Using a guide for 2 years?

[Sierra1410]

Hello all!

I'm curious as to how going half speed works. I'm currently going through LHFHG with a 6 and 4.5 year old for kindergarten. The 4.5 year old was in LHTH but is keeping up with her big brother and likes LHFHG. I decided to repeat LHFHG next year for first grade after reading all your advice about the work load being a lot bigger in the older guides. I had decided to repeat LHFHG but use the classic reading set from beyond and follow the math activities in beyond for first grade. Then when I did 2nd grade in beyond ordering both the girl and boy reading set and using both since I have a boy and girl working through the guides together. But since we started so late this year (only on week 17 in LHFHG) I'm wondering about going half speed and doing the second half for 1st grade. How does that work? Do you double up on math/fine motor skills in order to finish the kindergarten level in one year? And then just do the left side of the guide 4 days a week? Then when you start 1st grade finish the second half of the book for the left side and go back to the beginning for the right side? Sorry! Probably a simple answer. Just not coming together in my head! Also how does the science for 1st grade work? Do the projects coincide with the 1st grade science book? Thank you all for answering questions! It's a blessing! I appreciate you all and admire fellow homeschooling mamas!

Sierra

[StephanieU]

Normally when you go half speed for a long period of time, you try to do math and language arts daily and everything else 2-3 times a week. So you would complete a level of math in a year but a level of history and science in two years.
Some families do this by splitting the boxes up. On A days, you would do math, phonics, fine motor skills, and there of the remaining boxes in LHFHG. Then on B days you would do math, phonics, fine motor skills, and the remaining three boxes.
The other option is to take 2-3 days a week off from the majority of the guide. On those days, families normally run errands, have co-op, etc. So the school day at home is shorter to make those things outside the home manageable.

Does that make sense?

[Sierra1410]

It does! Thank you!

Looks like I posted twice. Sorry! I have no idea how I did that

[Sierra1410]

I'd also love any advice for 1st grade!:)

[rumkimom]

I have not used a guide for 2 years but I am using LHFHG for my 1st grader and pretty well doing everything in the guide (except some of the thinking games that are too 'young' for him as he is almost . We do our own math and phonics programs at this point but will switch over to the reading program that HOD does once my son figures out how to read (we have tried several phonics programs with little success, but all of a sudden he seems to be remembering some stuff, we just started doing Explode the code and the R&S 1st grade reading program...it takes a little more time but again, he is ready for the little heavier load of it). He loves the workbooks for 1st grade (Going on Eagerly and Just Thinking) so you will want to add those on for the next grade. Also I have my son do both handwriting and the workbook everyday instead of alternating them. I started off alternating them but he was read for more work so I switched it. We are currently on Unit 19 but plan to continue during the summer (to help keep him out of too much trouble-making....hahaha!) and it take only an hour or so for him to finish it up.