Heart of the Matter Online

To dream again.

I remember being that young mom in my early twenties with only a couple little ones under toe. I stayed at home, I baked, I cooked, I went to bible study, homeschooled, and had, 3-days a week, playdates with my best friend who...

This Week At Heart Of The Matter

Grab a cup of coffee or tea and take some time to catch up on these amazing articles from this week at Heart of the Matter! Raising a Lifelong Learner The Value of Play FROM THE ARCHIVES: What’s in Your Beach Bag? ...

The Value of Play

Scenes from my morning… My four children who are developmentally preschoolers (even though their ages range from 4 to 10) are happily playing with homemade play dough. Each is busy rolling, poking, cutting, pulling, and...

Raising a Lifelong Learner

Someone looks out the front window to see a snapping turtle in the yard. Immediately, kids and adults run out the door to see the critter that has made its way into our space. Wildlife handbook in hand, we determine the species...

Organizing Digital Bookmarks

By now, many of you have probably caught on to the Pinterest addiction as I have. If you haven’t yet, skip ahead to the next section. If you spend hours surfing and pinning, you’ve already established boards for your...

How to Pick the Right Curriculum

Before you get too excited, let me say that this article will not suggest any one curriculum, or devalue any other curriculum. There are far too many choices out there for me to offer much wisdom in that area. Indeed,...

Running Away From Home

You can picture the scenario, right? Little child, barely old enough to tie his shoes, putting all his prized possessions into a bag bigger than he is and dragging it to the curb threatening to run away from home. “That’s...

Schooling the Gifted – A Gray Area

“You do know that kids do not start algebra until the 9th grade right?” was what was asked to me as I was trying to choose a good math program for my upcoming 6th grader. I replied, “what, really?” Because my child was...

I Think I Want to Homeschool Next Year

It’s that time of year again. In the last two months I have spoken with 12 mothers who wish to homeschool their children in the new school year. This is not uncommon especially with the boom in homeschooling families in the...

More Astute Than Obtuse

I’ve been thinking about social skills lately, and how much they impact our children’s lives. Sometimes I feel confident that with enough direct instruction and practice even the most socially awkward child can...