{"id":1462,"date":"2014-08-15T14:33:29","date_gmt":"2014-08-15T14:33:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.janice-campbell.com\/?p=1462"},"modified":"2015-08-31T22:07:50","modified_gmt":"2015-08-31T22:07:50","slug":"take-heart-26-steps-to-a-healthy-home-school-a-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doingwhatmatters.com\/take-heart-26-steps-to-a-healthy-home-school-a-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Take Heart: 26 Steps to a Healthy Home School \u2013 A Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

A review by Janice Campbell<\/em><\/h4>\n

\"Take<\/a>\"\"
\nWhen I began homeschooling in the late 1980s, there weren’t many curriculum resources available. Many homeschoolers made do with discarded public school textbooks or struggled to persuade textbook publishers to sell directly to home educators (very few people had ever heard of Charlotte Mason and living books, unfortunately). I would describe this as the Wild West period of the homeschool movement.<\/p>\n

Finding\u00a0curriculum was a\u00a0minor\u00a0challenge, though, compared with\u00a0finding encouragement and sound advice from veteran homeschool parents. I remember haunting the library stacks and hunting through the card catalog in search of anything written about non-traditional education. Through interlibrary loans, I was able to read books by John Holt and Raymond and Dorothy Moore (you can see a few of them in the box below), but they didn’t offer what I was really looking for\u2013 simple mom-to-mom tips and advice.<\/p>\n

Times have changed, and over the course of this convention season, I saw thousands of resources at the homeschool conferences I attended.\u00a0They’re a testimony to the energy, creativity, and love that’s been poured into the homeschooling movement by countless parents who couldn’t find what they needed. Whatever you want to teach, and however you want to teach it, you can probably find a great resource (and if you can’t, you can create it!).<\/p>\n

\"Take<\/a>The slowest category to build has been the mom-to-mom books of wise counsel and encouragement. That is changing, though, and Take Heart: 26 Steps to a Healthy Home School<\/span><\/a>\"\"<\/span>
\n<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0by Mari Fitz-Wynn<\/a> is one of the most helpful and approachable little books I’ve encountered this season. Mari\u00a0and her late husband Edward homeschooled their six children, and as they did, they encouraged others. Through\u00a0Heart for Home School Ministries<\/a>,\u00a0Mari has spent many years bringing\u00a0together new and veteran homeschoolers for advice, encouragement, and mentoring.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She has finally paused long enough to write a book brimming\u00a0with gentle encouragement and sound counsel. Understanding that homeschooling moms are busy, Mari designed the book in 26 brief chapters corresponding to the letters of the alphabet. This makes it easy to find a topic you may be seeking, and the brevity makes it possible to snatch a moment of encouragement during the small moments of the day. The only downside of the brevity is the fact that it’s over so quickly\u2013\u00a0I tend to like big fat books, but I realize that’s not always practical for busy moms.<\/p>\n

Topics in Take Heart<\/em> include anxiety, burnout, character, disillusion, expectations, inspiration, juggling, legacy, no (love this chapter!), organizing, quitting, volunteering, and more. Mari’s wide experience and loving heart are reflected in each page, and her comfort and counsel are sound. I’ve known Mari for several years through Heart for Home\u00a0School’s annual conference, and am delighted that she’s finally written a book. I know it will bless\u00a0you or someone you love.<\/p>\n

Book details:<\/h4>\n

Take Heart: 26 Steps to a Healthy Home School<\/a>\"\"
\n<\/em> by Mari Fitz-Wynn
\nPaperback: 116 pages
\nPublisher: Torchflame Books (June 11, 2014)
\nISBN-13: 978-1611531060
\nWorldview: Christian
\n