About Heart of Wisdom
Our Homeschool Journey
 Our
home school journey began with a desire to teach
our children God's word and the necessary academics
to prepare them for life. At the time we had four
school age children and a toddler. I prayed, set
up a schoolroom, chose a curriculum, planned a
schedule. We were well prepared to go forth on
our journey. The classroom was equipped with bookshelves,
a child size desk for each student, a miniature
desk for the toddler, a teacher's desk, textbooks,
pencils, papers, notebooks, and complete with
an American flag. Each child had a separate Bible,
history, science, math, spelling, and English
workbook. School rules were enforced the children
were not allowed to talk to each other or me unless
they raised their hand. We were "doing school."
Obstacles
and Pot Holes
The
journey progressed as planned except for one unexpected
obstacle. I, leader of the expedition, was exhausted.
I spent each evening planning six subjects  for
four grade levels. I spent so much time planning
school that I did not have time to interact with
my children. School became little more than a
sticky note on the outside of a textbook or workbook
telling each student what pages to accomplish
for the day. During the day, I sat at my desk,
graded papers and spent countless hours writing
scores in miniature boxes in a teacher's lesson
plan book and if I had time answered questions
about school work. We were "doing school."
When
a mother becomes exhausted, she begins to see
things in a different light. Little things become
huge, she becomes irritable. A child's normal
amount of time to learn a fraction concept can
become distorted. A few misspelled words seem
life threatening. Suddenly, it appears that the
children have no intelligence and will never be
able to comprehend very simple concepts. When
some of my children's papers reflected a lack
of comprehension, I panicked. We spent more time
in problem areas and increased the amount of school
time. I was determined we were going to "do
school."
Taking
a Detour
I
realized it was time for a detour. I was so busy
planning, I wasn't teaching. I redid our schedule,
changed from a text book approach to a unit study.
This allowed me to teach all Bible, history and
science, to all the children at the same time.
I worked separately with them on math and language
arts. My planning and grading time was drastically
cut. The children and I interacted, we read aloud
together, worked on projects, and they were really
learning. I thought I had found the answer. The
children were doing well academically. Our school
day was much more interesting and we all looked
forward to school. We were home schooling instead
of "doing school."
To
be sure I was meeting state requirements, I spend
a vast amount of time studying state standards
and achievement tests. This work resulted in my
first published book, What
Your Child Needs to Know When.
Finding
an Alternate Route
I'm
not quite sure when it hit me, but it hit, and
it hit hard. The children were learning academics
but somewhere along the line, probably when I
wasn't seeing things in proportion, I replaced
Bible time with math, spelling, or history. A
quick evaluation of our school time showed a very
limited lack of Bible study. Our curriculum was
Christian and we read an occasional Bible verse
but we were not spending time in God's Word. I
wasn't even starting the day praying anymore.
We had changed to a better road but somewhere
we changed destinations.
I
wasn't the only homeschool parent on the wrong
path. The same same attitude prevailed at home
school conferences. As I spoke to new and veteran
homeschoolers., the most frequently asked question
was "How do I know if I am doing enough".
As a result, of all those worries, What
Your Child Needs to Know When. rapidly became
a bestseller in the homeschool community. This
bothered me. Everyone, including myself, was anxious
about state standards and bypassing the destination.
 It
was time to inspect the map to see exactly where
we were headed. I believe this happens to most
homeschoolers. Either the destination is chosen
poorly in the beginning or somewhere along the
line, the intentions to teach children what God
commands us to teach our children changes to teaching
what the state or "world" requires.
This happens simply because parents were taught
that school equals academics.
God's
Word, our map, is alive. It can quickly reveal
a wrong chosen path and put it on course.
One
Needful Thing
 In
the Bible story of Mary and Martha, Martha was
so busy with preparations as Mary sat at the feet
of Christ. When Martha complained about Mary,
Jesus answered and said unto her, "Martha,
Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many
things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath
chosen that good part, which shall not be taken
away from her." (Luke 10:40-42.)
The
lesson is simple: only one thing is necessary.
Everything else that does not promote that one
thing is extra. The most important thing we can
ever teach our children is to sit at Jesus' feet
and hear His word. Sensible Martha had many accomplishments,
but worry and trouble were her rewards. Mary,
on the other hand, was praised for choosing "that
good thing" which was itself her reward and
which would not be taken away from her.
Martha's
preparation work was not wrong; in fact, it was
important. It was Martha's focus that was wrong.
It is your focus that makes the difference. Socialistic
achievement, which the world stresses so much,
is important, but it is nothing without Christ.
Academics
(math, language arts, history, and science) matter,
but only as they sharpen your focus on the Kingdom
of God and His righteousness. The academic subjects
are important tools, but only tools to help in
the journey not the destination or goal. The moment
academics redirect you, cloud your view, to whatever
degree they slow your pursuit, they then move
from helpful tools to what Jesus calls the "cares
of this life."
Another
Change in Course
I
purposed to accomplish the "one needful thing"
daily by committing to reading the Bible before
any academic schoolwork. True wisdom is only available
by spending a significant amount of your home
school time studying and teaching God's Word.
I
rewrote What Your Child needs to Know When.
adding about 200 pages comparing and changing
the focus from what the state requires to what
God requires us to teach our children. The academics
are important (and check lists remain in the book)
but the focus in on God's Word..
"For
the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper
than any two edged sword, piercing even to the
dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the
joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts
and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).
I
set aside strivings and anxieties and purposed
to teach my children who Christ is. We began to
spend time sitting at His feet and feast at the
table of His mercy, forgiveness, and peace. We
began to learn the unseen things of God. We began
to learn true wisdom.
The
Journey Continues
...Our
Destination: A Heart of Wisdom
Today,
we have the five younger children at home. I just
recently had our eleventh blessing. (See my favorite Pregnancy
Links). Six of our children have grown, graduated,
and have children of their own (our nine grandchildren).
Two of my daughters began homeschool their children
this year!
 Over
the years, I changed how we studied but maintained
the purpose to always put Bible before other studies.
Through the years this included different daily
devotions, Bible study curriculum, focusing on
one particular book of the Bible, reading a certain
amount of chapters per day, or by reading Bible
stories. Honestly, I must say that at times it
has been a struggle. It's very easy to slip back
into "doing school," but each time I
slipped, God gently reminded me of the one needful
thing and we would get back on track.
The
Heart of Wisdom Approach
 After
a dozen years of examining different teaching
philosophies, learning styles--and most importantly--what
God's word says about teaching children, I designed
an approach of teaching based on much prayer and
my experience above. I call it the Heart of Wisdom
approach from Psalms 90:12, Teach us to number
our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Not only must we renew our thinking about the
context of what is taught but also the method
of which is taught (Joshua 24:23, Proverbs 3:5-6;
Matt 6:19-21; Romans 12:22). The Heart of
Wisdom centers all teaching on God's Word.
The
Heart of Wisdom teaching approach is more than
Bible it is an approach to teach all curriculum.
It was greatly influenced, and actually a combination
of teaching methods, utilizing the Charlotte Mason's
philosophy; 4 Step Lessons; Ruth Beechick's language
arts teaching methods; the integrated unit study
method, the Lifestyle of Learning approach;
David Mulligan's writings in book Far Above
Rubies: Wisdom in the Christian Community;
and a writing-to-learn philosophy similar to that
used by The Principle Approach.
Download Excerpts
Heart
of Wisdom Unit Studies
 
I
have been developing a unit study curriculum based
on the Heart of Wisdom Approach the
first nine units are now available. See Heart of Wisdom Unit Studies.
Summary
Ask
yourself this question and take some time to really
think about the answer.
If someone
told you you had one month to live what would
you want to do with your remianing days? What
wisdom would you like to pass on to your children?
What is the wisdom you would share from your heart?
This should be your priority. I hope your answer
is that you would want to teach your children
about your relationship with God. About who God
is and how faithful He is and how He has rules
for us to live by. Then I hope your time would
be spent teaching them to study, really study
God's Word. Kind of puts fractions and diagraming
sentences in perspective doesn't it? This
is the
one thing I wish I could share with all those
beginning to homeschool: Put the Bible first.
It is the one needful thing. Everything else is
secondary.
God
Bless you and your Family,
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