Reading the guide’s “Introduction” is great preparation for the school year.
You may be beginning to turn your thoughts toward school. One of the best ways to prepare for the upcoming year is to read through your HOD guide’s “Introduction.” There is such a wealth of information in the “Introduction” that we should truly title it something else!
How does reading the “Introduction” help prepare you for the year?
The “Introduction” will give you a feel for how each area is handled in the guide and the goals for each subject. It will let you know what notebooks, binders, etc. are needed for each subject area. Reading the “Introduction” provides a great summary of what to expect for the coming year. The “Introduction” is the last part of the guide we write. In this way, we can be sure that it truly summarizes needed information for you in one place!
If you have students in different HOD guides, read only one guide’s “Introduction” each day.
If you will be teaching more than one Heart of Dakota guide, read the “Introduction” for different guides on different days. This will help you focus on one guide at a time and will keep you from getting overwhelmed.
Can you use the guide without reading the “Introduction?”
Of course you can skip reading the “Introduction” and just jump right in and teach. However, often when families do this they miss the big picture of the guide. They also miss out on some gems that are referred to in the “Introduction” and included in the Appendix.
So, let’s get started!
After more than 15 years of homeschooling my boys with HOD, I still read the “Introduction” at the start of my school year! So, grab a cup of tea or coffee, cuddle up with your highlighter, and read away. Just reading the “Introduction” will make you feel more prepared!
Blessings,
Carrie
This Post Has 6 Comments
Thanks so much for this tip/idea!! Curious if the introduction to Little Hands on your website is the complete introduction in the book? Thanks!
Yes, it is! As Little Hands to Heaven is a PreK program for 2-5 year olds that takes just 25-30 minutes a day, the Introduction is not very long. We don’t want to overwhelm little ones nor new homeschool moms! However, Introductions become longer as students move up in the guides because their days are longer and their subjects involve many skills. I believe the high school guides have somewhere around 30 pages of front and back guidelines in the Introduction! Anyway, hope that helps answer your question!
Oh my! Such sage advice!! I have used HOD for all my teaching years and we are graduating our first this year. I did not read the introduction for years and fumbled my way through. Then, low and behold, I read through the introduction and life just became more clear! Read through the introduction!!!!
Thanks for the encouragement to fellow homeschool moms here, Peggy!!! I helped write the Introduction of each guide, and I still reread each Introduction before starting my homeschool year! Even the guides I’ve done several times before get a good reading of the Introduction by me before starting – too much important information to overlook! Thanks for your response here!
Thank you for the reminder! I’m so thankful for this blog and all the hard work you guys do to bless us in our homeschooling. I have two guides I will be teaching from this year plus DITHOR. So I guess I know what I need to do over the next three days
Going to read now!
Glad you enjoyed this blog post, Erin! Happy reading of the Introduction and happy planning for the upcoming homeschool year with HOD – God bless!
In Christ,
Julie