Heart of Dakota Curriculum

11-12-12  I wanted to share our little snow we had from just last Monday.  It's still amazes me how fast our weather changes.  Of course, our snow has melted now.  Which I am sort of thankful for, because I know we will have lots of snow soon and it will last for months!  It is so beautiful though!

I wanted to share a little about my 4th graders new curriculum.  It was a bold and scary decision to just cut her out of the old curriculum during the school year and start something super brand new!  I love the way this curriculum is laid out.  It takes you through every step.  We chose Heart of Dakota, Creation to Christ, because I thought it would be a little more challenging for my daughter.  I love that it starts with the beginning of time!  What better way to learn about history than in Genesis?  Right from the beginning!  We wouldn't have "history" if it were not from our God!  So I think this was a perfect way to go!

As you can see here, this is Day 4 of our first Unit.  There are four days to complete during the week and the 5th day you can move on to Unit 2, or finish up from Unit 1.  That is what we did, because we had a few bumps in the road this week.  So having that extra day (ours was Friday) was so perfect.  You can see that it takes you through each lesson.  There are two pages from "Reading about History", then on the second page it walks you through Geography or Bible Study, Math, Language Art, Poetry, and Science.

My daughter LOVES art.  So I was so happy to see that the poetry incorporates lots of art!  Here is her first painting (plus my older daughter was happy to do this with us!) to a Robert Frost poem!  I think she did so well!  Yeah for Art!

Here she is working on her Student pages that go along with the program!  They are beautiful thick pages that take you through each Unit!  After the year is over she will have a notebook full of memories of the things she learned!  What a great way to reinforce learning!  The most wonderful part I have noticed, is that she hasn't complained once.  We were struggling with our other program.  She would get so frustrated with writing and math.  She wasn't truly learning all of the history (actually I was adding in my own things to history, so she would learn more).  Math was our biggest hurdle and I have to say I feel so confident that this "hurdle" in math will be overcome!  Heart of Dakota doesn't have their own math, but has great suggestions that they will provide the supplies for.  However, we decided to go our own route and Teaching Textbooks is the way we are going.  So far it has been a great choice for her.  Because it started with the basics that she already knows, I may have to move her ahead.  However, yesterday she did two lessons on her own and she said she learned new things she hasn't yet!  The HUGE thing about that is, for her to do two lessons on her own is AMAZING!  So happpyyy!

My oldest daughter, who's in 8th grade is doing well with her curriculum.  She is doing what my youngest was doing (Idaho Virtual Academy...K12 ).  It seems to work well for her.  She is taking two high school classes and she has two live teachers that work with her.  I still wish that K12 was a little more "meaty" in their curriculum.  However, if she is liking it, we will keep her there.  I am praying though that maybe next year a change will come for her.  I love a biblical perspective on schooling and I would like to have that for my oldest as well.  I know God will lead us to the right place.  I know His Will will be done.