This encouraging workshop offers ideas for how to make homeschooling fit with your family’s unique situation and needs as well as your teaching style and your children’s learning styles. Faith offers suggestions for scheduling, time management, organization, and teaching children of different ages simultaneously.

New conference attendees can join us for a fun orientation session about conference vendors and speakers. Discover great tools for getting the most out of the conference.

Learn the importance of spelling and presents the developmental stages of spelling. She also shares various strategies, techniques, and fun, hands-on, multi-sensory methods for spelling practice, as well as specialized spelling programs and strategies to help you transform “I am a terrible speller” into “I am a good speller!”

How to start, where to find curriculum, when to school, and what a typical day looks like are some of the areas discussed. Get an understanding of Rule 13 (Nebraska) and gain valuable information for your homeschool journey. This workshop is a MUST for new homeschoolers!

Does your child avoid reading or near work? Do they struggle with reduced reading comprehension or fluency? Do they omit small words or skip lines when reading? Are they struggling to live up to their full potential academically? There are 17 visual skills that are necessary for efficient vision. In this presentation we will discuss the link between vision and learning and the signs and symptoms that might suggest your child is struggling from an undiagnosed visual disorder

Discover the secret to smooth and easy days: habit training. Learn how to instill good habits, which habits Charlotte Mason encouraged parents to cultivate in their children, and practical tips for cultivating the Top Three.

This workshop addresses some of the challenges associated with teaching struggling or atypical learners at home in the high school years. Do you have questions such as “How do I award my child with special needs a diploma?” or “What do I do since my child with dyslexia can’t read typical high school level material?” Faith discusses alternative coursework, specialized curricula and learning materials, assistive technology, transcript options, possible graduation guidelines, high school programs for special learners, and post–high school options. She also offers tips for navigating the process of applying for testing accommodations for College Board tests.

Come get ideas for healthy, nutritious meals for the busy homeschool mother.You will get new recipes, meal planning ideas and also learn how to incorporate sour dough in your daily routine. Take home recipes and your own sour dough starter.

Yes, we want our children to have good habits, but many of us parents struggle with habits in our own lives. Take a look at four powerful pictures that give insight into how habits are formed and what to do about your bad habits. Learn the three most important words to keep in mind when habit-training. Discover how to instill your own good habits that will serve you well and help your days run smoothly.

Do you have a child who just isn’t getting phonics—or is struggling with beginning reading instruction? Or perhaps you have a child who has sloppy speech or doesn’t seem to hear things correctly? Poor phonemic awareness could be partly to blame. This session provides parent-teachers with an understanding of phonemic awareness skills and how these skills (or lack thereof) impact a child’s ability to become a proficient reader. Participants receive a phonemic awareness assessment that they can use at home, take part in interactive activities in order to “play” with phonemic awareness, and receive a list of curriculum, materials, and games that address these important, foundational skills.

When Sonya realized how Charlotte Mason defined strong-willed vs. weak-willed, it completely changed her attitude toward her children. If you feel like you are constantly butting heads in a battle of the wills, this session could revolutionize how you view your child. Discover helpful ideas that can relieve the tension, refresh your perspective, and restore the peace.

This workshop offers practical resources, lists of materials, and curricula to equip you as you work with a struggling learner in your homeschool. Faith explains multi-sensory teaching methods, direct instruction, modeled teaching, and “scaffolding” instruction. She also shares ideas for designing a unique home instruction program tailored to your child’s specific challenges.

Have you wondered what all the hype about regarding Bullet Journals? Come to this interactive workshop to find out all about it. Learn how to organize task lists, journal plans, and stay on top of projects with a Bullet Journal. This workshop will focus on strategies to improve time management, self-care, and habit tracking while you create your own bullet journal. Each attendee will receive their own notebook, pens, and extras to take home. There will also be a drawing for one free official Bullet Journal notebook!

We will discuss what children need to know before phonics instruction, how to layer phonemic awareness on phonics instruction, and hands-on activities to help children hear, segment, and blend sounds. Includes hearing initial and ending sounds, sound boxes, rhyming, word families, counting syllables in words, and counting words in sentences. Techniques to enhance learning through movement and multi-sensory activities will be reviewed.

It’s easy to get caught up in the mentality that we’ve got to add more: we must do more, we must get more, and our children must study more. More, more, more! But the funny thing is that when we keep adding more, we usually end up with less of what really matters. Come discover the richness that simplicity can bring to your schedule, your home, and your children’s education.

Learn a crucial but frequently misunderstood topic related to special needs homeschooling. In this power-packed workshop, Faith explains the difference between accommodations and modifications, describes 504 Accommodation Law, and answers homeschooling parents’ most frequently asked questions. Faith also shares a disability resource guide for teens and young adults.

Two contractors describe how to get into the construction trades.

You have searched the library's catalog and placed holds on books, but did you know there is so much more you can access on the library's web page? Libraries subscribe to many online resources that are available for you to use from the convenience of your own home. Discover how to access new software knowledge and technical learning, enhance your reading lists, learn 100 languages, even access a live tutor, plus much more. It is all available with your library card—and learn how you can get one too!

Come with your most questionable questions for this distinguished panel of experienced homeschool mothers. The format will be a town hall setting with questions answered in two minutes or less. Line up, let’s go!

Join Sonya for a practical and encouraging overview of the simple yet effective methods used in the Charlotte Mason approach. Learn about Charlotte and experience using her methods for yourself during the session.

How to “Diagnose and Correct” learning disabilities or mild processing glitches. This is for your “puzzling child”. Is it a maturity issue, or is something else going on? If you have a bright, hardworking child who has to work too hard to learn, he is telling you that one or more of his Four Learning Gates is blocked. Find out specifically how the brain processes information, and where that processing can break down. Learn how to be your own diagnostician using a checklist of symptoms; then learn the necessary interventions. It doesn’t have to be so hard for your child!

You may have a right brain learner in your midst! These wonderful children learn in a different manner than their left brain siblings. You will learn how to identify the right brain child, and learn many simple teaching techniques, such as Right Brain Reading and Right Brain Math. Right Brain Reading is the method Dianne used in her Resource room to help students make a two-year gain in reading in one year! For kids who find math “miserable”, this is a Godsend. No curriculum required! Help your children get in touch with the “smart part of themselves”!

In today’s competitive market, academics are not enough. Employers are looking for candidates who can demonstrate work-place ready skills such as problem solving, creative thinking, and team building. Help your student graduate with experience and the essential entrepreneurial skills to stand out from the crowd. This workshop will share strategies to help students gain these skills through targeted projects and real-world experiences in their middle and high school years. Teens are encouraged to attend.

Do you have a child whom you suspect has an Auditory Processing Problem? There are ten auditory channels. Some channels affect academics (reading, phonics and sight words, spelling, and math), while others affect everyday life (easily confused, misunderstands verbal information, poor working memory, speech delay or articulation issues). Become your child’s own diagnostician as you identify, bypass, and correct auditory processing problems at home. Learn to bypass the auditory learning glitch by using the child’s natural photographic memory and how to correct the auditory glitch by using the proven methods of home Brain Integration Therapy and Targeted Nutritional Interventions.

Do you have a child who is “allergic” to a pencil? You may have a child who groans about writing, writes reversals, or misspells words he knows when he writes. These children are often thought of as sloppy or lazy when they are really using way too much energy for the writing process. The writing learning gate is the most common gate that is blocked with gifted kids. In this workshop you will be shown a daily exercise you can do with your child to get the writing into his “automatic” brain hemisphere, and remove stress from the writing system.

Homeschooling through high school might seem intimidating, but be encouraged! These can be the most enjoyable and influential years you have with your teens. This workshop takes the guess work out of what academics you should build into your 7-12th grade plan and helps you explore electives and activities that can customize your students’ high school years to meet their graduation goals. Teens are encouraged to attend.

Many people think that some are just born with a “photographic memory”. But we now know that this amazing ability can be easily taught. The ability to use the photographic memory is one of the best gifts you can give your child. Your child can store his spelling words in his photographic memory for quick retrieval. Vocabulary is learned in a totally different way! Imagine your child actually having fun improving his vocabulary for the SAT. Poor test takers will learn how to store facts using their photographic memory. Everyone looks smart when these strategies are used.

Transcripts are not just for college – every student needs one. How to begin? What to include? Understand the essentials of record keeping, the five types of records to keep, how to grade, evaluating credits, and preparing a professional looking high school transcript. Teens are invited!

Johnny is a constant motion machine. Tom cries in frustration over minor matters. Susie forgets what she has just learned. “Children act how they feel,” Sydney Walker, MD. This fascinating workshop provides you with clues to your child’s brain/body chemistry. William Crook, MD, has found that over 85% of children who suffer with Sensory Processing Disorders or attention or mood disorders have experienced multiple ear infections as a young child. Untreated, these children often go on to have many hidden food allergies and asthma. It is easy to correct these imbalances at home and dramatically affect your child’s learning day.

Often our aim for our children’s development is to see them “above-average” or “better than most.” But, when the Truth of our super-conquering Jesus Christ is infused into the training of our children, nothing short of “children that change the world” will do. In this session, Eric Ludy will pass along both a vision and a practical platform for beginning to think and parent with even greater boldness and purpose.

The constant declaration of the Christian life should be “I can’t, but God can!” Our lives were made to be inhabited by the living God, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, to be used as a “glove” upon His hand. This enabling power of His life, called grace, supplies all we need for life and godliness. Grace is far more than a mere hug of God. In this life-changing message, Eric Ludy equips you with the spiritual tools to stop trying to manufacture the Christian life and instead let God do it in and through you.

Are you new to homeschooling or new to Pennsylvania? Are you thinking about homeschooling at some point in the future? Do you have questions about what homeschooling might look like and how to get started? This session is designed to encourage and equip you to homeschool your children. Topics include: why homeschool, how to get started in PA, a typical day, curriculum, record keeping, testing, portfolios, and evaluations.

This word is usually used in regards to strong fortresses of old, but it is also meant to describe the believer's life - fortified. In this session, Eric expounds on how to live a fortified life spiritually, physically, and emotionally in order to remain strong against the enemy of our soul.

Parental rights are foundational to a parent’s right to homeschool. While the Supreme Court has historically recognized parental rights as fundamental, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Troxel v. Granville in 2000 has led to confusion and intensified attacks on parental liberty. Come learn how you can help protect parental rights for years to come.

Homeschool graduates still encounter discrimination when applying for employment, civil service, admission to colleges and trade schools, and participation in extracurricular competitions and programs. While homeschooling is now widely recognized as a legal form of education, there is still much work to be done to ensure that students and graduates are not discriminated against because their parents choose to exercise their right to homeschool. HSLDA continues to advocate for students and graduates who face this kind of discrimination. Come hear the stories, legal battles, and solutions for how to end homeschool discrimination.

Kirk Thomsen, a homeschooling Dad of over 25 years, will share on the practice of prayer in living the Christian life. Our home is where discipleship happens in the family and our children learn from what is practiced. So, how do we do that? How do we talk with God and how do we teach our children? Come discover practical steps for growing in this foundational part of our relationship with God.

Melanie, Kristen and Melissa Thomsen, homeschool and college graduates, share about how the habit of a daily Quiet Time can help us grow in our relationship with God. They will share why the Quiet Time is important, how simple it can be and the difference it makes in their personal lives. Bring your Bibles and join other mothers and daughters in learning how spending daily time with God is not only doable, but tremendously rewarding. This session is for daughters ages 10-20 and their moms.

In this session, multiple award winning author and longtime homeschool mom of six Dr. Sandi Queen discusses the many facets of language arts - phonics and reading, grammar, handwriting, spelling, vocabulary, writing, etc., and how to teach each of these using the Charlotte Mason approach. Included will be information on how to identify and choose materials that fit into this method.

Raising up followers of Jesus is a noble calling for parents. The first twenty years of our children’s lives are the most important in terms of a parent’s investment. But all investments require a strategy, careful planning, and detailed execution. Enabling and encouraging our children to follow Jesus is our most important mission as parents. As a former home schooling father of three home school graduates, Kirk reflects on how he and his wife Marian purposed to accomplish that mission.

In this workshop Marian will continue to share from her personal experience of spiritually investing in the lives of her children. Come glean some creative, inexpensive and practical ways to enjoy praying with your children. Marian will share how to organize these ideas into a weekly prayer plan. Kristen, one of Marian’s daughter will share about her prayer journey. This workshop is for mothers.

Parents have tough questions. “Can I make Snapchat safe from sexting? How can I block the bad stuff on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media? Can I be notified if someone e-mails or texts my teen a sexual picture or video? Help me protect the whole device!” If you’re looking for answers to solve today’s tech dilemmas, this session is for you.

Math is so much more than memorizing rules and facts. With a unique and humorous approach, Steve demonstrates how to use hands-on manipulatives to illustrate important math concepts such as place value, double digit multiplication, fractions, algebra, exponents, squares, square roots, and factoring trinomials.

Presently there is a big identity crisis among males regarding what a man is. There is no clear transition from childhood to manhood, and the culture has defined men simplistically. As a result, many fathers are relationally isolated and emotionally disconnected leaving them at a loss for how to lead boys into manhood. This workshop will address the culture’s attack on boys/males, the impact of biology on boys/males learning style, mentoring and educational principles to help boys develop into honorable men and concrete action steps moms and dads can take in the developmental process of boys.

Sandi and I wanted to give our sons a good foundation in language arts and math along with a love for learning. Our vision worked, for each of our sons is a lifelong student and always learning and growing. We catch a fire from someone who has a fire. This workshop will share strategies for encouraging a passion for learning through books, family excursions, and exposing your family to fellow firebrands.

When Steve is asked why we made the decision to teach our children at home, I respond, to train our sons to live forever. Join Steve as he reflects on strategies discovered in the word of God on how to influence our children to follow Jesus.

This seminar highlights 15 principles or standards of behavior which will serve as an anchor for a man as he pursues noble manhood (Christlikeness). The principles will act as a compass to guide him as he reaches his God-given potential as a spiritual warrior/leader. Each father should know and internalize these principles in order to be equipped to pass on authentic, biblical manhood to his sons. A man’s principles help him guide his instincts and assess the quality of relationships he develops. The seminar will challenge men to think in advance about the principles and ethics that he wants to establish for his life and family.

The messages of pop culture conflict with biblical teaching, and major gateways for these conflicting messages comes through smartphones, computers, and other technology. This session is about using technology for good, setting reasonable boundaries, and nurturing the hearts of our children.

What is a “living book?” How can “copywork” really be that effective?” “How do I fit nature study into our day – and why do I want to?” “What about math, language arts, and other ‘core’ subjects?” Dr. Sandi Queen, award winning author of over 400 books for Charlotte Mason style educators, discusses who Charlotte Mason was, and how her ideas for educating children are as applicable today as they were during her lifetime. Come and learn how implementing the Charlotte Mason approach can lighten your load, increase your child’s retention and attention span, and foster a true love for learning. Also discussed will be how to identify curricula that fits into this style of learning in all subjects. For parents of children of all ages.

In this session, Dr. Sandi Queen shares how, during her youngest son’s 3 1/2 year battle with cancer, and her own diagnosis two years into her son’s struggle, the Lord allowed her to continue to not only persevere through daily life in a busy household and care for her ailing son, but also write 40 books during this time. No matter what your struggle is - caring for an aging parent, loss of your own health, going through a divorce or other di cult family time, this session discusses practical ways to get through your days, and will be a blessing and a help.

Part of training up a child in the way he should go includes setting boundaries, discipline, and instilling godly character traits. The session will give practical tips to accomplish all three from the toddler years through the teens.

Homeschool pioneer Dr. Sandi Queen has been homeschooling her own six children since 1986, and is still homeschooling today. Early on, she discovered that what worked for one child did not necessarily work for another, and started to research different learning styles, and how to best teach each type of learner for maximum e effectiveness. Are you struggling to “figure out” the best way to teach your child? Come and learn how you can end the struggle!

Time is given to equally to everyone. It is a valuable gift that can be squandered through disorganization and the accumulation of material goods. The session will include practical and simple ways to conquer clutter once and for all, and to teach children to do the same.

In this workshop Marian will share from her personal experience of spiritually investing in the lives of her children. She will share a very important decision she and her husband Kirk made that greatly influenced all of their homeschool years. Come glean some creative, inexpensive and practical ways to study and memorize God’s Word with your children. Discover how to intentionally plan for a consistent time in God’s Word with your children each school day. Kristen, one of Marian’s daughters will share about the impact spending time in God’s Word as a child has had on her life. This workshop is for mothers.

Debra will moderate a networking meeting for anyone leading a homeschool group or considering it. Learn new ways to recruit and cultivate volunteers, keep your members engaged, and fund your endeavors. Debra is the founder of three homeschool co-ops that are still going strong today.

If your child gives you the “blank stare” when you ask him to do a creative writing lesson, don’t despair – there is help! Dr. Sandi Queen, author of the multi-award winning “Language Lessons” series and homeshooling mom of six, shares how to let your child know what is expected in his writing, how to draw out the reluctant writer and inspire confidence, and more in this session for parents of all ages.

We know from the Bible that a gentle spirit is precious to God. This session will examine how both parents and children can develop a gentle and peaceful spirit, and maintain it in the midst of difficult or frustrating days.

The goal of this session is to share the joy of designing and teaching unit studies. Learn how this unique approach to teaching uses real-life experiences, books, games, projects, and other resources to encourage students to deeply explore topics and to become life-long learners. Discover ways to integrate subjects to make learning more meaningful and fun. Realize the wealth of knowledge to be gained through unit studies as well as easy methods of constructing them.

Does it seem that your older teen is ‘behind’ in school? It could be because of learning challenges, family or health distractions, previous school history, etc. Whatever the reason, the school ‘to-do’ list seems to be larger than the amount of time you feel you have left with your child. In this session, Bev will talk about strategies you can use when determining what concepts must be covered, how to capitalize on your child’s strengths to cover the material, the necessity of supporting their sense of self, and what resources might be ‘friendly’ to this type of situation.

Ever feel like you are about to lose your mind as a stay-at-home mom? There’s so much to do and so little time! How do you balance it all? How do you know what to do and what not to do? Laugh along with Rachael as you see how insane our culture is and how peaceful walking with God can be.

This workshop takes you step-by-step through the process of getting started in homeschooling. From visiting HSLDA and the Homeschool Idaho websites for information on how to homeschool legally, to finding a support group, picking curriculum and setting up a home for homeschooling, this workshop covers it all!

Parents have a dream for how they envision their sons will ‘turn out’ at the end of the journey. How can you carry out the plan successfully if your son spends all day under the direction of a woman? In this session, Beverly will share ways to implement practices that will encourage your teen boys to grow into happy, mannerly, intelligent leaders for their future families – leaders who respect and protect women, embrace their role with confidence, and are comfortable in their manhood. Be encouraged by a mom with six sons that it is in fact possible…and fun!

The first five years of parenting are crucial times of development for young children. Foundations are set that give them a perspective of God, themselves, and others. During these early years, children gain an understanding of love, obedience, and responsibility. Their worldview will be shaped by the books you read to them (including the Bible) and the freedom they are given to sing, dance, play, and explore the great outdoors of God’s wonderful Creation. Is this parenting, homeschooling, or both? In this workshop, you will discover ten lessons your young children should learn and experience that can make a big difference in the first five years of their life.

If you are looking for ideas on how to organize your homeschool then this workshop is for you. Janelle will be sharing numerous ideas for lesson planning, organizing your student’s work and grades, creating ways for your child to work independently and setting up your homeschool. There are plenty of ideas to choose from. Pick the ones that work best for you and your family.

Homeschooling jargon can be confusing even for seasoned homeschool parents. In this workshop, Nancy will give an overview of many of the most common curriculum approaches including textbook, unit studies, classical, Charlotte Mason/living books, eclectic, and relaxed/delight-directed learning. We will also go over examples of curriculum and resources that tend to work best with each approach.

Math is sequential. Often students struggle in math due to gaps in understanding of basic concepts either previously presented or not presented at all. The first step is to find the gaps, then effectively fill in those missing pieces. Sue will provide ways to evaluate and develop strategies to develop math confidence and understanding.

When you and your family are faced with a challenging life situation, homeschooling can seem daunting. Homeschooling is probably the last thing you want to think about taking on. Is it possible to homeschool when life is difficult? Come hear a mom of seven share how her family homeschooled through a challenging season in life. Be encouraged and gain practical insight.

Having trouble staying on schedule with your chosen curriculum? Wondering if you can keep up with everyone else for just one day? Hear Rachael’s confession of her own personal battle with homeschool schedules and how she looks to God to help her persevere.

Nancy Manos // Johnson Wellness Participating in a co-op can be an amazing opportunity to enrich your home education adventure. A small co-op can be an exciting and motivating way to study a particular subject or topic with a few friends, without replacing the parent as the primary instructor. It builds lifelong friendships, too. Nancy will share from her own experiences the benefits of doing cooperative enrichment learning, along with practical information that will help you succeed in enjoying your own homeschool co-op experience.

You can homeschool a struggling student! Although there isn’t one single quick fix, there are specific things you can be doing in your home to help lessen the burden on your student. Listen as Bev shares the little things you can easily implement to help your struggling learner find success. Strategies that support our children’s thinking skills and set the stage for more effective learning can become part of your daily routine.

For over ten years now, I have been reminding moms and dads of the truth behind homeschooling. I tell them it’s about relationships and letting their children be what God has created them to be, and blah balh blah blah blah… Moms often come up to me and say, “I believe everything you say…but how do I do that? How do I homeschool in light of all these truths?” Well, Madam Homeschooler, I’m going to get down to the nuts and bolts of homeschooling in light of these truths. Buckle your seatbelts!

If you have ever wondered how to design a high school course of study, evaluate the results, develop a transcript or award a diploma, then this is the workshop for you! Linda will cover all of these subjects and more in one quick hour.

Kids may adore fantasy and science fiction, but everyday reading is filled with nonfiction—from newspaper articles to recipes and game instructions. Sometimes nonfiction feels dry and boring; but it doesn’t have to be. Carol Peterson will look at different techniques for writing nonfiction, what they are used for, how writers make them fun for kids to read and how to make them fun for your kids to write.

How do you plan for the homeschool high school years? What subjects do you teach and when? Do you follow a basic, general college prep, or rigorous college prep plan? How do you evaluate credits? Determine grades? Make a transcript and diploma? If you are just beginning to think about high school homeschooling, Carol helps you get organized and lay groundwork for a viable four-year plan.

God invented physics to make the world, so it should be wonderful. But terribly intimidating formulas and equations scare off many would-be explorers. Instead, maybe an introduction to physics should teach the big concepts rather than getting lost in the details. Learn about the seven major gears that drive the universe and rediscover the wonder of God’s physical universe.

Letting your children be more involved in helping has some great benefits—both for training in character and practical skills AND for your sanity! But where do you begin? This foster mom to over fifty children shares tips and practical helps that have enabled her to homeschool seventeen children and still be able to open the front door to guests.

The high school years are a prime opportunity to equip your teens with skills they need for future success. If your teen is headed to college, the workforce, or the military, they benefit from study and time management skills. Parents, join Carol for ideas to incorporate these skills into high school coursework and lists of resources to help teens cultivate these essential skills.

We hear about the brain a lot these days and sometimes it’s tempting to cram more book learnin’ into our children’s heads to produce little geniuses. But this is counter-productive. Some important tips and tricks can be easily incorporated into everyday learning and living to maximize your children’s learning potential. Come find out ten key ways to turn your child ON to learning and have that learning STICK

When you had one child, it seemed easy. But adding more children sometimes makes homeschooling feel like a zany plate-spinning act. Vicki shares ideas for keeping the homeschooling “plates” from crashing to the floor! Come hear practical tips for teaching multiple ages, from a mom of seventeen homeschool students. (Seven school-aged kids at one time!)

Financial foundations, begun with individual habits and practices early in life, emerge later in the life of the family. Savings, investment, and proper planning for your life begun at a very young age can serve as a blessing to a young married couple. What do you need to know about debt, operating a business, buying a house, managing possessions as a steward of God’s resources and other important topics?

Kevin obtained his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering but would be first to tell you he didn’t like science very much (as taught in secular college). He has a passion for making mathematics and science meaningful to children by bringing it back into a God-centered view. Why do we study science? And how can we make it 10,000 times more thrilling for our children than the average teacher? It can be done!

Have you ever felt paralyzed by the idea of your children having huge glaring gaps in their education? Heather helps you face your fear and conquer it! Fear is a joy-thief. There is nothing quite so horrible as being held hostage this way. Join us to learn four tips that set the stage for a life-long pursuit of learning and help you conquer that fear of the gaps!

This homeschooling dad has been teaching Shakespeare to homeschooled students for more than a decade; his online Shakespeare courses have transformed reluctant students all over the country into ardent Shakespeare fans. In this workshop, he will show you six things no one ever told you about our greatest writer. In the process, you will discover why no other writer in English is in the same league as Shakespeare—and why knowing and understanding Shakespeare is indispensable for all our students.

Kathy Dunfee acquired a deep reverence for the beauty and wonder of nature from spending her childhood in her backyard. She invites you to re-awaken your sense of childlike wonder by simply stepping outside your back door. Based on Charlotte Mason’s approach to nature study, Kathy offers simple and practical “no-to-low-prep” ideas on how to engage children of all ages in nature through the language of poetry, literature, picture books, art, music, and adventures that enrich daily life. Nature Study is not a curriculum. It’s a way of life. A way of seeing the wonder all around us. Handout: https://masshope.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/DunfeeKathy_2.pdf

Have you ever wondered what the value is in art? Art magnifies the handiwork of our God and His merciful blessings in allowing and equipping human beings to create and imagine beautiful things! Art is a motivator that inspires, uplifts, and develops “artistic confidence” that encourages all ages to have trust in their creativity and to be able to express their imagination. The Bible is full of artists with the most prominent being Bezalel in the Old Testament. Art is found in everything around you- from the classes you take in school to the beauty in the world God created. Handout: https://masshope.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/PappasMonique_1.pdf

The Church father Tertullian famously asked, What indeed has Athens to do with Jerusalem? Many conclude that the answer is nothing; an answer which poses problems for classical educators who teach pagan literature from nearly every historical period. So, what are Christians to do with pagan stories? Should Christian students read such books? If so, how should Christian educators engage with such writings? This talk examines Tertullian’s important question in light of Scripture and several classic writings, drawing principles for how Christian educators and their students can better interact with classic literature and ideas.

Faith addresses the importance of spelling and presents the developmental stages of spelling. She also shares various strategies, techniques, and fun, hands-on, multisensory methods for spelling practice, as well as specialized spelling programs and strategies to help you transform “I am a terrible speller” to “I am a good speller!” Handout: https://masshope.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Berens_Faith_2.pdf

In a traditional classroom environment, students have an average of eight to ten individual interactions with their teacher each day. In your homeschool, these verbal interactions can number in the hundreds and greatly enhance the education your children receive at home. Zan Tyler shares how the simple and free tool of conversation can help your children replace boredom during lessons with a motivation to learn. Discover why parents make the best teachers and capitalize on these strengths. Explore strategies to minimize conflict in your home and promote camaraderie, enthusiasm, and learning with stimulating academics instead. Conversation is the key! Conversation IS core curriculum. Handout: https://masshope.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Tyler_Zan_3.pdf

Parents and teachers trying to provide a classical education to their students are in the difficult position of providing what they did not receive themselves. That is, the overwhelming majority of classical educators were not classically educated themselves. So what do we do? This talk explores how classical teachers and homeschooling parents can better prepare themselves to model and provide a classical education for their students by developing habits of lifelong learning.

Kathy began homeschooling armed with how-to books and award-winning curriculum thinking she would do all the teaching and her children all the learning. Charlotte Mason’s writings completely transformed her approach. Kathy offers simple and practical ways to engage your children and yourself in a Charlotte Mason education by preparing a feast, laying down tracks (habits) for life to run more smoothly upon, and fostering an atmosphere of grace, truth, and beauty. God meets us in our weaknesses and failures, and we are changed. Charlotte Mason’s profound yet practical methods light a fire in the hearts of both teacher and student. Handout: https://masshope.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/DunfeeKathy_1.pdf