new and looking for some advice

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mommadonna
Posts: 94
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2010 11:40 am
Location: TN

new and looking for some advice

Post by mommadonna » Tue Jun 15, 2010 1:38 pm

hello everyone..let me start by saying thank you for this opportunity..i appreciate all the advice you can give. I don't know how much help I will be for anyone else, but i will sure try.

ok, so here goes, I apologize in advance for being lengthy...I just recently discovered hod and I am so impressed, excited, and anxious. My son and I started our 1st yr of hsing last fall with a K4 dvd program, very, what i call it now, kill and drill. We got about 8 weeks in and quit. It about ruined both of us and made us both doubt our ability to homeschool. I knew there had to be something somewhere we could manage. I have always liked Christian Liberty Press, but I needed more..I think this is going to be perfect fit for us. So, now I need to decide where to start this fall. After our "false start" last fall, we just stopped pushing and took a long break. Life happened to our family...we had to sell our house and move. So I thought that was enough for a little guy to take on for the time being.

So now I have an eager to learn 3yo girl and a five, almost 6 not so eager boy (and, of course, a wild little 1yo boy). He really was turned off by the trial run last year. I am just wondering where to start with hod?? My 5yo knows most letters, only trouble with 3-4, and alot of their sounds. He is super wiggly and quite a rowdy little guy, but so quick to learn once he is engaged. I am not super hung on starting the 3yo with anything yet, but i think this could be my opportunity to get them going together with lhth, but is this enough for my boy who would be almost 6 when we start? Could i do lhth with them both and just add phonics, etc. for him? Its a tough call for me because I tend to feel like he is already behind due to his late bday (9/30). All his friends started k last fall and are ready for 1st, but i just want him to stay little as long as possible. He is reluctant to get started, but i pray that once we get going and he begins to see the difference and the gentleness of this program, he will be happy to learn. I would feel better to start with lhthg and just add some preschool stuff for my little one, which i already own. On the other hand, after reading through the first 5 days of lhth, I hate for him to miss out on all of that fun stuff, but I would definitely rather have him advance academically, so....thanks for chiming in and God Bless!!
Donna
ds7 Beyond
dd4 listening in, consuming workbooks, TRL and some of LHFHG
ds2 making us all laugh and eating erasers

MomtoJGJE
Posts: 1534
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 7:20 pm
Location: Gastonia, NC

Re: new and looking for some advice

Post by MomtoJGJE » Tue Jun 15, 2010 2:18 pm

If he was in public school would he be in K or 1st? I'm thinking K?? My DD2 would be in K this next year and I have her combined with my 3 year old in LHTH. I'm doing it as is with my 3yo plus a couple of little workbooks from the dollar store to help with her fine motor skills (she actually wrote her name today!!!) and with my 5yo (will be 6 in January) I'm doing it as written PLUS the right side of LHFHG... so K level math, handwriting/fine motor skills and phonics. I'm not doing storytime yet. So far it's working great... I don't do it every day with them, I get about 3 days of LHTH done each week and a few pages of the workbooks done each week...

After we get through with LHTH and get through with the right side of LHFHG (the only exception might be phonics, I'm not rushing that at all, mostly because I forget about it) I'm going to give it about a month and start them up with LHFHG doing the left hand side one day and the right hand side the next.... by that point, DD3 will be 4, closer to 4.5 and very able to do the K-level options and DD2 will be doing the first grade options...

All of this is a long long way of saying that I think LHFHG is a GREAT 1st grade curriculum, especially for fidgety children who need to be coaxed into doing it.

4littleones
Posts: 35
Joined: Thu Jun 10, 2010 8:53 pm

Re: new and looking for some advice

Post by 4littleones » Tue Jun 15, 2010 2:25 pm

Hi and welcome!


I am new to HOD so do take my advice with a pinch of salt! I am sure other, more experienced moms will chime in with words of wisdom...

Here's a sly plan: What if you get LHTH because it is easy and great fun with the 3yo tagging along? If he is "burned" with academics, you can leave phonics etc out of it, and just enjoy LHTH in a quick pace. If he asks/is ready for more work, you can add phonics etc.

During LHTH, you can evaluate the situation:

Outcome a) He has really enjoyed working with you with LHTH but it seems babyish/he is interested in reading/eager to do more - Then you start Little Hearts.

Outcome b) He is happy with LHTH and doesn't show any interest for other things... Well and good. Keep it like that for a little longer....

And don't forget, that all the other little people that go off to grade 1 do have their own struggles that nobody talks about, so dont' assume that because they are in Grade 1, they are actually learning anything... Do you know what I mean??
On the other hand, you are sensitive enough to tune to his needs and give him the time he/you/your family needs!

Oh, and something else: Children can catch up in academics even later. The early years however, is the time to concentrate on character issues. I'd rather teach and build up a godly character with them without the interference of academics rather the other way around. You might want to read the book "Better Late than Early" by Raymond and Dorothy Moore.

HTH...

mommadonna
Posts: 94
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2010 11:40 am
Location: TN

Re: new and looking for some advice

Post by mommadonna » Tue Jun 15, 2010 2:44 pm

thanks ladies...i also have this thought process....why not let the 3yo be little and not put the extra pressure on myself to "do school" with her and perhaps do lhfhg with my boy, slowly adding in the phonics and such as he is ready....or is lhfhg better for 1st? i know alot of folks on the board use it successfully for either. I would love to hear some opinions about what would be best.

I also expect that my dd, who is so eager to "do school" and learn, may bridge the gap between herself and my ds. That would make future combining so much easier, but I certainly do not want to pressure her into anymore than she is ready for.
Donna
ds7 Beyond
dd4 listening in, consuming workbooks, TRL and some of LHFHG
ds2 making us all laugh and eating erasers

MomtoJGJE
Posts: 1534
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 7:20 pm
Location: Gastonia, NC

Re: new and looking for some advice

Post by MomtoJGJE » Tue Jun 15, 2010 2:48 pm

The reason I gave my suggestions for combining was because you said your little one was eager to learn and your oldest was less than eager :) I think it would be great to just let her be little, let her join in with what she wants to, and to do LHFHG with your oldest! Then you could start her with LHTH when your oldest is moving into Beyond. :) I think whatever you choose will be a great option! and even with what you choose, if you realize it isn't working you can always change :) That's the beauty of homeschooling... you do what works for your family!

mommadonna
Posts: 94
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2010 11:40 am
Location: TN

Re: new and looking for some advice

Post by mommadonna » Tue Jun 15, 2010 2:49 pm

Also, if he was in ps, because his bday is on the cutoff date to start k...it was our choice to start either when he was 4 about to be 5 or 5 about to be 6. We chose to keep him home. We seem to have been pondering this for the past 3 years.......truth is, if he had literally been born 5 minutes later we would not have had to choose..lol!! :lol:
Donna
ds7 Beyond
dd4 listening in, consuming workbooks, TRL and some of LHFHG
ds2 making us all laugh and eating erasers

mommadonna
Posts: 94
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2010 11:40 am
Location: TN

Re: new and looking for some advice

Post by mommadonna » Tue Jun 15, 2010 2:55 pm

thank you ladies so much already....it is so nice to hear from some moms with real experience with hs and hod...thank you for your patience with me as i am so GREEN.... :mrgreen:
Donna
ds7 Beyond
dd4 listening in, consuming workbooks, TRL and some of LHFHG
ds2 making us all laugh and eating erasers

daybreaking
Posts: 312
Joined: Thu May 20, 2010 12:21 pm

Re: new and looking for some advice

Post by daybreaking » Tue Jun 15, 2010 10:45 pm

I have a ds who has an August birthday. We started K just when he turned five, with him doing Saxon Math, grade 1, thinking that was the best for him, since he is very bright. Academically, he did great, but emotionally, he was still a very young 5. After considerable prayer and discussion, my husband and I decided to keep him back the next year, so we did a K/1 year and waited until the following year to call him a 1st grader. In the beginning, I had many doubts, but now as he is finishing 1st grade, I am so, so very happy we chose not to push him. It has been so wonderful to see the benefits of giving him an extra year to mature, instead of rushing him. I also am savoring the extra time with him, letting him be a little boy a bit longer. :) I understand the pressure when other children are starting 1st grade, as we've had the same scenario here; however, just because the children are starting earlier doesn't mean they're ready. My neighbor's boy is younger than ours, but still started early and she has mentioned several times how the teacher has called her because her son is not sitting still in class, is not focusing, etc.

I'm not sure which to recommend - LHTH or LHFHG - as I'm relatively new to HOD, but I would think part of the decision would depend on how far along he is with learning the sounds the letters make. If he is still struggling with them, I'd be hesitant to move ahead with LHFHG. Also, have you taken a look at the placement chart? That should give you a good feel for which program would be the best for him. If you choose to keep your son a K'er this year, there's no rush to jump into LHFHG. You also want to consider where he'll be down the road. From what I've read on here, there's a big jump from Beyond to Bigger and from Bigger to Preparing. That was part of the decision for us to do Beyond in 2nd grade.

Whether or not your son does LHTH, I think you'll enjoy it with your dd. We are using it 1/2 speed with our 3 year old and she loves it. It doesn't at all have the feel of pushing her academically and yet she's learning. (Just tonight I heard my dh reading to her and she pointed out an A to him, telling him what it was. When he expressed enthusiasm over her knowing the letter, she immediately said, "A-A-Adam," which she learned from LHTH months ago!) A bonus for us is that even though our ds will be 8 in August, he still gets the biggest kick out of "helping" his sister do the various activities in the program. I even had to re-do my schedule so that he was "available' to help when I do LHTH with his sister. :D

Wife to one amazing husband and mother to two precious blessings from above:
ds21 & dd16

deltagal
Posts: 930
Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2008 8:29 pm
Location: Virginia

Re: new and looking for some advice

Post by deltagal » Wed Jun 16, 2010 4:39 am

Hi there,

Why not use LHFHG half speed with K options - one side one day the other side the next day - to move your son into a gentle school groove that is on track for his age? You can put together a box/basket of activities for your 3 yo and she can listen in and "play" while you work with your 5 yo. When your 5 yo settles into the rhythm you can pick up speed - if he's ready.
With Joy!
Florence

My blog: http://florencebrooks.com/

Began HOD 1/2009
Currently using: Bigger, RTR, Rev to Rev and MTMM

mommadonna
Posts: 94
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2010 11:40 am
Location: TN

Re: new and looking for some advice

Post by mommadonna » Wed Jun 16, 2010 10:18 am

Thank you all for your advice....as you know with the oldest, he/she is always the guinea pig, so we will see how it goes. I think that we will go ahead with lhfhg for this fall and see how it goes, we may do 1/2 speed for a while until we get settled into a good groove. As far as my dd goes, I think I will wait until she is 4 to do lhth, then my little guy will be 2 and maybe he will get more out of it also.

I have already purchased the lhfhg guide and have been reading through it this morning and I think that it is appropriate for him. There are alot of activities in there that my 3yo will be able to participate in too, so she will feel like she is doing something with us too. I need to take a closer look at RME to see how that might go. Phonics makes me really nervous, as I have never taught anyone to read before, so I feel like once we get over that hump, I will be alot less aprehensive about all of this. So, any suggestions there would be great also!!

Thanks again!!
Donna
ds7 Beyond
dd4 listening in, consuming workbooks, TRL and some of LHFHG
ds2 making us all laugh and eating erasers

deltagal
Posts: 930
Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2008 8:29 pm
Location: Virginia

Re: new and looking for some advice

Post by deltagal » Wed Jun 16, 2010 11:02 am

Hi! We're using The Reading Lesson - Love it! The most important thing I've learned with phonics is to practice daily AND to keep it in small manageable chunks. I think it is the hardest at the beginning, but just stick with it. A light bulb will go off when you least expect it!
With Joy!
Florence

My blog: http://florencebrooks.com/

Began HOD 1/2009
Currently using: Bigger, RTR, Rev to Rev and MTMM

daybreaking
Posts: 312
Joined: Thu May 20, 2010 12:21 pm

Re: new and looking for some advice

Post by daybreaking » Wed Jun 16, 2010 11:18 am

We used Rod and Staff phonics (along with their reading) and loved it. It's not at all CM'ish, but It was a perfect fit for our ds at that stage of our homeschooling (and we didn't know about HOD at the time), plus I learned so much that I never remember learning in school. When we started, my ds was struggling with the sounds of the short vowels and was just starting to sound out words. After one year of R&S, he was reading at a 4th grade level. I'm not sure I would wholeheartedly recommend it for your case, because of your ds's past experience and the amount of writing in it, but I thought I'd throw it out to you, in case you wanted to look into it.

Wife to one amazing husband and mother to two precious blessings from above:
ds21 & dd16

my3sons
Posts: 10698
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:08 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: new and looking for some advice

Post by my3sons » Wed Jun 16, 2010 11:35 am

You already got such wonderful advice here! Aren't the ladies great on this board? :D It sounds like you have some good options here. Since you could easily do LHTH with the 2 of them and add the right side of LHFHG for your oldest, OR you could easily do LHFHG with your oldest probably starting half-speed - maybe a good thing to consider is if you'd rather combine your 3 yo with your 6 yo, or if you would rather combine your 3 and 1 yo (down the road). I'd lean toward combining the 3 and 1 yo later, as they are closer in age. Then, you could begin LHFHG half-speed with your 5 yo, only doing daily phonics. Eventually, whenever you feel he is ready, you could go full-speed. We have done this with one of our sons, and it was the perfect pacing for him. About the time you'd finish LHFHG, you could start Beyond with your oldest, and around that point, you could begin LHTH with your 2 younger dc, probably about when they are 3 and 5 or a tad older. Anyway, it's wise to consider who would combine well since you have 3 dc fairly close in age, and you more than likely will be combining 2 of them somehow. HTH, and I'm so glad you've found HOD! I think you'll find it to be a blessing in your home. :D

In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie

mommadonna
Posts: 94
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2010 11:40 am
Location: TN

Re: new and looking for some advice

Post by mommadonna » Wed Jun 16, 2010 12:42 pm

You ladies are great...i am enjoying this and loving the advice. Can anyone chime in on the pro and cons of each of the phonics programs that Carrie recommends?

I got so excited when I discovered HOD that I got busy and started putting together the materials for lhfhg, probably a bit prematurely, I will admit. I went ahead and bought RME, but after reading a little more on the boards, The Reading Lesson seems a little more user friendly??? I don't know? Like I said before, I am just overwhelmed when it comes to phonics. Can't wait to get over this hump!!! Thanks everyone...
Donna
ds7 Beyond
dd4 listening in, consuming workbooks, TRL and some of LHFHG
ds2 making us all laugh and eating erasers

mommadonna
Posts: 94
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2010 11:40 am
Location: TN

Re: new and looking for some advice

Post by mommadonna » Wed Jun 16, 2010 12:58 pm

I thought I should say too, that my ds, in the 8 weeks of school we did before, really learned alot. He does know all his short vowel sounds and learned a good amount of the consonants sounds too. He was blending and begining to sound out one vowel words. He just Hated doing it... We kept working on his letter recognition and he knows most of them. He did Bible memory work which he did great with as long as we stayed on top of it. He is going to love the science and math activities in lhfhg! I regret that he had a bad start with the other program and it has definitely given him a bit of a bad additude about begining school again[i]. I am so excited for him though....he doesn't realize how much fun this can be!

Just thought I would throw that in...
Donna
ds7 Beyond
dd4 listening in, consuming workbooks, TRL and some of LHFHG
ds2 making us all laugh and eating erasers

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