heartofdakota.com

Could you direct me to where I would find the answers to these questions via the HOD site or forum? (Are y'all sick of my questions yet?)

What is the long term goal and underlying philosophy of this program? What is ultimately being taught?

Will my child be able to make their own apologetic for the Gospel and to fight against false teachings and evolution, based upon what he/she has learned through the years?

Does the program do the teaching for me?

Does the program build upon itself and does it grow with the student, both in content and skill level?

How much am I going to have to supplement, if any?

What happens if life gets crazy and we miss school for a few days? Is it easy to pick back up and get back on track?

Hi Marcee,
I'll try to answer a few of your questions...

HOD's educational philosophy: http://www.heartofdakota.com/educational-philosophy.php

Does the program do the teaching for me?

It organizes the information in an easily teachable way, and includes "key ideas" reagarding the reading you or your child is doing, *very* helpful! I like the boxes in the schedule, it breaks the day into bite-size pieces that you can do in whatever order works best for you. Perhaps someone else can speak about the older guides.

What happens if life gets crazy and we miss school for a few days? Is it easy to pick back up and get back on track?

It's very easy to pick up after a break (planned or otherwise ) It helps if you aren't stuck on having day 1 = Monday, day 2 = Tuesday. I like doing our LHTH and LHFHG guides 4 days per week, so on the second week, our first day is "day 5". It hasn't mattered for continuity at all, and works well for our family.

HTH

Hi Marcee!

We use HOD as-is without adding anything, and are thrilled with how solid it is academically while at the same time keeping the emphasis on our relationship with the Lord. It is EXACTLY what our family was looking for. Carrie has done an incredible job of balancing things so that you're covering everything necessary in manageable bite-sized pieces throughout the days & units. (Everything isn't thrown on the same day so there's overload). So, we don't supplement. And we love HOD's reccommendations!

We are currently using CTC, and last year used Preparing, and they have done an incredible job of laying the foundation of creation as the beginning of history. My son knows more than most adults in the area of creation vs. evolution and why it's so logical. We've studied dinosaurs (through Dinosaurs and the Garden of Eden and Dragons of the Deep), our Genesis study this year, the Ice Age, Noah's Ark. I LOVE it! (I was in BIble College before I had this kind of foundation so wonderfully laid for me! )

The programs build beautifully on each other, and I love the growth that I'm seeing in my oldest. I also love the way that HOD teaches the child necessary skills so that they can grow in independence, while keeping the important discussions to have with the parent in the homeschool day. This makes it doable for me to have the necessary time to start out with younger ones who absolutely NEED my time and attention to learn to read, etc. I'm still connected with my 10 yo, but have time for my 4 & 6 yo's every day!

The guides are definitely easy to pick up right where you left off for a break of any kind. I use the younger programs which happen to be 5-day units for 4-day weeks, too, and it works just great! I was using LHFHG "half-speed" last year, and picked it up in Unit 13 after a 3 month break for our school year this year. Not a problem at all. My daughter still LOVES it and we're learning along.

Hope that helps! (I don't know how to break up quotes or I would have tried to put my answers right with your questions. )
Kathleen

I'm short on time right now but this thread should help with some of your questions:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=6248

In Christ,
Julie