Name: CHEC Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-06-12T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-06-14T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Denver, CO

Tagged: Heart of Dakota, HOD

This topic has 6 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 3 months ago by JennyMN.

Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

Author
Posts
February 14, 2013 at 4:13 pm
my12kiddos
Member
What are your thoughts on this curriculum? Does it work good with large families?
February 14, 2013 at 5:09 pm
Heather
Participant
It really depends on what your goals are. I used HOD for 2 years and while it was wonderful for 1 child, as I needed to add two others into the rotation at different learning levels, I realized I could not combine and would need to run three programs. In fact, combining wasn’t encouraged at all when I spoke with Carey at HOD according to our levels and I realizeed that it would be more work than I could handle at the time. I certainly believe it is a terrific and very full program, but with multiple levels – depending on the ages – not only is it costly, but very time consuming. I gave it up a couple of years ago for the SCM free curriculum guide and alot of learning along the way, but I am realizing the dream I had of the one room (home) school house is possible now, but could never have been achieved with HOD, at least not for us.
Hope this helps some!!
February 14, 2013 at 5:21 pm
my12kiddos
Member
Thanks! It does. I also homeschool the One Room School house approach. So maybe it won’t be of benefit for us.
February 14, 2013 at 5:36 pm
HollyS
Participant
We switched to SCM because I had a hard time with HOD, and I couldn’t see it working out in the long run. I’ve heard of some moms using 3 or 4 levels of the program, but I could barely manage 2 levels! It is supposed to be more independent in the upper levels, so it may have worked, but it made me sad to think of them being more split up…they really enjoy learning together.
February 18, 2013 at 10:17 pm
psreitmom
Participant
I’m new and HOD is where I’m coming from. I think it is a great CM curriculum guide, but having a dd w/ some processing and other learning issues, I was tweaking it and came to the point where I feel I will not be getting the most out of the guide, so why spend the money. I am only homeschooling one, so I didn’t have the multiple guide issues, but I feel with my dd’s special needs, we may do better with our own plans. At this point, I plan to use Drawn Into the Heart of Reading. But, for the other subjects, I am going to have fun looking for books. I didn’t think I would ever feel this way again when I found HOD. For over 2 years I had been content with having it all planned out for me. Now I am confident and content with the idea of making my own plans. I think since I am more familiar with CM now, looking for books will be enjoyable and not a headache. I’m excited about checking out the CM vendor at our curriculum fair in May.
March 10, 2013 at 8:43 pm
lisasolson
Participant
I, too, am just leaving HOD for SCM. I think HOD’s books are great, and she does a great job putting a curriculum together. But the separation of subjects was something I didn’t love. And, as one poster said, the author doesn’t really recommend combining either. (Sad!) I also feel that a couple of things were twaddle-ish. It might be great for those that are interested in some of those activities (i.e. some particular science experiemnts, etc.), but it was just unnecessary to me. If I didn’t have a bunch of kids, I would probably still love it, but I’m leaving it so that I can not feel so tied down to checking off the boxes and getting it all done. And can instead cuddle up with all my kiddos together and enjoy them, and read to them, and teach them in a more lovely way. 🙂
March 10, 2013 at 8:54 pm
JennyMN
Participant
And can instead cuddle up with all my kiddos together and enjoy them, and read to them, and teach them in a more lovely way. 🙂
I just love the way you said that!