Doorposts’ Giveaway!

Parenting Essentials Package 

laurenbell @ February 2, 2012   |   General  |   Comments (55)

Shepherding the Heart Ministries Giveaway

Shepherding a Child’s Heart tells you how to speak to the heart of your child. The things your child does and says flow from the heart. Luke 6:45 puts it this way: “…out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” Written for parents with children of any age, this insightful book provides perspectives and procedures for shepherding your child’s heart into the paths of life.

In this revised edition ofShepherding a Child’s Heart, Dr. Tedd Tripp not only draws upon his thirty years experience as a pastor, counselor, school administrator, and father, but he also shares insights gained in many years of teaching this material in conferences worldwide, providing more valuable help for parents.

Leave your comment below for a chance to win Shepherding A Child’s Heart Ministries giveaway: One FREE copy of Shepherding A Child’s Heart.

(Be sure to leave a valid e-mail so the company can notify if you win! Winners will be chosen Friday, February 3, 2012.)

Don’t miss Tedd Tripp and Shepherding a Child’s Heart Ministries at this year’s convention!

(This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by—

or associated with—Facebook.)

laurenbell @ February 2, 2012   |   General  |   Comments (44)

Download N Go Giveaway!

Download N Go Teacher’s Guide!Custom-made for use with Amanda Bennett’s one-year Download N Go package, this 63-page guide includes everything you’ll need to have a stress-free year using Download N Go unit studies. Full of great information and powerful tools, it includes:• Answers to frequently asked questions about using unit studies• An extensive topical index (similar to a scope and sequence), to help you document what your children learn during the year• A one-year plan to guide you through the year using the 36 Download N Go studies included in the one-year Download N Go package• More than 40 pages of interactive forms to journal and document your learning adventures throughout the yearThis guide provides the tools you need to jump right in and begin using Download N Go unit studies with confidence. Enjoy the adventure!

Leave your comment below for a chance to win the Download N Go giveaway: One FREE copy of Download N Go™ Teacher’s Guide!
(Be sure to leave a valid e-mail so the company can notify you if you win! Winners will be chosen Friday, February 3, 2012.)

Don’t miss Amanda Bennett at this year’s convention!
(This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by—or associated with—Facebook.)  

laurenbell @ February 2, 2012   |   General  |   Comments (35)

Download N Go Giveaway

Win an ENTIRE Download N Go Spring Semester on CD! Includes 21 one-week studies for grades K–4! This colorful, fun-filled unit study and lapbook make learning an adventure with these exciting studies:
•Autumn Treasures
•Amelia Earhart
•Ben Franklin
•Birthday Bonanza
•Davy Crockett
•Dolphin Days
•Expedition Australia
•Expedition China
•Expedition Ireland
•Expedition Mexico
•George Washington
•Kite Capers
•Mother’s Day
•Pizza Party
•Sunny Seashells
•Simply Soccer
•Spring Surprises
•Twisting Tornadoes
•Valentine’s Day
•Winter Wonders
•Whale Tales

Leave your comment below for a chance to win Amanda Bennett’s giveaway: One FREE copy of Download N Go Spring Semester on CD 21 One-Week Studies for Grades K–4.
(Be sure to leave a valid e-mail so the company can notify you if you win! Winners will be chosen Friday, February 3, 2012.)
Don’t miss Amanda Bennett at this year’s convention!
(This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by—or associated with—Facebook.)

laurenbell @ February 2, 2012   |   General  |   Comments (29)

Crystal Creek Media Official Team T-Shirt Giveaway

Leave your comment below for a chance to win Crystal Creek Media’s giveaway: One FREE Crystal Creek Media Official Team T-Shirt!
(Be sure to leave a valid e-mail so the company can notify you if you win! Winners will be chosen Friday, February 3, 2012.)
Don’t miss Crystal Creek Media at this year’s convention!
(This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by—or associated with—Facebook.)

laurenbell @ February 2, 2012   |   General  |   Comments (20)

Home Educator’s Association of Virginia’s Giveaway!

Home Education: Touching the Heart. Win a chance to come to the 29th Annual HEAV Homeschool Convention—for FREE! More than 130 information-packed workshops, with great speakers—Tedd Tripp, Jason Lisle, Crystal Paine, Reb Bradley, Debra Bell, Hal and Melanie Young, to name a few—PLUS Crystal Creek Media’s two-day Film Camp, a Transcript Boot Camp, a HUGE Exhibit Hall, money-saving Used Curriculum Sale (60,000+ items last year), graduation, FREE how-to-begin sessions, and SO MUCH MORE. Practical, hands-on, and encouraging—don’t miss it!

Leave your comment below for a chance to win Home Educator’s Association of Virginia’s giveaway: One FREE ticket to the 29th Annual Virginia Homeschool Convention in June.
(Be sure to leave a valid e-mail so we can notify you if you win! Winners will be chosen Friday, February 3, 2012.)

(This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by—or associated with—Facebook.)

laurenbell @ February 2, 2012   |   General  |   Comments (107)

The Institute for Excellence in Writing GIVEAWAY!

Make writing easier! Get A Word Write Now: A Thematic Thesaurus for Stylized Writing, by The Institute for Excellence in Writing!
This resource is a brilliantly organized reference that
• contains word lists organized by character qualities and behavior traits
• is divided by parts of speech to assist younger students
• contains quotations from classic literature that give contextual meaning
• offers new appendices of teaching tips and games.

Leave your comment below for a chance to win the giveaway: One FREE copy of A Word Write Now!
(Be sure to leave a valid e-mail so the company can notify you if you win! Winners will be chosen Friday, February 3, 2012.)
Don’t miss The Institute for Excellence in Writing at this year’s convention!
Party Favor! Stop by the IEW booth at the convention and mention this Facebook Party, and you will receive a free Portable Wall! (No purchase necessary. Limit one per family)

(This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by—or associated with—Facebook.)

laurenbell @ February 2, 2012   |   General  |   Comments (65)

Overwhelmed by “Expert Advice”

This post is part of a series by Melissa Barnes titled, “Sitting at My Savior’s Feet…A Short Devotional for Homeschool Moms.” 

I nursed all my children, so when we adopted our son, I decided I wanted to attempt to breastfeed him. I knew it would be a challenge, but it sounded easier than learning to bottle feed and paying for formula. I entered the NICU where he was born, armed with my trusty nursing pillow and eleven cumulative years of nursing experience.

About five hours later I sneaked out of the hospital, ran for the car, and vowed not to attempt breastfeeding my new baby until we were in the privacy of our home…all because of “expert advice.”

Had we been left to our own devices, I suspect my son and I would have done just fine. Instead, we had a lactation consultant, a feeding specialist, and a NICU nurse all intently watching as we fumbled our way through the first feeding. These people had the best of intentions and do a great service through their work, but I left that short session with more suggestions than I could process, feeling overwhelmed, confused, and inadequate.

I think my nursing experience is replicated far too often in the homeschooling community. Parents come to homeschooling from a variety of paths, but most begin with a degree of trepidation and uncertainty.

Can I really teach my own children?
What if I mess up?
I’ll never be able to homeschool as well as…

We begin our journey, experience a little success, gain some confidence, and then—Wham!  Something occurs to make us question ourselves all over again.

Much like my experience with my baby, it is often good things that cause our confidence to falter. Perhaps we read a book or attend a seminar or talk to a homeschool veteran. We get great tips, learn new methods, or hear encouraging success stories. But instead of inspiring us, they make us question our abilities or our outcomes. They leave us feeling inadequate or unequipped. We lose confidence in ourselves.

We become overwhelmed by “expert advice.”

In reality, we have forgotten our calling. We don’t homeschool because of any credentials we have earned from outside sources. Our qualifications do not come from the state or the local homeschool organization or the neighbor down the street. We aren’t successful because of any books we have read or workshops we have attended. We don’t teach because we have found the perfect curriculum or enrolled in the ultimate co-op.

Those of us who homeschool do it because God has called us to teach our children. He placed the desire in our hearts (Ephesians 4:1), gave us a scriptural mandate to teach our children (Deuteronomy 4:9, 6:6-9), and equipped us for the task (Ephesians 2:10, 2 Timothy 3:17). We don’t need our work validated by any “homeschool experts.”

Seeking wise counsel from those who are more experienced, reading a book on an area of weakness, attending a workshop for ideas and refreshment…these are all positive and helpful things for any homeschooler. But the minute you begin to feel that your homeschooling is under a microscope, that you are inadequate, or that you should not trust your own instincts about what is best for your children, PAUSE. Put the books and curriculum catalogs away. Turn off the podcasts, and stop answering the phone. Go to the throne of the One who created you and placed His children in your care. Ask Him to remind you of your calling and of His equipping, and bask in the reality that His is the only expert advice you will ever need to take.

In what ways have you allowed the “experts” to rob you of your calling to homeschool?  How often do you look to outside sources for advice or validation rather than to the LORD? What steps can you take this week to direct your focus back to His word to equip you for the task of teaching your children?

mbarnes @ February 1, 2012   |   Homeschool Encouragement  |   Comments (2)

GED vs. Diploma

This post is part of a series titled, “Homeschool Q&A.” The series features questions we’ve received from parents on a variety of topics–and the answers!

Q. Should my child take the GED exams?

A. Although a GED credential can be earned by a homeschool graduate, HEAV does not recommend a GED for several reasons:

1. It still carries the stigma of being a high school dropout (even if you are not);
2. The military will not accept a person with a GED;
3. Some employers will not consider hiring applicants with a GED, and
4. When filling out forms, homeschoolers with a GED cannot check that they have a high school diploma.

Because homeschooling is more accepted now–accepted by the military, community colleges, four-year colleges, and employees–HEAV recommends a parent-generated diploma in lieu of a GED.

Yvonne Bunn @ February 1, 2012   |   Homeschool Q&A  |   Comments (0)

Schools Offering Spring Testing Clarification

Note: This was received in response to the “School District Offers Testing–What Are My Options?” Q&A published last week.

I would like to clarify the section on ‘schools offering spring testing as an option’. We offer testing, at no cost, as an ‘option’ and a service to our homeschool families. It is true that we do not offer re-testing in the school district, but it is certainly the parent’s choice to re-test their child at their own expense, and select another test if they choose, and submit those scores to the home instruction office.

Debra C. Gadberry

Home Instruction Specialist

Chesterfield County Public Schools

Yvonne Bunn @ January 31, 2012   |   Homeschool Q&A  |   Comments (0)