Reason #4 To Use HOD - The Teacher Guide

[Tiffini]

Ok, really, I can't say enough about this one. I really can't.
I'm sitting here surrounded by my new boxes of books for next year. One of my favorite things is opening these boxes and just taking my time looking at each book. This year, I have Missions to Modern Marvels AND the new Geography books!

The thing is - it's not just a box of great books. Looking through the table of contents and perusing the chapter titles of each book, I'm just amazed at all that is included in each one. These are books that I would pick for my kids to read - if I even knew about them - but most of them I don't even know about and wouldn't know to pick! BUT, I would be completely overwhelmed at trying to schedule each one and put them together so they would coordinate and build on each other to make a comprehensive picture and a seamless flow. Would not happen. And so we would miss so much.

But Carrie has done this for me. Each book is scheduled in easy to manage chunks - not large overwhelming readings. There is variety in the readings, using many different type of books. There is writing that coordinates. There is narration. There is drawing. There is are activities. In short, there is INTERACTION with each book. There are so many different things that are scheduled to do - all manageable - all tying together. It makes the readings come alive and remain in our memories.

I keep thinking about the Sonlight comparison, and while I never want to speak negatively of another publisher, from my experience with Sonlight, all of this is lacking. It is just a list of great books with a reading schedule and one person's very lengthy commentary on the books. For some, this may be great, but I could never be satisfied with after having experienced the richness of HOD.

The Teacher's Guide truly makes the Heart of Dakota program. It is an invaluable resource. When I see what others charge for the guides that are just a reading schedule, I am even more thankful that Carrie makes her guides affordable even when they include SO MUCH MORE! I consider the Guide an investment in my children's future.

Heart of Dakota Teacher's Guides = Priceless!

[StillJulie]

I agree 100%!!!

[mom23]

Agreed! If I went through each of these resources on my own, there is no way that my kids would be getting the quality of education they have, just by our having access to this TM! So much appreciate all of the work that goes into these year after year.

[3sweeties]

AMEN!!! So well said!!!

[MomtoJGJE]

I agree!! The TM is what made me use HOD in the first place! It wasn't a list of things for a whole week, it wasn't just a list of books, and there was a LOT of blank page on each day

[ShariCA]

I just got back from the CHEA convention (unfortunately not the one HOD will be at) and had the opportunity to look through Sonlight's and MFW's lesson plan books. I didn't realize how much I love the day by day plans as opposed to a weekly grid until I thumbed through these. With HOD's guide book each day is one at a time, the notes are right with the schedule, and each subject is boxed and thus given importance. And it's not 4 inches thick! LOL!

Seeing the activity listed right next to the page number to be read makes it much more likely to get done. And seeing only one day at a time makes it doable and not overwhelming. I used Sonlight once upon a time and used to think I prefered the weekly grid, but after using only part of LHFHG (haven't finished yet) I realize the daily spread is definitely for me.