Heart of Dakota Reviews: What Homeschool Families Actually Say

By Heart of Dakota·Bible/Religious Studies · History · Literature/Language Arts · Science · Math · Spelling · Writing · Grammar · Handwriting · Art · Music

3 video reviews: 2 positive

All three reviews here come from a single reviewer who likes the program, so read this as one enthusiastic perspective rather than a consensus. Her picture is consistent: Heart of Dakota is a Charlotte Mason, living-books curriculum with the gospel at its heart — open-and-go daily plans that need no prep, hands-on activities, lots of real books shipped to you in hard copy, and coverage from preschool through high school. Despite the gentle Charlotte Mason reputation, she calls it fairly rigorous compared to public school and credits it with teaching kids to think critically; pages are color-coded so parents can see at a glance what kids can do independently. Pricing runs from about $120 for preschool to $500 for high school. Her cons: it's not accredited, there are no video lessons, the style will surprise families expecting traditional schooling, and the biblical worldview is so heavily intertwined that secular families will find it nearly impossible to separate out.

Synthesized from 3 independent video reviews — every claim sourced from what real homeschool parents said on camera.

A good fit if…

Christian families who want a gospel-centered, open-and-go Charlotte Mason curriculum built on living books and hands-on learning, from preschool through high school.

Probably skip if…

Secular families (the biblical worldview can't be separated out), anyone needing accreditation or video lessons, and parents expecting a traditional school-style program.

The reviews (3)

Heart of Dakota 🤔: A Charlotte Mason Homeschool Curriculum In this Heart of Dakota homeschool curriculum review I go through this Charlotte Mason homeschooling program, looking at the pros and cons of this program. Check it out here: https://heartofdakota.idevaffiliate.com/104.html I'm an affiliate but wasn't when I made this video! Great program! I really like it because it teaches the Bible clearly and has a gospel-centered focus to help children know and love Jesus. FYI, I'm NOT an affiliate with HOD...I just really like their curriculum: https://heartofdakota.com/ HOMESCHOOL BOOKLIST MY SON LISTENS TO: https://howdoihomeschool.com/homeschool-booklist-grades-k-12/ My Online Course 👌 (Homeschool Parenting Program❤️) HERE: https://howdoihomeschool.com/homeschool-parenting-program/ Contact me by email: rebeccadevitt@howdoihomeschool.com My Websites (FREEBIES ON HOMEPAGE😁): howdoihomeschool.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howdoihomeschool Twitter: https://twitter.com/RebeccaDevitt5 Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/rebbeccadevitt/ Affiliate links used in this description box!

PositiveHow to Homeschool

Charlotte Mason for Beginners: The Basics You Need to Know 😍📚💗 This video is about Charlotte Mason education for beginners. It covers the basics of what the Charlotte Mason method is, and how to get started using it in your homeschool. My homeschool course: https://howdoihomeschool.com/homeschool-parenting-program/ Charlotte Mason Home Education Series: https://amzn.to/3OGPhXB Schoolhouse Teachers: https://schoolhouseteachers.com/dap/a/?a=33093 Heart of Dakota: https://heartofdakota.idevaffiliate.com/104.html Simply Charlotte Mason: https://simplycharlottemason.com/ref/g6zjy/ Charlotte Mason in a Box: https://www.queenhomeschool.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=182 Using my affiliate link helps support our homeschool. Thanks so much! #charlottemason #charlottemasonhomeschool #charlottemasoneducation

PositiveHow to Homeschool

7 BEST Charlotte Mason Homeschool Curriculum Packages? ❤️👌 Charlotte Mason had a unique approach to education which is perfect for homeschools. Many curriculum companies have modeled their curriculum, so it follows her approach. This video shows some of the best charlotte mason homeschool curriculum programs available today. Hope you enjoy them. 😊 These are the ones I talked about 🙌(affiliate links included): Ambleside Online: https://amblesideonline.org/ Living Books Curriculum: https://charlottemasonhomeschooling.com/ Simply Charlotte Mason: https://simplycharlottemason.com/ref/g6zjy/ Charlotte Mason in a Box: https://www.queenhomeschool.com/categories/charlotte-mason-in-a-box-kits/ Heart of Dakota: https://heartofdakota.idevaffiliate.com/104.html A Gentle Feast: https://www.thefeastlife.me/a/2147894037/Lxz25bwk AND USE CODE for a discount: REBECCA Masterbooks: https://www.christianbook.com/page/homeschool/master-books?event=AFF&navcat=Homeschool|Curriculum-Index|Master-Books&p=1225968 SECULAR Charlotte Mason Option - Nautilus Homeschool: https://www.nautilushomeschool.com/?via=rebecca My Online Course 👌 (Homeschool Parenting Program❤️) HERE: https://howdoihomeschool.com/homeschool-parenting-program/ My Community (Made2Homeschool): https://www.made2homeschool.com/a/2147529243/ZtRNyKGY My Curriculum (BJU Press) 😍: https://www.bjupresshomeschooling.com/site/include.php?id=63 Veritas Press FREE Consultation🙌: https://love.veritaspress.com/rebecca-howdoihomeschool/ Contact me by email: rebeccadevitt@howdoihomeschool.com My Websites (FREEBIES ON HOMEPAGE😁): howdoihomeschool.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howdoihomeschool Twitter: https://twitter.com/RebeccaDevitt5 Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/rebbeccadevitt/ Affiliate links used in this description box! #charlottemasonhomeschool #charlottemasoncurriculum #charlottemason #besthomeschoolcurriculum

UnclearHow to Homeschool

In their words

heart of dakota will give you open and go daily plans they'll give you a fun and engaging curriculum with god's word at the heart and the great thing about this curriculum is that it covers all grades from preschool to high school

compared to today's standard special found in public school this is actually a fairly rigorous curriculum

it's also nicely colorcoded so parents can easily at a glance see what their kids can do by themselves

if you are somebody who is secular who is using their curriculum then you're going to find it really difficult to separate their biblical worldview from the curriculum and that's because it's intertwined really heavily in the material

What reviewers praise

  • Open-and-go daily plans with no prep work · 2 reviewers
  • Charlotte Mason living-books approach · 3 reviewers
  • Gospel-centered Christian teaching throughout · 3 reviewers
  • Fairly rigorous; builds critical thinking · 2 reviewers
  • Hands-on activities keep kids engaged · 2 reviewers

Common complaints

  • Not accredited
  • No video lessons
  • Biblical worldview inseparable — hard for secular families
  • Very different from traditional schooling

Would Heart of Dakota fit your homeschool?

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Common questions

Is Heart of Dakota a Christian curriculum?+

Very much so. The reviewer calls it gospel-centered, with God's word at the heart of the teaching — children "learn to know and to love Jesus." She also warns that secular families will find the biblical worldview nearly impossible to separate from the material because it's intertwined so heavily.

How much does Heart of Dakota cost?+

Per the reviewer, pricing is about average for homeschool curriculum: preschool runs around $120 plus postage, while high school can reach $500 depending on electives. She notes orders over roughly $200 ship free, with a half-price postage tier in the middle, and the books arrive in hard copy.

Is Heart of Dakota rigorous or gentle?+

Both, in a sense. It follows Charlotte Mason's gentler living-books approach rather than traditional textbook schooling, but the reviewer says that compared to today's public school standards it's actually fairly rigorous, with a lot of books in each package and a focus on teaching kids to think critically.