Home Ed

Home Education is never far from my thoughts, as we are now in our seventh year of home schooling, and have gotten a good start on reading and phonics with our fourth child in this last year. While I do not suggest that Home Education is "the only way," it seems to be a fit for our family. However, no matter how firmly convinced one may be of the choice to home-school, it is a challenge that can only be met through much prayer and diligent hard work. My lifeline is my incredibly supportive husband, Paul - the Principal of the Heidmann Institute for the Arts and Sciences. Without his loving support and guidance, I would falter and ultimately fail. He keeps me focused when I lose track of the "big picture" - an easy thing to do for any mother with a full time job! He has not only my thanks, but my deepest respect and abiding love.

Prayer, hard work, family support, all are important ingredients in a successful home school; but equally important are resources that are tried and true. On this page I am listing links to other web sites, or products, that we have found helpful. I don't necessarily endorse everything on every site, of course...

Great Books Discussions ****NEW****

Live-Audio, Online Classrooms

3rd Grade Through High School
Experienced Tutors/Moderators
Live-voice conversation
High School Great Books/Western Civilization Program

Homer, Shakespeare, Dante, Plato, Augustine, Chaucer, Aesop, Stevenson, Virgil, Twain, Cervantes, Milton, More, Aristotle, Tolkien, Scott, Dickens, and many more are your children's inheritance.

Give your students the experience of reading and discussing, with their peers from all over North America, the best that has been written.

Great Books Academy ****NEW****

The Great Books Homeschool Program is a nursery-though-12th-grade curriculum for home education. It is complete – including all subjects, books, guides and tests needed, for all grades. Optional services for enrolled students include grading, transcript maintenance, online literature discussion classes and the finest online resources (such as Encyclopaedia Britannica, Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Research, Britannica’s Annals of American History).

The Great Books Homeschool Program is easy to follow. Because it is complete, it is a one-stop home education provider. The 12 courses (subjects) allow parents to offer their children more than any private school offers. Because it is flexible, it allows parents to select only those courses they wish, when they wish, and to take as long (or as little) as they wish to complete a course. Most of our students are doing 6 or 7 subjects, in two or three different grade levels – they have excelled in some, taken more time in others – this is a common sense approach to education, not a one-pace-fits-all approach to unique human beings. more...

The Angelicum Academy ****NEW****

QUOTE:

The Angelicum Academy ("TA") is a Catholic homeschool and liberal education program based on the liberal arts and the classical great books of Western civilization (with optional, Socratic discussion seminars). It is no coincidence that TA appears very similar to the Great Books Academy. This is because TA is a spin-off of the Great Books Academy (GBA). And just as the GBA looked to St. John's College as a model, TA looks to Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, CA, as well as to the former Pearson Integrated Humanities Program at Kansas University.

The Great Books Academy has no religious affiliation. Indeed, the GBA is structured such that the religious educational component need not subscribe to any particular creed (it being provided by the parents, not by GBA). Yet, a conversation, a dialectic, is generally more productive to the degree that the participants share common, defined starting points. Therefore, the more shared starting points, the more productive the conversation tends to be.

Upon reflection, those of the Directors of the GBA who are Catholic came to realize that an educational program that utilized the liberal arts and the great books (with optional, Socratic discussion groups), could be more efficacious for Catholic students if it were based upon the shared starting points of a common creed as defined and clarified by the Catholic magisterial authority. So it was that The Angelicum Academy was formed. TA combines the great books approach found at the GBA, with an intellectual assent to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Its essential purpose is to combine Catholic wisdom and secular learning. Consequently, the teaching Church, the Magisterium, becomes the shared starting point for the conversation at TA. For this reason, it had to be separated from the GBA. Furthermore, it is this grounding in Catholic doctrine that is seen as a great counterpoint to the modern errors of which, due to their overwhelming influence on contemporary life no liberally educated man deserving of that title can remain ignorant.

The Book Page ****NEW****

Super resource page for book reports, research, etc.

Gileskirk Curriculum

Lectures in Moral Philosophy and Humanities by George Grant: The Goal of Gileskirk is to provide a strong Humanities or Liberal Arts survey of the disciplines of history, literature, philosophy, theology, civics, art, music, and architecture in four great epochs: Antiquity, Christendom, Modernity, and American Culture (American history).

Donna Young's Homeschool Printables & Resources

This is a website created by Donna Young for home educators, with hundreds of free online printables and helps for all subjects. Young Minds Homeschool is where you can order a CDRom of the contents of the website plus even MORE! This is a must see for all home-school families - I guarantee there is something on this webiste your family will use and love!

Brightrock Press

Brightrock Press is currently a "mom and pop" publishing company and most of us wear several hats around here. Claire and Peter Roise are mom and pop, authors, and draft editor and webmaster, respectively. Natalie Chaney illustrates our children's stories.

Draft Editor and Author Claire Roise
Webmaster and Author Peter D. Roise

Personal note - there's a bit of a family connection, though distant for me, as Peter's parents and family attend King of Glory REC along with my parents, brother & sister-in-law, and family. Consequently, they "feel like family" - even though we've never actually been in town at the same time!

Exodus Provisions

Our Mission:
To provide quality materials that help parents educate their children in the love and reverence of the Lord, and that help adults develop and promote their Christian faith in th emidst of the humanist culture that surrounds us.

We intend to be part of an "exodus" from an apostate and enslaving worldview that ridicules the truth of our creation and despises our gracious Savior. Our aim is to glorify and enjoy our Maker in everything we do on earth.

Over 4,800 titles in stock!

NEW and USED home school curriculum
(over 2,000 titles!!!)

Choice books and cassettes for thinking Christians

400+ hand-picked books for children

1,500 classic novels, biographies, and more!

The catalog at this site is top notch - definitely worth taking some time to peruse their offerings! Read more about the history of Exodus Provisions and view a cool slideshow of their store!

STUDIUM DISCERE Tutorials

Live online tutorials offering Classical Christian education with in-your-living-room convenience. Studium Discere means "eagerness to learn," a quality we try to instill and cultivate in each of our students. Tutorials offerred in Latin, Logic, Rhetoric and History. Peter Roise, Tutor.

Rosetta Stone: Language Learning Success

I have read so many good reviews of this language program that I am really excited to give it a try - I'll definitely post an update here when we've had a chance to use it for a while.

Imagine learning a new language. Now imagine it being easy. Finally! A breakthrough language learning program that delivers fast, effective instruction that rewards effort with success. Rosetta Stone offers CD-ROM and Online solutions for every use. Individuals at home, at work or on the road. Teachers. Trainers. Institutions with global networks. Millions of users in over 100 countries simply say, “It works!"

Right Start Mathematics

RightStart" Mathematics is a hands-on and visual program stressing understanding and problem solving. Using the AL abacus, the child learns to visualize concepts and strategies for memorizing the facts. Practice is provided through games from Math Card Games.

Standards-based and comprehensive, this K-4 program is formatted in daily lessons with detailed instructions for both classroom and homeschool. Developed by researcher Joan A. Cotter, Ph.D., RightStart" Mathematics has been used with children in schools since 1995 and in homes since 2001.

Classical Christian Homeschooling

Educators are returning to classical education as modern educational methods continue to produce high school graduates who are not only functionally illiterate and lacking in critical thinking skills, but morally bankrupt as well.

Inside you will find historic and modern explanations of classical education, an analysis of the trivium and its components, ideas for the practical application of classical education to homeschooling from experienced homeschoolers and other educators, a complete curriculum guide and online catalog for grades K-12, networking opportunities with other classical educators, comprehensive links to Internet resources for classical education, and much more.

This web site is a gold mine for home educators - I wont even try to describe it, you just have to visit it and see for yourself. My favorite page is the 1000 Good Books List, organized by grade level... I get a terrible case of "book-envy" every time I visit...

Encyclopaedia Britannica

We subscribed to Encyclopaedia Britannica online this year and have it set as the home page for our girls on their school computer. It is a daily wonder, and has been one of the best resources we could have! I love being able to respond to questions with "Look it up on Britannica!" Children are naturally curious, and this is a terrific avenue for them to explore their interests.

Dictionary.com

This is also a site we love at our house. It doesn't develop the alphabetizing skills necessary for using an actual dictionary in book form, but it is a quick and easy resource that is wonderfully extensive.

NationalGeographic.com

Yet another super-fun resource web site. So much to see, so little time...

The Well Trained Mind

Compared to the Classical Christian Homeschooling site, this one is pretty bare bones - but trust me- buy the book, if you're interested in the classical approach to home education. It is EXTREMELY helpful in explaining how to go about it systematically, and the resource listings are excellent. My second and third graders have DEVOURED both volumes of Susan Wise Bauer's "The Story of the World: History For the Classical Child" and both they and I have been delighted with the accompanying activity books.

The Well-Educated Mind

Susan Wise Bauer now has a website for her new book, The Well-Educated Mind, and here is a description of the book:

Have you lost the art of reading for pleasure? Are there books you know you should read but haven't because they seem too daunting? In her previous book, The Well-Trained Mind, the author provided a road map of classical education for parents wishing to homeschool their children. That book is now the premier resource for homeschoolers. In this new book, Bauer takes the same elements and techniques and adapts them for adult readers who want both enjoyment and self-improvement from the time they spend reading.

The Well-Educated Mind offers brief, entertaining histories of five literary genres - fiction, autobiography, history, drama, and poetry - accompanied by detailed instructions on how to read each type. The annotated lists at the end of each chapter - ranging from Cervantes to A. S. Byatt, Herodotus to Laurel Thatcher Ulrich - preview recommended reading and encourage readers to make vital connections between ancient traditions and contemporary writing.

The Well-Educated Mind reassures those readers who worry that they read too slowly or with below-average comprehension. If you can understand a daily newspaper, there's no reason you can't read and enjoy Shakespeare's sonnets or Jane Eyre. But no one should attempt to read the "Great Books" without a guide and a plan.

The Well-Educated Mind will show you:

how to allocate time to reading on a regular basis

how to master a difficult argument

how to make personal and literary judgments about what you read

how to appreciate the resonant links among texts within a genre - what does Anna Karenina owe to Madame Bovary? - and also between genres

Followed carefully, the advice in The Well-Educated Mind will restore and expand the pleasure of the written word.

K-12

Although we started our educational journey with classical approach of The Well Trained Mind, this year we are using the K-12 home school curriculum, and it is an absolute God-send. I highly recommend it not only for the high quality, classical-leaning contents, but for anyone who needs help with organization. The online resources facilitate record keeping like nothing I've seen, and daily work, attendance, progress to date, all are organized for you as you go. This is not a cheap curriculum by home education standards; but it is about less than one-quarter the going-rate of the private academies we have investigated, and my personal opinion is that it is the all-around best curriculum we can find to do at home. I love the Classical approach and have not abandoned it - we continue to supplement K-12 with choices from that wonderful "1000 Good Books List"! But we have found that it is important not to get "locked in" to a particular "system" or "theory" for it's own sake. Each family has to find the combination of processes that works best for them! And that means not being afraid to try something new, and learn from what goes right, and what doesn't.

Veritas Press, Inc.

We have many friends who have used the Veritas Press catalog almost exclusively in building their Classical Christian Homeschool program. These are outstanding products, and you will find many common titles between this and the above mentioned resources. I highly recommend those that I have used. I have heard rave reviews from my friends who used the Phonics Museum as their Kindergarten reading program; and the award-winning history program Veritas has developed deserves serious consideration!

Sparknotes

This is a wonderful resource for any family, home schooling or otherwise. They offer online test prep for SAT, ACT, SAT II exams, as well as FREE study guides for Literature, Drama, Shakespeare, Philosophy, Poetry, Math, Chemistry, Economics, Computer Science, History, Physics, Psychology, Health and Nutrition, Biography, Biology, Astronomy, and more. They also have online books in the classics department - really, it is an endlessly useful educational website. This is not a "christian" site, and not necessarily geared for the very young, so as with all websites, parents should be aware of what their children are reading. Properly used, it is a wonderful tool.

Alpha Omega Publications

Alpha Omega Publications has been around for a long time. They have a proven track record when it comes to curriculum development, and have a strong reputation in the Christian Schooling community. They offer resources for Christian Schools, Home Schools, and Online Academy as well, for those seeking a more structured and supervised approach to the home school experience. My brother and his family are using the Switched On Schoolhouse this year, and I have heard very good reports on it from them.

Accelerated Christian Education

The ACE program is another that has been around for many, many years. I spent one year in an ACE school while living in Canada, and my brother spent 3 in it. I have always felt that was my most successful school experience, of the many schools I attended over the years. It was a program geared to the learning needs of each individual student, and as such, was about as close to the home-schooling model as a traditional school could get. Now they have expanded into the homeschool realm, a natural progression. I would strongly recommend this program to anyone looking into home education for their children.

HSLDA

The Home School Legal Defense Association is a non-profit advocacy organization established to defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children and to protect family freedoms. Through annual memberships, HSLDA is tens of thousands of families united in service together, providing a strong voice when and where needed.

HSLDA advocates on the legal front by fully representing member families at every stage of proceedings. Each year, thousands of member families receive legal consultation by letter and phone, hundreds more are represented through negotiations with local officials, and dozens are represented in court proceedings. HSLDA also takes the offensive, filing actions to protect members against government intrusion and to establish legal precedent. On occasion, HSLDA will handle precedent-setting cases for non-members, as well.

HSLDA advocates on Capitol Hill by tracking federal legislation that affects home schooling and parental rights. HSLDA works to defeat or amend harmful bills, but also acts proactively, introducing legislation to protect and preserve family freedoms.

HSLDA advocates in state legislatures, at the invitation of state home school organizations, by assisting individual states in drafting language to improve their home school legal environment and to fight harmful legislation.

HSLDA advocates in the media by presenting articulate and knowledgeable spokesmen to the press on the subject of home schooling. HSLDA staff members are regularly called upon for radio, television, and print interviews, and their writings are frequently published in newspapers and magazines across the country. HSLDA's own bimonthly magazine, The Home School Court Report, provides news and commentary on a host of current issues affecting home schoolers. And its two-minute daily radio broadcast, "Home School Heartbeat" can be heard on nearly 400 radio stations.

HSLDA advocates for the movement, by commissioning and presenting quality research on the progress of home schooling. Whether it's in print, from the podium, or on-the-air, HSLDA provides insightful vision and leadership for the cause of home schooling.

Home School Legal Defense Association . . . tens of thousands of American families working through more than fifty dedicated staff members to preserve each other's right to home school . . . together, "Advocates for Family & Freedom."

Arizona Families for Home Education

AFHE's stated objectives are:

To educate families, educators, elected officials and the public on the laws and merits of parent-directed, home based education

To monitor state and national legislation affecting home schooling

To publish the bimonthly Arizona Home Education Journal, addressing relevant home school themes

To defend the right to home school and to maintain the least restrictive laws and policies for home schooling

To promote and assist independent home school support groups

To sponsor area workshops

To sponsor the annual State Convention and Curriculum Fair

The Vision Forum

Paul and I had the privilege a few years ago of hearing Douglas Phillips, founder of The Vision Forum, give the keynote address at the Arizona Home School Convention. We and hundreds of other Arizona parents were inspired and motivated by his eloquence and passion for Christian parents to embrace the biblical vision of covenantal faithfulness. I encourage you to read what he says about Vision Forum's Quest for Family Renewal, and then enjoy perusing the resources available from Vision Forum, from family strengthening lecture series, to educational videos, to historical novels, and especially the Beautiful Girlhood Collection and the All American Boy's Adventure Catalog. These are products you can't find at Wal-mart, but they are classic and made to last.

Accelerated Distance Learning

By Brad Voeller

Home school graduate Brad Voeller earned his four-year, fully-accredited college degree in less than six months for less than $5,000 by applying the revolutionary techniques of accelerated distance learning. In this book, he shares with you tested approaches to learning that will allow you to earn a college degree in less than half the normal time -- for a fraction of the cost. Discover how to: receive college credit for life experiences; earn college credit quickly and easily through credit-by-examination; speed up the learning process while improving comprehension; cut study time by at least 50%; make a wise decision in choosing a distance-learning program; and complete college in less than half the time for less than half the cost.

College Plus!

Recognizing the potential dangers, expense, and lack of efficiency in many traditional models for higher education, we believe that “Accelerated Distance Learning” is a wise and effective means for transforming young people into godly Christian leaders. As the non-profit organization responsible for publishing Accelerated Distance Learning, Global Learning Strategies is committed to doing everything they can to prepare students for future business/ministry opportunities and to make their pursuit of a college degree a truly meaningful experience. To accomplish this goal, GLS has combined the Accelerated Distance Learning method and an excellent coaching system to give you CollegePlus!

“...giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge...” II Peter 1:5

CollegePlus! is set apart from secular institutions due to the emphasis GLS places on spiritual responsibility during the college experience. The overwhelming majority of traditional colleges have abandoned virtue in the learning process and have resorted to feeding students an unhealthy diet consisting of only book knowledge. While GLS recognizes the importance of academic instruction, they also understand that character and experience are integral parts of a well rounded education. At CollegePlus!, training students in godliness is no less important that their academic training.

CollegePlus! provides spiritual mentoring and step-by-step academic assistance for college students through a network of coaches and tutors. Coaches and tutors will:

Aid students in gaining a vision for their academic studies

Help parents understand how to assist their students through the accelerated learning process

Coach students in developing and achieving spiritual and academic goals

Teach accelerated learning methods

Supply comprehensive study guides

Assist students in preparing and sitting for college level exams

Help identify and take advantage of specific internship opportunities

Hold students academically accountable

With the CollegePlus! coaching system, students will experience a college program specifically tailored to their learning objectives, building a network of relationships with mentors, experts in their area of study, and other likeminded students. Coaches will guide students through the learning process with detailed instruction and one-on-one contact. In addition to being academic guides, coaches will also be spiritual mentors; they will challenge students to develop the character and discipline necessary to become an effective leader.

Doorposts.net

This is a treasure trove of "bible-based, parent-designed, family-tested products to help you apply scripture in your home." I was fascinated by these simple, yet effective charts, such as the "Brother Offended" chart, and the "If/Then" chart, all utilizing scripture to apply to specific, common situations within the household.

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