How does HOD intend for children to be combined? Should my focus be in combining be the skills side of the guides or the reading comprehension and L side of the guides???
I currently have my ds 5 and dd 6.5 in Little Hearts, with my youngest using both sides of the guide and for my older using beyonds r side skills. Its been fun this past month and we enjoy HOD (except for its storytime)!
BUT.... I've also been trying out beyonds L side of the guide (concerned with placement), and my ds 5 prefers and comprehends the storytime biography helen keller a million times better than the reddy fox books in the Little hearts program??? He also has good comprehension in little house in the big woods and other non picture books. So now Im wondering if I could move them both up to the beyond guide and then my dd 6.5 could use both sides of beyond and my ds would be using the skill side of LHFHG?? Or should I just substitute the storytime part of beyond with the little hearts storytime for this year and next year do beyond with another set of read alouds for storytime???
any advice in any dirrection??
5 & 6.5yr in Beyond????
5 & 6.5yr in Beyond????
dd 2.5
ds 5 LHFHG
dd 6.5 LHFHG/ BLHFHG
dd 12
ds 5 LHFHG
dd 6.5 LHFHG/ BLHFHG
dd 12
Re: 5 & 6.5yr in Beyond????
With a 5 and 6.5 year old I would combine in LHFHG and maybe add in the extra readings from the back of the book (if I'm thinking correctly... if not I would just add in extra reading that corresponded with what we were reading) The Reddy Fox stuff is more for teaching them the basics of narration. It's great to comprehend the story, but it's important that they learn HOW to narrate. We didn't do LHFHG with my oldest and she has trouble narrating, but my second is finishing up LHFHG and can narrate well because she's learned how to.
But if I were just now starting my DD2 in school, (and hadn't started her in LHFHG in January) I would definitely do LHFHG with her and my almost 5yo as written and just add in for my older if necessary. I'd do the K options with my 5yo and 1st options with my 6.5yo.
I would not put a 5 year old in Beyond in any way. By the time they would be 6 they'd be in Bigger and that's a TON of writing even if you do Beyond right side with Bigger left side for that one. Not that all children are like my children, but we started DD1 in Bigger after she completed Beyond in January of this year. We finally worked up to the amount of writing and thinking necessary a couple of months ago. And she's 8.5. And she's WAY ahead of her PS friends. Bigger is a huge academically challenging program. When she tested in May, she was ending her 2nd grade year, was about halfway through Bigger, maybe not quite halfway, and she tested at end of 4th grade level on everything. I think BIgger is a GREAT 3rd grade program.
But if I were just now starting my DD2 in school, (and hadn't started her in LHFHG in January) I would definitely do LHFHG with her and my almost 5yo as written and just add in for my older if necessary. I'd do the K options with my 5yo and 1st options with my 6.5yo.
I would not put a 5 year old in Beyond in any way. By the time they would be 6 they'd be in Bigger and that's a TON of writing even if you do Beyond right side with Bigger left side for that one. Not that all children are like my children, but we started DD1 in Bigger after she completed Beyond in January of this year. We finally worked up to the amount of writing and thinking necessary a couple of months ago. And she's 8.5. And she's WAY ahead of her PS friends. Bigger is a huge academically challenging program. When she tested in May, she was ending her 2nd grade year, was about halfway through Bigger, maybe not quite halfway, and she tested at end of 4th grade level on everything. I think BIgger is a GREAT 3rd grade program.
Re: 5 & 6.5yr in Beyond????
thanks for the information! We do already add books from the back and others regarding the time period from LHFHG for both my children. It's good to know the purpose to the storytime is to learn to narrate in this level.... I'll think on that and where my younger really is to that regard. Maybe Im just concerned Im holding my older dd back since she should place in beyond and has for a long time. But I really really wanted to combine them! And since they are only 1 1/2 years apart I thought it should work if I just understood HOW it is intended with HOD??
dd 2.5
ds 5 LHFHG
dd 6.5 LHFHG/ BLHFHG
dd 12
ds 5 LHFHG
dd 6.5 LHFHG/ BLHFHG
dd 12
Re: 5 & 6.5yr in Beyond????
I agree with Lora Beth that I would keep both of your dc in LHFHG and continue on with the Burgess books in storytime. It can take some time to get used the the style of the Burgess books, but most people find after the second book or so, their dc are really liking the characters and stories. After a while you really begin to feel like you know the characters. 
The questions that go along with the storytime readings in LHFHG are so great in helping the dc learn how to listen intently to the story and be able to retell it. It is the first step in narration. It's a valuable skill that will be beneficial to both of your dc. Don't feel badly at all about having your older dd do LHFHG. She is gaining valuable skills. Here is link to Carrie's posts on commonly asked questions: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=9344 If you scroll through that and read the links she provides, you can get a better understanding of the how and whys of combining with HOD.
The questions that go along with the storytime readings in LHFHG are so great in helping the dc learn how to listen intently to the story and be able to retell it. It is the first step in narration. It's a valuable skill that will be beneficial to both of your dc. Don't feel badly at all about having your older dd do LHFHG. She is gaining valuable skills. Here is link to Carrie's posts on commonly asked questions: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=9344 If you scroll through that and read the links she provides, you can get a better understanding of the how and whys of combining with HOD. Patty in NC
b/g twins '02 Rev2Rev 2014/15
previously enjoyed LHFHG, BLHFHG, Bigger, Preparing, CTC, RTR
******
Nisi Dominus Frusta (Without God, frustration)
Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Psalm 127:1
b/g twins '02 Rev2Rev 2014/15
previously enjoyed LHFHG, BLHFHG, Bigger, Preparing, CTC, RTR
******
Nisi Dominus Frusta (Without God, frustration)
Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Psalm 127:1
Re: 5 & 6.5yr in Beyond????
big sky,
The ladies are doing a wonderful job of talking through your questions with you! This board is full of amazing moms who love to help one another! What a blessing that is.
I agree with their wise advice that with HOD we intend for families who are combining their kiddos to combine them for the left side of the guide and the storytime box from the right side of the guide. This is often best accomplished by combining those areas within the placement of the younger child in the combining scenario. This is because it is always easier to beef up a program than it is to water one down.
As far as the 3R's go, we want every child placed at exactly his/her level in those areas. So, it sounds like you are doing the right thing by adding the 3R's from Beyond (if your older child is ready for those at that level).
Combining when a younger child is still learning to read and write can be a challenge, but if you're willing to work through those younger years, with kiddos close in age you can usually combine happily for the longer haul. Plus, by combining with an eye toward the younger child, you always have a back-up plan in place to bump the older child forward if this is ever needed. It is much easier to bump an older child forward than it is to back up a younger child (as you often then end up with the child repeating material that he/she has already heard when listening in with the older child).
I would just keep on going as you have been. I would encourage you to keep going with Thornton Burgess as there are so many skills within that Storytime box that both of your kiddos will need as you head into full-speed Beyond next year. If you desire to read aloud other chapter books in the evening for pleasure, by all means do so! But, keep the skill-based reading too. This previous post (pasted below) will explain more fully what I mean.
As far as your thoughts on literature goes, I'll share a bit more on our philosophy in this area, which will help you understand why we have set up LHFHG Storytime as we have!
We are most definitely a literature/living books company, as Drawn into the Heart of Reading was the first guide that I wrote. However, there is a difference between reading purely for pleasure and reading for a purpose. At HOD, we tend toward purposeful reading, because that is the type of reading that requires skill and discernment, even though we still want kiddos to take joy in their books too. On the other hand, reading for pleasure is easily accomplished, and requires less thought and less focused concentration.
Each of our guides is very purposeful in gradually moving children toward the skills required for purposeful reading and for the more important goal of reading with moral discernment. In LHFHG the purpose for the Storytime box of plans is to move children toward listening to longer chapter-book style readings, with fewer pictures, and a more a difficult vocabulary.
We strive to move children away from picture book style reading, and nudge them gently forward toward listening to a longer continuous story, allowing them to live with characters for a longer period of time. This helps students get to know the characters and settings better, and allows students to make predictions about how the character will respond based on the knowledge the children are gaining about the character(s) as the children progress further and deeper into the world of the character. This type of learning is encouraged through our very specific follow-up activities that range from comprehension, to vocabulary, to cloze passages, to questions about moral discernment, to oral narration practice, etc. each and every week.
As you can see from the description above, we are planning for the important skill-building reading. (Although often the skill-building reading is filled with pleasure too! ) While we could put together a list of extra books to simply read for pleasure on your own, we find it more important to teach the area of reading the way CM advocated, with fewer books of a higher quality read more slowly over time. This is an area where we differ from many other companies. We agree with CM in this area, which is the focus you will see our guides take too.
If you desire more literature to read for pleasure, there is no shortage of sources that recommend such literature. At HOD, we are very selective about the books we recommend and carry, and each book is purposeful in the part it plays within our guide.
Blessings,
Carrie
The ladies are doing a wonderful job of talking through your questions with you! This board is full of amazing moms who love to help one another! What a blessing that is.
I agree with their wise advice that with HOD we intend for families who are combining their kiddos to combine them for the left side of the guide and the storytime box from the right side of the guide. This is often best accomplished by combining those areas within the placement of the younger child in the combining scenario. This is because it is always easier to beef up a program than it is to water one down.
As far as the 3R's go, we want every child placed at exactly his/her level in those areas. So, it sounds like you are doing the right thing by adding the 3R's from Beyond (if your older child is ready for those at that level).
Combining when a younger child is still learning to read and write can be a challenge, but if you're willing to work through those younger years, with kiddos close in age you can usually combine happily for the longer haul.
Plus, by combining with an eye toward the younger child, you always have a back-up plan in place to bump the older child forward if this is ever needed. It is much easier to bump an older child forward than it is to back up a younger child (as you often then end up with the child repeating material that he/she has already heard when listening in with the older child). I would just keep on going as you have been. I would encourage you to keep going with Thornton Burgess as there are so many skills within that Storytime box that both of your kiddos will need as you head into full-speed Beyond next year.
If you desire to read aloud other chapter books in the evening for pleasure, by all means do so! But, keep the skill-based reading too. This previous post (pasted below) will explain more fully what I mean. As far as your thoughts on literature goes, I'll share a bit more on our philosophy in this area, which will help you understand why we have set up LHFHG Storytime as we have!
We are most definitely a literature/living books company, as Drawn into the Heart of Reading was the first guide that I wrote. However, there is a difference between reading purely for pleasure and reading for a purpose. At HOD, we tend toward purposeful reading, because that is the type of reading that requires skill and discernment, even though we still want kiddos to take joy in their books too. On the other hand, reading for pleasure is easily accomplished, and requires less thought and less focused concentration.
Each of our guides is very purposeful in gradually moving children toward the skills required for purposeful reading and for the more important goal of reading with moral discernment. In LHFHG the purpose for the Storytime box of plans is to move children toward listening to longer chapter-book style readings, with fewer pictures, and a more a difficult vocabulary.
We strive to move children away from picture book style reading, and nudge them gently forward toward listening to a longer continuous story, allowing them to live with characters for a longer period of time. This helps students get to know the characters and settings better, and allows students to make predictions about how the character will respond based on the knowledge the children are gaining about the character(s) as the children progress further and deeper into the world of the character. This type of learning is encouraged through our very specific follow-up activities that range from comprehension, to vocabulary, to cloze passages, to questions about moral discernment, to oral narration practice, etc. each and every week.
As you can see from the description above, we are planning for the important skill-building reading. (Although often the skill-building reading is filled with pleasure too! ) While we could put together a list of extra books to simply read for pleasure on your own, we find it more important to teach the area of reading the way CM advocated, with fewer books of a higher quality read more slowly over time. This is an area where we differ from many other companies. We agree with CM in this area, which is the focus you will see our guides take too.
If you desire more literature to read for pleasure, there is no shortage of sources that recommend such literature. At HOD, we are very selective about the books we recommend and carry, and each book is purposeful in the part it plays within our guide.
Blessings,
Carrie