Posts by Heather Shanks

Can music really make kids smarter?  The Foundation for Music Literacy says "yes!"  We have all heard how music lessons can increase SAT scores.  Music is full of patterns and associations that alter the brain's make-up with newer and stronger connections.  This report backs that up with quotes and figures from various research journals. It also includes a couple of pages of →

In a time of cultural degeneration and societal turmoil, our responsibility to raise children who can lead, and lead rightly, is huge.  I don't think I need to tell this audience of the importance of teaching children integrity and intelligence, as well as what it means to live in a true republic.  The goal is →

The school year is underway and the holidays are just in front of us.  It's time to get down to the nitty-gritty of our daily schedule, and it makes sense to begin at the beginning.  Morning.  For some, morning means waking up to the dawn from a refreshing night's sleep.  Ready for the day, you bound →

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, one of my favorites:-), is hosting a summer reading program with Splish the frog.  Click on the graphic to go directly to Splish's blog.  There, you can get the details of the program as well as take a peek at the reading lists of kids and their moms. Now for our →

A January 4th article on USAToday's website discussed the growth of homeschooling in America as understood by the Department of Education.  I spent some time reading through the comments at the bottom of the article.  As always, the comments broke out into 2 camps, for homeschooling and against homeschooling.  Two pieces of this discussion stuck out →

Modern technology has a definite place in education.  Research, communication and even writing and editing tools open the world up for young academics.  However, new research into digital media and its use in education suggests that real books are still a better choice for reading and comprehension.  Anne Mangen, an associate professor at the Center for Reading Research at the →

Eating healthy is absolutely critical to functioning well as a mom.  Not only does the proper nutrition enhance our immune systems and prevent disease, it also enhance our well-being and energy levels. To that end, I am always trying new recipes that combine lots of good foods, especially vegetables.  The other day, my cupboards were →

This morning, I tucked into my latest book, Choosing Happiness, by lifestyle guru, Alexandra Stoddard.  I always look forward to reading Alexandra's books.  They inspire me and uplift me and give me a renewed sense of peace.  This experience has been no different.  For one thing, her books are as beautiful to look at as →

"Have nothing… that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."  William Morris's words still ring true. I keep this quote on my refrigerator, where I see it everyday.  It is both a literary reminder and a succinct way of describing my philosophy on "stuff".  In one brief sentence, we have →

Planning, second only to God and my family:-) I enjoy planning anything almost as much as the activity itself.  So, here is what Professor Mom has been planning for the 2008-2009 school year… For my six-year-old son, I base most of what we do around Sonlight's awesome program.  (The little one – 4K – is →