Heart of Dakota

08/21/2025

From Carrie: When homeschooling your family, typically there is automatically plenty of “together time.” It is interesting to think about how constructive some of that “together time” really is. Sometimes there can be too much together time! Just as adults crave time alone, students do too. When we as teachers make everything a group activity, school can quickly fall into the category of too much together time. | https://tinyurl.com/4u4y6xr5

08/20/2025

For this week's Graduate Spotlight, we are proud to feature HOD alumnus Ryan! Here's what his parents have to say:

"I was first introduced to Heart of Dakota by a friend who had seen your curriculum at a homeschool convention. She suggested I take a look at it because she knew our family enjoyed hands-on learning. I started Ryan, our oldest of 6, in Little Hearts for Kindergarten and we have continued with HOD all the way through U.S. History II to graduation! His favorite subject has been history, and he has also really enjoyed reading all of the excellent books included as part of the curriculum. As a parent, I have been thankful for the mostly prep-free daily plans, the methodical way HOD moves the students to independence in their studies, and, most importantly, the way Christ is beautifully woven into each of the subjects.

This year, Ryan completed some dual enrollment courses alongside his HOD, and next fall he will continue his education at Grove City College as a mechanical engineering major. I am confident he will do well there because of the foundations that Heart of Dakota's curriculum has laid for him, both spiritually and academically.

Thank you for the work you do to provide Christ-centered teachings that also make learning come alive. We are so grateful."

Congrats on graduating, Ryan! We pray that the Lord does great things in your life as you take your next steps. 🙏

If you have an HOD student graduating this year that you would like us to feature, just email us their grad photo and a summary of their education + post-graduation plans. We'd love to feature them! 😊

08/19/2025

08/14/2025

From Carrie: When a child reaches Creation to Christ (and the guides that come after it), it is time to work on proofreading. Typically, proofreading does not come naturally to children. This means children must practice this skill in order for it to become a habit. | https://tinyurl.com/rme5te5a

08/13/2025

For this week's Graduate Spotlight, we are proud to feature HOD alumna Caitlin! Here's what her parents have to say:

"Our daughter, Caitlin has recently graduated from high school. We have exclusively used Heart of Dakota for all of her schooling from Little Hands to Heaven all the way through US History 2.

We have appreciated the comprehensive education and easy to follow format. Through the years, there have been many highlights, but Caitlin's favorite subject has always been History. She especially loved the president study and the study on the signers of the Declaration of Independence in the Middle School guides. She still refers to the books regularly and has added many more to expand her knowledge on these subjects.

The years of education using Heart of Dakota resulted in impressive SAT scores and many college acceptances with scholarships and invitations to honors programs. She has chosen Wilkes University in Pennsylvania to pursue a major in Theatre Arts and a minor in Dance. We are so grateful to Heart of Dakota for blessing our family for all these years."

Congrats on graduating, Caitlin! We pray that the Lord does great things in your life as you take your next steps. 🙏

If you have an HOD student graduating this year that you would like us to feature, just email us their grad photo and a summary of their education + post-graduation plans. We'd love to feature them! 😊

08/07/2025

From Carrie: Today’s teaching tip is all about priorities. If you’re like me, you might get a bit overwhelmed with the tasks that lie ahead in the coming school year. This is why it helps to set priorities before your year begins.
| https://rb.gy/c666dh

08/06/2025

For this week's Graduate Spotlight, we are proud to feature HOD alumnus Edison Budd! Here's what his parents have to say:

"Hello!

I wanted to share with you about our recent graduate, Edison Budd! We began using HOD when Edison was 4 years old. I had read about the curriculum a few years earlier and fell in love with it! As a new homeschooling mom, it was exactly the Biblically rich curriculum that I desired for my children. Edison went all the way through World Geography when he transitioned to dual enrollment college classes and Firefighting/EMT training at a local career center. He graduated this Spring with his high school diploma, a bachelors degree in Public Safety Management & Leadership, and earned his state certifications in Firefighting & EMS. He is spending the summer on Summer Mission with Cru, then will be applying for jobs as a firefighter. We are so proud of the man his becoming.

There are so many moments from our time with HOD that I will never forget. We spent much of our early years curled up on the couch reading together. Later years brought us many spiritual conversations and a front row seat to watching him learn through great literature. He has grown to be a critical thinker and learned to be discerning of things he hears. I strongly believe that our schooling with Heart of Dakota helped him with those skills.

Thank you for creating a beautiful curriculum that helps us shepherd our children’s hearts!"

Congrats on graduating, Edison! We pray that the Lord does great things in your life as you take your next steps. 🙏

If you have an HOD student graduating this year that you would like us to feature, just email us their grad photo and a summary of their education + post-graduation plans. We'd love to feature them! 😊