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Winning Website
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Homeschool Helper Online

From the website: "This is a site dedicated to homeschoolers who want to help each other. We invite you to participate in this site by sharing any resources that you have written. Sharing ideas with each other makes planning our homeschooling unit studies and lapbooks easier and more fun. So, have fun viewing other's unit study ideas and share yours too!"

They also have a free 2014 Winter Olympics lapbook printable page! :-)

www.homeschoolhelperonline.com/lapbooks/olympics.shtml


-- Heather

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Helpful Tips
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Minute Books

I learned about minute books at a family conference, and have never heard of or seen them anywhere else. If you know who deserves credit for the idea, please let us know!

A minute book is an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper folded in thirds, just as you would fold a business letter. This gives you a total of six sections -- three each on the front and back. The front page of the tri-fold is the title page, and each of the other five sections contains photos, text, drawings, or charts. A minute book can be as simple or as elaborate as you want to make it.

A minute book is a good way to journal a vacation or a field trip!

Here is a sample of a minute book:





-- Mary Beth

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Olympic Fun!

Jodi in Iowa has put together a Pinterest board (especially for us!) full of all kinds of great resources for enjoying the Olympics with various integrated learning opportunities for your children:

www.pinterest.com/hghearts/2014-winter-olympics-sochi

Thank you, Jodi! :-)

-- Heather

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Last Issue's Question
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"How does your family conduct Bible time? What challenges have you encountered, and how do you deal with those? What benefits have you enjoyed from family Bible studies or family worship?"

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Your Answers...
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"We have our Bible Time a couple of different ways. My husband reads a chapter of Proverbs aloud every morning after breakfast. There are 31 Proverbs so it makes it easy to cover the entire (or most of it) in one month. We also read a Bible story to the children each night before bed. We have a variety of different Bible story books that we have used over the years. I think Hurlbut's Story of the Bible is my favorite though The Child's Story Bible by Vos was my favorite as a child. If you make the Bible a part of your routine every day and have the Bible in a handy place, it will get read.

We always start school with Bible study. Currently we are using the Bible Study Guide for All Ages. We only use the notebook along with the large maps and timeline. I haven't used the workbooks and other materials. Other successful programs we have used: the Bible along with the The Victor Journey through the Bible, Sword Fighting by Karyn Henley and Paw Paw Chuck's Big Ideas In The Bible.

We have changed our materials and approach as the children have gotten older, but I think the most important thing is to make Bible study a part of the family routine. -- Jennifer G.

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"We gather together each night before tucking the kids into bed. We sing a hymn , say a prayer and then read from the scriptures. We generally just take turns, each child/parent reading 1-4 verses depending on their age and how late it is. My husband generally decides who reads what unless he has meetings then I take over. When my oldest was young we would only read a few verses, it took forever to get anywhere but it instilled the habit. Now we have kids aged 16-5 at home and sometimes it gets a little long for the little ones but again it is the habit and the spirit that we are focused on. After scriptures we tuck all of the kids into bed and hope that they stay there! ;-)" -- Sandy in Utah

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"I am teaching my two girls, ages 5 and 13, at home right now. I have been receiving your e-mails for a while. Today I am finally putting some of the info to use! I have my oldest daughter reading a book in the Bible and searching for sentences that contain the word wisdom -- and then she copies them. It is hard to know how to start teaching them what is required by law and at the same time teaching them what is required in life. So I thank you for your insight." -- Angela G.

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New Question...
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"What are some of the ways you have used lapbooking or some other creative way of notebooking?"

Please share your experiences!! :-)

Simply reply to this email or create a new email message and send to: hn-answers(at)familyclassroom.net

Do YOU have a question to ask our readers? :-)
Please send to: hn-questions(at)familyclassroom.net

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ADDITIONAL NOTES
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All contributed articles are printed with the author's prior consent. It is assumed that any questions, tips or replies to questions may be reprinted. [Occasionally your contribution may have to be edited for space.]

Feel free to send any contributions to: HN-ideas(at)familyclassroom.net.

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