Heart of Dakota Beyond?

[ktgrok]

I see that HOD Beyond uses the history book I really want to use next year, American Pioneers and Patriots. And it has some excellent literature options, etc. We would do our own math and language arts I believe. Anyone like it? Love it? I don't know that we would do it long term, as I'm not sure it would work out for us long term as Catholics, but it looks pretty good for next year. 

 

Hoping to have some craft ideas built in? Or hands on stuff?

Oh, and we'd do our own thing for science, mainly using Outdoor Secrets and the Burgess Bird book and such from Simply Charlotte Mason. 

[Tenaj]

I have used this guide twice now but it's my least favorite HOD guide.  I always feel guilty saying that but that's the truth of it.  On the other hand, my children always love it - go figure.  In fact, my 7yods was just explaining to someone a story about Miles Standish that we had read several months ago so he's retaining.

 

I do like the books for history, though, be warned that the other spine, Stories of the Pilgrims, does occasionally refer to Indians as "savages".  I just edit as I'm reading. 

 

There are hands on activities for science, art and activities for history (one per day).  Sometimes they feel too young for my children so we usually end up skipping them, but I have noticed that if I make the effort to use them, my 7 yods really likes them so I should probably try more often!

 

I use my own language arts because my kids are usually capable doing more than what is scheduled in the Beyond guide.

 

I think that if I use it for my youngest, I'm going to add in some kind of notebooking pages, maybe some coloring pictures and oral narration.  My son in this guide really ends up with very little in his notebook.   We tend to just read and discuss the books in the story time box so I don't have much experience with those activities but they are there.

 

Edited to Add:  The fifth day of each week is a reading from the Bible that  applies to either the history or the Bible Verse they've been working on.  We skip the fifth day because we do something completely different for Bible.

Edited April 13, 2016 by JanOH

[shadah]

I don't think it would work for Catholic prespective. The pilgrim book in particular. If you are using it as a reading schedule, you should know the lit is not scheduled for you only the history.

The crafts were not bad. We liked the geography and math activities. We did our own science, as well. But really, you could just read the history and lit you wanted without the guide.

[TracyP]

Pioneers and Patriots is fine but I do not think you will be happy with the other history spines. I had to put it away just a few weeks in.

[strange_girl]

It's an expensive reading schedule, basically, since you aren't going to use the math, LA, Bible, or science. As a previous poster said, it does not schedule the literature. Also, both Stories of the Pilgrims and Boys and Girls of Colonial Days are quite inferior to American Pioneers and Patriots, in my opinion. Your best option is probably just to do AP&P and leave the rest alone.

[sunshineslp]

Following. I'm considering hod. Do you all feel hod gets stronger after Beyond?

 

 

Homeschooling mama of 4... Preschool 3, preschool 4, 1st, and 2nd:)

[ktgrok]

Thank you all! You saved me some money :)

[Tenaj]

Following. I'm considering hod. Do you all feel hod gets stronger after Beyond?

 

 

Homeschooling mama of 4... Preschool 3, preschool 4, 1st, and 2nd:)

 

Absolutely!  No doubt about it.  I've used all the guides completely up through MTMM and parts of the high school geography and world history.  Beyond is the only guide I don't care for.

 

I wouldn't say that Beyond isn't "strong".  It's just not my style.  I expect more of my first/second graders than HOD does.  It's probably just that my classical leanings are stronger than my Charlotte Mason side.

 

From Bigger on up, HOD is wonderful.

[shadah]

Beyond is, I think, intentionally light on content. It is more for building skills so it schedules spelling, copywork, beginning grammar, math activities, and emerging readers.

 

Bigger was much better for us. It was the smoothest year we've had. The only complaint I have heard is that some people do not like the history spines in Bigger. We loved them.

 

Bigger had more of a Charlotte Mason feel with the hymn study (we loved that) and the nature study.