Category Archives: books

Growing Character and Compassion with Great Books

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“Character is one of the four C’s at the heart of our homeschool, along with creativity, curiosity, and connection.

As C.S. Lewis said —

“Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.”

“Character building is definitely a priority for us. Teaching character through great literature is one of my favorite ways to do that. Great books lead to great discussions, which leads to great thoughts. That kind of thinking builds character and compassion. The world definitely needs more of that!

teaching character through literature with Beautiful Feet Books

Growing Character and Compassion with Great Books

“We use living books whenever possible in our homeschool. Because of our love for literature-rich learning, I have been eyeing Beautiful Feet Books for over a year now. They have so many terrific packages — including history, geography, and character — that I hadn’t made a decision on anything yet. So you can imagine that when the chance to review the Teaching Character through Literature Teacher Guide and Intermediate Reading Pack came up, I was thrilled!

Read the rest of the review here:https://heartandsoulhomeschooling.com/growing-character-with-great-books/?fbclid=IwAR282GFcZpGnKSOTkX72OqStl9iNKIeLesRyUwhdzMtWCArPv4Tv1tCPJ1o

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Needing help for your home schooling journey: https://hef.org.nz/2011/needing-help-for-your-home-schooling-journey-2/

And

Here are a couple of links to get you started home schooling:

Information on getting started: https://hef.org.nz/getting-started-2/

and

Information on getting an exemption: https://hef.org.nz/exemptions/

This link is motivational: https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-what-is-it-all-about/

Exemption Form online: https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-exemption-form-now-online/

Beneficiaries: https://hef.org.nz/2013/where-to-for-beneficiary-families-now-that-the-social-security-benefit-categories-and-work-focus-amendment-bill-has-passed-its-third-reading

HOMESCHOOLING WITH LIVING BOOKS

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From Heart and Soul Homeschooling

Welcome, friend! You might like to subscribe to my newsletter for freebies and updates or follow me on Pinterest for creative ideas. Thanks for visiting!

It’s no secret that we love books in our family. Homeschooling has introduced a great variety of reading material into our studies. The concept of living books has enabled us to learn in a way that is engaging, unlike the way I learned dry boring facts in public school.

Living books are commonly associated with the Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling. They can be a great alternative for those homeschoolers who want to learn about history topics, but do not thrive academically when presented with traditional textbooks.

WHAT ARE LIVING BOOKS?

Charlotte Mason was a firm believer in introducing children to great literature. She didn’t believe in books that were dumbed down or that kept expectations of a child’s reading potential low. She felt that the value of good literature was that it could inspire as well as inform. However, she didn’t think that textbooks (in the traditional sense) encapsulate all that literature could bring to the table. Like many others, she found textbooks to be dry and not very engaging. The biggest drawback, though, was that they didn’t really provoke thought. Instead, they told you what to think and believe. They don’t encourage imagination, creativity, or exploration – they simply present information.

Living books are a way to not only educate, but to inspire new ideas and individual thoughts.They are typically written by someone who has firsthand experience with the subject or who is truly passionate about it. For example, if you wanted to study the Holocaust, you could read a textbook about World War II or you could read books such as The Diary of Anne Frank or Night by Elie Wiesel, which give firsthand accounts of life in the midst of the Holocaust.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF LIVING BOOKS?

As you could imagine, reading a textbook would give you facts, but reading the autobiographies would provide you with depth, spark emotions and thoughts, and generally be more engaging.

They provide more opportunities for curiosity. They bring not only the subject to life – but the people, issues, things, and times that the subject covers. Living books put you in the shoes of people. They encourage you to see, think, and feel as though you were in that world. In short, you LIVE the books that you read.

how to homeschool with living books

HOW DO YOU USE LIVING BOOKS?…

Find out how to use Living books and much more by visiting: https://heartandsoulhomeschooling.com/homeschooling-with-living-books/?fbclid=IwAR2NACHtGab10UtddGM98ARijii_tfjIRyBGMkbDRYy79097ZvbM46ib8ts

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Needing help for your home schooling journey: https://hef.org.nz/2011/needing-help-for-your-home-schooling-journey-2/

And

Here are a couple of links to get you started home schooling:

Information on getting started: https://hef.org.nz/getting-started-2/

and

Information on getting an exemption: https://hef.org.nz/exemptions/

This link is motivational: https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-what-is-it-all-about/

Exemption Form online: https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-exemption-form-now-online/

Beneficiaries: https://hef.org.nz/2013/where-to-for-beneficiary-families-now-that-the-social-security-benefit-categories-and-work-focus-amendment-bill-has-passed-its-third-reading

National Library update

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National Library Update

6 March 2017               

Kia ora t?tou

As you know, the National Library of New Zealand released its new strategic directions in early December 2016.

You received a link before Christmas to a short animated video and the document itself, Turning Knowledge into Value: Strategic Directions to 2030.

Te Puna Foundation launch, December 2016: Chris Szekely, Gaynor Brymer, Bill Macnaught, Susie Ferguson, Corin Haines, Peter Murray

As we round out the first quarter of 2017 I would like to provide you with a brief update on our plans for the year.

2017 Strategic Work Programme

This month formally marks the end of the development phase of our strategic work programme and the start of the implementation phase. To support this work I have appointed a strategic lead for each of our three strategic themes, to keep us thinking big and on course to meet our aspirations for 2030. As highly experienced staff from within the Department and the National Library, their names will be familiar to many:

The strategic leads joined my leadership team in a full day workshop last week to refine our priorities and strategic work programme for the year ahead. Significant activities already underway include:

  • Re-launch of Services to Schools online offerings from March, including Any Questions delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Education and libraries;

  • Engagement with authors, publishers, libraries and others in a roundtable discussion in Auckland this week to explore the role that libraries can play in supporting the creative sector, including the future role of the public lending right;

  • Opening of the He Tohu exhibition and associated public programmes in May in our Molesworth Street Wellington building in partnership with Archives New Zealand;

  • Discussions with public libraries to agree a collaborative solution to address the limitations of the current model for public internet services provided through the Aotearoa Peoples Network Kaharoa.

Each of these activities highlights to me the importance of partnerships and collaborative approaches as we start the implementation of our strategic directions.

I will have more to share once our strategic leads are fully up to speed and as our work programme progresses.

Collaboration in-house

To encourage innovation and collaboration on a smaller scale in-house we have recently established the National Library’s own Business Innovation Group. This group of staff meets fortnightly to create, consider and assess proposals that will foster professional development, collaboration and innovation in our daily work.

All this in addition to business as usual at the National Library, so we are looking at a very busy 2017! I look forward to working with you.

Ng? mihi

Bill

National Library of New Zealand is a part of
the Department of Internal Affairs

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Needing help for your home schooling journey:

https://hef.org.nz/2011/needing-help-for-your-home-schooling-journey-2/

And

Here are a couple of links to get you started home schooling:

Information on getting started: https://hef.org.nz/getting-started-2/

and

Information on getting an exemption: https://hef.org.nz/exemptions/

This link is motivational:https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-what-is-it-all-about/

Exemption Form online:https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-exemption-form-now-online/

Coming Events:https://hef.org.nz/2013/some-coming-events-for-home-education-during-2013-2/

Beneficiaries: http://hef.org.nz/2013/where-to-for-beneficiary-families-now-that-the-social-security-benefit-categories-and-work-focus-amendment-bill-has-passed-its-third-reading

Get an entire Christian library of e-books…ABSOLUTELY FREE!!!

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Collections of Christian e-Books A.W. Pink Libraryhttp://pbministries.org/mobile/additions.php
CHRISTIANWORLDVIEW.NET

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From the Smiths:

https://hef.org.nz/2011/craig-smith-26-january-1951-to-30-september-2011/

Updated 22 April 2014:  Two years on (Craig Smith’s Health) page 7 click here

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Needing help for your home schooling journey:

https://hef.org.nz/2011/needing-help-for-your-home-schooling-journey-2/

And

Here are a couple of links to get you started home schooling:

Information on getting started: https://hef.org.nz/getting-started-2/

and

Information on getting an exemption: https://hef.org.nz/exemptions/

This link is motivational: https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-what-is-it-all-about/

Exemption Form online: https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-exemption-form-now-online/

Coming Events: https://hef.org.nz/2013/some-coming-events-for-home-education-during-2013-2/

Beneficiaries: https://hef.org.nz/2013/where-to-for-beneficiary-families-now-that-the-social-security-benefit-categories-and-work-focus-amendment-bill-has-passed-its-third-reading/

A Home Schooler’s library

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This is an Australian home educator’s library

What To Do With The Picture Books?

“Last week I finally tackled the toppling piles of books in our library which had been accumulating for months. Once I accepted I couldn’t fit all those books onto the shelves, I began a ruthless cull, tossing books that I had considered treasures yet no-one else did. Thirteen boxes of books departed the house making one friend extremely happy and liberating me to enjoy actually having space on my shelves!:) The culling still didn’t enable all the books to fit onto the shelves, but pulling all the picture books out of their bookcase did…Read more here…

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From the Smiths:

https://hef.org.nz/2011/craig-smith-26-january-1951-to-30-september-2011/

Updated 22 April 2014:  Two years on (Craig Smith’s Health) page 7 click here

*****

Needing help for your home schooling journey:

https://hef.org.nz/2011/needing-help-for-your-home-schooling-journey-2/

And

Here are a couple of links to get you started home schooling:

Information on getting started: https://hef.org.nz/getting-started-2/

and

Information on getting an exemption: https://hef.org.nz/exemptions/

This link is motivational: https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-what-is-it-all-about/

Exemption Form online: https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-exemption-form-now-online/

Coming Events: https://hef.org.nz/2013/some-coming-events-for-home-education-during-2013-2/

Beneficiaries: https://hef.org.nz/2013/where-to-for-beneficiary-families-now-that-the-social-security-benefit-categories-and-work-focus-amendment-bill-has-passed-its-third-reading/