Worry About "Measuring Up"

I've been attempting to plan next year's curriculum.  Oh, not the type of planning that requires me to actually plan the work, just the type of planning that has me choosing exactly what we will use and what we won't.  This has required prayer on my part, since I want to invest money wisely. 

I really want to use Heart of Dakota for all of my students.  For my younger two daughters, this is NOT a problem.  However, Heart of Dakota doesn't have a High School program yet.  They will be coming out with their first high school level in August that covers World Geography.  However, my daughter is covering that material this year through a different program.

However, Heart of Dakota has this amazing message board.  The advice on this board is amazing.  The author or her sister is often on the board, answering questions.  They are both very sweet and knowledgeable ladies.  I posted about my daughter, her learning difficulties in high school, and my desire to use Heart of Dakota with her at the high school level.  Within a day I received an amazing advice giving me a couple of options for my daughter.

Apparently many of the programs meant for the junior high level can be "beefed" up for high school.  After reading about how to do this, and what materials to use, I am SO excited.  I still haven't made any certain decision on which program to begin my step-daughter in, but I am excited that I can do this.

"Beefing" up a program requires adding high school level materials to the existing program.  This means using high school level math and English, adding in high school level literature and electives, and adding some reading to the history that is advanced enough to make the material credit worthy.  For upper level science, this means adding in materials that will go more in-depth.  However, the advanced option for Physical Science is already high school credit worthy.

To me, this is a relief.  Then, as I truly considered it, I realized that this "beefing" up isn't as big a deal as I was trying to make it.  Most high school reading materials is averaging a 5th grade level!  As a mom, I obviously want better for my daughter.  But the materials in even the junior high level books are higher than the average high school reading material.  Adding in the suggested extensions that Heart of Dakota offers, plus High School level literature, makes the educational level much more in-depth and detailed than what is offered in most public high schools and even some private schools.

Heart of Dakota uses a mixture of newer materials as well as books that are considered public domain.  These older works are a great resource for in-depth vocabulary and sentence structure.  I also have my children reading the McGuffey Readers.  The McGuffey readers are advanced, with the 4th Reader of the original books, not the revised, easily hitting high school and early college levels.  I don't believe that my daughter is going to receive an education that is inferior or unacceptable at the college level.

My step-daughter spent years as an LD student.  She worries about measuring up.  I worried about it too when I first brought her home.  Now, however, as I see her growing and succeeding, I have come to the realization that I should just relax and let her learn.  Pressure doesn't help either one of us.  She stresses and shuts down, unable to absorb the material.  I get edgy and defensive.  Instead, I've decided to use the Heart of Dakota program, taking it a day at a time, and allow her to really explore and learn at the slower, Charlotte Mason-inspired pace.

I am still undecided about whether to go through World History or US History first.  I am leaning towards doing World History, as is traditional.  I'll have to use a different guide for the science, but I think I can make it work without issue.  In this way, Jasmine and Laura would be doing the same history, Bible, and Writing.  They would have their own levels of grammar, literature study, and math.  They would be using different science levels. 

The more I think about it, the more excited I get.  I worried that I needed to have the girls in different programs to keep my older daughter from comparing herself or feeling bad that she was in the same level as her younger sis.  After discussing it with her today, however, the older sis thinks it would be fun.  She doesn't see a problem with it at all.

The time is getting closer to where I will be ordering.  As I pray for God's guidance in this and all areas of my homeschool, I have a peace that He is leading.