Focus on High School: Submissions Desired
March 5, 2010 by AmyS
Although our Focus on Reading magazine edition just hit the (online word for newsstands?), we are already gearing up for our next issue — Focus on High School.
Do you have an article that you’d like to submit?
If you do, please email your article to submissions@heartofthemattermagazine.com by Monday, March 22nd. Below are some suggestions and ideas to help you brainstorm…
- Online schools
- Entrepreneurship
- Co-ops
- College prep courses
- Extra curriculars
- Apprenticeships
- Economics
- Record keeping
- Creating a portfolio and transcript
- Standardized tests: ACT, SAT, GED, etc
- Graduation requirements
- College admissions requirements
- College searches
- Homeschool friendly colleges
- Financial aid, scholarships
- Returning to public or private high school
- Challenging teenagers
- Books for teenagers
- Social lives: friends, dating, peer pressure
- Successful relationships between the parent and teen
- General encouragement
- Teenage point of view
- How to teach high school: tips and advice
- Unschooling high school
- Junior high typical course of study
- High school typical course of study
- Websites for teenagers
- Leadership training
- Life skills
- Military
- Missions
- Straight into the workforce after high school graduation
Submission guidelines can be found here. Please include a short byline and vertical headshot with your submission.
5 Fun Early Learning Reading Games
February 28, 2010 by AmyS
Dolche Words
I wrote the 100 most common sight words on index cards and punched a hole in the upper corner of each one. I placed all the cards on MY metal ring. When he was able to read a word he got to “steal” it from me and place it on HIS metal ring. He loved this because it was a competitive game and he really enjoyed seeing my stack dwindle. If we reviewed his whole stack and he forgot one, I got to take it back. It was a lot of fun for both of us.
Treasure Hunt
My son LOVED going on treasure hunts. For anything and everything. So I took advantage of this by writing some of his toy names on index cards. First, I hid the toys around the house. Next, I took the cards and placed them in the treasure chest. He drew a card, read it and went off in search of the hidden toy. Sometimes we did this in reverse, where I hid the cards and he chose a toy from the treasure chest.
Word Ladder
I drew a large ladder on a piece of cardboard and let him use his favorite action figure to climb the ladder. With each correct word, the action figure got to climb a ladder rung.
Pancakes, Pancakes
I use the Dolche sight words again and wrote them on circles of tan or cream construction paper, to resemble pancakes. I would place a”pancake” into a frying pan and tell him that he had to hurry up and read the word and flip it with the spatula before it burnt.
CH-SH-TH-WH
I wrote out these 4 digraphs on a large piece of cardboard. Each one had it’s own square large enough for him to stand in. I would call out a word (such as shoe, whale, couch, or three) and he would jump to the corresponding square.
Amy is a devoted wife, Classical homeschooling mom to a six-year-old Superhero and the co-owner of Heart of the Matter. She has a passion for genealogy and is aspiring to be a Proverbs 31 lady. Be sure to visit her blog at Milk and Cookies.
Top 10 sites to download free children’s books
February 28, 2010 by AmyS
International Children’s Digital Library
The search options for this website are incredible. You can search by age, language, subject, length, awards won, type of character, emotions, and much more. Most of the books are full color.
Children’s Books Online
I love this delightful site because you can search by reading level. Most of the books are full color and some include audios.
The Baldwin Online Children’s Literature Project
Popular children’s literature, organized into 19 genres, including biographies, history, and science.
Librivox
An impressive list of over 1800 audio books recorded and submitted by volunteers
Page by Page Books
Classic books arranged by title
World Wide School
Search by by subject, author, or title
Internet Archive: Children’s Library
Browse by title, author, staff recommendations, most downloaded, or cloud tags. Most books are available to download in pdf format or to view online in flipbook.
Planet eBook
Classic books arranged by title
Author’s Classic Novels
Popular children’s stories
Classics for Young People
Classic books arranged by author
Amy is a devoted wife to her husband of 11 years, a Classical homeschooling mom to a seven-year-old Superhero and the co-founder of Heart of the Matter and A Woman Inspired Ministries. She has a passion for genealogy and is aspiring to be a Proverbs 31 lady. Be sure to visit her blog at Milk and Cookies.
Rosetta Stone Rewards Homeschoolers
Heart of the Matter is thrilled to partner with Rosetta Stone for the 1st Annual European Language Trip! Please read the official press release below and check back tomorrow for an opportunity to WIN a free Rosetta Stone software package of your choice!
Rosetta Stone Rewards Homeschoolers with First Annual 10-Day European Language Learning and Networking Trip
Homeschoolers and their Families Connect Learning with Life through Visits to Paris, Madrid and Barcelona in Summer 2010
ARLINGTON, VA (January 7, 2010) — Rosetta Stone Inc. (NYSE:RST), a leading provider of technology-based language-learning solutions, announced today that the company will sponsor their first Homeschool Language Learning and Networking Trip for homeschoolers and their families to travel to France and Spain this summer. Homeschoolers will be able to put their French and Spanish language skills to use and experience all of the benefits of immersion the moment they arrive abroad. The Rosetta Stone Homeschool Language Learning and Networking Trip kicks off on August 2, 2010 in Paris, France and concludes in Madrid, Spain on August 11, 2010.
The 10-day long trip is co-sponsored by FuseFly, a social network connecting homeschoolers around the world, and Heart of the Matter Online, a home education website dedicated to bridging the gap between parents and children. Organized by ACIS, the premier educational travel company sponsoring student trips worldwide, the trip includes visits to famous European sites such as the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Palace of Versailles, Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia and the Prado Museum. The first-annual trip will allow homeschoolers to fully experience all of the benefits of their language curriculum while learning about history firsthand.
“We are thrilled to sponsor the inaugural Rosetta Stone Homeschool Language Learning and Networking Trip,” said Eric Duehring, Rosetta Stone general manager and vice president of consumer marketing and sales. “The trip provides families that are dedicated to the education of their child with the chance to immerse themselves in another culture and truly experience the power of learning a new language. For the homeschoolers themselves, this is a unique learning opportunity that will have lasting impact on their future personal, educational and professional development.”
Rosetta Stone® Homeschool curriculum provides students with a rich, interactive and engaging language-learning experience. The scalability and flexibility of the solution allows parents to assign lessons based on students’ individual needs, allowing students at all levels to learn a language. Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3 helps learners develop speaking, listening, reading and writing skills easily and systematically from the very beginning.
Homeschool families as well as homeschoolers over the age of 16 are encouraged to register now to receive preferred pricing. The deadline to register is February 15, 2010. A Rosetta Stone purchase is not required to participate. For more information or questions pertaining to Rosetta Stone Homeschool or the Rosetta Stone Homeschool Language Learning and Networking Trip, contact homeschool@rosettastone.com or visit http://www.rosettastone.com/homeschool/languagelearningtrip.
For more information please visit http://pr.rosettastone.com.
About Rosetta Stone Homeschool
Rosetta Stone Homeschool is a powerful learning tool that provides students with an immersive, interactive and engaging language-learning experience while also giving parents the tools and resources needed to track and manage student progress. Utilizing a variety of immersion techniques and administrative features, the software accelerates language learning and provides quantifiable measurements of success. Rosetta Stone Manager is a built in management tool that delivers real-time reporting capabilities, details on student progress and user-friendly administrative functionalities. Rosetta Stone Homeschool is available in more than 30 different languages.
About Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone Inc. is changing the way the world learns languages. Rosetta Stone provides interactive solutions that are acclaimed for the speed and power to unlock the natural language-learning ability in everyone. Available in more than 30 languages, Rosetta Stone language-learning solutions are used by schools, organizations and millions of individuals in over 150 countries throughout the world. The company was founded in 1992 on the core beliefs that learning a language should be natural and instinctive and that interactive technology can replicate and activate the immersion method powerfully for learners of any age. The company is based in Arlington, Va. For more information, visit RosettaStone.com.
Media Contact:
Megan Richter
mrichter@rosettastone.com
703.522.9953
Investor Contact:
Christopher Martin
cmartin@rosettastone.com
703.387.5927
“Rosetta Stone” is a registered trademark of Rosetta Stone Ltd.
Review: Star of Bethlehem – DVD
December 17, 2009 by AmyS
Imagine the sky the night Jesus arrived on planet Earth as a baby. What would we see if we could turn back the clock and view the stars that shone over the stable? One shiny light in particular interests me–the Star of Bethlehem.
Many theories surround the star. Was it a legend, a comet, or simply an unexplainable miracle? Historians of that time period confirm that something incredible occurred in the heavens that night. The film, Star of Bethlehem, brings together faith, science and logic for a beautiful and compelling explanation of this brightest of all stars.
This movie, made by the producer of The Passion of the Christ, has become a family tradition in our home each Christmas. It chronicles the search of Frederick A. Larson, a lawyer, to find the truth about the heavenly sign.
In true lawyer fashion, Larson studies the characteristics of the star as outlined in the gospel of Matthew. Using these clues and others from historians of the New Testament time period, he pinpoints the time and location of the star. Larson then employs a computer program, Starry Night, that makes turning back the night skies possible.
Starry Night, used by astronomers the world over, generates maps of the night skies for anytime in history from anywhere in the universe. It builds on the discoveries of Johannes Kepler of the 17th century and Isaac Newton who first discovered the three laws of planetary motion. Computer technology speeds up the hand calculations of the past to instantly reveal the location of the celestial bodies at any given point throughout time.
The Star of Bethlehem received accolades from renowned scientists for its sound research. Beautifully and artistically produced, the Dove Foundation gave it five doves.
Personally, when I watch this film, I am amazed by the absolute order of the universe. Each time, I experience a spiritual revival and wonder why I ever doubt God’s ability to order every detail of my life, my family, and my world. We can truly concur:
The Heavens declare the glory of God;
The skies proclaim the work of His hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
Night after night they display knowledge.
Psalm 19:1-2
This film makes a great choice for an outreach evening of fellowship in your home. Invite your neighbors, co-workers or family members over for sweet Christmas treats, cocoa, and a lively discussion. The surprise ending reveals the complete purpose of Christ’s visit to Earth and the message meticulously inscribed in the canopy of the heavens.
Obtain your copy from your local Christian bookstore or from http://www.bethlehemstar.net.
Rhodema lives the parenting adventure with Calvin, her college sweetheart. They have two adult daughters and two teenagers still at home, a girl and a boy. Their homeschool style is eclectic with a great love of living history books. Rhodema teaches women’s Bible studies and is a MOPS speaker. Her blog for moms is Herding Worms.
Military Families, Living Books, and Celebrity Chefs: At the Forum – 11/13
November 13, 2009 by AmyS
Welcome to this week’s At the Forum. November is such a beautiful time of the year. Fall is taking place around many parts of the world and the colors are so vivid. Not just the season of fall makes November a picturesque month but, it is a start to the season of giving. This week we kicked off this season with Veteran’s Day. Millions of women and men have sacrificed their lives for our freedom. We hope you had the chance to thank someone for their efforts and the freedom they are fighting for us.
- November is National Military Month. What has your community done for the families and people that serve?
- Do you have any homeschool organization tips?
- What are some things that you are passionate about? Some things you absolutely love? Things that totally, entirely invigorate you?
- Where do you read? We all love the living books aspect of CM. So, here’s the question, WHERE do you usually read those living books?
- What is happening in your unschooling house this week?
- Which celebrity chef would you most like to fix you a meal?
- Not sure why they call it useless facts, but I love to read them. Do you have a useless fact you have wanted to share but never had the chance? Well here is your chance!
Thanksgiving is approaching and it closes the month of November out in such a humble way. At the forum this week, we would love for you to share your memories and traditions of Thanksgiving. If you have a story to share with us, and have not registered, come by and share your experiences with us.
Until next week, I will see you at the Forum!
Amy Fleeker is a part of a great family that includes a husband of 12 years, 3 children, a dog and a cat. Her homeschooling style is eclectic with a emphasis on classical teaching. When with her family, you can find her watching movies, playing board games, and living life with a great sense of humor and knowing that God is all around. In her spare time she enjoys scrapbooking, tatting, crocheting and doing a little family history. You can visit Amy at her blog, Counting Change Again, or at the HOTM forum, where she is the Lead Moderator.
FREE Lapbook from A Journey Through Learning!
October 12, 2009 by AmyS
**Please note that this offer is no longer valid. Please see here for information on our new offer for newsletter subscribers.
We have an exciting announcement for our newsletter subscribers! Heart of the Matter has partnered with A Journey Through Learning to provide you with a FREE lapbook just for subscribing to our newsletter!
To receive your FREE copy of Inside My Body Lapbook with Study Guide, simply enter your name and email address into the form on the top of our sidebar or into the form at the bottom of this page, confirm your subscription, and then you’ll automatically receive your lapbook within a day or two. If you are already a subscriber or have recently subscribed to our newsletter, you will receive your free e-book sometime between October 12-14.
Learn all about the inside of the human body in a fun, hands-on way! Your child will study the nervous system, excretory system, respiratory system, digestive system, and skeletal system. Also covered is the brain, skin, muscles and joints, bones, skull, and heart!
What path does food follow after it is swallowed?, What does the inside of bones look like?, What is the purpose of joints?, What does the brain do when it gets a message?, How much does the average brain weigh?, How many skin cells do you shed in a day?, How do you know when its time to go?, and much more! Includes extra activity pages (outline form, narration form, book list, etc.) 72 pages! Grades 2-7.
Want another FREE lapbook from A Journey Through Learning? Go directly to their homepage and sign up for their lapbooking newsletter and you’ll instantly receive a copy of An Overview of the 17th Century. In addition to the FREE 17th Century lapbook, you will receive discounts and up to date information on their new products.
Please spread the word to all your friends!
Heart of the Matter’s newsletter features the week in review, current news, contest winners, and links to freebies! Sign up now and have your first newsletter delivered on Sunday!
Prayers needed for HSLDA’s Chris Klicka and family
October 4, 2009 by AmyS
A major figure in the worldwide effort to provide legal protection for homeschoolers is seriously ill with complications related to multiple sclerosis.
The family and colleagues of Chris Klicka, an attorney with the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), said he is not likely to return to his Virginia home and are asking for prayers after Klicka became critically ill with infections and problems with blood pressure.
Klicka’s condition has been deteriorating since late August, as he has lost more mobility and the ability to swim, walk or stand, according to family members. On Saturday, September 26, his wife Tracy Klicka wrote on the family’s blog of her husband’s desire to attend a national homeschooling conference to “say goodbye ourselves to these dear homeschool leaders and friends.”
Klicka was taken to the emergency room of a hospital in Colorado Springs on Friday in critical condition. On Sunday, with her husband in the ICU at St. Francis Medical Center, Tracy Klicka wrote, “Chris is close to going home [to God] we believe. He is fairly unconscious, non-responsive and has had no nutrition since Thursday except hydration and electrolyte and glucose supplementation.”
“With almost complete certainty, he will not be coming home to Virginia.”
Yesterday, Tracy wrote that Chris’s condition had stabilized and the fluid on his lungs had reduced and he is being moved into home hospice care with a local family.
Klicka is Senior Counsel of the HSLDA as well as Director of State and International Relations. As such he has become a leading figure in the fight for families from Europe who face the removal of their children and even arrest and prison sentences by governments. He is also the author of several books including Home Schooling: The Right Choice, The Heart of Home Schooling, and his latest book, Home School Heroes.
On the family’s blog CaringBridge, Klicka’s family said they have been “overwhelmed” by the responses from supporters and that they are grateful for the inquiries about financial donations.
The HSLDA is the world’s leading non-profit legal defense organization for homeschooling families and represents thousands of such families in the US and Europe. The group has spent years lobbying in Washington and at the state level for the rights of homeschoolers under the US constitution and through affiliation with European groups for those who operate in countries where homeschooling is under threat.
To make a financial contribution:
Christopher Klicka
6779 Riley Rd.
Warrenton, VA 20187
Or click here.
Today’s requests from Tracy Klicka…
Please pray that God will continue to grant peaceful sleep, little pain, and good breathing to Chris through the night and tomorrow. Pray too, that Amy, Megan and I would all have some meaningful time alone with Chris, and that if he develops pain that requires him being put on pain medication, it wouldn’t be until after we have a chance to talk to him when he’s lucid and communicative.
Thank you, so very much, for your prayers for us. May God be glorified in your answered prayers.
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22
Special Focus on Special Needs
At Heart of the Matter, our mission is unique in the sense that we don’t just give you generic information to implement into your homeschool. We want to dig deeper. Our focus is on bridging the gap between parents and their children, a relationship designed by God. You will find real parents, real children, and real situations exposed so that you, the reader, can learn and grow from them. We ask you to take off the rose colored glasses and embark on an adventure in Godly parenting, growth, and joy. We want to educate the whole family…one act of love at a time.
Beginning December 1, 2009, we will be streamlining our quarterly digital magazine to reflect a more unified focus.
This new format will focus each issue on one important homeschooling topic, such as learning disabilities, homeschooling high school, and teaching & enriching math. It will also allow our readers to find information more readily, see topics and segments from a wide variety of viewpoints, and be used as a tool to reach out and offer help and encouragement to a struggling friend.
The first issue will be titled “Focus on Special Needs” and will cover all aspects of learning disabilities and other special needs. We welcome articles from readers and contributors, whether you are new to HOTM or an old friend.
Article ideas may include but are not limited to…
- ADD, ADHD
- Autism advocacy and research
- Depression in children or adults
- Dyslexia
- Early intervention
- Emotional disorders
- Gifted learning
- Hands-on activities for learning disabilities
- Hearing impairment
- Help for mom and dad
- How to utilize local school district support services
- Montessori activities and products
- Physical disorders such as dwarfism, down syndrome, and cerebral palsy
- Reviews on toys
- Seasonal disorders
- Sensory disorders
- Speech impairment
- “What works for me” stories
The due date for the articles is Monday, October 12th, by 9:00 pm EST. Submit your articles to us via email at the.amies@heartofthemattermagazine.com. Please put “Special Needs Submission” in the subject line of your message and include a byline and vertical headshot of yourself. Examples of bylines can be found at the end of all HOTM articles.
CurrClick Contest: win an iPod Shuffle
September 23, 2009 by AmyS
CurrClick has a Cross Country Team and we need your help with our T-Shirts! Write the winning tagline for our Team Shirts & you could win an iPod Shuffle! Kids & parents are welcome to participate. Click here to find out more about the CurrClick Cross Country Team.
Send your ideas to staley@currclick.com by 5:00 p.m. CST, Thursday October 1st, with the subject line “T-Shirt Tagline”. So, be creative, have fun, and don’t forget to follow the contest rules!
Contest Rules:
- Taglines should be short and catchy and should somehow incorporate the word “homeschoolers,” “homeschooling,” or “homeschool” into the text of the tagline.
- Taglines should NOT be specific to running, but should focus on hard work and achievement. We plan to use these T-shirts for our other clubs, and sports teams, so we need to make sure your tagline is general enough to work for all sports or clubs.
- Special consideration will be given to taglines that incorporate our company name, “CurrClick.com.”
- Special consideration will be given to taglines that are inspired by or a derivation of our existing tagline, “Curriculum and Classes in a Click.”
- Submissions should be sent in an e-mail to staley@currclick.com by 5:00 p.m. CST, Thursday October 1st, 2009 with the subject line “T-shirt Tagline.”
- Please include no more than 7 taglines per e-mail submission.
- Submissions MUST include name, age, and a short bio about the entrant.
- Publishers, teachers, employees and their children are welcome to participate in this contest!
- In the unlikely event that we receive 2 identical submissions, we will choose the winner via coin flip.
Prizes and Notification:
- You will NOT be notified that we received your submission. Entries that are not chosen will not be notified.
- The owner of the winning tagline will be notified on October 10th and the ipod shuffle will be mailed on October 15th. The winner will also be mailed a t-shirt as soon as they are designed and printed!
