The Amies | Heart of the Matter

March 2, 2010 By The Amies

Egghead Academics is offering TWO lucky readers the chance to win their new lapbook titled Magnificent Marine Life.

Do you know what a marine biologist does?

How long can a sea turtle hold its breath?

Do mammals lay eggs?

And what are denticles, anyway?

Join us on an underwater adventure, as we explore life in the ocean with Egghead Academics™ newest Lapbooking Study

Deep in the oceans are amazing sea creatures, exotic plants, and fierce predators. Come and take a closer look and learn about these remarkable animals while building a beautiful lapbook with your children. When you are finished, you will have a gorgeous finished project to showcase what you have learned during your study.

Look through the study guide to find loads of clickable links with extra information. That’s right, the study guide contains everything your elementary student needs to complete their activities, and the links are fun and informative extras! No need to spend hours researching to find what you need; we have done the hard part for you. These links include fun games, cool videos, and extra research.

For those that need a little more, for their advanced or older children, we have lapbooking activities that encourage the development of researching skills – skills that will serve a child long past their childhood school days!

We also have activity pages, with crossword puzzles, mazes, “What’s the Difference” game, art activities and more! We’ve included:

A complete study guide for your child
Links for additional information and resources
Lapbooking activities for grades K-6
A separate set of lapbooking activities for older or advanced children
Activity sheets designed with fun in mind
Hands -on science experiments
Fill in the blanks, research activities, crossword puzzles, and more!

How can I win? Simply leave a comment on this post. If you are seeing this on Facebook, visit the post at http://heartofthematteronline.com/egghead-academics.

Bonus Entries (post each in a separate comment):

Subscribe to Heart of the Matter Online.
Twitter this giveaway.
Post this giveaway on your blog and leave the link in your comment.
Facebook this giveaway.

**Contest ends Friday, March 5th at 10pm EST, winners will be chosen and emailed by Monday morning and must respond before Friday, March 12th at midnight!

If you are not one of the 2 winners, you can purchase a copy for only $13.95!

February 28, 2010 By The Amies 3 Comments

Photo Credit: Heidi, Mt Hope Academy

You can view our magazine in 3 ways:

Click here to be taken to the flipbook version, where you can click and turn the pages as you would a print magazine. Be sure to turn your sound on.
Click here to download the magazine in pdf format.
Click here and scroll down to view the articles in blog format.

A Few Words from Janet:

Even before I had kids, I was scared of two important parenting tasks: potty training and teaching my children to read. As confident as I was in other areas, these two important milestones in a child’s life seemed out of the realm of something that I could teach. I often wondered what would happen if my fears came true and my kids never learned to do either. Now the rational side of me told me not to worry, but my rational side doesn’t hang around our house much.

And now here I am…seven years and four kids later. All four of my children are potty trained. My seven year old reads with ease and I am in the process of teaching my five year old to read. Each day I am amazed that the gift of reading truly is something I can pass on to my children.

As I have spent hours putting this magazine together I have had the privilege of reading the articles written by parents whose expertise and experience in reading far exceeds mine. It has been encouraging to read about different methods for teaching, encouraging, and helping readers of all levels. There is one common theme woven throughout these articles: the written word is a gift to all of us and it is our joy as homeschooling parents to hold our child’s hand and heart as we share the love of reading. I hope that all of you are as inspired as I have been.

In This Issue:

Reviews by Karin: Wordly Wise 3000 by Karin Katherine
How to Painlessly Add More Books to Your Reading Schedule by Jimmie
Look First, Learn First by Patty
5 Fun Early Learning Reading Games by Amy Stults
Vocabulary in Your Read Aloud Books by Jimmie
Homeschool Reading Is Superior by Dr. Ruth Beechick and Debbie Strayer
Lost and Found in Phonics Paradise by Cassie Simpson
For Moms: Reading the Classics by Ruthanne Genco
The Tools to Teaching Reading by Heather Laurie
Reading Aloud to Boys by Debra Anderson
Help for Struggling, Reluctant Readers by Max Anderson
Reading Recommendations from a Disgruntled 14 Year old Boy by Amy Fleeker
Cultivating Readers by Stacey Chik
Great Homeschools have Socratic Dialogue…or Maybe Not by Lee Binz
Getting Your Reluctant Reader to Love Reading by Leslie Valeska
Encouraging the Love of Literature by Yvonne Ferlita
Top 10 Sites to Download Free Children’s Books by Amy Stults
How We Teach Reading by the Heart of the Matter team

February 12, 2010 By The Amies 1 Comment

Have you ever wondered about what a lapbook really is? Or maybe you have heard of it but the mere thought of unit studies and hands-on activities makes you want to crawl back into bed and pull the covers over your head.

Don’t let your lack of understanding scare you away from this great way of enhancing your child’s curriculum! In fact, you can bring your questions to a bonafide lapbooking expert… LIVE, y’all!

Heart of the Matter is pleased as punch to introduce the co-founder of In the Hands of a Child, Katie Kubesh! Katie will be presenting a workshop on Beginning Lapbooking that will show you how to utilize this awesome teaching tool and answer questions such as:

1. What is a lapbook?
2. How are lapbooks made?
3. What supplies are needed to lapbook?
4. I have all the supplies, now what?
5. How do I find information and activities to complete lapbook?
6. How does my student complete a lapbook?
7. How do you fold the file folder to make a lapbook?
8. How do I incorporate lapbooking into my existing curriculum?
9. What are the benefits of lapbooking?

Katie will be speaking LIVE and will host a question n’ answer session Tuesday, February 23rd at 8:00am PST/9:00am MST/10:00am CST/11:00am EST

In the Hands of a Child

Recognizing that hands-on projects are essential to the learning experience, In the Hands of a Child has created Project Packs that go beyond the hands-on aspect. They have taken the preparation time out of the parent/teacher job description with Complete Ready to Assemble Lapbook-style units that are available in Ebook, Printed Book, and CD formats. We offer a fun, easy to use product that helps parents and educators bring laughter and learning together In the Hands of a Child!

Winner of the Excellence in Education Award for Best Unit Study by The Old Schoolhouse, Project Packs from In the Hands of a Child make unit studies a hands-on experience for all age levels. Students complete a unit study simply by recording what they have learned about a particular topic into reproducible graphics that are then stored in an instant portfolio- a lapbook!

In the Hands of a Child has over 300 titles to choose from in subject areas that include Bible, Economics, Geography, History, Math, Science, Social Studies, and more! Bring laughter and learning together In the Hands of Your Child today…please visit their website at www.handsofachild.com.

February 12, 2010 By The Amies 1 Comment

So often, learning style materials pour all their time and energy into finding the right label for your child’s learning style.

(Yes, we now know he’s a right brained, global, sub-dominant, argyle-wearing, rational wombat…but how do I teach him to spell!?)

And while there are many different tools for assessment, too often these same materials are light on just what you should do after the label.

How do you teach history so it sticks?
What if she can’t understand fractions?
What if he loves language but hates to write?

We at Heart of the Matter are very excited to present Carol Barnier’s workshop “What Are You Thinking? Learning Styles and Beyond.”

This talk is BIG on the beyond and will be all about “What do we do now?” You will come away with lots of ideas you can use come Monday morning.

Carol will be speaking LIVE and will host a question n’ answer session Monday, February 22nd at 12:00 PST/1:00 MST/2:00 CST/3:00 EST

Carol Barnier is a fresh, fun and popular conference speaker unlike any you’ve heard before. Her objective is to have the wit of Erma Bombeck crossed wih the depth of C.S. Lewis, but admits that most days, she only achieves a solid Lucy Ricardo with a bit of Bob the Tomato. She is a frequent guest commentator on Focus on the Family’s Weekend Magazine broadcast, where she’s spoken on a variety of humorous topics ranging from not being ready to be a Titus woman to why angels need a new public relations manager. She has been a guest on many radio programs and is a speaker to conferences nationwide.

While her humor will have you leaning sideways, her faith is solid stuff. Whether speaking about her first born son’s 13 surgeries, her homeschooling challenges, her family’s many ADHD challenges, or her own walk from being a God-denying atheist to the most grateful recipient of God’s amazing grace, this woman speaks from the heart. She knows why she knows what she knows.

She’s the author of three books about dealing with (or possessing) a non-linear mind in a linear world. Her first book, How to Get Your Child Off the Refrigerator and On To Learning, gives the reader understanding into the mind of the highly distractible child. It answers the imponderable question, “Why does this child constantly fall out of his chair?” (hear the kathunk) It also provides idea after idea on how to teach a child who simply can’t sit still.

Carol’s second book, If I’m Diapering a Watermelon, Then Where’d I Leave the Baby?, was born of the realization that her highly distractible son had not fallen very far from the tree. (hear the next kathunk) This book celebrates women who are non-linear thinkers, women who are the Mary’s in this very Martha world. It also provides strategies on how to keep the distractible mind on track while taking advantage of the gifts that come with being gloriously unregimented.

Her third book, The Big WHAT NOW Book of Learning Styles, takes all the mystery and complexity OUT of learning styles. This book keeps it simple, and puts its emphasis on the “What do we do now?” It takes each academic subject and then provides dozens of ideas on how to teach it from a variety of angles to a variety of learning styles. It makes teaching the atypical learner not only easy, but fun. No really, it does.

You can connect with Carol at her main website, CarolBarnier.com, SizzleBop.com, Facebook (seach for “Carol Barnier”), and Twitter @Carol_Barnier. You can listen to four audio clips done by Carol at Mid Atlantic Christian Artists.

October 31, 2009 By The Amies 3 Comments

Heart of the Matter is excited to introduce a new and exciting Christian book club that says goodbye to humdrum, predictable fiction. Please welcome Marybeth Whalen as she tells us more about She Reads!

Can you tell us more about She Reads?
She Reads is the result of two friends who read Christian fiction voraciously deciding to share their discoveries with others on a larger scale, and partnering with an international women’s ministry (Proverbs 31 Ministries) to do so.

Many people think that Christian fiction is lame– bad writing, trite plots, etc. For a long time it has held that stigma.

But Christian fiction is changing.

It is our goal to help spread the word about the great writers and stories that are being told. Stories about real people facing real challenges. Stories that don’t end with the main characters getting saved and a rousing chorus of Kumbaya. Stories that push the envelope at times and make you wonder, “Is this a Christian book? Because this isn’t like any Christian book I’ve ever read.” Stories that, above all, show human beings who are struggling to live a Christian life or to make peace with God. Stories that are well told by skilled writers.

We want to connect you, the reader, with stories that will stir your heart, lead you to make changes– either in the way you live or the way you see things– and point you to Christ.

Jesus knew that stories were wonderful ways to communicate Truth. The writers of these books know this as well and do it with excellence.

What kind of books can we expect to see on the reading lists?
We select 3 books a season. Our fall selections are Daisy Chain by Mary DeMuth, Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner, and eye of the god by Ariel Allison. These three different books all meet the criteria we created at the outset. Because this club is not set up by any one publisher we have the freedom to go to any Christian publisher to find our selections… and we do. We are reading, reading, reading right now to find our spring and summer selections. We have already chosen our winter ones but I can’t tell you what those are yet! We will be making our announcement towards the beginning of November but I can promise you that you are in for a treat with these books!

Do you host giveaways?
Yes! We just had a wonderful giveaway in conjunction with Susan Meissner’s book Shape Of Mercy. Waterbrook gave away a beautiful journal and pen set, along with several sets of two of Susan’s books. The publishers are very excited to partner with us and come up with increasingly clever giveaways. We plan to host a very cool giveaway around Christmas where we are giving away a copy of all the fall and winter selections. The winner can decide whether to give the copies away as gifts or keep them for herself! We also have a very cool tie-in coming up at Christmas with one of our selections that isn’t about winning but about giving ourselves. We are super excited about what we have planned!

On a daily basis, She Reads is run by Marybeth Whalen (Director) and Ariel Lawhon (Asst Director).

If someone wants to participate then what must they do?
Our goal for She Reads is for it to function in two ways: 1) as a place an individual can go get recommendations for great books to read and to connect with the authors who wrote them and other readers who enjoyed them and 2) as a place where book clubs that are already out there can get connected with an umbrella organization that provides suggestions for books, activities they can do, discussion questions, and a point of contact with the author. We are working towards accomplishing these goals and are learning and tweaking as we go.

Right now, the best way to get connected is to sign up for our seasonal newsletter and to subscribe to our blog, which is updated several times a week. You can also become a fan on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter. That way, as we make changes and create new facets to She Reads, you will know about it. There is a navigation bar at the top which will take you to different parts of the site.

I hope that you will all get involved with She Reads. Even if you have never been a fiction reader, this is a great way to start. We so appreciate all of you who have shown your support of this brand new venture by becoming a fan on Facebook, following our blog, subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Twitter. There is also a button you can grab to put on your own blog and help send women to us.

We are so excited to grow this thing and create a place where you can trust the books we recommend and meet other women who love to read and love to share the power of a great story.

October 25, 2009 By The Amies 2 Comments

A few weeks ago, I introduced you to the newest members of our HOTM family. What did you think? Amazing ladies huh!!

And now…I would like to introduce you to the rest of the new “cast” of HOTM. And trust me, they are just as inspiring and fun and heart-tugging as the previous group! These contributors will be submitting their first articles within the next couple of weeks. I hope you’ll see some familiar faces.

Ruthanne has been homeschooling for nearly a decade. She’s passionate about many things ~ the Lord, her principal and students (mother to four boys and a girl), photography, baking and really good coffee. You can find her blogging at www.thegencojournal.com where she shares a few random thoughts and loads of pictures.

Elizabeth Tsukayama is a homeschool graduate homeschooling the next generation! She and her husband, Fabio (yes, that is his real name!), have four beautiful children ages 7 down to 1. Elizabeth enjoys many hobbies, but her favorite one is teaching her children and learning with them, especially using hands-on projects, lapbooks, notebooking and nature exploration. The Tsukayama family is currently packing up to travel to Brazil for missions. Life never ceases to be an adventure! You can check out her site at: www.mamaknowsbest.net.

Patty has been married to the love of her life for 14 years and has 4 kiddos she lovingly refers to as her monkeys. She is constantly threatening to run away to the Circus–unfortunately, she keeps being informed she’s already there! She loves throwing together this and that to create a unique learning experience that encourages a love of learning. Come feed their school mascot Shiver and check out her blog at Shiver Academy.

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.

Hannah is a relaxed homeschooling mama of five. Her and her family are big on the outdoors, big on family days, and big on making memories in everyday small ways. She loves handcrafts, iced lattes, re-arranging furniture and counts falling into bed exhausted a sign of a really great day. She and her husband make a home in upstate New York with their energetic children and a menagerie of animals.

Rachael is wife to a Navy Tubist and mommy to three children, ages 1 to 6. She is Director of a Classical Conversations group and a childbirth educator and doula. She works along side her hubby on their hobby farm and has a passion for kitchen experiments. She aspires to train and reach the hearts of her children that they may know the purpose of life is to know Jesus and make Him known to others.

Meg is a devoted wife to her husband, Ken, of 9 years, and mom and homeschooling teacher to her two children, five-year-old son “G” and three-year-old daughter “R.” When she’s not writing or creating something, Meg loves to cook for, host and entertain friends and family. She also enjoys reading, the outdoors, eclectic music, yoga, and studying history. You can read all about her adventures (and misadventures) at her blog, Muses of Megret and read her educational product reviews at Muse Reviews.

Laura is in her 7th year as a single homeschool mom to 3 beautiful daughters. Currently they are in the 7th, 6th, and 3rd grades. She enjoys growing and learning along with her children in this journey of life and discipleship at home. She hopes to bring encouragement and hope to women who find themselves in difficult situations. You are invited to follow her homeschooling adventures at www.pillarsinherfathershouse.blogspot.com.

Tara is a devoted mom to a two-year-old “little man” and enjoys discovering how God has “packed his suitcase”. As an associate with iBloom, she has a heart for inspiring, encouraging and equipping moms to become “Proverbs 31 mamas” and raise their children according to Biblical principles and guidelines using the Bible and other tools. Tara adores falling leaves, sweatshirts, Starbucks White Chocolate Mochas and the first curly BBQ chip from the bag!

Melissa Morgner is a happy wife of 16 years to her college sweetheart and mother to six loud, but lovable children ranging in age from twelve to one. After eight years of homeschooling and sampling way too much curriculum, she takes an eclectic approach in their little schoolroom, choosing resources that best suit the children and the teacher. Her busy household puts her gifts of juggling and winging it to the test each day. She steals moments here and there to write on her blog, Day In Day Out, about the lessons she’s learning from the Lord in the routine but privileged tasks of mothering and homeschooling.

Julie is a happily married Navy spouse of 16 years, and a homeschooling Mom. She served in the Navy prior to having their children, a daughter – age 15 and a son – age 7. Not only does she have the joy of homeschooling their children and learning from them as she teaches, but she is attending college for her long sought after degree. In her spare time (what’s that? Giggle, giggle) she enjoys fishing, camping, scrapbooking, card making, crafts, reading and oh so much more! The question most often asked of her is, “Do you blog?!” The answer (at this time) is no. She does, however, enjoy contributing to various discussion boards and posting notes on others’ blogs.

Heather Laurie and her husband, Christopher, have been married for 13 wonderful years, and have been blessed with 7 children, two of whom are awaiting them in Heaven. They began their homeschooling journey eight years ago, amidst trials and unexpected journeys, including genetic disorders, austism, sensory disorders, and lupus. Heather and her husband created the ministry Special Needs Homeschooling as a way to use their trials for the Lord’s glory and to encourage special needs parents and homeschoolers.

Ann Dunagan is a longtime homeschool mother of 7 (with 3 graduates). Since 1987, she and her husband Jon have ministered worldwide with Harvest Ministry. Ann is co-founder of two African orphanages, writer for “Better Parents, Better Families” on the Christian Post and “The Missional Mind” with Biblica, and author of several books including The Mission-Minded Family.

Laura is the mom of three awesome always home/unschooled kids. She married her soul mate after knowing him less than 2 months in 1998 and they’ve been living happily ever after since then! They live in Florida and love to enjoy everything that the sunshine state has to offer- mainly the beach, the sun, and the outdoors. Their approach to education is all about opportunities, living, love, and trust. She blogs all about their life at http://www.thejoyfulmom.com/blog

October 8, 2009 By The Amies 14 Comments

Last month we sent out a newsletter asking for volunteers to help out in certain areas. The response we received was absolutely overwhelming, in a heart-warming way!

Every morning I opened my inbox to dozens upon dozens of emails from you sweet ladies wanting to volunteer your precious time to serve the Lord through Heart of the Matter. Many of you knew exactly where you wanted to join in and were loaded with the most amazing ideas. Others just wanted to say, “…God told me to email…so use me”. And still, many others emailed to simply offer prayers and be a source of encouragement.

My heart cried out in joy, “Thank you Lord, for using me to help bring HOTM into the world, and for reminding all of us to keep our focus on YOU. And thank you for bringing these sweet ladies in our family here at HOTM.”

Now, I would like to introduce you to the first batch of our new (and inspiring and fun and heart-tugging and…I could go on) contributors who will be submitting their first articles within the next two weeks. And, keep in mind, this is just the first batch of authors!

Christin is the wife to Jonathan and mother of 4 children. She is an avid list planner, organizer, reader, writer, and dedicated to the journey of becoming a gracious woman. She delights in the small things in life and uses her camera to capture them and make them distinguished. It takes daily recognition and connection with Jesus to remind her that she can do nothing without Him and that it is He who directs her each and every step. You can check out her blog at http://christinnjon.wordpress.com/.

Cassandra Simpson is a homeschooling wife and mother of four children, ages 1, 8, 9, and 12. She is starting her 6th year of home educating in Indiana and uses a “Classically Eclectic” teaching approach. Cassandra is the Assistant Lead Moderator for HOTM’s forum and loves talking homeschool with anyone who will listen! Her hobbies are reading, blogging, sewing, and cooking. You can check out her family’s blog at In His Image.

Angela Mills homeschools her two amazing girls. When she’s not dreaming up her next organizational system (the one that will really work this time!), she loves to spend time with her husband of nine years. She is seriously addicted to reading, Lost, and Burt’s Bees lip balm. She’s been a working mom, stay at home mom, stepmom, and is occasionally a weird mom, or so her kids tell her. You can catch her blogging at Angela Mills.

Lynn is a blessed wife to a wonderful husband of 12 years, a mom to three children, ranging from 15 to almost 8, and in the process of expanding their family through adoption. They are in their fifth year of homeschooling, using a hands on/eclectic approach to learning. You can find out more by visiting her blogs @ Learning By Living and Ladybug Chronicles.

Laura Delgado gave birth to four children in exactly 40 months, but cheated since the last two were twins. She now happily homeschools her 8,6, and two 4 year-olds. She earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from Rice University, but finds that she uses her undergraduate Great Books education far more in her homeschooling pursuits. In addition to writing for various homeschooling publications, she creates educational materials for edHelper. For homeschooling helps and curriculum reviews, please visit her at http://livingasmartha.blogspot.com.

Joonu is a wife and mother to a 3-year old energetic little boy and has one on the way. She is just starting out on her journey in homeschooling and embraces it as a family lifestyle. She is also a successful yoga teacher, the co-founder and President of a charity called Blackstone Valley WomenAid, Inc, coordinator of service activities at her church, and a Chief Dream Officer of an entrepreneurial development community for women called The Dream Factory Community. She enjoys being in nature, spiritual study, reading, golf, chocolate, and spending time with family and friends. She started blogging as a way of recording her observations and got great feedback from family and friends so she kept going. Her intention is that by sharing of her own experience she can offer resources, support, and ultimately enrich someone experience of themselves as whole, perfect, and loved. Please visit her blog at howhomeschoolinghappens.blogspot.com.

Aubrey Lively is a homeschooling mother of four, ages 8, 6, 2, & 1. She has a BA in Literature and an MEd in Teaching and is currently surviving seminary with her husband of ten years. Visit Aubrey online at http://aubreylively.blogspot.com.

Janet is a first year homeschooling mother to four children, age six and under. She and her husband Jason are in their tenth year of marriage and seventh year living in Asia. They currently live in Indonesia where her husband teaches at an Christian International school. Janet is also owner of THE DAILY DIGI (a website for digital scrapbookers and photographers) and blogs about her life as a wife, mother, and homeschooling mom at The Well Rounded Mama.

Montserrat is completely devoted to her wonderful husband, Joseph, and their seven (soon to be eight) children. They live on a 2,500 acre alfalfa farm nestled in a small Northern Nevada valley. They’ve been homeschooling for 10+ years. Montserrat enjoys, photography, cooking, crafting, chocolate, and sloppy goodnight kisses. She strives to live each day as God would have her do following Mary’s biblical supplication, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38) You can find her at her blog Chocolate On My Cranium.

Jennifer Sikora has been married to her wonderful husband for 16 years. They have two beautiful children who are the light of their lives. Robert will be turning 15 soon and Kayla is 11. They have been homeschooling for three years, as eclectic homeschoolers who try very passionately to follow Charlotte Mason’s style of teaching. In her spare time, Jennifer loves to craft, quilt, knit, and crochet. She began writing and blogging when She first started homeschooling as a way to map their journey, but it has definitely turned into so much more than just blogging about school. You can drop by her blog at www.jennifersikora.com to read the latest of her writing endeavors.

Sheri (with the help of her fabulous husband Mike) began homeschooling her four children in 2001. She spends her time creating whatever she can out of nothing to make her house more homey, creating lesson plans, and listening to her son’s garage band and writing how God is carrying her out of the depths of depression. You can catch up with Sheri at her blog, be sure to check out the on-going Love Story she and her husband are writing while you are there!

Heather Preckel homeschools her only child and has just started her third year. She feels God has called her to homeschool not just for her daughter; but for what He has to teach her through it as well. Each day is a new opportunity to grow closer to Him and to each other in this journey. She resides in Western NC with her husband of 16 years, her 10 year old daughter and 2 dogs. She loves scrapbooking, photography and reading. She blogs about her everyday life, homeschooling, scrapbooking and her faith at Sweet Simplicity.

Peggy Dalley has been married to her best friend and husband for 13 years. She uses the eclectic approach to homeschool their three sons, 12, 10 and 7. Her interests include writing unit studies, Bible study, history and she is working hard to become a Proverbs 31:10 woman instead of a Proverbs 21:9 woman.

Jennifer R. has been married for 20 years to her college sweetheart and began homeschooling her two daughters in 2003, while also working full-time as a computer analyst. Four years later, she was blessed to be able to come home to be with her daughters full-time. She tries to cherish every day she spends at home with her family as she trains her children to use their natural gifts and abilities to glorify God and serve others. In her free time, she enjoys reading, singing, and crafts and loves to organize theme-based parties. Be sure to visit her blog at Reflections by Jennifer.

Misty Krasawski is the overly-blessed mom of eight children whom she homeschools in sunshine-y Florida. She has been clinging ferociously to the hand of her Lord since she was knee-high to a grasshopper, homeschooling for the past thirteen years, and has eighteen more years ahead of her with the children who are glad she will have done most of her experimenting on those who went before. Her wonderful husband Rob has much treasure laid up for him in heaven for having been called to such a daunting task. After the house goes to sleep she can sometimes be found gathering her thoughts at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MistyKrasawski.

September 29, 2009 By The Amies 16 Comments

A morbid reason to homeschool
Henry found a new reason today, a morbid reason, to homeschool. Posted at Why Homeschool

Every student should have a unique reading list that can reflect their unique abilities and interests.
Lee presents What’s Up With Homeschool Reading Lists? posted at The HomeScholar Helper.

A fun unit study for grade schoolers
Lisa Smith presents 6 Ways To Study Greece And The Olympics Without Nodding Off posted at Stretch Mark Mama.

Supporting my sister and her hassles with her son’s school bring back memories of why I made the choice to homeschool
Cristina presents Giving Birth to an Educational Philosophy posted at Home Spun Juggling.

ChristineMM of The Thinking Mother shares thoughts about reading, literacy and education after hearing a speech given by author David Balacci on BookTV this weekend.
ChristineMM presents Thoughts on Educated Kids and Literate Adults posted at The Thinking Mother.

This is a fun fall art project that is appropriate for preschoolers and up.
Amy @ Hope Is the Word presents Messy Monday: Watercolor Leaf Garland posted at Hope Is the Word.

This article examines the timeless genius of Leonardo DaVinci and poses the question of where our students might be if we allowed them to follow their passions freely without the structure that many of us impose in defining what is “school.”
Belinda Bullard presents Chronicles of a Blessed Heritage – Our First Week of Summer posted at Chronicles of a Blessed Heritage – Homeschool Blogger.

Personal testimony of our journey to homeschool with the Word as our basis for education.
Lisa presents God’s Curriculum posted at The HomeSpun Life .

This is a unit study for the secret garden I wrote for my kids who are elementary age, with added activities for preschool aged children.
Jennifer presents The Secret Garden posted at schooling memoirs.

I hope this story of my son’s homeschool journey through high school graduation will be an encouragement for mothers who are homeschooling for the long haul.
Dawn @ My Home Sweet Home presents (In)Courage: A Mother’s Hope posted at (In)Courage.

Public schools force kids to praise the Prez!
Hall Monitor presents School Students Sing Praises of President Obama posted at DetentionSlip.org.

This post is about persevering in your homeschool, even in the midst of discouragement. We will reap a harvest if we don’t give up!
Molly Evert presents Don’t despise the small things posted at Counter-cultural School.

Article on the pluses and minuses of purchasing the eFormat version of hsing products.
Sheri H presents To eBook or Not to eBook: That is the Question Part I posted at Homeschooling on a Wing and a Prayer.

It is always a blessing to have God give us His Words of encouragement as we begin a new school year!
Tammy presents “and so we begin” posted at Garden Glimpses .

My six-year-old is learning to knit, and it’s so exciting to watch her at work.
Jennifer Bogart presents Learning to Knit posted at Quiverfull Family.

Idea for organizing books!
Angela Mills presents Too Many Books? Here’s One Solution! posted at Angela Mills.

A comprehensive site for learning about the Holocaust.
Susan Gaissert presents Exploring the Holocaust « The Expanding Life posted at The Expanding Life.

A very talented photographic artist from Etsy has volunteered to custom create the winner’s choice of 3 designs. Perfect Halloween greeting for your friends and family! Not many have entered yet, so there’s a great chance of winning!
Susan Gaissert presents Custom Halloween Photo Cards Giveaway posted at The Frugal Homeschooling Mom.

There are dozens of ways to introduce your child to the world of crafts. Here are some easy and inexpensive starter projects.
Annette Berlin presents Mother-Daughter Craft Projects posted at Craft Stew.

A book review of the two volume set Mathematicians are People, Too — living math biographies.
Jimmie presents Mathematicians are People, Too posted at The Curriculum Choice.

How to handle a sick child — should you take the day off or keep doing school?
Jimmie presents Homeschool with a Sick Student posted at Jimmie’s Collage.

Review of “My Big Drawing & Tote Board” by Barker Creek and its many uses in our home school.
Jacque presents Great Home School Buy: Draw Write Now Tote Board posted at Walking Therein.

A review of a phonics/reading program called Rocket Phonics. I have been very impressed with the program.
Lacey presents Rocket Phonics – A Review posted at We Love To Homeschool.

This is an article the Lord placed on my heart last month, to help our local homeschool family.
Jennifer Southern presents To School at Home or Not School at Home, That is the Question! posted at Creative Learners.

This article is a little bit of education and family. I share what we’re doing this year with our homeschool, in the midst of doctor’s appointments and dealing with special needs.
Lisa Coburn presents Making Homeschool Work for Your Family’s Version of “Normal” posted at Back to Nature at the Wyldhouse Homestead.

Nature Study for the Very Young ~ Indoor and outdoor activities to explore nature with the Nature Explorers Club
Michelle @ Delightful Learning presents Nature Explorers Club: Horse Chestnut Tree posted at Delightful Learning.

This is a post I wrote to encourage homeschool moms. I have also listed my favorite homeschooling books along with why I enjoyed them in this entry!
Candace presents His Mercy is New: Encouragement for the Homeschooler posted at His Mercy is New.