Combining Kids

[faiths13]

I did LHFHG last year with my 6 year old. He just turned 7 in Sept. My youngest turned 5 this month. I also have a 13 yr old. I need to be able to combine my two youngest, but I'm not sure if I can with HOD. I don't know how much my son got from LHFHG last year. He loved story time and did well with the memory verses and projects, but as far as the history and science I'm not sure how much he retained. So I'm wondering if I can just do it again, but I don't know if that is a good idea. I'm not sure how much my youngest would get out of it. Anyway, I'm just wondering if anyone combined their kids at this age and what they did. Thanks!!

[mrsrandolph]

OOOHHHH. This might be hard since your middle child has already done LHFHG. I doubt that your youngest would be ready for Bigger. I have my 7year old in Bigger and, though he is exceptionally bright, it is a lot for him.

So, no advice really.

You might consider doing 3 guides for a time and then merging the 2 youngest later. Just a thought.

[Nealewill]

If it were me, I would highly recommend checking the placement chart. I would also consider if your two kids are very similar in level. My kids are each 18 months apart. As you can see from by my signature, they are all in a different levels but that is because that is just my preference. However, if wanted to combine my kids, my younger 2 are VERY similar in abilities. They would actually be prime candidates IMHO to keep them together because their abilities are similar. I separated though because my son really thrives with the one on one attention and he would copy his little sister day and night if I kept them together (they did Beyond together last year and that was the trend). My oldest and middle child would never have been able to keep together because they are exponentially different in ability and I would have been slowing down the older to let the younger keep up with her. If your kids are similarly placed on the placement chart, I would consider keeping them together and yes, just repeat LHFHG if you want too. But if they are fairly different, you might be happier keeping them separate. I have found teaching multiple levels at a time to be a lot easier than I would have thought. And I find that because each of my kids are so different that we like having them do separate levels.

[MelInKansas]

The idea is to combine the kids in the guide the younger one places into well, what they would be able to accomplish and master throughout the year. Since you just did LHFHG I assume you can guess whether the 5YO would be ready to do everything in that guide. Or read the placement chart if you are not sure. If that younger one places solidly in LHFHG you can add challenge on for the older one if he needs it. Things like handwriting (copywork), math, reading at his level, etc. So LHFHG together with the two and then a few add-ons for the older one.

The thing to be cautious of when combining is that you're not dragging the younger one along. Again, you can always add on for the older one to make it more challenging, and do extra with that one, but you don't want the younger to be riding the coat tails and not really learning the stuff on their own. Because as you move up in the guides the younger will really get lost if they aren't able to master each guide. Each one goes up significantly in skills.

[HSMom03]

I think repeating LHFHG sounds like a great idea. I have two turning 5 and 7 next month and I keep thinking that LHFHG would have been a great pick for us this year (using something else right now though). It should be easy enough to adjust the 3Rs and beef up elsewhere, if needed. We also could have done LHTH & Beyond but LHFHG would have been great for us as far as combining AND placement.