2. The emotional bond between a mother and child makes
her the most qualified to educate the heart.
THE INFLUENCE OF MOTHERS
3. Find curriculum -
This usually results in mother
burn-out, especially if home
schooling more than one child.
TYPICAL FIRST STEP
Math
Science
Language Arts
History
Spelling
5. What do I want my children to learn
before they become adults?
A DIFFERENT APPROACH
6. Do any of
these
objectives
resonate with
you?
1. Faith in God
2. Strong moral character
3. Leadership skills that may be
used in their future homes
and communities
4. Skills in self-reliance
5. Love of learning to propel
them towards academic
achievement in their chosen
fields of study.
WHAT DO I WANT MY CHILDREN
TO LEARN?
7. Less busywork
Fewer textbooks
Fewer worksheets
Trust in the Simple . . .
More time to learn from
real life, real events and
real people.
More creativity and
ingenuity
More faith in God
LESS IS MORE
9. Create a schedule with
“structured school time”
in your home.
PRIORITY #1: STRUCTURED TIME
10. 1. Structure time – not content. Guard this time – do not allow for
interruptions.
2. Be present and engage with children. Do not wash dishes, fold
laundry, talk on phone, etc.
3. Keep it special
4. Keep it simple
5. Plan weekly objectives
5 RULES OF ENGAGEMENT*
*From Mary Ann Johnson, The
Home School Coach
14. • “Hook Dates” make it very easy to
organize and compile historical events
into the mind.
HOOK DATE HISTORY
• Each segment of history is organized into 10 Hook Dates
including an important personality and event that connects
to that time period.
15. Main focus for Junior A age group (ages 0-8)
Revisited each year as children progress
• Relationship before
scholarship
• Family routines,
standards and values
• Children learn the
difference between right
and wrong; truth and
error
• Preserve the Joy of
learning at this age
• Discover the value of
“Spark Stations” (Mary
Ann Johnson)
PREPARE THE SOIL
16. • Prepare the soil
• Plant the seed
• Nurture and
Cultivate
• Capture the
Sunshine
• Weeding
• Harvest
As students move into the Junior
B and Senior classes they will
learn to follow the full gardening
cycle in their education
• Principle and Value based
learning
• Carry the principle or value
through the full cycle of seed
planting to harvest
THE GARDENING CYCLE
18. The Garden Allegory
The 5 R’s of
Memory Retention
THE LEARNING PROCESS – BY ANY NAME . . .
Principle Defined
Define objective
Discovery
Skill Practice
Evaluate and discuss
Serve, teach, and share
Seed Selection
Soil Preparation
Cultivate and Nourish
Weed it Out
Share the Harvest
Recognize
Record
Rehearse
Recall
Reconstruct
19. The Garden Allegory
THE GARDEN ALLEGORY AND THE GREAT BRAIN PROJECT*
The Great Brain
Project
Choose a Topic
Build Questions
Study
Imagine, Create, Invent
Share Your Project
Seed Selection
Soil Preparation
Cultivate and Nourish
Weed it Out
Share the Harvest *The Great Brain Project was
developed by Lynn Stoddard
and explained in the book:
Educating for Human
Greatness
20. Moving
principles from
mind to heart
Mind
Heart
An intellectual understanding
of the principles of liberty will
not be enough . . .
21. The blessings of life, liberty, and
happiness can only be maintained by
people who live with
the fires of faith,
the valor of virtue,
and the power of patriotism
burning in their hearts.
23. 1st Day: Light and Physics
2nd Day: Water and Chemistry
3rd Day: Geology and Botany
4th Day: Astronomy
5th Day: Zoology and Biology
6th Day: Physiology and
Biology
CREATION SCIENCE
• 3 year rotation based on the
days of the creation
• One semester of study will
be dedicated to each day of
the creation
• Allows the family to work
on science together
24. Participate in Science Labs and Field Trips
Enjoy discovery with *“Spark Stations”
Create a scrapbook to record their discoveries
JUNIOR A (3-8)
*Learn more about “Spark Stations” from Mary Ann
Johnson at: http://home-school-coach.com/
25. Participate in Science Labs and Field Trips
Create a textbook to teach others about each field of science
Participate in a “Great Brain Project” in a chosen field of
science
Practice writing essays and research papers to include in
their textbooks
JUNIOR B AND SENIOR (8-18)
27. MATH
God’s method of using patterns and numbers to create
order in the universe.
28. Discover Heavenly Father’s favorite numbers and patterns
Hands on math experiences with Spark Stations and Math
games
Application of math and geometry in everyday life and career
choices
Have fun with math!
JUNIOR A (3-8)
29. Principle based learning – Practical application
Students will carry a principle through the full garden cycle.
From their experience, they will not only have a deeper
understanding of math, but they will also learn to become
self-governing
JUNIOR B AND SENIOR (8-18)
31. LANGUAGE ARTS
Academic Service Projects bring purpose to developing skills in
language arts. Literature is based on the classics with the Bible as
the foundation classic.
32. Relationship before scholarship:
Parents bond with children with stories, music, nursery
rhymes, read-a-loud books
Develop a love for books and language
Child’s readiness determines when reading and writing
practice begins
JUNIOR A (3-8)
33. Focus on Classics:
Book discussions
with parents,
teachers and peers
McGuffey Readers
and Bible stories
develop moral
character and
language skills
simultaneously
JUNIOR B AND SENIOR (8-18)
Academic Service Projects:
• Writing letters, essays,
speeches, and research papers
• Public speaking and
recitations from memory
• Creating word games
• Developing good penmanship
and cursive writing skills
• Broaden communication with
foreign language skills
35. Our Criteria:
1. We select resources that are
compatible with the garden
allegory method of
teaching
2. We look for resources that
teach faith, virtue and
patriotism
3. Simplicity in presentation –
allowing more creativity
within the family
CURRICULUM CHOICES AT HEARTHSTONE
Class Road Maps:
When 2 or more
resources are
recommended in one
subject – we create a
class road map to
coordinate the lessons
in a logical sequence
36. “And Jesus grew in wisdom and in
stature, and in favor with God and
man.” Luke 2: 52 Heart Might
Mind Strength
PRIORITY #3: WELL ROUNDED EDUCATION
Four components of the soul as
described in the Bible
37. “The heart constitutes the significant decision
making center of the human personality; it
manifests itself as character or disposition –
prevailing tendency, dominating mood, or
governing inclination . . .
WHAT IS THE HEART?
38. The heart is the core, the innermost aspect of the
person, the human being itself. It is subject to
growth, development, and change as it is influenced
by those choices. The heart is distinct from the
mind. The two are different, but intimately
interrelated, aspects of human nature. “As he
thinketh in his heart so is he” (Proverbs 23:7)
-Neil Flinders, Teach the Children
WHAT IS THE HEART?
39. Our emotions merely
serve as indicators to
the condition of the
heart, just as the
instrument panel on the
car serves as an
indicator to the
condition of the engine.
THE HEART IS LIKE AN INTERNAL ENGINE . . .
The heart empowers us to act
on, think about and choose to
respond to life’s experiences.
40. Just as our physical hearts pump life sustaining blood
and nutrients to the physical body . . .
THE HEART IS LIKE A VALUES PUMP . . .
. . . Our internal heart pumps values and beliefs to the
decision making center of our souls.
41. WHAT IS THE “MIND”?
• The mind is man’s capacity to become aware of things as
they are, as they have been, or as they will be.
• The mind is subject to the management and leadership
of the heart.
• The mind as an instrument of the heart may select,
categorize, classify, and store, but it does not choose in the
sense that the heart makes choices. It is a collector but not a
commander.
Neil Flinders, Teach the Children
42. Might
Might refers to the
resources – both
temporal and
spiritual—that are
legitimately accessible
to a particular person.
Strength
Denotes the physical
properties associated
with an individual’s
body that are
instruments of power
in a bodily sense.
MIGHT AND STRENGTH
ARE EXTENSIONS OF A FUNCTIONING MIND AND HEART.
Neil Flinders, Teach the Children
43. A HEART AND SOUL EDUCATION
Heart
Mind
Might
Strength
The
Hearthstone
Education
Plan
Liberty’s
Hope
44. Liberty’s Hope
A youth achievement program designed to develop the
Heart, Might, Mind, and Strength of a growing child
Ages 3-8 Ages 8-14 Ages 14+
45. Adds elective courses to the Hearthstone Education Plan
Compatible with Quest Clubs
(uniforms, badges and award pins available through
Quest Clubs)
Customized achievements to emphasize patriotism
and “heart and soul” development
LIBERTY’S HOPE
46. LIBERTY’S HOPE PROJECTS
Heart
• Values
• Religion
• Heritage
• Hook Date
History
• Service
• Leadership
• Family Relations
• Life skills
Mind
• Classics
• Constitution
and
Government
• Financial
Literacy
• Science
• Math
Might
• Craftsmanship
• Fabric Arts
• Fine Arts
• Performing Arts
• Communication
skills
• Computer
Technology
• Foreign
language
Strength
• Culinary Arts
• Gardening
• Healthy Living
• Fitness and
Recreation
• Health Care
• Whole foods
nutrition
47. • A portfolio is a place where you can record
assignments and test scores and track the
progress of your child from year to year.
• The student portfolio is an excellent medium for
“mentor meetings” where you and your child can
plan curriculum, choose books, and discuss their
work and progress throughout the year.
PORTFOLIOS AND PLANNERS
By combining the portfolio with planning pages it can serve a dual purpose for
tracking goals and assignments as well as progress and achievements.
48. Individual Planner
Quarterly Goals
(Heart, Might, Mind and
Strength)
3 Month Calendar
Weekly Compass
Family Planner
Year at a glance school
calendar
Monthly Family Education
Plan
Weekly Family Education
Plan
PORTFOLIOS AND PLANNERS
49. Section 3 :
Elective
Courses (5+
page dividers)
Include achievements,
projects, experiences in
specific topics
PORTFOLIO SECTIONS
Section 1: (5 page
dividers)
• Planning Calendars
• Evaluations
• Experiences/Activities
• RSLL Charts (Reading,
Service, Leadership,
and Life Skills)
• Awards/Recognition
Section 2: Core
Courses (5 page
dividers)
• Religious Studies
• Language Arts
• Math
• Science
• History
If this were a class on gardening, I would be talking about each of these steps to grow a successful garden.We may also consider how each of these steps will nurture and cultivate the heart. Read slide.
Recognize – make a proper selection of information.Record – clarify by highlighting and emphasizingRehearse – mental rehearsing or role play. Give your knowledge away. Visualize yourself in a teaching setting or writing a book about the material to share with others.Recall – bring the information to the forefront of your mind. Make is useful by recalling it.Reconstruct – write a one-paragraph summary of all learning. This learning process provides the foundation for our Course Road Maps on the Hearthstone Education Plan and also is used in the learning projects for Libety’s Hope.
Recognize – make a proper selection of information.Record – clarify by highlighting and emphasizingRehearse – mental rehearsing or role play. Give your knowledge away. Visualize yourself in a teaching setting or writing a book about the material to share with others.Recall – bring the information to the forefront of your mind. Make is useful by recalling it.Reconstruct – write a one-paragraph summary of all learning. This learning process provides the foundation for our Course Road Maps on the Hearthstone Education Plan and also is used in the learning projects for Libety’s Hope.
Now we come back to our original question. How do we instill the principles of liberty in the hearts of the rising generation? If we have been raised with a mind-centered approach to education, how do we transfer information from the mind to the heart?
Neil Flinders: Author of Teach the Children – An Agency Approach to Education, written in 1990.
Analogy to clarify and define the difference between the emotions and the heart . . .Read slideAgency is a key term in our approach to education. Agency is exercised when individuals employ their personal power to act and not be acted upon. I would submit that agency is more a matter of the heart than it is of the mind. Food for thought – When the heart has been weakened by neglect or wounded by abuse or trauma, the ability to act and not be acted upon is in jeopardy. True education must include strengthening the heart . . . Building a powerful engine.
2nd Analogy: Shows the life-supporting functions of the heart to our character and disposition.Do we respond to life’s challenges with fear or faith? With blame or accountability? With commitment or capitulation?The answer to these questions will be found in the condition of our hearts.
Now that we have this understanding of the “heart”. What is the role of the mind?Read slide
These definitions are also found in Neil Flinders book: Teach the Children. Examples of might include: financial resources, leadership skills, teaching abilities, social skills, developed talents, influential personality traits. Examples of strength: In addition to the obvious physical strength and sporting abilities, it includes good health practices and nutrition.
When we divide our projects into these four categories, you will see a list something like this.