Homeschooling while dealing with challenges – learning, health, or more – is challenging! Seriously, it can be tempting to quit and let the “experts” take over, but homeschooling offers some benefits that no school can match at any price. Hal & Melanie have homeschooled through learning disabilities, children with chronic medical conditions, and bouts of serious illness themselves. They’ll give you hope and practical encouragement to leverage the flexibility of homeschooling to bless your family.

Are you longing to find predictable points in your day to bring all your children together around the table rather than distractedly jumping from child to child? This course will provide tips to keep children of all ages and abilities engaged as well as help us to set realistic goals specific to our kid’s needs.

This presentation will examine the benefits and disadvantages of homeschooling with an Individualized Education Plan and the steps required by law. Additional topics will be discussed that should be considered as you homeschool students with special needs including: testing, graduation and diplomas, and resources for support.

How do you teach math effectively to a child with learning challenges? How do you bear tackling math facts again? How do you move beyond the times tables when your child has not mastered them? What are your options for high school math? Veteran homeschooler and math teacher Kathy Kuhl discusses working with children with difficulties in math, and shares strategies you can incorporate into any math curriculum.

What do you do when you know your child is bright, but school is way harder than it ought to be? We’ve been there! One of our boys didn’t learn to read until he was eleven, but he’s a very successful college graduate and entrepreneur now. One of our kids had migraines that lasted weeks, sometimes making school impossible, but is able to use her God-given gifts in amazing ways. This encouraging session discusses how to keep hope alive in you both, how to adapt your homeschooling to the child in front of you, how to help them through the social embarrassment that can come with being a struggling learner, how to know when and how to get help, and how this trial can ultimately bless your child. Get hope for the future!

1-2-3 Eyes on Me- Many of us were told we weren’t taking in information unless we were showing it with our whole bodies. However, many children need to move to learn. This course will delve into the times that children benefit from sitting and how to engage our moving, wiggly learners.

Your child struggles with some part of learning, or perhaps has given up. How do you help them begin again? How do you establish wise goals? How will you tell when you’ve reached them? Learn how to work around areas of weakness, strengthen them, and adapt curriculum. Get tips on how to keep going and to help your child keep going.

We may hope our kids are really smart, but what happens when they are? It’s intimidating homeschooling a kid who’s racing ahead and seems to need more. Can you really meet his needs or would he be better off with professionals? How can you help her fit in socially? Should he graduate early or not? Hal & Melanie both went through gifted programs in school and now, having raised precocious children of their own, they have the insider’s perspective about the academic, social, and spiritual needs of talented kids. Learn how to teach, parent, and enjoy your bright kids!

Executive Functioning are defined as the “brain-based skills needed to effectively execute or perform tasks and solve problems.” As with most skills, there is a range, not everyone needs to complete the same tasks on a daily basis. But, there must be a match between the environment, expectations, and abilities of a person. This class will 1) define executive functional skills, 2) explain why they can be hard for some people, and 3) give helpful solutions to use the homeschool to help your children build these skills.

Screen time, smart devices, social media, and online learning offer opportunities and challenges for all families. But for families with children who learn differently—learning disabled, gifted, and/or other special needs—the pros and cons differ. Considering the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual aspects, Kathy Kuhl offers insights and resources to help you navigate the best course for your family.

At eleven, one of our boys was just learning to read and at fourteen he still struggled to spell three letter words. Little did we know that he’d be reading ancient philosophers for fun at seventeen and that he’d go to college on a full academic scholarship! In this workshop, we’ll talk about how to help your struggling learners through high school (and give them a love of learning!), how to get accommodations on the SAT and ACT, and how to find out what help a college can give them – and you’ll be surprised just how much they can do! Our struggling learner was on the Dean’s List at his college and getting accommodations that really help. Find out how!

Do you hate to wear a certain type of clothing? Does the sound of a person chewing really bother you? Do you tap your leg or repeatedly fidget during the day? These are all “sensory quirks”. When these quirks impact your or your child’s participation in what they need and want to do, we need to address it. This course will discuss the 8 sensory systems, and ways to help our children organize information from them all.

Homeschooling is a demanding commitment that can be complicated when children have special needs to address. This presentation will review creative ideas to make the experience easier. Topics that will be addressed include - schooling on the run, accommodations/modifications for various needs, and the importance of self-care and balance.

This workshop offers practical resources, lists of materials, and curricula to equip you as you homeschool a struggling learner. Come gather ideas for designing a unique home instruction program tailored to your child’s specific challenges.

As schools have made reading their new god, they believe that producing good readers will solve all their academic problems. As a result, many children—the dyslexic, the easily distracted, the auditorily challenged—are left behind in the rush to improve test scores. What schools do not know (but what many parents and teachers discover) is that reading is not simply being able to rapidly decode symbols with the eyes. With humor and insight, Andrew Pudewa shares stories and strategies for helping students who need to engage the cognitive processes of reading but who are more likely to excel through a wider variety of practical, creative, and imaginative approaches.

Unpack the frequently asked questions of how to homeschool struggling learners and those who learn differently. Be encouraged and equipped as this workshop shares diagnostic checklists for struggling learners, discusses common roadblocks homeschooling parents face (and how to navigate them), and gives strategies for achieving success with your children who learn differently.

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 teen with special needs a diploma?” or “What do I do when my teen with dyslexia can’t read high school-level material?” This workshop 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. It will also offer tips for navigating the process of applying for testing accommodations for College Board tests.

Have you pulled your child out of public school where he or she used to have an IEP (Individual Education Plan)? In this workshop, you’ll learn the purposes and benefits of an SEP, the homeschool version of an IEP. You’ll receive guidance on drafting your own SEP, explore sample plans, obtain your own template, and leave with a resource list of books to set you and your student up for success.

Unpack the frequently asked questions of how to homeschool struggling learners and those who learn differently. Be encouraged and equipped as Rochelle shares diagnostic checklists for struggling learners, discusses common roadblocks homeschooling parents face (and how to navigate them), and gives strategies for achieving success with your children who learn differently.

This session focuses on using evidence-based instruction methods to address the core issues of autism spectrum disorders: communication and social skills. Rochelle Integrates developmental perspectives and strategies to provide practical, functional intervention approaches that you can easily implement within your daily homeschool routine.

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 teen with special needs a diploma?” or “What do I do when my teen with dyslexia can’t read high school-level material?” Rochelle 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.

Participants will be better prepared to implement effective reading instruction for their child who struggles with reading by gaining a deeper understanding of the five components of literacy instruction -- phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. They will learn how to use available screeners to accurately place children in a reading intervention, using phonics and word-reading screeners, spelling screeners, and phonemic awareness screeners.

Could you use some encouragement and strategies to help reignite your student’s love of learning? If so, this session is for you! There are many factors that impact a child’s motivation level—stress, executive function, nutritional needs, media usage, and more. With a little bit of theory and a whole lot of practical application, Rochelle equips parents with the tools they need to tap into their child’s God-given gift of curiosity.

Alysia will share tips and tricks to help you experience success and joy in teaching your child with Dyslexia at home. Learn about what Orton-Gillingham/Structured Literacy is, how it applies to every subject matter, ways to accommodate and modify curricula, and most importantly, how to support your child’s self-esteem so that he/she may know and believe God’s perfectly planned purpose for his/her amazing brain.

Sensory concerns are rising, and they can quickly cause stress on a homeschool day. During this session, Alysia will share her experience as a pediatric occupational therapist working with children with various sensory needs. Learn about the sensory systems, therapy techniques to implement immediately in your homes, daily rhythms that support a sensory diverse learner, and ways to begin to understand your own sensory system and how that impacts how you teach and respond to your children.

After diagnosing her youngest daughter with autism, Sonya found herself in a spiritual valley. Though your valley may look different, the giants she encountered there may seem eerily similar to your own. Learn what Scriptures the Lord used to help her overcome five giants in the valley: the giants named Fear, Faltering Faith, Uncertainty, Guilt, and Self-Pity.

If you aren't teaching the Six Types of Syllables to your child, you are missing a huge support for decoding and spelling! Come see how easy it is to teach and apply this learning!

This is for your ‘puzzling child.’ Is it just 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. You can easily pinpoint which of your child’s gates are blocked. Learn how to be your own diagnostician using a checklist of symptoms, and then learn the necessary interventions. This can be done by the parents at home. It doesn’t have to be so hard for your child! Find out specifically how the brain processes information, and where that processing can break down. You will learn things you have never heard of before in a Homeschool workshop.

Do you have a child who seems to be “allergic” to a pencil? If you have a child who groans and fusses about writing, or still writes reversals, or spells a word orally correctly but leaves out letters when he writes, this workshop is for you! This child’s math papers are often hard to read because the numbers are lined up so poorly! These children are often thought of as sloppy, lazy, or unmotivated when they really have a writing glitch. They are using way too much energy for the writing process, so they are reluctant to put pencil to paper for anything. This often is a true dysgraphia. The writing learning gate is the most common gate that is blocked with gifted kids. They know so much, but just can’t get their thoughts down in writing because of this blocked learning gate.

Technical quality problems (this is from 2017) Many people think that some are just born with a “photographic memory.” But we now know that this amazing ability can be easily taught. Teach your children the lifelong skill of studying for tests by taking a picture of the contents of a chapter. These memory techniques are commonly used by Cambridge University students to reduce studying time. For some children, math is a monster! They hate it and always feel dumb when doing it. These children have difficulty learning math facts. They tend to do poorly on tests because they “forget” how to do the math processes (division, fractions, algebra, etc.) You will learn how to help your child finally store the math facts in their long-term memory. Your child will finally be able to pass the math tests and go on to higher math courses using right-brain math. No curriculum to purchase... just fast, effective, right-brain strategies to use at home to reduce math frustration and tears! So many moms report that their child now likes math. These powerful visual memory techniques work with all types of learners and can be a Godsend for a child who has an auditory processing glitch. Have a happier child this year. Even works with adults!

Technical difficulties - same speaker- same topic from Washington convention--- Johnny is a constant motion machine. Tom cries in frustration over minor matters. Susie forgets what she has just learned. According to Dr. Sydney Walker, children tend to “act how they feel.” 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 when older 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. The testimonies that we receive from parents across the United States who are using these simple remedies with their children are amazing!

Do you have a child whom you suspect has an Auditory Processing Problem? Become your child’s own diagnostician as you identify, bypass, and correct auditory processing problems with your child at home. 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, sequencing, hearing own silent thinking voice, can’t think with background noise, poor working memory, speech delay or articulation issues.) Learn to identify the exact auditory channels that are affected. 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. MIT research shows that Targeted Nutrition Interventions (such as using the correct amounts of Essential Fatty Acids and a special supplement called lecithin) greatly improve memory in children and adults. Find out what common food can be contributing to a child’s articulation issues, by causing them to hear sounds, ‘like under water.’

Good readers are not necessarily early readers. And, early readers don’t always grow up to love reading. God designs each child differently as He deems fit for His purposes. Deborah Wuehler, Senior Editor of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, will talk about her own struggling readers and the practical things that helped them jump those hurdles. Deborah will show you how to have victory over your own obstacles as you keep your children Home Where They Belong.

1-2-3 Eyes on Me- Many of us were told we weren’t taking in information unless we were showing it with our whole bodies. However, many children need to move to learn. This course will delve into the times that children benefit from sitting and how to engage our moving, wiggly learners.

Do you hate to wear a certain type of clothing? Does the sound of a person chewing really bother you? Do you tap your leg or repeatedly fidget during the day? These are all “sensory quirks.” When these quirks impact your or your child’s participation in what they need and want to do, we need to address it. This course will discuss the eight sensory systems and ways to help our children organize information from them all.

If you have a hyperactive or easily distractible child, you won’t want to miss this informative and sometimes humorous message that shares stories from his experience as an ADHD child himself. You will receive practical and Biblical insights into ADD/ADHD and will be encouraged that there is hope for your child!

Spelling is a common frustration for many students, especially for those who have trouble reading. Learn helpful ideas for studying spelling and vocabulary and improving scores on those weekly tests. The techniques can also be used for daily spelling skills.

Good readers are not necessarily early readers. And early readers don’t always grow up to love reading. God designs each child differently as He deems fit for His purposes. Deborah will talk about her own struggling readers and the practical things that helped them jump those hurdles. Deborah will show you how to have victory over your own obstacles as you keep your children Home Where They Belong.

20/20 vision means you can see clearly at 20 feet what should normally be seen at that distance. However, it does not mean that you have perfect vision. Visual acuity gives no meaning about what a person sees. If your child is not achieving their full potential academically, struggling with written reading comprehension, skips lines or words when reading, reverses words or letters, or avoids reading or near work, this presentation is for you. There are more than 17 visual skills that are needed for efficient vision and learning. Children struggling with binocular vision or visual processing disorders often will not complain about symptoms because they are unaware that they visually experience things any differently than their peers. In this course, we will learn about these skills, the signs and symptoms of a visual processing disorder, and what can be done to help them be successful.

THINK Dyslexic! Learn the facts about dyslexia. If trying to teach students with dyslexia/S.L.D. is frustrating for most teachers, consider what it must be like from the student's point of view. Engage in tasks that simulate the difficulty students with learning disabilities might have when asked to perform typical classroom work. You'll look at your role a little differently.

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!

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”! Poor test takers will learn how to store facts using their photographic memory. Everyone looks smart when these strategies are used.

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.

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.

There are approximately 70 behaviors readers encounter when they struggle and there are hundreds of researched-strategies that parents and teachers can implement! BUT how to pinpoint where the reader struggles can be a struggle in and of itself, not to mention which strategy to try! The good news is that certain strategies are linked to certain behaviors and it is possible to assess, create a personalized plan, and improve reading as a result. You will receive a brief introduction to the most common reading problems students encounter and a handful of tools to help them overcome the struggle.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Homeschooling is the ultimate individualized education plan, so it’s no wonder parents of special needs children consider this educational choice. Peggy Ployhar, the CEO of SPED Homeschool, covers what it takes to get started homeschooling, avoiding and conquering common pitfalls, and homeschooling special education through high school. This talk gives practical advice from the trenches of homeschooling for 16 years and over a decade working as a special needs homeschool consultant.

Homeschooling parents of a child with special needs often ask themselves questions like “Am I qualified to do this?” or “What can I possibly offer?” and “Shouldn’t I leave this to the experts?” As a mom of four dyslexic learners and a daughter with Down Syndrome, Beverly has a unique insight into the doubts and concerns of parents wondering whether they can adequately educate their special needs child. Find encouragement for this challenging task.