heartofdakota.com

How the world is starting to notice HOD!???! I mean it is like a wave of wild fire! Just one-two months ago I kept hearing folks say "what is HOD?" Now they are saying "I wished I'd known about HOD" or "we are loving HOD"!! Every now and then I see someone selling a hardly used set, but for the most part I see WTB: HOD xyz !!! It is amazing! Carrie have you felt it with your sales directly or indirectly?

I for one just learned about HOD. Where has it been hiding? Seriously. I started the WTM and moved onto MFW about 2 years ago because I wanted more Biblical content that the WTM provided...and I wish I hadn't wasted my time with MFW. Don't get me wrong MFW is a nice program, but HOD is a much better fit for us and I wished I had started using them 2 years ago, but I didn't know about them.

Here I am saying this without having my guides in hand. Just by pouring over the sample weeks and books endlessly for 1-2 weeks, I KNOW that. I exhaust things to the hilt finding what will work for us, so many of these books I'm familiar with. I've had some of the books before, others I wanted to buy, but I had no program to help me put them all together (I admit, I need lesson plans...I get no time to plan myself). And now, here's HOD with all those books and all the activity types that work well with us, little bits and pieces that other curriculums have...they are all in one here.

I've been spreading the word to whoever will listen - lol - and am trying to make more HOD coverts out there!

I've been spreading the word to whoever will listen - lol - and am trying to make more HOD coverts out there!

Me too! We're 2.5 weeks into Little Hearts, and one friend I told about the program has already ordered Beyond. I have another friend who is just starting hsing, and I'll be sharing the HOD website with her, too. I'm so glad I read about HOD on the WTM boards. I can't say enough good things about it!

I am with you ladies!! I go to 3 other boards, and I know that some folks get tired of hearing me talk about HOD! Hehe! But then when I see a mom breath a sigh of relief because it is the perfect program for them, it is a wonderful moment!! Now if someone is a textbook fan I don't send them here, but you let me hear someone say they want God in every nook and cranny, easy layout, fun but thorough.....they are in for a long response post from me!! Hehe

susie in ms wrote: let me hear someone say they want God in every nook and cranny, easy layout, fun but thorough.....they are in for a long response post from me!! Hehe

I do the same thing!

I did have one friend that within 3 days of me sharing HOD with her, she emailed back and found a nice LHFHG set she snagged. Her and her dh immediately started looking into HOD and were excited. The bug's been passed to them as well!

Jen in Va wrote:

I've been spreading the word to whoever will listen - lol - and am trying to make more HOD coverts out there!

Me too! We're 2.5 weeks into Little Hearts, and one friend I told about the program has already ordered Beyond. I have another friend who is just starting hsing, and I'll be sharing the HOD website with her, too. I'm so glad I read about HOD on the WTM boards. I can't say enough good things about it!

I know. I love the WTM info and philosophies...but it's very overwhelming. I hate seeing people get that way thinking they have to do all that. It's hard not to compare yourselves to others there with all they are doing, and you wanna go right alongside them.

I plan to add in Latin. I have ordered LCC...and if anything if I feel a need to restructure the day in an LCC format with HOD, I would try to do that. I do like the idea of just covering the core basics and once a week delving into something deep. However, that's just my back up plan if I need to change any scheduling once we get going.

I've found among the homeschoolers I know, that they just didn't know it by the name "Heart of Dakota"... they were familiar with "Drawn into the Heart of Reading" or "Little Hands to Heaven" and didn't know/realize that other years had been added. It's a nice opportunity to "spread the word" They ask "what are you using for your younger ones?" and I say "Heart of Dakota" and they say "what's that? I've never heard of that?" And I say "you know, Little Hands to Heaven?" and a light bulb goes on... then they say "isn't that for preschool?" and then I have the opportunity to tell them that other programs for older children have been added in the last few years and it's "not just for preschool anymore" and their interest is peaked.

I also have to admit, I struggle with feeling HOD is not enough... that I should be doing more. Every other curriculum I've used in the past decade has contained more... and some have been downright overwhelming (like Tapestry of Grace)... so I've gotten into the mindset that if it's not overwhelming, I'm not doing enough. But I hope HOD is enough, because with seven children and a big house and a mini-farm to run (and growing and canning all our own fruit and veggies), I simply don't have time for "overwhelming". Life is overwhelming enough as it is. I want school to fit around and through our life... not our life to fit around school.

Hindsfeet wrote:I also have to admit, I struggle with feeling HOD is not enough... that I should be doing more. Every other curriculum I've used in the past decade has contained more... and some have been downright overwhelming (like Tapestry of Grace)... so I've gotten into the mindset that if it's not overwhelming, I'm not doing enough. But I hope HOD is enough, because with seven children and a big house and a mini-farm to run (and growing and canning all our own fruit and veggies), I simply don't have time for "overwhelming". Life is overwhelming enough as it is. I want school to fit around and through our life... not our life to fit around school.

I hear ya on this.

I met a gal (lovetobehome here on HOD) through buying/inquiring on other homeschooling stuff. First I had math issues...and she used all I had been, told me what worked for her and why. Since we had both tried the same things, and were having the same issues, I took her suggestion...and it worked. I made a switch I had been not allowing myself to do for a few years (mainly because I didn't want a script...if I have a script it must mean I'm not teaching was my thinking).

Then when a friend told her of HOD...she told me. At first glance, I thought it looked too simple. Then I started looking at the sample days/weeks and studying them...looking at the books involved...the options for tweaking for a lower or higher level within each program...then started really looking hard at all that same information all over again...all the while thinking of what has and hasn't worked for us in the past. I soon realized HOD contained all those things that have worked for us and it was exactly what both my children and myself needed. I go overboard, but if I have a script (which I have not allowed myself to have), I keep to the meat of a topic, the kids grasp it and don't go buggy-eyed, and we are all happy.

Ironically though, for not wanting a script, the most successful thing I've ever used with my oldest was 100 EZ Lessons which is scripted. You'd think I'd have caught onto that much sooner than now.

I find a lot out there is fluff. You don't need fluff.

When you look at the morsels HOD feeds the child, it's perfect for them. Even with top notch programs like "Where There's a Will, There's An A" they even tell you that your peak learning time happens in 15 minute chunks. You peak at the beginning and ending of a learning session, the middle isn't retained as much. If you study for 1 hr...you have 2 main peaks of info you come away with...whatever was discussed in the beginning and in the end. If you divide that by 4, and do 4 - 15 minutes sessions on the same info, you now have 8 peak times where you have retained info...look at how much more you are walking away with.

If ya feel you need more, you can always add in something else...find another little morsel you want to add to it and see how it goes.

I would MUCH rather have something the works well that I can fully use and not be stressed, and then add a little to it if I feel the need...rather than having something that is a struggle, and we can't reap the benefits from since we can never get it all in.

I want them to enjoy learning, and I want to enjoy teaching them as much as they enjoy learning. If that isn't happening for us then something's not working and I need to step back and reevaluate what I am doing.

One thing I have found that is hard to get out of the habit of doing, since there is so much out there, I want to do it all. I have to look at what is best for my child and NOT at what *I* want to do for them. What do they really want, really need...and not just what I think looks cool so we should cram it into our day. It's hard to not do that.

Hindsfeet wrote:I also have to admit, I struggle with feeling HOD is not enough... that I should be doing more. Every other curriculum I've used in the past decade has contained more... and some have been downright overwhelming (like Tapestry of Grace)... so I've gotten into the mindset that if it's not overwhelming, I'm not doing enough. But I hope HOD is enough, because with seven children and a big house and a mini-farm to run (and growing and canning all our own fruit and veggies), I simply don't have time for "overwhelming". Life is overwhelming enough as it is. I want school to fit around and through our life... not our life to fit around school.

Oh, and sometimes this is all personality styles...and finding a program that fits your style. I don't want an intense program because I'm not intense. I don't want that stress of me trying to mold myself to fit a program that doesn't fit us.

Ladies,

I agree that our business is growing by leaps and bounds this year. Part of the reason is that we have finally thrown our hat into the "curriculum up to high school" ring. Prior to this year, anyone who used our guides was pretty much using our guides for the early years without knowing how far up our guides would be going (as we hadn't committed to that plan yet).

Now that my husband and I are confident that we are following God's leading in creating our guides through grade 8, many more families are getting on board with Heart of Dakota.

With the release of our first-ever catalog, we'll be announcing the plan for our guides and launching ourselves as a viable choice among homeschoolers everywhere. So, you are right that we are in exciting days for HOD! Our website doesn't even show our plan through grade 8 yet, so it's been word of mouth up until now! We're glad each of you is here and that you've found us! We trust the Lord to lead those to HOD who are in need of what we have to offer.

Blessings,
Carrie