From the start of homeschooling I have been drawn to literature-based homeschooling. However, the price of most programs kept me from being able to purchase any of them. I had been drawn to one specific program and would use their catalog as a guide for books I would check out at the library or buy to use with my then third grader. She was the only one being homeschooled at the time.
Then, I began reading about Heart of Dakota through various reviews. I was intrigued by the program, but didn't understand that it was Charlotte Mason based, or even what that meant. I had only glimpsed Charlotte Mason, and knew she loved and promoted 'living books' and didn't like 'twaddle'. I agreed with her, but didn't look further into her methods.
Heart of Dakota got rave reviews, so I bought Preparing Hearts for my daughter to use in fourth grade. I had such high hopes for the program. We began with gusto. However, very quickly we were struggling. First, the Charlotte Mason methods of narrating and copywork were foreign to me. It made me uncomfortable since it was so different from what I was used to. No spelling? What is dictation? So much of it made no sense to me. All I liked was the reading. The rest of it just left me feeling that I wasn't doing things the "right" way.
Laura didn't like it either. Eventually, I started supplementing the other subjects one by one because they made more sense to me and Laura. We used some of the books as readers, but I figured that this just wasn't for us.
We began fifth grade with a trusted Christian, traditional program and I was completely at ease with that. I could always add readers. In fact, I bought a few Christian literature books from Abeka, BJU, and Christian Liberty. I thought I'd come up with the perfect balance. However, I still wanted to try other methods.
I began reading about Charlotte Mason and her methods around this time. As I read about how Charlotte Mason believed children should be educated, it made so much sense to me. Simply Charlotte Mason became one of my favorite websites because of all the information that just explained everything to me in a simple, gentle way. I read every free article they had and even many conversations in the discussion forum. Once again, the name of Heart of Dakota was coming up often.
I decided to begin some of the Charlotte Mason techniques again, but slowly this time. I began with science, since Laura craved some hands-on in this area. I decided, since I had the books, that I would try the science of Heart of Dakota for awhile to see how that worked. I added in a bit of nature study here and there. My daughter began to love science and wanted to do it first and foremost.
One by one I added things over a couple months that were more in the style of Charlotte Mason. It wasn't all smooth sailing, but things were improving. I decided to go back to Preparing Hearts for His Glory after Christmas Break. As I did, this time my daughter came alive!
We still do some traditional type things. We do a language arts program from a different company because, after trying so many different ones, this one Laura loves. We also have a reading program that includes a reader and not separate books. However, we will slowly be transitioning to Drawn Into the Heart of Reading.
I switched Laura to Heart of Dakota's recommended math, Singapore math. I was nervous about that switch, but it was affordable enough to try. Some of the reviews had talked about how fast the program moved. The placement test had Laura scoring a little low, but I did read the program ran a little advanced so that didn't bother me. We will try it for awhile.
We are still adjusting to some of the Charlotte Mason concepts. Dictation is something that I still get nervous about. Narration is a skill we are still building. Laura is getting better at it, but it has taken time. Copywork is starting to show some promise as Laura's writing and spelling skills are improving. It is taking time, but we are enjoying trying other things.
When I began Heart of Dakota, I should have started with Bigger Hearts for His Glory. I believe it would have eased us into the program and the Charlotte Mason style a little better. Either way, Laura is doing wonderfully now with Heart of Dakota. I am so sold on the program that I bought the preschool program, Little Hands to Heaven, for my three year old. Next year, Laura will be doing Creation to Christ.
Technically, Laura should be doing the extensions for the program to beef it up. However, I only add them here and there. Truthfully, the program is very solid without them. Once in awhile Laura could use the program beefed up for her, but since it goes on age level and not grade level, that is rare for her. She is a young fifth grader, fitting into the age bracket. Her math and language arts are at the state level, so I only supplement with extensions sporadically. As we adjust to Charlotte Mason, I may add more of the extension materials. It all depends on how Laura is doing. If I see her getting bored, or just want to read an interesting book from the extension package, I will know to add some more challenging work.
I will give this advice for those just beginning the Charlotte Mason style. If your child is older and has been in public school, ease into the program and methods. As a parent educated in traditional schools, the concepts were foreign to me too. Do your research. Read articles and blogs and reviews. Realize that it is different from how the traditional schools teach. I always said I wanted different, but putting it into practice without the fear of failure was difficult. Charlotte Mason and Heart of Dakota don't follow the traditional scope and sequence for some of the subjects. It has taken awhile for me to be okay with that, and even to think of that as a benefit. Truthfully, as Laura and I go through the program, I find myself learning as much or more than her!
Homeschooling is definitely a journey for us. Our journey has sometimes gone in circles, but it has always taught me very valuable lessons. Lucky for my younger daughter that is just beginning in preschool, I have these learned a lot through trial and error with the older one. Of course, my ten year old has felt like my guinea pig... cause she has been. I never thought our journey would be as challenging as it has been. The rewards have been unexpected and more fulfilling than I thought too. I couldn't imagine life without homeschooling now, and I pray God protects our rights to teach and train our children in this manner.
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