heartofdakota.com

I have been hearing GREAT things about HOD. I am considering using this for it's ease. The less I have to do the better! DD will be finishing up 4th grade in PS. I am planning on using Horizons Math and using Prepare for her with the extension pack because she reads well.

I am not the familiar with R & S. DD has not done diagramming yet.

My main goals this coming school year are:

Staying organized
Make it fun for her and geared towards things she loves to learn about-rebuild self esteem and self confidence.
MATH- we have to do a lot of backtracking to make sure she masters 4th grade skills she currently does not have.
Writing-She loves to write!!!
Science-make it fun so she doesn't realize she is learning science!

Any feedback is appreciated!
Karen

I am currently using Preparing with my 4th grader. If you are new to homeschooling you might consider getting the Self-Study Deluxe package instead of the extensions. Preparing is very full and thorough. I would probably choose to use the that since you will be just getting your feet wet in all of this (especially coming to Charlotte Mason style teaching from PS). Everything is scheduled for you. But that is just my 2 cents.

I would encourage you to call Heart of Dakota if you need more immediate personal service and talk with them about the specifics of your family's needs. They are WONDERFUL!! And answered all my multitude of questions back when we started with HOD.

Welcome along! We have been homeschooling for six years now and HOD is so wonderful, complete, and user friendly. I think you will be very happy with it.

Edie

We are new to the CM approach so I was wondering if I was biting off more than I can chew with Prepare and maybe start with Bigger? I was looking at Bigger it just look "easy" for her BUT it might be worth while to take a step back with all this since we are using a different educational mode and add in the extension pack for her reading level?

Karen,

We did less Charlotte Mason style before coming to HOD. Preparing was our first guide to use with HOD. If she is 5th grade and self-motivated, then I think Preparing would be just fine. The Guide (or TM) tells you how narrations- oral and written are to be done. It gives you all the specifics you need to build those skills, even if you are new to that type of thing. I would think Preparing would be just fine for you. You are falling easily into the target age range for that Guide. Science has been so wonderful in Preparing and I always hated science in most other curricula we used. It is fun and simple but effective. Take a look at the sample week http://www.heartofdakota.com/pdf/PHFHG-sample-week.pdf The work load gradually increases as the weeks go by. My daughter loves her science exploration and independent history study assignments, they are some of her favorite parts of the day. Lots of fun different things to do in Preparing. I think you would be pleased! I have not been really great about always updating my blog but you can take a peek at it to see some of the things that are done in Preparing. (We are only up to Unit 17 and I haven't blogged in a while.)You can also take a look at the weekly check-in section of the Board and read things others have done there as well.


HTH,
Edie

Thank you. I will make sure I check out your blog! I do keep going back to Prepare and think that is more in line with her. I know she will catch on to the dictation/narration portion of it. I'm really excited about this!

Coming from ps to a CM approach was what I did. My advice, take it slow!!! Things will seem very different both for you and your dd. Things like copywork, narration, and dictation are skills that take time to build. For me, they were so different that I literally stopped, and then restarted... one thing at a time. I had this unreasonable fear that, because it was so different, it wasn't going to work. I then realized that traditional methods weren't working for my daughter and I needed to think outside that ps box. I researched A LOT! This forum is full of amazing advice. Check out The Reasons Behind HOD's Choices on this board. It is such an amazing way to teach children. I am beginning to truly see some amazing results after a few months! And, don't worry about the science. Science was never my thing and my dd wasn't overly fond of it either. She has LOVED the science in Preparing!! It doesn't feel or look like science we had in ps. It's FUN. We read these amazing books. We do notebooking, which always excites the artist in my daughter. Then, there's the experiments! Easy, hands-on experiments that use common household items. My daughter and I both look forward to experiment day!! I want to encourage you in the math dept too! My daughter has struggled in math since she began school. We have backtracked, and it hasn't been the end of the world. She's starting to truly understand and her progress is picking up. She's finally at level, though we do work slowly though the areas where she struggles. I guess I would rather have her get it and understand than to push her and have her lost later. What I have noticed is that, she may struggle with one concept, but totally get another one very quickly. Welcome to HOD!

Cathy,

Thank you! Your DD and my DD sound alike in many ways. She loves to write and Draw. Math has always been difficult but now that we know where her deficiencies lie that can be fixed. We are planning on taking it very slowly. Were in no rush-I have no plans on returning her to PS ever! It does not suit her learning style and only leads to anxiety and poor self esteem/confidence. I really do wish I pulled her out sooner.

This summer we are planning on doing Math and going over R & S 3 as a review. I want to make sure she is sound in her grammar before starting R & S 4. I have no idea what the PS has taught her or how much she has retained with her grammar usage. She is great at spelling when she takes her tests- but tends to still mis-spell things when writing so copy work and dictation are going to do wonders for her!

I am looking forward to her loving learning again.

This is a wonderful thread with such helpful, terrific insights! I agree that Preparing Hearts sounds like a good fit to get started. We'll look forward to getting to know you better and to sharing the HOD journey with you. Welcome!

Blessings,
Carrie