heartofdakota.com

Hello. We used Heart of Dakota for my oldest daughter's K and 1st Grade year. Last year we switched to something else because I was intimidated at the thought of using multiple guides with my upcoming children, but we miss it so much and want to make it work. I was wondering if you could help me figure out how to best place my children to use the least amount of guides as possible over the years. This Fall I will have an almost 9 year old (going into 3rd Grade, advanced), She has already used Little Hearts and Beyond Little Hearts. I think she would do well in either Bigger Hearts or Preparting. Then I will have an almost 7 year old (reading but not fluently, entering 2nd but more 1st grade level), 5 year old beginning Kindergarten, does not know her letters or sounds, 4 year old Pre K, and a 2 year old. My house is SO busy and chaotic, please help me figure out how I can best place all these kids! Thank You!!!

The good news is that if your oldest is placing in Preparing, that guide begins giving sections to the student to be independent work, or semi-independent work. This will help you manage the more teacher-intensive guides for the youngers. The children who are 5 and almost 7 could combine in Little Hearts, using K options for the 5 year old and 1st options for the almost 7 year old who you said is more at a 1st skill level. Lastly, if you wanted, the 4 year old could do Little Hands with the 2 year old tagging along. That guide is very short and sweet and will only take a very little amount of time per day (I think 30 minutes- but I didn't check). It could even be broken up to do in between your work with the older kids, rather than one solid time block. I think it can be done! From CTC on up, the guides become more and more independent for your older kids, so that mom's teaching time doesn't keep multiplying.

Hi!

Little Hands to Heaven is all about learning the letters and letter sounds. I would combine the 5 year old who doesn’t know her letters and sounds with the Pre-K in LHTH. I would wait on the two year old.

The 7 year old sounds like they would fit well in Beyond. You have used Beyond and LHFHG; which guide do you think would be a better fit for your 7 year old?

I would strongly encourage you to not do Beyond and Bigger at the same time. Since your 9 year old is advanced it sounds like Preparing would be a good fit.

I think your two options for your 7 and 9 would be Bigger together or Preparing and Beyond separately.

Preparing, Beyond, and LHTH is doable. Bigger and LHTH would also be doable if you think it would work to combine the 9 & 7 year olds. If you combine them, I would suggest using your Beyond guide for the emerging readers, LA, and spelling for the 7 year old. Then the next year they could do Preparing together, but the 7 year old would do Bigger’s LA with it instead of Preparing LA’s box. I think either combination of Preparing, Beyond, LHTH or Bigger with Beyond LA for the 7 year old and LHTH would work.

I hope that helps you as you think through your options!