Dear Carrie
Do the high school guides incrementally build in skill level as you go up?
I’m a homeschool mom of five, and I’ve loved using Heart of Dakota since 2010! I am wondering if the high school guides are pretty much written at a certain skill level? Or, do they continue to progressively build in skill level as you go up? I’m curious if they incrementally build like the younger guides, where one guide prepares the student for the next guide in line. Or, are they written to be done in any order, with approximately the same level of reading and writing skills in each? Obviously this wouldn’t apply to the math portion, as that would have to build up in a certain way. However, I’m wondering about the rest of the guide. No matter what, we’ll be using Heart of Dakota, but I’m just curious! Thanks in advance, Carrie!
Sincerely,
“Ms. Curious About Whether the High School Guides Build Incrementally”
Dear “Ms. Curious About Whether the High School Guides Build Incrementally,”
This is a good question! Like the younger guides, the high school guides do build incrementally upon the skills from the previous guides. So, as you progress through high school the level of the skills increase as do the type of skills. Some skills also bow out while others rise to replace them.
Though it is best to move through the guides in sequence, it is still key to place students where they fit best according to the placement chart.
The best path through Heart of Dakota (HOD) is definitely in sequence if at all possible. However, we do know that some families coming to HOD from another curriculum may have to borrow from upper guides (or possibly even lower guides) to put together their needed high school credits. It is still key to place students where they fit best according to the placement chart though. If students are well-placed in a lower guide and are not able to complete all of the high school guides prior to graduating, they will still be receiving a strong education that meets them where they are and incrementally moves them forward.
You will see a range of ages using each of the high school guides.
Of course, all of the guides are suitable for a range of ages, and the high school guides are no exception. So, you will definitely see a range of ages using each of the high school guides. In the comments for the World Geography section of our catalog, there are comments from 15, 16, and 18 year-olds (all of who successfully used the World Geography Guide with some modifications in math and science). I hope this can be an encouragement to you as your oldest enters high school!
Blessings,
Carrie
