heartofdakota.com

Ladies,

Just when I said I had given the last sneak peek for the new guide, I realized I forgot to clarify both the language arts and math for this particular guide... two VERY important areas. So, I'll do that in two final sneak peeks.

For this guide, we will provide a reminder in the schedule to do Drawn into the Heart of Reading three times each week. For those of you who may have never used Drawn into the Heart of Reading with your students, we would greatly encourage you to use it at this level in preparation for high school level literature study. We also have new book packs coming out for Level 7/8, which will be coming on our website eventually. Link to DITHR: http://www.heartofdakota.com/drawn-into.php

9th and 10th grade students who have not had much formal literature instruction, can also consider using Drawn into the Heart of Reading Level 6/7/8 along with higher-level literature. Some possible ideas for high-school level books to consider are included here: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7765&p=56997#p56997

When DITHR is used in conjunction with an English program such as Rod and Staff, composition from Write with the Best Vol. II as scheduled in Missions to Modern Marvels, and studied dictation (if needed), a full credit in literature can be awarded for high school.

Further information about Write with the Best can be found in this post: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=10773&p=78885

Dictation in our guides goes up through Level 8. We recommend that a student continue to steadily work through the dictation passages each year until he/she has finished Level 8 (however long that may take). For many students that will mean that they are continuing studied dictation throughout high school.

As far as grammar/English goes, we recommend completing Rod and Staff 6 by the end of grade 8. We slow down the teaching of Rod and Staff English for several reasons. One is that we combine Rod and Staff with an additional writing program in the guides from Creation to Christ on up. This definitely adds to the intensity of the writing required each year, but it also allows us to use a variety of outstanding writing programs. To balance this area out, we spread out the Rod and Staff English levels.

We also feel that grammar/English is best retained when it can be applied to writing and speaking! So, by waiting to get to the higher levels of Rod and Staff until the student is older, we can expect direct and daily application in the areas of writing and speaking. Next, Rod and Staff is a Mennonite publisher, and Mennonite students graduate in grade 10 (which is why you won't see books beyond grade 10 from Rod and Staff). So, this publisher is literally squeezing what we would teach in 12 years into 10 years instead. This makes the scope and sequence of Rod and Staff rigorous to say the least! Last, we also want to be mindful as to how much grammar/English instruction is enough, and how much is too much! So, we believe the pacing we recommend takes this important balance into consideration as well.

As far as grammar/English goes for high school, our recommendation will be to do the first half of English 7 as a freshman, the last half of English 7 as a sophomore, the first half of English 8 as a junior, and the last half of English 8 as a senior. The scope and sequences of these texts are definitely high school worthy. We will not schedule English 9 or English 10, as these two texts were added later by Rod and Staff to more deeply address the growing needs for more writing instruction. Since at HOD, we will have added an additional writing course to each of our guides from Creation to Christ on up, students using HOD will not need to go through the content of English 9 or 10.

Blessings,
Carrie

It all sounds so good. Thank you Carrie for all your hard work and dedication. I'm excited to be using HOD with my children.

Carrie--does dictation level 8 equal 8th grade? Just curious, since we will be doing MTMM for 11th grade, and we have been using a traditional spelling program (Abeka) for several years, but I was wondering if we could just use the level 8 dictation instead? How do you think that would compare to say an Abeka 11th grade spelling book?

Did you decide against using Pilgrim's Progress in this guide? I thought that was discussed before.

One more question for you, Carrie. Is there going to be a study of root words/entymology at some point in HOD? You may have already included that and I'm just not aware of it.

Thanks,
Kathy

Heather,

Dictation is going to approach spelling by a different method than that typically used with a spelling workbook approach. Abeka tends to have a very rigorous scope and sequence for its spelling and grammar workbooks, however with the approach being so different it is hard to know where your child would actually place as far as dictation levels go.

While Level 8 of dictation in our guides originally was intended for students in grade 8 (in the 1920's), since the method of studied dictation has gone by the wayside in the U.S. students coming later to studied dictation will often need to continue with this method through high school in order to complete level 8.

It would be interesting to try the Level 8 passages out with your daughter (since the passages come as part of the guide anyway). Who knows? In doing studied dictation, you may hone a skill that would otherwise be missed.

Blessings,
Carrie

8arrows,

We have moved the study of Pilgrim's Progress to our high school world history guide. It just matches that time period so well and is definitely high school worthy. The world history guide will come after our geography guide for high school.

Link to scope and sequence: http://www.heartofdakota.com/scope.php

Blessings,
Carrie

Kathy,

It is likely that we will cover the origin of words (and the study of entymology) in some form in our high school world history guide (most likely through something like King Alfred's English or Excavating English). However, we will not know for sure which resource will be used until we actually write the guide.

Blessings,
Carrie

Homeschooling6,

Thanks so much for your encouragement! You filled my cup today!

Blessings,
Carrie

Thanks for the input on the dictation, Carrie! I will have to check that out and maybe give it a try like you said.

Thanks for answering my question, Carrie!

Blessings,
Kathy