Customer Reviews

The Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach: Bible Based Homeschooling

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I downloaded this ebook over the holidays and am in the process of implementing Robin's ideas. The review is lengthy, but I feel it is such a foundational and worthwhile book. The book is divided into five sections, so I'll explain my take on each section.

The first section details their departure from public school and the different roads they traveled in homeschooling. Based on her success and failures she describes what led to the Heart of Wisdom teaching approach. One big issue for moms that she addresses is fear. Many wonder are they doing enough? Teaching the right thing? Are their children where they need to be? She does a wonderful job throughout the book of taking us to Scripture to find the answer. (Like Philippians 4:6-7 here.) "God knows what your children will face in the future, and He will give you what you need to educate them in the way they need to be educated." These were powerful words that forced me to realize that I need to abide in God's word so that he can guide me and I can guide my children. In this, you will find peace not fear. My job is to run the race and keep my eyes on Jesus! (Hebrews 12:1-2)

In Section Two she guides you in researching the biblical methods of education. You will also learn about the history of our modern and traditional forms of education. She ends with an appeal to return to a biblical Hebraic model. This section was an eye-opener for me. I learned the Bible's definition of true education and true wisdom. This section is a must for Christians. I now feel totally comfortable that education in my home doesn't look like education at the public school down the street.

A description of the different methods used in her approach is outlined in Section Three. First is always the Bible, then you will recognize a little Charlotte Mason, unit study, delight-directed, and classical methods. However, you will always see the Bible first and most importantly interwoven into everything. She also discusses different learning styles and how to teach to them all using four steps. Doing something with what is learned is one of the four steps. This step usually involves some form of writing. A step that I struggle with, a struggle that's not uncommon for most homeschool moms.

The fourth section gives you the how-to with instructions on just how to work out her plan. She tells you how to go about setting up your unit studies based on a four year study of history. I love how she splits your teaching day into two main areas: God's Word and God's World. She spends most of the morning on God's Word, reading the Bible and using Bible study tools. The afternoon is spent studying God's World using unit studies and living books. God's World studies include science, HIStory, and the arts all filtered through God's Word. She incorporates writing and language skills in everything they do. You will also find more information about making notebooks and timelines in this section. And probably the most important chapter in this section is "Scheduling by Faith." We are all given 24 hours each day, how does God want you to spend yours? This is another chapter that I will need to reread over and over...any time that I'm feeling defeated in my homeschooling journey.

Section three and four have a lot of information. I have read and reread, just trying to soak it all in. I was a product of the public schools and was never taught like this. It is a big paradigm shift for many of us and it will take time to make a complete change. But I believe she does a great job explaining her research and reasoning and then the methods and the how of fleshing out this approach.

And finally, in Section Five, she lists the resources that you can use to teach your children using the Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach. Hundreds of books and resources are listed by her four-year plan for ages K to 12. In addition to this chapter she lists resources for deeper study at the end of almost all of her 24 chapters. The resource lists alone make the book worth the cost.

I will recommend this book to every parent that I can...hence the reason I'm posting it here on my blog! I am even considering buying another copy so that I'll have one to lend out! I do think this book will give you a fresh vision for what God has called us to do. I have always liked the book "Educating the Wholehearted Child," by Sally Clarkson. I felt like it gave me a vision but left me hanging in exactly how to do it. Robin has said many of the things Sally Clarkson has said in her book, but she explains better how to implement it in my home. I can't decide to try her book on Wisdom or her unit study on Adam to the Messiah next, knowing me I'll get them both!

This book is a magnificent Bible centered approach that is much needed in today's academic minded homeschool community. It will provide you with the methods, program, and resources for a course of study where students focus half the school day studying God's Word and the other half studying God's world (academics). Easy, entertaining and actually fun!

Students study history chronologically and science in the order of the days of creation. This book will instruct you, step by step, how to give your child a Bible focused, comprehensive education from preschool through high school; one that will train him or her to read, to study, to understand, to LOVE TO LEARN and most importantly to desire and seek true wisdom. This approach can be used for all grade levels.

Sampson gives an excellent Bible focused alternative to classical education by encouraging students to study snippets of the classics from a Biblical worldview without immersing them in the pagan writings.

The "Rethinking Education" section explains the historical and cultural background of my recipes. Here you will learn how it is necessary to look at education through history. This section includes the origins and development of our traditional educational methods, from ancient times until today, with an appeal to return to biblical methods.

The Heart of Wisdom Methods include the most popular homeschool teaching philosophies: Bible First, Delight Directed, Discipleship, approaches outlined by Charlotte Mason and Ruth Beechick, Hebrew methods, learning styles, and more!

You will learn about the Heart of Wisdom four-year plan and philosophies for teaching each subject, as well as how to create your own unit studies (or use the lessons from Heart of Wisdom)

The Resources section includes book lists included in the Heart of Wisdom four-year plan. This section explains books that should be in every homeschool library and provides hundreds of books by grade level to teach the unit studies.

Sample pages are available from the author's site.

Thank you, Robin, for a book that clearly articulates where, how and why a "Classical" education is not necessarily a "Christian" one! As a home schooler, I have been shocked at how most Christian curriculum not only embraces, but also endorses Greco-Roman mythology, philosophy and world views. At times, I thought I was the only one who felt this way, until I opened this book and read how articulately Robin had put my thoughts, feelings and ponderings into not just words, but a simple to follow outline approach that left me plenty of room to personalize! This is our third year of "life learning at home," and my girls LOVE to learn now! THANK YOU for a great book!

Let me first say that I absolutely agree with the other reviews in regards to the premise of this book. The premise is that we are to teach our children the Word of God in everything we do. I wholeheartedly agree and for that, I give Mrs. Sampson five stars on that! The other reviews do a fine job explaining that part of the book, so I don't feel the need to elaborate.

However, where I disagree with Mrs. Sampson, is that she clearly considers her brothers and sisters in Christ who adhere to the Covenant Theology doctrine, as heretical, and I dare to say she blames them for the atrocity committed by Hitler and his soldiers in the holocaust.

I am slow to consider someone heretical, unless I have a firm grounding in scripture to do so. She fails to do such, but gives her opinion on the matter, which is hardly an explanation as to why she would make such an extreme claim. Without quoting her book, you are welcome to go to her blog and find her same opinion written there on this matter. Type in, "Replacement theology", and you will find what is found in this book. You can decide from there if you agree or disagree with her stand.

Replacement theology is what it is commonly known among those who disagree with the belief, but the proper term is Covenant Theology. The reason for this distinction is clear; a misunderstanding of what Covenant Theology is. Those against CT call it Replacement Theology, because they wrongly understand what CT is, accusing it as saying Christ has replaced Israel and God has broken His covenant with Abraham. However, the right understanding is not that Christ replaced it, but fulfilled it (I have not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it -Matthew 5:17). CT says that Christ fulfilled the covenant, He did not replace it. The Covenant was fulfilled in Christ and continues today through God's people, the body of Christ.

She goes on to say those within the RT camp (though, remember, it is properly called CT) are anti-semetic (and are the reason for the holocaust). This couldn't be further from the truth. I have great compassion for my Jewish friends and I love them dearly. However, Jesus said He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, NO ONE comes to the Father but through Him. Jews do not believe in Christ, but deny their Messiah has come. Salvation is of the Jews, because Jesus was a Jew first, because He had not died yet, so He came to obey the Law in EVERY way, so that He could be the fulfillment of the Law. He is our Jewish Messiah. He is our High Priest! There isn't any more shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sins, because Jesus has fulfilled that requirement. Now we take communion, because we remember that very fulfillment in Christ through the breaking of his body and blood shed he paid upon the Cross through His death, burial, and resurrection. Again, Jesus said only He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father, except through Him. If a Jew today is saved, but denies the deity of Christ and is still awaiting a future Messiah, is Jesus a liar? Paul was saved, because He believed and repented of his sins through Christ. In Acts, they called themselves, Christians; however, they were previously Jews. The Pharisees, teachers of the Law, who refused to bow to their Messiah, will receive their reward...and Jesus didn't make that sound like it was Heaven.

Covenant theology agrees that there is one way to God and that is through Jesus Christ alone. Anyone who refuses to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and repent of their sins, will not be saved. It's clear in the scriptures. I will witness to my Jewish friends, just as I witness to anyone else of whatever belief they have. If you don't have Christ, you don't have eternal life. It isn't anti-semitism at all. (If you claim to be a Christian and are anti-semitic, you need to examine your heart before God and repent. You are commanded to lovingly reach out to them with the saving faith of Christ, just as you would anyone else!) CT believers reach out to Jews, just as they reach out to an atheist. Both are lost without Christ.

And that is the breaking point with this book. If you disagree with that, you will love this book wholeheartedly. However, if you are like me, and agree that Jesus is absolutely the ONLY way to God, you will absolutely gleen wisdom from this book in the sense that we are to teach the scriptures in everything we do with our children, but you may be put off by the strong use of the word "heretical" for those of us who believe Christ fulfilled the covenant with Abraham.

I would rather recommend teachings from Voddie Baucham Jr. on this matter. Family Driven Faith is an excellent resource on how to live out the principle of Deut. 6. Answers in Genesis has a great resource from Diana Waring on teaching the history of the church, so that your children can see God in every aspect of history. I know there are other resources, but those come to mind.

And one more thing to note, the whole OT is filled with stories that point us to Christ. All fuzzy pictures of something to come...Jesus Christ, the coming Messiah! Abraham and his son on the altar, the Passover, Jonah in the belly of a fish for three days and nights, David...the King, et cetera. It is all riddled with Christ in it. I thought I would mention that, as it is hard to "replace" something that was already there. :) Jesus has always been and will always be. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He is the author of the covenant and He is the finisher. Everything, absolutely everything, wraps around Jesus. And for that, I am not ashamed to say that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to Him, except by His mercy and grace alone to grant you repentance and faith in Him.

Be good bereans and search the scriptures to see if these things are true. May the Lord bless you! :)

This book is an amazing book! Robin Sampson will show you the different learning styles. She will take you through history to show how we have adapted the Greek system of learning. (Very Interesting!) She will guide and show how to incorporate God into daily "school" routine to make God the most important part of the day. Robin Sampson has done an excellent job of putting so much useful information into one book!!! I would recommend to anyone homeschooling or considering homeschool.

If I had to choose only one homeschooling book, HOWTA would be the one! Amazing, stupendous work by Robin Sampson! I can't believe I'm so blessed to have found what I will use for the rest of my homeschool years this early on! I was homeschooled growing up, and worked in a homeschool bookstore. I've seen it all, and THIS is what it's all about. The resource section alone is worth its weight in gold. I can't possibly recommend it highly enough!!!

I found this book to be refreshing, challenging, and full of insight. It encouraged me to teach our children the way that God intended for them to be taught. Robin kept taking us back to the Bible the only source of TRUTH and WISDOM. I have told many people about this book. It is one of my three favorite books from the past year (the number 2 book is by Robin also, What your child needs to know when).

Through much prayer and research, I was lead to this book. After reading it I understand the four step approach and can use it in all my educational experiences for my children. I felt so much more comfortable homeschooling my children. I felt I had really been taught how to homeschool! It is not only informative, but interesting.a rare combination in how to books!

As a Christian home schooling mom, I always felt that there was something more that I could be doing for my children. I just couldn't put my finger on what that was. Of course, this was because I was still blinded by the world's educational system, and by their standards I was doing above and beyond. I taught them reading, math, spelling, history, science, and more but I never felt peace about the whole process. That is until I read The Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach by Robin Sampson. It was only then that everything began to make sense. Not only did this book open my eyes but it opened my spirit to receive a wealth of wisdom based on God's Word.

This book contains over 500 pages of solid biblical principles to apply to your vision for your child's education. Robin spent more than twenty years researching and seeking God to find our biblical history and she put it into this book. It will teach you so that you can teach them. It will give you revelation and insight to what truly matters and what doesn't. You will be relieved of all the traditions and learned behaviors you have been accustomed to and you will begin to see just how easy it is to breathe life into your children. You will see them come alive with a desire to learn more. That in itself is priceless.

In the first section, Lessons from Exodus, Robin shares her personal struggles with home schooling. I found it to be very similar to my own battles. She addresses issues like: Why am I so frustrated? Why don't the kids enjoy learning? Am I doing the right thing? Is this enough? I felt right at home reading about these burdens most of us face on a daily basis. In fact, once I started reading I could hardly put it down. I was learning how to let God lead me on this journey. I was retraining my mind to think His way. It was so freeing.

In section two Robin will take you back to your roots and reveal the inner thoughts of God and the purpose of man. She exposes where the fruit turned sour and weeds began to grow. This history lesson made me wish I had been one of her children seated at the kitchen table and soaking up knowledge from her diligent studies. I now understand my history. I know more about who Jesus is and that is helpful if I am to aspire to be just like him. If you want the truth go to the source. Robin will take you there.

In section three of this book she discusses the Heart of Wisdom methods. They are a collection of time proven techniques that actually work. They embrace and teach to every part of the child's being. Some of those that are discussed include the Charlotte Mason method, the Delight Directed Approach, Writing to Learn, Critical Thinking and Logic, and Unit Studies. There is also an in depth chapter on learning styles and the Four Step HOW Process: Excite, Examine, Expand, and Excel.

Sections four and five give you instructions and ideas to implement and create a perfect God centered learning process for your children. You will read the detailed HOW plan overview and the meaty guide for bible study. She will teach you to develop your own unit studies, create notebooks, and how to schedule by faith. After all it is all in God's timing, right? There is also an exhaustive list of resources that will leave you with need for nothing else but the presence of God.

The best part about the whole approach is that I can incorporate the materials I currently have and use, make my own, or purchase Robin's Unit Studies from the Heart of Wisdom website. In addition to that I need a bible, a pencil, and paper. How awesome is that?

This book is bible based, intelligently written, captivating to read, and abundant in life changing truth. This book is a definite must-have for any home library. I recommend it even if you don't home school. Every Christian should learn about their heritage. Every Christian should have a Heart of Wisdom.

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
--Psalm 90:12

I read this book a year ago and it was great! But it was a new approach for me and it was very helpful. I've been actually using the different approaches she mentions in her book and have adapted them to our family's needs. I decided to reread the book, and boy am I glad I did! I understood more about where she was coming. If you are new to the Charlot Mason, this is a great beginning! Plus, you will LOVE Robin's 4Mat System!!! I have no doubt, this Homeschooling book is a MUST READ! and a MUST READ AGAIN:)