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HOD Week in Review

Heart of Dakota: Bigger week 32

Uuggh! Hard week this week. We were so out and about this week I felt as if we never had time for anything and that we were pushing all week to finish school early! Oh well, that is OK. We got it done and that is what matters. This week we finished the Wright Brothers

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HOD Week in Review

Heart of Dakota: Bigger Week 31

Well, we are still reading about the Wright Brother's and their sister. Once again, we are really enjoying that book! I have to admit these last couple weeks we have put off doing our story-time, bad Mama. The book we are suppose to be doing is Esperanza Rising. So my plan is to start reading

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HOD Week in Review

Heart of Dakota: Bigger week 28

Oh my, I think I have short timers’ syndrome. There is only 5 more weeks left of school and even though I enjoy school so much I am so ready for summer. I am sure there are several of you out there like that too. Well, anyway, Unit 28 was just as good

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HOD Week in Review

Heart of Dakota: Bigger Week 27

 There is only a few weeks left of school. I still cannot believe we are on week 27. This week we learned about John Muir. OK, I say this every once in a while, I had no idea who he was. He was kind of like Audubon, but he did not kill the animals to

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Homeschooling: All Things

Heart of Dakota: Bigger Week 26

This week we finally were able to learn about one of most beloved Presidents, Abraham Lincoln. I happen to have a few books at home specifically about him so I had my son read these out loud to us. He was really a very incredible President and Man!

Anyhow, this week was as good as

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Art

FREE Curriculm and FREE Resources

  I want to make very sure that it is well known that not all of these sites I have posted are Christian, so please visit them first to make sure you approve of them before you send your children there. I have not seen anything myself that was completely wrong or offensive or even

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Articles

Homeschooler Buyers Co-op

So I realized there are many homeschoolers who have not heard of Homeschool Buyers Co-op. Just in my small Park Day group only a couple of us have ever heard of this web site. So I figured I have thousands of readers and there has to be many of you who have not heard of it

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HOD Week in Review

Heart of Dakota: Bigger Week 17 Update

Daniel Boone! What a man! I do not think I could do half of what he did or expected his family to do! This week learning about how this Frontiers-man crossed over form Pennsylvania to North Carolina to Tennessee then on to Kentucky was amazing. We even mapped it for Geography. See the picture below!

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HOD Week in Review

Heart of Dakota: Bigger Week 13 update

This was a lazy week for us. We did not do much of the academic things, but we kept up on our history, science, Bible study and math.

We enjoyed the History Activity on day 1 with the water, but Mom forgot the camera that day. Oh Well. Now both my children understand water flow

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Contests

Heart of Dakota: Bigger Week 12

This is a hard time of year for me to stay focused on school. With all the performances either that I am in or I am directing and parties and shopping and cleaning and preparing. Uugghh, it can over-take my mind and life. I think that is why I am very thankful that I am using

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HOD Week in Review

Heart of Dakota: Bigger Week 11 update

It was interesting on Day one of Unit 11 how it talked about finding out where we came from. My son went right to the map and touch Poland, Austria, Czech and Germany. We really did  not get a chance to call anyone, but we talked to Grandma for a few minutes about her parents

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HOD Week in Review

Heart of Dakota: Bigger Week 10 update

What a great week. Well, I have to be honest, it was HARD at first. You see we had two weeks of vacation. One week away from home and then a week at home. So Monday was not easy to get back into the swing of things, but once we got the week going, by

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HOD Week in Review

Heart of Dakota: Bigger, Week 9 Update

So I know most of you who may have gotten this post a few days ago are saying where is the actual blog post? Well, I am on vacation and so far until this very moment I have not had a chance to sit down and write. So I thought I will just post the

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HOD Week in Review

Heart of Dakota: Bigger, Week 8 Update

So am I a bad Mom? This week was just off. Every night starting Sunday night we went to bed no earlier then 10:30pm. Ok, now my kids go to be by 8:30 maybe 9:00 if I read or we are running late at night. So going to bed 2 hours after bedtime was not

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HOD Week in Review

Heart of Dakota: Bigger, Week 7 Update

OMGosh, we forgot to play Jeopardy this week. Our week started out pretty slow. This week with HOD I felt was a little slower and not quite as much to do as normal, but let me make darn sure you realize that this is NOT a complaint. It was actually nice, since towards the end

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HOD Week in Review

Heart of Dakota: Bigger, Week 6 Update

We have a very unusual schedule. We typically do school for 5 weeks and then take a week off of course during the holiday season it gets a bit tricky. Well, for those of you who follow my blog closely, you probably noticed that I did not have a week 6 update last week. Yup,

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Curriculum Reviews

Heart of Dakota: Bigger Week 5 update

Ok, I realized I need to purchase a thesaurus for the phrase" We had a great week" I keep saying that each week and I am sure my readers are getting tired of that same line. Anyway, I have realized that the Early American History that I learned as a child was very watered down as

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Art

Heart of Dakota Week 4 update

Ok, so this week was not as exciting and good as last week, BUT, it had nothing to do with our curriculum. We were just having an off week. Everyday seemed to start later then we wanted. I was having a hard time sleeping at night all week,  I could not pull my behind out

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HOD Week in Review

Seashore Videos For Bigger Hearts

 I had several people write to me saying they live in an area where they are not even close to a beach and they are also are using the Heart of Dakota Bigger Hearts. So I had put some great links to some videos in one of the comments section, but I figured there were

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Curriculum Reviews

Heart of Dakota Week 3 Update

Well, this week was pretty good. Our hick up was Math for my son. You see my son hates math. Probably somehow my fault in the earlier years, but none the less, he hates it and therefore is about 6 months behind his "grade" or "age".

(Just FYI, I figured out how to do a

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Curriculum Reviews

Heart Of Dakota Week 2 Update

As suspected, we had another wonderful week. Currently we are learning about things on the sea shores and I finally thought to myself on Monday after school. "Self,' I said, "You live in Sunny Southern California, why the heck are you sitting in the house to learn about the sea shore. Take the book, a

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Curriculum Reviews

Trying a New Curriculum: Heart of Dakota Week 1

This year I am trying a whole new curriculum for History, Geography, Timeline, Notebooking, Poetry, Bible and Science etc. Heart of Dakota. A friend showed me this curriculum at the beginning of last year and after a ton of research and the fact I LOVE the Charlotte Mason approach, I fell in love

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Biblical

Advent Calendar

You know I have each year for advent missed the first couple days and never really started our advent till the first of December. As well as I never really do much more then read Bible verses. Which is fine, but my son is 8 and my daughter is 5 and it is time for the

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Curriculum Reviews

Lewis and Clark Download-N-Go Series

I have to tell you that this Lewis and Clark Download N Go Series By Amanda Bennett could not be more comprehensible. And like always, the Download N Go Series has a generous amount of resources for you to use which is one of the things that keeps me coming back for more of

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History/Geography

California Native Americans Unit Study

Most of my regular readers on my blog know me well enough to know I am not much into a traditional unit study unless I do not have to do much research. I received this small but mighty 16-page unit study of the California Native Indians as an e-book by HLN Family.com called Continue reading California Native Americans Unit Study

Homeschooling: All Things

Roller Coasters, Download N Goâ„¢ Series

Roller Coasters, Download N Go™ Series By Amanda Bennett is actually very easy to use and laid out agreeably for any homeschool teacher. It really could not be simpler to use! She has given you plenty of resources, like books, which she give you the ISBN numbers for those books (nice), as well as links

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Homeschooling: All Things

Little Learners’ Literature Play, Learn, Create and Move

  I love to read to my kids and love my kids to read to me. Little Learners’ Literature Play, Learn, Create and Move: A Look at Life: Lighthouses and Rescues takes a spin on a good literature book for young children. In this case she suggests a literature books to read that you

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Curriculum Reviews

Let’s Learn About Sea Mammals

Now this is my kind of unit study. I like it when people write a course and put in everything you need. Another words you open the pdf and print it out and just go to town. This is what Ann Huss has done with her Let’s Learn About Sea Mammals unit study.  

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Homeschooling: All Things

The Little But Mighty Ant

Ewwwwwwe, ants! I dislike ants an awful lot. They come into your home and take over and but at least they are not too hard to get rid of. Well Brandenburg Studies has put together a FANTASTIC unit study for us called The Little But Mighty Ant. Even though we may not

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History/Geography

Vincent Van Gogh Flash Cards

OMGoodness, I have found it! One thing I have always disliked about doing a study on artists is the fact that I have to research all the paintings they have painted or if I find a site that has 20 or more of the painting they have completed all in one place, then the pictures

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History/Geography

Study an Artist

Do you have a hard time teaching your children about artists? Have you ever thought after teaching you children about a particular artist that a week later they remember nothing? Yea, me too. One of the ways I have helped my children to remember things is either by note-booking or by lapbooking or my favorite,

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Curriculum Reviews

All Chocolate, A Fun Study

You know I love chocolate. I am kind of weird and never liked it as a child, but my kids do. When I got the chance to do a study on chocolate for only a $1.00 I figured I could not loose. I have now found my favorite mini unit studies to do with my

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Curriculum Reviews

All Owsl; A Fun Study

Growing up my father loved owls. That was his favorite animal. When he died I inherited several of his statues and knick-knacks of owls and they are all around my home. Now that my kids are older I think it may be time to explain exactly what these wonderful creations that my Dad was so

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Reviews

Hummingbird Copy Work & Fun

You know one of the wonders of God is the hummingbird. They are an incredible creature and my kids love them. We have a humming bird feeder sitting right outside our schoolroom window. My kids wanted to learn more about these beautiful creatures so along came an amazing copy workbook all about hummingbirds.   Continue reading Hummingbird Copy Work & Fun

Homeschooling: All Things

K-2 Earth and Space Science: Weather

The K-2 Earth and Space Science: Weather is such a fun unit study and I have only begun to really work with it. From the moment I opened this unit study I realized that this was my kind of workbook. I like it when a company has written everything out for you and that

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Homeschooling: All Things

America’s Monuments, Symbols, & National Parks Copywork & Fun!

Our countries great monuments are fascinating and most kids are enthralled by their grandeur and what they are and why they were made. But sometimes when our kids ask those questions we, as homeschoolers, think we much break out a huge unit study on this one thing that our child has asked us about. Well

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History/Geography

Ben Franklin Download N Go By Amanda Bennett

The Ben Franklin, Download N Go By Amanda Bennett is extremely easy to use and is described and arranged quit nicely for the teachers use. It really could not be easier for you to use especially for those of us who really like curriculum or unit studies with no preparation!

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Computer

Flash Cards

So how many of us print out all sorts of flash cards so we can play games like go fish or old maid to help make math or phonics more fun? Or how many curriculum's come with flash cards. The problem is how to keep them neat. I usually put a rubber band around them

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Homeschooling: All Things

Kite Capers Download N Go Series

I have to admit this unit study, Kite Capers; Download N Go Series By Amanda Bennett could not be more user friendly for the teacher. Kite Capers has many resources for you to use such as books, as well as on line links to videos, which I love, poetry, worksheets, vocabulary etc. Some of

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Curriculum Reviews

Exploring God’s Creation – The Butterfly Theme Study

Spring has sprung. Ok, well maybe not quite yet, but before you know it, it will be upon us. The bees will be buzzing and the flowers will be growing and the butterflies will be fluttering. Right now is a great time to get your curriculum together for spring. And as you may have guessed I

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Book/E-Book

George Washington Unit Study with Lapbook

Children can learn so much from people in history, and George Washington is one of the best examples. George Washington is a great American soldier and President that your children will want to dive into and learn all about. Each day your child will explore and investigate with their Continue reading George Washington Unit Study with Lapbook

Homeschooling: All Things

In the Days of the Knights and Castles Lapbook

I know some of you think that there is a lot of cutting involved in lapbooks, and there is, but the one thing you get from a lapbook like In the Days of the Knights and Castles is a well-rounded study of a this subject. Kids seem to retain

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Homeschooling: All Things

Valentine’s Day History, Symbols, Games Unit Study

Have you always wanted your child to learn all about Valentine's Day? This Valentine's Unit Study with Study Guide is a great way to have an easy research of one of our countries holidays. Some of the topics Journey Through Learning includes on this one are, what the history of Valentine's Day is all

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Homeschooling: All Things

Amphibians Unit Study with Study Guide

Ok, who knows what an amphibian really is? What is the difference between a Frog and a Toad? I found some tadpoles, but what do I feed them? Or maybe you have always wondered what the defense mechanisms of amphibians are. Well, I think Journey Through Learning has a great

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Homeschooling: All Things

December Book Bag 2009, Common Questions about the Human Body

December Book Bag 2009, Common Questions about the Human Body is a very unique question and answer book about the human body. There are 73 pages of question s about the whole human body. Your child will peak into different systems of the body as you run through each of the 1 to

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Homeschooling: All Things

Me and My Body by A Journey Through Learning

Lapbooks are a great way of teaching on a certain subject with a very hands on approach. There are, of course, a few supplies that you will need to have on hand like some scissors, glue, paper and a file folder and of course your child. But these supplies are minimal and you most likely

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Homeschooling: All Things

Great Ancient China Projects You Can Build Yourself by Nomad Press

So remember not too long ago I did a review on a lapbook on Asia. Well I received a book on Great Ancient China projects you can build yourself to go along with our Asia study. Of course like any good study goes, it starts out with a timeline.

We are learning about

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Homeschooling: All Things

On the Move, Transportation, Land, Water and Air!

This months book bag is a great one. It gives the kids a chance to learn all the ways we get around. On the Move, Transportation, Land, Water and Air by Teacher Book Bag is the name of the book we are looking at today. I loved this book. My daughter (4) and I

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History/Geography

The Great Ice Age Lapbook by Hands of a Child

If you have read any of my reviews you know how much I adore Hands of a Child Lapbooks? There are a few things you will need to supply like some scissors, glue, paper and a file folder etc. the supplies you need are minimal and you probably have them laying around already. They are

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History/Geography

Theodore Roosevelt Lapbook by Hands of a Child

I adore Hands of a child lapbooks? They are entirely prepared for you. In the Theodore Roosevelt lapbook they give you 60 pages, which includes 20, hands on activities for your lapbook as well as the research pages plus you get a list of books, websites and links to construct a well-formed study of

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Homeschooling: All Things

Autumn Treasures, Download N Go

I have to admit this unit study, Autumn Treasures, Download N Goâ„¢ Series By Amanda Bennett is actually very easy to use and drawn out nicely for the teacher. It really could not be easier! It gives you so many resources to go to. Books, as well as on line links to

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Book/E-Book

An Autumn Nature Study and More by: Katie’s Homschool Cottage

I am not much into unit studies myself unless they are all completely drawn out for me. But, I have to admit this unit study of An Autumn Nature Study and More by: Katie’s Homschool Cottage is very easy to use. It gives you so many resources to go to. Books, as

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History/Geography

Trail Guide to US Geography

Most of my regular readers know me well enough to know I am not much into a traditional unit study unless it has all the information (more like a theme study) at hand and I do not have to do much research. However, I think this 133-page unit study of the 50 states I received

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Book/E-Book

Teaching Our Children to Be Homemakers

You know as I grew up I was taught some of the basic things to do to be a homemaker. However, looking back today I really wished my mom would have taught me a bit more. Like how to bake bread. How to make a menu for a week etc. Who knows maybe she taught

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Book/E-Book

I Wanna Be A Chef Unit Study

I found out one of my friends older kids who happens to be in public school was going to have a career day. So, I was thinking to myself…as a Homeschooler, how do I go about having a so called career day for my children later on as they get older. I want them to

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Curriculum Reviews

Tapestry of Grace

You know I have found over the years that there is no right or wrong way to teach your children. In every homeschool there are many different methods used and many different curriculums out there that say they are the best or better then the next. What makes a curriculum work for me is the

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Curriculum Reviews

Five in a Row

Last year my son and I learned a little bit about Early American History. Just mainly the Indians. We used a well know literature based curriculum. To this day my son can recite the information he learned from those books. Now you may be asking why do I bring that up when I am reviewing

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Homeschooling: All Things

ABC & 123 Lapbook

We made the cutest tacktile ABC and 123 Lapbook. You just have to check out the pictures. Click here to see it. http://raquelshomeschooldays.blogspot.com/2008/12/abc-and-123-lapbook.html

Computer

Puppetools

I think most parents realize how important play is in the development of our children. There is also research out there that says that play can also aid in learning. Jeffrey Peyton, the creator of Puppetools, feels this is very critical in helping educators and us parents in this area and he has a

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Homeschooling: All Things

I Made My Own Theme Study

I am so proud of myself. After weeks of searching site after site I never found a theme study on clocks. No not one on time, but one on clocks. I ended up spending 4 days researching different sites on the subject. I found a couple great sites that gave me most of the information

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