heartofdakota.com

I will admit that I am hestaint about posting. We are currently doing MFW 1850 to Modern Times, but when we are finished we will do CTC. My daughter will be doing MFW Ancients for ninth grade.

I really wanted to stay with MFW, but I felt my boys, twins age 10, needed more interaction with the material and a gradual introduction into more school independence. I am bored of doing doing the same thing in 1850 to MT and we are only on week 14, read the material and do the outline, read the material do the outline. They are bored of it also. With my dd starting highschool, the boys are free and I don't have to keep them together any more. We tried doing 2 seperate levels of Sonlight and it was just too much, but everyone enjoyed the book they were reading. My voice vanished after reading aloud so much. Perhaps I should also admit they we have done some Ambleside Online and then I totally throw out Charlotte Mason and all of her books as I was mad at her. My kids HATED the books and I thought I had killed their love of learning. After a few years now, I am ready to look at her again. I have throughly prayed over our decision to come to HOD and my husband agreed. He also like the moving toward independence and more interaction with the books. I really, really, really, really want to stay "here." The books look great and the activities and notebooking look so engaging. Usinf R&S will be new to us also.

I can see where following a more relaxed style of language arts has been a complete bust. My dd now struggles with grammar and other aspects of language arts. She was such a guinea pig for me...poor girl.

Besides the notebook pages are there other consumables in CTC that I would need to buy double of?

Welcome to HOD! After 6 years of trying to do it myself, I am so thankful to have HOD for my youngest.

Sorry can't help with the CTC question. I'm sure others will.

Welcome to the HOD Board, ChristyH! Your "confession" is not all that different from a lot of ours. We'll call it our "journey" through homeschooling - has a nicer ring to it, doesn't it?!? Your journey actually fairly closely matches the journey HOD's author, Carrie, has been through (though she has not done the program called MFW), and she would readily admit her oldest ds has had to be the guinea pig too. I think you will find HOD fills a lot of those needs you've shared here. It does encourage more interaction with the materials. It uses excellent CM living books, but at a level dc can truly enjoy and understand. It includes read alouds, but in bite-sized manageable pieces that won't leave you hoarse. It teaches incremental independence that lets our dc take ownership of their learning, rather than just waiting on us to disperse knowledge. It includes fun hands-on activities that are easy to manage and meaningful. It includes notebooking that results in a portfolio-based assessment that doubles as a special keepsake of what was learned throughout the year. You've come to a good place.

I want to be sure you had a chance to check out the placement chart, as HOD is skill-based and it's important to properly place dc accordingly. Here's a link to that:
http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php

The first week of plans of each guide is also on-line, and those are good to print and look over carefully when considering placement as well. In the upper guides, each box is labeled either "T" for "teacher-directed", "S" for "semi-independent", or "I" for "independent". It is a good idea to read through especially the "I" boxes to see if dc can truly do those boxes independently, especially the reading and the writing of the material within those boxes, as well as being able to follow the step-by-step directions within them.

I think you'd like R & S English. We suggest doing a good portion of it orally or on a markerboard, about 2/3, and reserving the 1/3 for dc to write. It is an excellent Christian English program, written with the intent to teach grammar for the purpose of good writing. HOD suggests working to complete R & S English 6 by the end of grade 8, as R & S English 7 and 8 are high school credit worthy. It is pretty advanced.

As far as the consumables for CTC, the Student Notebook pages are the only consumables (other than the math workbooks and the DITHOR Student Books). Here is a link to the CTC photobook in case you'd enjoy looking at what dc get to do:
http://heartofdakotasphotobooks.shutterfly.com/

HTH! We are glad you are here. I think you'll find this board to be a very encouraging place to be! I sure do.
In Christ,
Julie

Hi Christy,

Welcome to HOD!

We've been on a similar journey to yours, before coming to HOD last year. We used MFW for years, but when we got to 1850-Modern Times, (I had already bought it and had it here), I just knew that our dd would hate the format, too. We left the program that year, and the Lord led us to HOD, where we plan to be ALL through high school! (YES, you can even consider HOD for your upcoming 9th grader! We'll be doing it this upcoming school year.)

HOD has extensions for the guides that they have now (including direct help from Carrie, the author, on how to "beef up" each guide for high school credit), plus they are coming out with official high school guides in the coming years.

Hope this encourages you and that you find the perfect plan that the Lord has for each of your children! HOD is wonderful, and we're glad you're here!!

I was worried that the cost would be too much but my hubby said that we shouldn't cheapin out on their education and that this looked like a very good program. It will have to wait until Sept. though as we need to finish 1850 -Modern Times. It will be painful to wait and finish up. I wish we could start now but I am commited to finishing this.

Heather, where can I find the information on beefing it up for high school?

Welcome Christy! Check out the sticky at the top of the main board page for ideas for beefing up for high school. We did that this past year and it was so good.

momofgreatones wrote:Welcome Christy! Check out the sticky at the top of the main board page for ideas for beefing up for high school. We did that this past year and it was so good.

Yep, what Monique said!

Christy,

We're glad to have you here! Julie is so right that each our homeschooling confessions are really a part of our homeschool journey. Each part of the journey helps us know more what we are looking for and what fits our family.

We look forward to sharing the HOD journey with you, and if you have other questions, ask away! We look forward to getting to know you better as we journey together.

Blessings,
Carrie

I am really enjoying this forum...I think I've spent entirely too much time in forums and reading reviews. I loved the idea of SCM and Ambleside...but not hunting down books. I got pretty frustrated when a book that was integral to the curriculum was about $900 because it was out of print - I am just not willing to commit to having him read an online book...I just like the feel of the real book in our hands. Not to mention - I live in a small town - and internet comes and goes sometimes. What a bummer when we were iced if we had been unable to do schoolwork because of no internet although we would have had so much time to accomplish. When I realized I could not get comfortable with SCM or AO, I really had compared HOD & MFW so much that I just got frustrated and exhausted. After deliberating too much, I went with MFW ECC for my 10 yr old (turned 10 in Nov 2010) for the 2010-2011 school year - with reservations. I love that the history flows in chronological order and that the books are available from one company. Then there are things that I love about each one. However - I think MFW may have been a partial good fit for us - but we really struggled through the year - and we did not complete so many things. That makes me feel terrible. I feel like I might do better with CTC and am strongly considering it for next yr, 2011-2012...that is if I can afford it - you know how that goes. If anybody that has used MFW in the past has wonderful words to settle the mind of someone who doesn't care for change - but doesn't feel like it's a good fit - please share them. I read on another forum that is not HOD or MFW forum, a user weighing the two choices was told something to the effect of be monogamous - she married her 1st curriculum - so it's like being polygamy to change. She should stick with what she married. While I completely feel that is very sound advice in a marriage - what do you do if you aren't sure you chose your child's curriculum well. Should I really feel so torn? Should I think my gut is telling me something, since the hours of sleep I lost this past year are immeasurable. I felt like I just wasn't doing what was the best fit. Or am I being impatient and fickle - I've only homeschooled two yrs...and only one with my son. I taught pre-k to my daughter the year before and never imagined I wouldn't send her to school for K....but many things happened in our school district with my children and ....here we are - trying to complete our 1st year of homeschool. We are a little behind with ECC so we'll be finishing over the summer - but that is probably because I just couldn't seem to follow the plan well and many weeks that had small disruptions left me feeling helpless to complete the tasks on the 'week at a glance' schedule - so I just threw in the towel - taught the basics for a few days - and started fresh the next week with the guide. Now we are on week 27 out of 34...so we still have 7 weeks to go...my kids aren't sure that's so grand since it's summer...but that's just what it is. Sorry for rambling and invading this thread...I'm just so tired of not being sure.

Venusmom, I don't think you can compare marriage and curriculum provider loyalty. My commitment toward the best education that I can give each of my children definately outweighs curriculum loyalty. I have used MFW and HOD; HOD fits my teaching personality better; it fits my children better. So, should I have stayed with MFW even though I wanted stronger grammar, different writing and science and, most importantly, a gradual move to independence? I don't think so. Actually, I would have had to stick with Abeka, which I used first!! Not that I don't appreciate their products and company, but I would not have wanted to be "married" to them. It is a good thing I wasn't. There is only one earthly marriage I need to be faithful to, and he is pretty special!!!!!! The good news is, since I did switch, I have found a great fit for our family, and now it makes ordering each year much easier.

Thx 8arrows for your comments..and yes - I realize it was a pretty silly analogy...but it made me feel bad reading it - even though it was written to another mom on an unrelated forum - she was thinking the same way I am - Is MFW working and doesn't HOD seem like it might work better. I think maybe I needed to process my thoughts and decide what were the major factors in my indecisiveness toward these two curriculums...both of which seem strong, christ-centered and both of which seem to be written by people who have a heart for God and for education.

I guess boiling it down...here are my major concerns.

a. HOD seems to look like a better fit for my teaching style - but
b. If I get a little behind on a day due to dr appt or extra co-op activity, etc...how hard is it to mesh the days when each day is listed independently with no major space for me to add my progress - MFW guide lists a week and has a little room for notes - we have often had to double up a few subjects on another day to compensate for an interrupted schoolday
c. I like the supply list planned ahead w/MFW
d. If I decide MFW was a better fit - some of the books needed for CTG are needed the next year for RTR and then I'm scrambling to get books. One of the books, Victor Journey, is difficult to get right now outside of the pkg.

Those are probably my major concerns...with a & b being the most important. With that in mind - did you find the guide to be a problem. I am working hard toward reducing my volunteer commitments in order to ensure I have fewer interruptions to my schoolday - but some interruptions cannot be avoided, such as illnesses. Thanks for your input - It really helps me to know that you have used both and that you feel HOD fits you better - because that is the same thing I seem to see in HOD.

welcome Cristy

Welcome Christy!



I have nothing of value to share as we are just starting are journey but I wanted to welcome you here. Everyone here has been so welcoming and helpful!


Karen

Christy, Sorry again for jumping in on your question...I just definitely felt like you'd asked a question that I could relate to. Sometimes this journey is tough for me. I really never had parents around - they were galavanting about & I stayed home to raise my little brother from a very young age. I have never had boundaries or guidance as a child - but God chose me out of the muck and mire - and now I'm floundering all over again - because sometimes I feel so helpless to make the best decisions for my children. I definitely feel confident that HOD is a very good curriculum - that's why I am so drawn to it - so I just wanted to say that I appreciate your question and I thanks for letting me jump in here. Wishing you the best on this journey.

venusmom - I can understand how it is difficult to choose what curriculum to use to teach your dc. There are many to choose from, and it can seem overwhelming. It has helped me to know what our goals are for homeschooling, as that distinctly narrows my curriculum choices. In fact, HOD is the only curriculum that fits all of our goals, so that has made the decision much easier. I think it takes a bit to figure out what is going to fit our goals best. It's alright to say something didn't work, and it's alright to search until a good fit is found - provided we don't switch so often, so many times within so many years, that there is no continuity. Our oldest dc are usually our "guinea pigs", but then we often settle into a good routine and somehow, those oldest dc seem to turn out just fine.

Looking at your concerns here...

venusmom wrote:...I guess boiling it down...here are my major concerns.

a. HOD seems to look like a better fit for my teaching style - but
b. If I get a little behind on a day due to dr appt or extra co-op activity, etc...how hard is it to mesh the days when each day is listed independently with no major space for me to add my progress - MFW guide lists a week and has a little room for notes - we have often had to double up a few subjects on another day to compensate for an interrupted schoolday
c. I like the supply list planned ahead w/MFW
d. If I decide MFW was a better fit - some of the books needed for CTG are needed the next year for RTR and then I'm scrambling to get books. One of the books, Victor Journey, is difficult to get right now outside of the pkg.

Those are probably my major concerns...with a & b being the most important. With that in mind - did you find the guide to be a problem. I am working hard toward reducing my volunteer commitments in order to ensure I have fewer interruptions to my schoolday - but some interruptions cannot be avoided, such as illnesses. Thanks for your input - It really helps me to know that you have used both and that you feel HOD fits you better - because that is the same thing I seem to see in HOD.

a. HOD fits my teaching style too. It is completely open and go - in all my years of teaching (15 total), I've not ever found an easier to teach from guide. I have no trips I have to make to the library, to the grocery store, or to anywhere else to make each week work. It is academically strong with no areas left out. The books are amazing. The hands-on is fun and doable. Skills are taught step-by-step so my dc are growing from year to year, and therefore able to be very successful with independent work. Balance... balance... balance... My teaching time is so balanced. I am able to spend time with each child. I am able to teach what each child needs. I am able to finish school in a very manageable time (like from 8:15 AM to 12:30 PM), yet give my dc a very strong education. I also can count on each "box" of plans taking the same amount of time each day - I am never surprised by an activity all of a sudden taking 2 hours instead of 20 minutes. I also enjoy how varied my teaching is from guide to guide, from year to year, from child to child. This keeps our days exciting! HOD has Christ at the center of virtually every possible subject area, and it has me having heartfelt talks with my dc about the Lord every single day. It has my dc using their Bibles every day. I have time for heart to heart talks in the day - in fact, they're planned in the guides for me already. I could go on and on, but in general, HOD fits my teaching style because I'm a very busy mom that needs a pick up and go guide, but that also desires a very strong academic education for my dc, and that deeply desires a day filled with the Lord and filled with good discussions and meaningful learning we love. HOD does this all for me, and if any of this fits your teaching style, I do believe you've found a match.

b. I have done HOD on 6 months of bedrest, recovering for 6 weeks from a major surgery, during stints of intensive care unit with my premie babies, during speech therapy/physical therapy/etc. appointments. I have never skipped boxes or plans of anything in HOD -it's all too good to miss and too easy to do. So, in response to your concerns here, HOD is written with the busy homeschool mama in mind. Skills are rotated, so not every skill learned is done every day. Each day's worth of plans takes the same amount of time, give or take 15 minutes or so. It is very motivating to me and to my dc to check off the daily boxes as do them... and we see 1/4 done, 1/2 done, 3/4 done, DONE with huge satisfaction and a feeling of a day well spent! It's not hard to do. It doesn't take long. The most it's taken us to do a guide has been 4 hours, and that was Resurrection to Reformation (and it was usually closer to 3 1/2 hours). I think everyone has 4 hours to homeschool each day - that's less than about 1/2 of a day dc are in ps - hooray - and that is what it took to do 3 guides with my 3 sons! However, if you have someone sick, or something comes up, then you can just finish the boxes not finished the day before first and then move on to the next day's plans very easily. HOD is very flexible, and it is just really so easy to do each day because of the incredible amount of planning Carrie puts into the guides with us busy homeschool moms including herself (she has 4 sons) and her busy schedule in mind as she writes. If you don't finish something, you can finish it the next day, but I really don't think you're going to have this happen with HOD.

c. Supplies are a non-issue with HOD. I know every guide out there "says" you'll have the things in your home, but HOD really does! Many substitutions are often suggested anyway, so I honestly wouldn't worry one bit about this. We've used HOD for 8 years and had only 1 time I didn't have something on hand. My kitchen and home are not "super-stocked" either. You'll be fine on the supplies front.

d. Well, all I can say is you'll never be scrambling to get HOD books. They're all available in neat little packages that make it easy on the pocketbook. And with HOD's new substitution and shipping policy, it's even easier to save.

So, there you have it. I hope that helps answer your questions somewhat, but here are a few links you may enjoy reading too as you ponder this...

Why do you “heart” HOD?
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8268&p=60839#p60839

Comparing Classical Approach, MFW, and HOD:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=6485

In Christ,
Julie