http://www.homehearts.com/ Serving those preparing another generation of hearts...at home! Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:08:00 GMT en-us http://homehearts.com/resources/holiday_helps/4th_of_july.html http://homehearts.com/resources/holiday_helps/4th_of_july.html Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:08:00 GMT Are you looking for some interesting ideas to help you and your family celebrate this Independence Day? Whether you are taking the summer off and are looking for some crafts or you are homeschooling year round and are looking for some fun unit ideas, we hope you'll enjoy these ideas for celebrating the 4th of July.... http://homehearts.com/resources/organized_home/sizzling_summers.html http://homehearts.com/resources/organized_home/sizzling_summers.html Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:47:00 GMT Even those of us who homeschool year round take a break at some point in the summer. Whether you are enjoying a brief summer reprieve or a full blown summer vacation you’ll enjoy these ideas for making the most of those hot summer days.... http://homehearts.com/resources/holiday_helps/memorial_day.html http://homehearts.com/resources/holiday_helps/memorial_day.html Tue, 25 May 2010 15:21:00 GMT If you are looking for resources to help your family celebrate Memorial Day this year, we can help! Memorial Day, or Decoration Day as it was first known, originally honored those lost in the Civil War. In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson signed a bill making Memorial Day an official legal holiday to remember all of the men and women who have died in the course of serving our country. Here are some links to help you make this Memorial Day a day of remembrance:.... http://homehearts.com/resources/organized_home/time_saving_devices.html http://homehearts.com/resources/organized_home/time_saving_devices.html Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:32:00 GMT If we could manufacture one thing, one time-saving device that could make a real difference in our day, it would be time itself! Ah, but since that isn't in the realm of possibility we have to move on to Plan B - making good use of the time we have been given.... http://homehearts.com/toolbox/mentoring/relationships_the_key_to_mentoring.html http://homehearts.com/toolbox/mentoring/relationships_the_key_to_mentoring.html Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:32:00 GMT Many, if not most, of us grew up within a fragmented educational system. So, while we realize we want to provide better opportunities for our children - a stronger/deeper relationship with our Lord, a love of learning that fuels a lifetime of education, family ties that last throughout the years - we simply don’t know how.... http://homehearts.com/reviews/book_corner/prayer_for_a_child.html http://homehearts.com/reviews/book_corner/prayer_for_a_child.html Mon, 29 Mar 2010 09:32:00 GMT Winner of the 1945 Caldecott medal, this beautiful book reflects the simple, childlike faith that we are all called to by our Lord.... http://homehearts.com/resources/organized_home/ducks_in_a_row.html http://homehearts.com/resources/organized_home/ducks_in_a_row.html Wed, 24 Mar 2010 10:32:00 GMT Focusing on our homeschool goals, writing out our plans to achieve them and completing a schedule to make it happen leaves us with a feeling of accomplishment. We should "count the cost" before taking on any endeavor. And it is good to plan, to have a vision, to know the direction in which we wish to go. That said, we should use a pencil, not a chisel.... http://homehearts.com/toolbox/materials/gizmos_and_gadgets.html http://homehearts.com/toolbox/materials/gizmos_and_gadgets.html Tue, 2 Mar 2010 10:57:00 GMT Furnish a learning environment by investing the bulk of our capital in tools that will be used over and over instead of materials that have a short life span - notebooks instead of workbooks where practical, reference books instead of textbooks where possible, and other items that move us year to year in the direction of a learning lifestyle. Here are some of those gizmos and gadgets you may wish to consider.... http://homehearts.com/toolbox/materials/overwhelmed_with_choices.html http://homehearts.com/toolbox/materials/overwhelmed_with_choices.html Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:39:00 GMT Educating our children is a big responsibility. Many of us would spend our last dollar if it meant our children would receive a quality education. And it is oh, so easy to be swayed by companies that make claims such as "You don't want to deprive your child of a good education - buy our product and rest assured your child will not miss out." Or "No gaps here; we've covered all the bases so you don't have to." Or "We've been serving schools for years and we know what we are doing." To make it even more complicated, about the time the supplier catalogs start arriving in the mail and the homeschool conventions are in full swing, the e-groups begin to buzz with the latest offerings. Over at our favorite online homeschool hangout, the pace starts to quicken. The bandwagon starts moving in one direction, then another. It's hard to keep up. It's hard not to be caught up! It's hard not to get run over!! So how do we determine what will and will not work before we spend the money? How do we decide among such a wide array of products? Here are a few ideas that might help you in your decision making.... http://homehearts.com/toolbox/methods/directories_of_free_unit_studies.html http://homehearts.com/toolbox/methods/directories_of_free_unit_studies.html Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:53:00 GMT Directories of free unit studies list.... http://homehearts.com/toolbox/methods/prepared_unit_studies.html http://homehearts.com/toolbox/methods/prepared_unit_studies.html Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:50:00 GMT Prepared unit studies list.... http://homehearts.com/toolbox/methods/free_unit_studies.html http://homehearts.com/toolbox/methods/free_unit_studies.html Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:48:00 GMT There are countless lesson plans available online. Our objective is to provide you with quality unit studies (units where educational disciplines are integrated and developed around a theme) developed by homeschool moms and provided by trusted sources.... http://homehearts.com/unit_studies.html http://homehearts.com/unit_studies.html Mon, 8 Feb 2010 10:10:00 GMT Unit studies allow us to pursue a topic in depth, while maintaining the interrelatedness of the disciplines. For example, you could develop your child's recent stamp collecting interest into a unit study by incorporating or covering appropriate literature(reading), monetary equivalents (math), geography, different currencies over time (history), classification (science), art, and communication skills by requiring a report (writing/grammar) or speech. Unit studies typically take advantage of hand-on activities, field trips, and other forms of investigation.... http://homehearts.com/resources/encouragement/fighting_the_february_blahs.html http://homehearts.com/resources/encouragement/fighting_the_february_blahs.html Fri, 5 Feb 2010 10:15:00 GMT Are you hoping spring blossoms a little early this year? Perhaps it is the letdown after the holidays. Maybe it’s the weather, or being indoors. Perhaps it’s the routine of routine. Whatever IT is, many homeschool moms find themselves - and their children - fighting the February blahs. Here are some ideas to spark up your days!...