Question about using LHTH with a 3 year old.

[amselby81]

Sorry. I posted this on the LHTH message board about a week ago, and I guess it's not very active, because I haven't gotten a response. And I admit that I'm a little impatient.

My youngest daughter will turn 3 this month and I am thinking about what to do with her this year. I was planning to just let her play, but I wonder if I should actually do lessons with her? I did not do lessons with my oldest when she was that age, but she didn't have an older sibling either. Little Hands looks wonderful! But I wonder whether we should hold off for a year, or start it this year at a slower pace, that will take up most of 2 years. I plan to go at the pace she needs to go, but if we are able to finish before she's ready for Little Hearts, should I repeat with the age appropriate add one? Little kids like to repeat things, right? LOL!

Thank you!

[farmfamily]

I'd say go for it!

Both my girls did LHTH starting shortly after their third birthdays. They both adored doing it and got a lot out of it. We have had so much fun with that program at our house! I am kind of sad that it's over now. My son also enjoyed it, though he did not start until he was 3 and a half. He finished LHTH at age 4 and a half and he was ready to go into LHFHG half speed - 4 days a week, which has worked wonderfully for him. For my girls, when they were 4 they just had language arts and math & workbooks and Bible readings and didn't have a guide. On the whole that wasn't such a good solution: I think either going slowly or repeating LHTH would work wonderfully. I originally planned to repeat LHTH with my son, but in the end I felt he was ready for LHFHG half speed.

HTH

[MomtoJGJE]

You can do LHTH with the option for younger kids through one time, then again with the options for older kids.

Or you could do it slowly, like 3 days a week or so...

Either way it's really a fun thing to do with a 3 year old!

[MelInKansas]

I agree with the others. I think 3 is a great age, maybe the perfect age, to do LHTH. Last year my 3YO didn't know her letters and letter sounds, and we only got through G in LHTH but through the course of this year she has learned many of them. We are continuing LHTH and she is almost 4, so it will be most of her 4 year also. But if you get them at 3 you hit them right when they are learning the letters and it will be reinforced with all kinds of hands-on activities, the Rhymes which connect the Bible stories to the letter sounds, and also LHTH is so fun for learning Bible. I did it with my older 2 when they were 4 1/2 and 2 1/2 and the 4 1/2 year old really learned the Bible so well that year (she already knew letters, numbers, and colors by that time). My 2nd born didn't do anything from 3 1/2 to 5 1/2, at least nothing formal, we did phonics and handwriting workbooks and things, but because I was already doing crafts, science, history with my oldest the 2nd just sat in on the lessons with her. So my 2nd had a full guide experience even in the in-between years. Doing it twice with different options would be a great way to span the gap until your LO might be ready for LHFHG (or K anyway). Or doing it slowly so it lasts 2 years or so. Either is a great option.

[StephanieU]

I havne't used it, but I am planning on doing it with my 3.5yo son as well as with my 2yo daughter. We will probably go through it twice, adding in our own phonics and math for my son the second time through. Since those two are only 20 months apart, I am going to only use one guide for them (most likely).

[Dustybug]

I did LHTH with both of my oldest two starting right after their 3rd birthdays. It was perfect for that age and I plan on using it with my 2yo when she turns 3 later this summer. My oldest DD went through it 2x, the first at age 3 using the younger options and the second time at age 4 using the older options and adding in phonics.

[MomtoJGJE]

Coming back to this...

One thing I've noticed with my two that I've really done LHTH with (as written)...

At 3, they really pick up on letter sounds, colors, counting, and the fingerplay.

At 4, they really pick up on the stories, the activities that go along with the stories, writing the letters, and the fingerplay.

At 3, the fingerplay seems to make them work on motor skills more, while at 4 the very same one seems to make them think about the stories and connect them.

It's really neat to do it slowly over both ages and see them progress!

[RestInHim]

Welcome!

Three is a great age for LHTH! Not only are they ready to learn, they want to learn! And they have a lot of fun doing it in LHTH.

My son is almost 4, and we've been doing LHTH for 4 months. He loves it. I anticipate the program taking us until he's five or nearly five to finish because...well, try as we might, we just can't seem to get more than 3-4 school days done per week And that suits us fine.

As he's gotten older, I've been adding in simple things like handwriting, beginning phonics, some Rod & Staff workbooks. Why? Because he's asked for them. He wanted to do 'writing school' like his sister. Well, except for phonics. We added that on Julie's recommendation as he was just about to teach himself to read anyway. We're still in Lesson One of The Reading Lesson and he's already starting to blend and read CVC words.

I guess that was a really long way of saying: start when you're ready, have fun with her, and move forward as you need to! Little Hands is such a great program. It can be as much or as little as you need it to be. HTH!