Did you sign up?
October 27, 2009 by The Amies
For our newsletter, that is. It is an early Christmas here at Heart of the Matter…so go sign up for our newsletter (to the right, at the top of our sidebar) and receive your FREE human body lapbook from the extraordinary A Journey Through Learning.
If you would like to see what our weekly newsletter has to offer, you can view last week’s issue here and yesterday’s issue here. I am very excited to also announce that this week we welcomed a new Newsletter Editor, Brenna…
Joining you from the rainy Pacific Northwest, Brenna is a Jesus-loving homeschooling mom to one adorable girly girl and wife to her beloved techie man. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in English and Literature, she worked as a technical writer and editor in the high-tech field. Once she defected from the corporate rat race and dedicated her life to being a SAHM, she began a freelance writing and editing career. Then she became a mommy, and everything changed. When she’s not busy as the keeper of her home, you can find her reading, snuggling with her Maltese, Ellie, knitting, reading, sipping tea, trying new recipes and reading. You can visit Brenna at her blog, Gracefull Girl, where she chronicles her daily challenges, joys and struggles as a girl saved by grace.
FREE Lapbook from A Journey Through Learning!
October 12, 2009 by AmyS
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!
Lapbooking – A Few of Your Questions Answered
I’ve had several people (real life and this here life!) ask about our lapbooks. What are they? What do they look like? Where do I come up with ideas? Do the kids like them or are they just a Mama-thing? How much do you they cost? How do you fold them? Are they just for little people or do older kids do them too? What do you need to get started? And these are just a few. So I thought I would answer some of those questions. And start showing off my kids’ work a little along the way.
What are they?
A method of homeschooling. Or supplementing any other learning (public, private, or just free time fun stuff). The are basically scrapbooks that kids make. You can print off little “components” (see, I’m even gonna give you some lingo, so you feel “in the know”!), have the kids fill in the information, and glue them in file folders. Yeah, just those plain boring manila kind that you can buy a whole bunch for very little money at your local get-it-all store. Typically you refold the folders to where they open up like shutters in the front, but that depends on the lapbook and your preference. It’s a great place to keep their work (I’ve suggested them to my public schooling friends who don’t want to trash all that paperwork their children bring home from school).
What do they look like?
They look like little booklets that unfold and hold lots of cutesy pictures and fun folded paperwork.
Where do I come up with my ideas? And how much do they cost?
You can buy very cool preprinted packages from some very trustworthy and amazing places. A Journey Through Learning and In The Hands of a Child are great examples. I’m cheap and prefer free. That means a little more work on my part, but not much. My favorite site of all and great place to get started is HomeschoolShare. Wow. Free, constantly updated, exhaustive, and organized. Really, for homeschooling what more could you ask for?! You can go explore their site, but if you’re looking for the shortcut straight to the list of lapbooks they offer go here. Their lapbooks are then either listed exhaustively or broken down by age. They have lapbooks by topic (for instance lizards, the human body, and honey bees) and literature-based lapbooks (we’ve done Winnie the Pooh and Some Bees, The Mitten, and If You Give A Mouse A Cookie just to name a few). I love both, but am probably partial to the literature-based just because I can cover so many subjects in one place.
How do the kids feel about them?
Mine love them. And I have 2 boys and a girl ranging in ages from 7 down to 4 who currently participate in them. They like picking them out or seeing what surprise one I’ve picked out for them. They enjoy doing each component, and since mine are still so small I usually put them all together at the end for them, and they love that completed surprise when it’s all over. And here’s the amazing part, after about a year of doing them, they’ve started asking to go back through them. At bedtime it’s the number one asked for item over books or toys. When they see a show about a book or topic we’ve covered before they run to get that lapbook to look through it again.
Are they just for little learners or for older kids too?
As I said my kids are all under the age of 8, but they have some pretty advanced and very cool chapter book lapbooks, as well. And I look forward to turning over the entire putting-togetherness of it when they get just a bit older. I think you’ll be surprised what all’s out there for both genders and all ages once you start looking into them.
How do you fold them or the oft-heard “That’s very cool, and you make great ones, but I would never be able to figure out all that folding” ?
There are such great resources out there that take you step by step in the process. Remember, it’s one little fold and one little component at a time that eventually adds up to one whole complex cool lapbook. Don’t get overwhelmed by the finished products. At HomeschoolShare they have a whole section on blank resources if you care to do them yourself or expand on the lapbooks they have available for you. When you click on an already prepared lapbook each component is listed seperately so that you may pick and choose the items you want to include in your lapbook. With those items you print are instructions of how to fold them. They also include pictures at the end of each section to show you what their completed lapbook looks like. But it’s always just a suggestion. And I’ll always take comments or emails and talk you through any place that you’re stuck.
How do you know just how much to include or when you’re through with one lapbook?
This is a good question. You can play by the rules and print off the whole list and when you work through it, well, then you’re done. I’m not a good rule follower. I go by my kids’ levels of concentration. I pick components I think they would like (or let them pick), print them off, and have them on hand. I’m not a great planner or stick to it-er once I have a plan, so maybe I’m not a great one to ask. Or maybe I’m the perfect one to ask. You pick! Either way, this is how I do it. I print off the things I want, we jump in one morning and get started, when my kids start losing interest for the day, we quit. Then we do some more the next day. And we keep going as long as they show interest and aren’t fighting me on it. When they seem through, I quit, put it all together, and give it to them like a present. If they show more interest than I have printed items for, then I go get creative. I go to sites like Enchanted Learning (a paying site for the premium stuff – $20 a year last I checked, but very trustworthy, legitimate, and a WEALTH of resources), an awesome site full of free stuff is Jan Brett’s site, I do a search for the topic we’re working on, and/or there are usually related extra resource sites at the end of each lapbook on HomeschoolShare with lots of free printables to add to your finished project. This is yours and ultimately you’re in control of all of it!
How much do they learn, does it cover enough, and do you use it a your sole curriculum?
Hmm… Depends on who you ask, but since you asked me, I’ll answer! My kids have learned a ton and have retained nearly all of it. Really. When they see something in real like that reminds them of a once-covered lapbook they get excited and start reminding me about what they learned. It can be your sole curriculum and cover enough if you’re dedicated. They are great as a companion to Five In A Row. I have one friend who uses Abeka and plans to use these to kick off or wrap up each 6 week series they start. I have another friend who wants to use these mostly during the summer and do their “regular curriculum” during the “regular school year”. It’s up to you. Homeschool Share even has a scope and sequence checklist for the things you might want to cover with your child according to grade. Print that off, make a plan, work through it. And you have an entire school year ahead of you, if you’re that organized and so inclined. If you are, I envy you and dream of being you some day. For me, I’m kinda lazy. Or kinda busy (at least that’s what I tell myself, though I have a sneaking suspicion it’s more the former). So we do lapbooks according to their desires and fill in the blanks with workbooks and textbooks when I get tired of lapbooking (yes, it can happen, even for an enthusiast such as myself), or run out of one of the necessary items to lapbook.
Which brings us to another question I get..
What do you need to get in order to lapbook?
This is a running joke amongst my lapbooking friends and myself. Just go buy stock in glue sticks, printer paper, ink, and file folders now. I’m kidding. Kind of! Depending on how many lapbooks you do, how often you do them, how many children you have and how many of those children either contribute to one large combined lapbook or each have their own you may very well find yourself at one of the super mega supply stores buying in bulk. But when you consider the price you pay for curriculum or other fun learning projects then the price is nominal. If you’re a beginner I suggest you buy a pack of file folders (I buy the manila ones because I’m cheap – we have painted and decorated them before, but mostly just leave them plain, however, they do have colored file folders if you desire); several glue sticks (I like the sticks over the liquid, because when you’re doing that much gluing – your paper will tend to wrinkle – and well, that just drives me crazy); a pack of printer paper; a pencil; and some colors, markers, or paints; those brass brad things are handy, but not always necessary; a stapler; and sometimes you may want some clear contact paper for the things you want to keep “just so”. As with most things, they can be as simple or as elaborate you want.
An example of a simple literature-based lapbook my 3 year old daughter did is What Will You Wear Jesse Bear?
And an example of a more elaborate exhaustive topical lapbook is the Volcanoes lapbook my 5 year old son did kindergarten year.
Have questions I haven’t covered? Sites I haven’t mentioned? Or want to show off your own awesome lapbooks? Please do! We’d love to hear from you.
Suzanne is wife to one and mama to four and a half. The little ones are 2 boys ages 7 and 6, a girl who’s 4, a wild toddler boy who’s 2 and new baby boy expected this October. She eclecticly unschools with lapbooks the Charlotte Mason way. In other words, she doesn’t have the slightest clue what she’s doing, but does it anyway. She lives in a world where there are few absolutes. The dishes don’t stay cleaned, the laundry doesn’t stay put away, the children don’t remember what she told them yesterday. But in their chaotic lives they have found joy. And they’d love to share that with you. So, come on over, kick a path through the toys, have a seat on the couch and grab a cup of strong coffee. Just be ready to hone your skills of “interrupted conversation”! And be sure to stop by her personal blog at TheJoyfulChaos.
Review: Anatomy Apron
Designed for use with pre-school through primary-grade children, the Anatomy Apron offers a hands-on view of what is inside the human body. The apron features fabric heart, lungs, liver, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and kidneys. Each labeled organ is easily attached with Velcro strips to a washable vinyl apron. You will need to cut out the fabric organs, cut the velcro into 18 strips and adhere to apron before use.
Also included is a Teacher’s Guide which includes a few simple reproducibles to accompany the study as well as a detailed script of what to say and do when introducing each organ.
I was very impressed with how visually appealing the kit was and how easy it was to begin a lesson with very minimal prep. My children enjoyed the hands-on aspect of applying the organs to the anatomy apron. Each child took a turn being the “body.” The reproducibles are perfect for use in a science notebook or lapbook.
The Anatomy Apron is available from:
Educational Insights
Item #2534
$27.99
Learning Resources
1-800-333-8281
EI-2534
$27.95
Karin Katherine is a proud stay-at-home mother of four who feels blessed to be the mother of 5 year old fraternal twin boys and two daughters, ages three and 10 months. You are invited to follow her homeschooling adventures at www.PassportAcademy.com and her adventures as a mother, wife, homemaker, decorator and organizer at www.MommyMattersBlog.com
A Reason For It
November 15, 2008 by Suzanne
As a friend of mine said at the time, God has a sense of humor. And, oh, does He.
I hated science in school. It didn’t apply to my life. It was learning a bunch of facts that were gross, unrelated to anything, and boring. And I was all about “causes” and fighting for them back then. So when I was in 10th grade biology and they surprised us with an aborted fetal pig for dissection, I refused. I would never use this information in real life. I was not going to be a biology teacher, I was not going to be a scientist, I was not going to be a doctor or nurse. I was adamantly against growing animals for the sole purpose of killing them in utero for the sole purpose of “teaching” teenagers that had little to no interest, who would not retain the information, and would only taunt the other even less interested students with body parts that were being carelessly flung around. Give me a book, I could memorize any picture offered to me. I was not a trouble-maker. I was a good student. I took pride in my grades, my nerdiness, and my teacher’s-petness.
So I just quietly pushed my chair back and began reading my book. The teacher eventually noticed and asked me loudly and confrontationally what I was doing. I tried to quietly tell her that I would take my “F”, that I couldn’t do this project. I tried to tell her that I completely understood the consequences of my decision and that I was ready to accept them. She saw this as insubordination and a direct, personal attack on her and her profession. She sent me to the office. This was not something I was accustomed to. I only went to the office when I was accepting a placement into Governor’s School or receiving an award for Odessy of the Mind. The principal knew this and asked me to go sit in the library for the days it would take for the rest of the class to complete the dissection. I took the “F” and the resulting drop in my GPA and won the non-existent, but teacher-perceived battle of the wills.
Skip forward 15 years. And I am now a nurse. And doctor. And scientist.
And teacher.
And I find myself teaching the human body and all it’s systems to my 2nd grader. We’ve done a 3 week unit study and accompanying lapbook from Homeschool Share, which he’s loving.
In the midst of this unit study we discovered Daisy Doodle the cat was chowin’ down on a freshly killed and decapitated animal. We watched her pull out it’s internal organs one by one and discard them. We watched her pull the meat she did want and devour it. We discussed The Little House on the Prairie series that we’re reading by talking about how Pa traded the furs. We talked about the spinal cord that was visible and pointed out the stomach, liver, large, and small intestines. We talked about how the kitty liked the meat parts that we normally like and how that meat looked compared to some of the raw meats that Mama cooks. I fully enjoyed the scene.
Suddenly, science made sense. It was applicable. It was real. There was a reason for it.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s still gross.
The irony was not lost on me. I smiled. I thought of how my Father was probably smiling too. Oh, my best laid plans.
I seriously considered grabbing my trusty camera and documenting the moment. But I resisted the urge.
You should thank me.
Suzanne is wife to one and mama to four. The little ones are 2 boys ages 6 and 5, a girl who’s 3, and a baby boy who’s not knee-high to a grasshopper yet. She eclecticly unschools with lapbooks the Charlotte Mason way. In other words, she doesn’t have the slightest clue what she’s doing, but does it anyway. She lives in a world where there are few absolutes. The dishes don’t stay cleaned, the laundry doesn’t stay put away, the children don’t remember what she told them yesterday. But in their chaotic lives they have found joy. And they’d love to share that with you. So, come on over, kick a path through the toys, have a seat on the couch and grab a cup of strong coffee. Just be ready to hone your skills of “interrupted conversation”! And be sure to stop by her personal blog at JoyfulChaos.
Newsletter
September 27, 2008 by The Amies
We have an exciting announcement for 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 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!
Giant Science Resource book from Evan-Moor Publishers
July 12, 2008 by Karin
If ever there was a book that needs to be in the hands of every home educator, this is it! When I snagged the VERY LAST COPY at convention I knew there had to have been something special about it. In fact, after quickly thumbing through it at convention I remember thinking, “Wow, this looks cool.” However now that I have it in my hot little hands, I realize that it’s really a gold mine and one that I have to share with all of you. Seriously, you need this book!
What is included:
296 reproducibles that cover Life Science, Environmental Science, Earth Science, Physical Science, and Space Science. Also included are several universal graphic organizers.
Whether you are looking for something for lapbooking, notebooking or just worksheets to further illustrate a topic, this is the book you MUST have. The illustrations are engaging, scientifically accurate and of course educational. In planning for our upcoming school year I have found numerous pages that could be used with virtually all of our science studies.
The Human Body, body puzzle on pages 130-140 is not to be missed! Here students will cut out an illustrated body and then assemble the other cut outs (outer body parts, bones & internal organs) onto the puzzle.
Life Cycles includes everything from Dinosaur Life Cycles, to the more common (frogs, chickens, rabbits), to a few you might not expect, such as the Swellshark and Salmon life cycles.
The book is divided into six sections:
Life Science includes:
Plants, Land Invertebrates, Ocean Invertebrates, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, Fish, Mammals, Prehistoric Animals, and the Human body.
Environmental Science includes:
Habitats, endangered species and recycling.
Earth Science includes:
Land forms, weather, air, water, and geology.
Physical Science includes:
Magnetism, electricity, light, sound, matter and energy and simple machines.
Space Science covers:
Moons, our sun, constellations, night and day, eclipse and the solar system.
Graphic Organizers include:
K-W-L chart, Venn Diagrams, Webs, outline forms, ivestigation record sheets, field trip notetaker, What happened today, Research notetaker, Science Record Sheet, Animal Report Form, and World Maps.
Have I mentioned that you need this book? I did? Okay, go buy it!
The Giant Science Resource book is available through a variety of homeschool resources or directly from Evan-Moor Publishers where it retails for $26.99
Karin Taylor is a proud stay-at-home mother of four who feels blessed to be the mother of 5 year old fraternal twin boys and two daughters, ages three and 4 months. As someone who never changed a diaper until she had children, Karin is surprised by the fact that she has been changing diapers for the past 5 years straight with no end in sight! As the 7th of 8 children, Karin feels blessed by her average size (in her mind anyway) family and wouldn’t mind a few more– God willing and her husband notwithstanding. Her biggest homeschooling dream is to one day homeschool across the United States in an RV. Please visit her new blog Mommy Matters.
