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We are new to Heart of Dakota and have not yet purchased materials. We would like to begin Bigger Hearts in January. Due to financial constraints, we are thinking about purchasing items as we go to spread out the expense. However, I don't know what resources get used first. Can anyone tell me what I would need to get started? I would like to have everything I need for the first 2-3 weeks before I started. Thank you for any advice you can give! We are excited to get started!

Welcome to HOD. We are doing Bigger this year and will begin unit 9 next week. We are enjoying it. I will try to get you started with a list of books. To get you through the first 3 weeks, you will need:

Bigger guide
A First Book in American History
Journeys in Time
Hymns for a Kid's Heart
Cheerful Cursive
Preparing to Build
Storytime Book-Biography (will last 4 weeks) you read to child
One Small Square:Seashore (will last 4 weeks)
Math (whatever program you choose to use)
Reading - follow Emerging Reader Schedule or Drawn Into the Heart of Reading 2/3 - the student reads
There is a list of the emerging readers on the HOD website. The first book is a choice of either The Early Reader's Bible or the Beginner's Bible. If you are using DITHOR 2/3, the first book is a biography

I understand you are spreading the cost, but I would recommend at least getting the Economy Package which includes the guide and the history books. By unit 6 you will be needing Stories of Great Americans, so unless you are getting them used, it benefits to buy the package from HOD. There is a discount if you get the package. You could spread the science out, because that stays with the same book until finished and doesn't mix reading from the different books like the history.

Hopefully that covers each area. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

Thank you so much! That is extremely helpful!!! One other question...my oldest son will be doing the extensions. Are they done on a schedule? If so, what would be done in that beginning time frame for those?

We are not doing the extension books, but according to what I can tell on the HOD website, you would probably need A Child's Story of America, Pedro's Journal, and Pocahontas and the Strangers for history. If you look at the package on the HOD site, it shows you in which units each book is covered. As far as science, there are only two books, and they don't show the units, so I think you should probably get both to start. Those would be Exploring PLanet Earth and The Story of Thomas Alva Edison.

Oh, I forgot. You will need the Little Pillows Devotional as well.
I think that would get you started.

Thank you so much! That is the info I needed!