Rick Boyer and his wife have been home schooling since 1980. Starting out young and green in a time when only a handful of families was home schooling, Rick and Marilyn found few resources to help them in their journey. They had to blaze their own trail, surviving such obstacles as skeptical grandparents, hostile school authorities, unhelpful curriculum publishers, blizzards, Indian attacks&(just kidding). The Boyers are still home schooling today and now share their experiences around the world through their books and their speaking ministry. Rick will share some of the most profound lessons learned along the way, including: -It's not schooling, it's discipleship -Life is the curriculum -The kid is the can -Socialization is for socialists -George Washington survived without Little League -and many more!

Does the subject of literature seem like a mystery? Are you a loss about how to understand it yourself, much less teach it to your kids? This inspiring lecture demonstrates that everything you need to know about understanding and teaching literature is present in your second grader's bedtime story. Adam reads a classics children's story out loud and then leads the audience into a discussion of eternal literary themes. Along the way, he shows how you can do the same at home by following five simple steps. Your literature curriculum - to say nothing of family story time - will come alive automatically. You'll never put the kids to bed the same way again!

How do you decide what to study in high school? How do you know that your teen is learning enough (and of the right things)? How can parents continue a home-school lifestyle during the high school years? Must home-school students model their high school years after the institutionalized educational style of learning? Come and learn how to make your high school years special, wonderful,and complete as we discuss the overall plans needed to teach high school at home.

Marilyn Boyer has taught all fourteen of her children at home, so she has plenty of experience with any age group you can name. But her very favorite age to teach is those eager, curious, exciting, challenging munchkins we call preschoolers. This, Marilyn says is the time when we lay the foundation for greatness by pouring love and acceptance all over them, instead of treating them like a nuisance. Preschoolers aren't just little interruptions to be kept "occupied" while older siblings study. This season in a child's life is the time to tap into his huge potential by maximizing his natural love for learning and helping him to see that God is preparing him for a lifetime of important service. Come and learn from Marilyn how to make the most of this brief but exciting time.

Juxtaposition, metaphor, symbolism, irony, foreshadowing - HELP! Parents often avoid the subject of literature because of the intimidating vocabulary of literary analysis. The truth is, you don't need a college degree in literature to understand this vocabulary; what you need is a well written children's story. Adam takes the audience on a guided tour of literary devices, making discerning literary analysts out of each and every audience member. Doing the same with your own children couldn't be easier, but beware: soon, they will be finding onomatopoeia everywhere they look.

Culture is the practical outworking of our belief about origins. In what way does a culture's view of origins affect manners, education, social institutions, science, and morality?

Once decisions have been made about what to require for high school graduation, once the overall plan has been set, there is still much to do. How do you set up each course? Courses can be designed or modified by using prepackaged curricula, by using a variety of materials you already have on hand, or by outlining the course and finding materials to fit your needs. We will discuss these methods of course planning, and will also cover grading, keeping track of assignments with no stress, and record keeping.

In an engaging presentation that is as much class discussion as lecture, Adam involves the audience in a lively debate on the definition of the classic. In the process, listeners are encouraged to consider the moral and ethical nature of reading, and invited to suggest candidates for a "class list" of all-time great books. This presentation teaches three important tests to apply to any book in order to determine whether it is worthy - and suggests some reasons why you should even care. So, which books belong on your student's reading list? Come listen and find out!

Is your homeschool day made up of demanding toddlers and emotional teens, six subjects to prepare for each child, co-op demands, music, sports, falling behind, tears, chores, skipping chapters...ultimately the question, "Where is God in all this?" Learn to work together as a family to achieve attainable goals with a fresh outlook and easy-to-implement organizational ideas. Bring sanity and success back to your home, and enjoy the process. Your homeschool chaos can come to an end!

Selecting curriculum for the upper grades can become a real nightmare. On the one hand, many materials seem designed for a classroom setting with expensive equipment required, and on the other hand, home-school-designed materials vary so widely in ability level (for both students and teachers) that it is hard to know what will work. Parents often wonder if they need an advanced degree to teach advanced courses, or if "throwing money" at a difficult subject will help, or if materials they like are too basic to count for high school. In this session, we will focus on resources for a variety of subjects that almost any family can use, and will discuss ways to evaluate the myriad of texts and programs available.

Our children are precious gifts from the Lord but sometimes they can interfere with our human plans. Many homeschooling parents are in distress because they find their little ones seeking attention at all the wrong times. As the father of six children, David Hazell, along with his wife, Marie, have found creative ways to prepare these young "sponges" for school while keeping them creatively occupied at times when the parent needs to concentrate on the older ones. The workshop is full of practical suggestions for educational toys and common household items that can be used to educate and occupy young ones. Homeschooling with young ones can be easier than you think!

Choosing curriculum involves more than selecting text books. It includes deciding what to study, preparing and equipping the teacher and students, and choosing a variety of materials to assist in the teaching process. Once you know how to assess materials, deciding which ones to use comes much easier.

The phone rings. "Hello." "Is this Jennifer Bliesner?" "Yes." "I was told that you could help me with home schooling." "I'd be happy to, when are you planning on starting?" "I pulled them out of school today." More and more this is how the conversation starts. If you need the nuts and bolts of how to start home schooling after public school this is the session for you. Married 38 years and a mother of eight, Jennifer Bliesner currently tutors home school students and mentors home schooling families.

All homeschoolers desire a successful educational experience for their children, but most wonder if they will be able to achieve that lofty goal. Come and be encouraged as we look at ten simple secrets to successfully homeschooling your children. These tips will help both new and veteran homeschoolers to prosper.

Internet, IM's, texting, blogs and spaces. Our generation faces abundant pressure when it comes to technology and it's so called "perks". Join the Generations of Virtue team as they help you navigate your internet world, while sharing how to guard your heart, mind, and body in the midst of the world wide web's allure.

Learn your own teaching style as well as how to adapt curriculum for your child's specific needs. Make your lesson planning a breeze. This session is especially good for families with more than one child who also have a hectic schedule.