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2503

The Reading Lesson:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5541

I actually think it would be wonderful to be able to keep your 2 dc together and to have a year to really focus on teaching your older ds phonics well. Phonics is a big deal, and being able to really focus on that, while still having a balanced day in the rest of the school subjects, would be nice. Then next year, your ds and dd can do LHFHG together, but your ds would do "Grade 1 Thinking Skills", "A Reason for Handwriting A" or "Italic B", either 1 more year of phonics or the Emerging Reader's Set, and 1A/1B Math. This would be easy to do.

For your 2 yo, I'd not worry much about that little pumpkin yet. Sometimes trying to include the 2 yo can make LHTH not be as focused on the olders, and they need it now. Especially since you'll be using the upper level devotional and Bible, I think I'd just in my mind focus on your 5 and 6 yo this year, and then a year or two down the road, combine your 2 yo (who would then be 3 or 4 yo) with younger sibling in LHTH, either half-speed or full-speed. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

In Christ,
Julie

[cmarie0126]

Thank you, Julie, for your good advice! With everyone giving me the same ideas, I think this is exactly what I am going to do.

My 2 year old will be 3 in September, so I'd like to introduce him to letters and give him some more structure, as he is always getting into trouble out of boredom Maybe just giving him some color time and story time with mommy while also allowing him to be a part of when my other dc learn their letters would be just enough for him. I do have a baby who is 22 months younger than him, so maybe down the road, they could be paired together as well.

Thanks again and I can't wait to get started!