ccare_erin Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 I was going to homeschool this school year (kindergarten) and then my son was drawn for a local charter school (lottery to get in) which was supposed to be fabulous! Well, he hates school. Makes me sad, he's only in K. Anyway, I'm going to homeschool starting next year, 1st grade. Just thinking ahead for what I'll do. I would really like something that is all in one and doesn't require too much planning on my part since I work. Any suggestions? Thanks, Erin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 We love Heart of Dakota! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmschooling Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 I second Heart of Dakota! It's all in one, open 'n go, and uses living books plus several WTM suggestions like R&S Grammar and Singapore Math. Lessons are short and effective...makes learning fun and it's very considerate of mom's time. Main site is http://www.heartofdakota.com (check the placement chart to be sure you start off in just the right guide!) and the super helpful and encouraging forums are at http://www.heartofdakota.com/board3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccare_erin Posted March 21, 2011 Author Share Posted March 21, 2011 I went to their site and noticed that Heart of Dakota is Christ-centered. My son hasn't been raised with religion but was asking about church and what it is so I researched a few local churches and signed him up for religion class. He loves his church, reading the bible, and learning about God. I am doing everything I can to support that since that is what he is interested in. For someone like me, who is very unfamiliar with religion, will this type of curriculum work? Or do I need to have a base knowledge about the bible? Erin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Just wanted to chime in with another vote for HOD! :D Totally open and go, fun, engaging, easy teacher prep, etc. However, HOD is 100% Christ-centered (no easy way around that!) so if you are not Christian that might be a problem (I don't like to assume that all homeschoolers are Christians). I would recommend Five in a Row if a Christian curriculum won't work for you. FIAR is fun, open and go and totally secular (unless you use the Christian supplement but that is not necessary)! http://www.fiveinarow.com. ETA: Just noticed you replied that you are not Christian, so then I would totally go with FIAR! Just add your own math, reading (phonics) and whatever else you would like! My dd5 loves FIAR! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 I went to their site and noticed that Heart of Dakota is Christ-centered. My son hasn't been raised with religion but was asking about church and what it is so I researched a few local churches and signed him up for religion class. He loves his church, reading the bible, and learning about God. I am doing everything I can to support that since that is what he is interested in. For someone like me, who is very unfamiliar with religion, will this type of curriculum work? Or do I need to have a base knowledge about the bible? Erin Erin, in reading your reply more thoroughly, I wanted to encourage you and complement you for allowing your son to explore the Bible! IMHO, HOD would be PERFECT for a child who WANTS to learn more about God and enjoys reading the Bible. You do not need to have any prior experience with Christianity or the Bible or religion AT ALL! HOD is so gentle (not "in your face" if you kwim) and such a sweet program. I would encourage you to check it out. It would be such a wonderful time for you and your son to learn together. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jentancalann Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Heart of Dakota would be good, as would My Father's World 1st grade. It is also Christian, so if you are open to teaching and learning more about the Bible, these would be great picks! No prior knowledge needed. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewel7123 Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 (edited) For open and go you might look into: My Father's World (Adventures, as I dislike how the 1st grade level has the reading/phonics instruction so integrated with the rest of the program.) Sonlight Heart of Dakota Or, you could do your own eclectic mixture of open and go programs for each subject. It's really not as difficult as it sounds. One thing I found out quickly about myself was that although I thought it would be nice to follow someone else's schedule, I discovered that it was more of a burden than a help. I have chosen different curriculum for each subject and not a "boxed" curriculum where I have to go with their suggestions and do it at the pace they suggest. I'll be listing our plans for 1st grade on my blog very soon, if you want to take a peek. Edited March 21, 2011 by jewel7123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelissaMinNC Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 I am planning on My Father's World 1st grade next year - everything's included, and it's all planned out for you. You can look at it here: My Father's World It, like Heart of Dakota is Christ/Bible-centered, but (I don't think) you yourself need a strong background. You can learn right along with your ds! Hope this helps, Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccare_erin Posted March 21, 2011 Author Share Posted March 21, 2011 Thank you so much for the great advice! I have all three websites up and am researching. It's so nice to be able to come here for direction and guidance. This is a bit overwhelming, to say the very least! Erin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwena Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 We too are doing Heart of Dakota and love it!!! IF you like things planned out, fun hands on things with items you have on hand, and enjoy reading good books, you will LOVE HOD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YarnAddict Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 I am planning on My Father's World 1st grade next year - everything's included, and it's all planned out for you. You can look at it here: My Father's World It, like Heart of Dakota is Christ/Bible-centered, but (I don't think) you yourself need a strong background. You can learn right along with your ds! Hope this helps, Melissa :iagree: We LOVED MFW 1st grade. Even though we're switching to Christian Light Education for the fall, I plan to use MFW K and MFW 1st grade with my little one when she gets older. I plan to use CLE with her in 2nd. But, for first grade, MFW is a lot of fun, my DD learned to read fairly easily (thought we did stop and take review days because she would tell me she had too many new sounds in her brain!). We loved it. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I wanted the very same thing two years ago. If you look at my signature, you will see what we ended up with. Well, I wrote about my search for the all-in-one curriculum on my blog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 (edited) . Edited July 12, 2022 by SilverMoon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bird Girl Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 If you don't mind something that has a Christian perspective, I can recommend Sonlight. If you want all the subjects pre-selected for you, they have a new-comer package. (The grade you want, ironically, would be Kindergarten, which is not really intended for your average 5 year old but is much more like a first grade curriculum.) If you want to be able to choose your own math and handwriting and so forth, you would pick Core A (formerly called Core K.) Because I am so lazy, I am delighted to buy everything from Sonlight, including my Singapore books and science. The schedule is easy to follow or adapt, as you need to, and the books are very high quality. I've purchased and used four cores, and we'll be going back again for more next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andie Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 http://www.memoriapress.com/descriptions/1stGrade_Curriculum.html I'm assuming you're looking for something classical, since you're here. :) I'm using MP's K and 2nd grades right now for my youngest two and recommend it highly. It couldn't be easier to implement - plenty of explanation and guidance for a new homeschooler, but not too scripted or difficult to adapt if needed. I think the way the religious study is approached would be perfect for a family that is just learning about/exploring Christianity, too. Best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom24boys Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 We love Heart of Dakota too! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Five in a Row gets my vote only because I have no experience with HOD and though we are Christian, we try to school without it. For the math, look at McRuffy. It is similar to saxon and christian light education but more fun, from the samples. McRuffy also has a wonderful all in one lang arts program, as well that would compliment Five on a Row nicely. If you just did McRuffy for lang arts, math and science, you would need some library trips but you would be all set. FIAR has some very nice forums. I suggest you pop over and ask a bit there, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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