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!

Dan breaks down Pennsylvania’s homeschool law in easy-to-understand steps to help you homeschool with confidence. He also highlights legal issues and legislation that impact homeschooling and shares some of the ways he is advocating on behalf of homeschooling families.

I don’t know why what you expect is typically what you get, I just know that it’s true. Since that’s the case it makes sense to understand this powerful reality at work in our world. Understanding the power of expectations changes your relationships, your parenting, your professional life, and ultimately the course of your life. This session will talk about God’s expectations, what that means for you, and how your expectations will change you and those around you.

Are you having trouble finding the time and energy to meet the needs of your husband after a hard day of homeschooling? Maybe you've forgotten what his needs are. Would you like your husband to take a more active role in homeschooling? Maybe your husband refuses to be involved in training your children. Join me as we look at your role, not as a homeschooling mom, but as a homeschooling WIFE. Your husband will thank you for coming! The discussion will be led by a real husband of a homeschooling mom.

Despite many stereotypes, homeschooling programs are unique and vary widely based on the student. Dan, a homeschool graduate himself, shares from his experience the benefits and challenges of homeschooling as well as the reasons why he is homeschooling his children.

It has only been in recent decades--with the development of technology capable of scanning the human brain--that neurologists have been enlightened as to how learning occurs and how we can optimize new knowledge. This session will address some of the amazing intricacies of the brain, the principles of brain-based learning, how boys and girls learn differently, and how God’s Word teaches us to think for learning retention.

Do you know where the theory of peer group socialization originated? Learn what really drives the question: “What About Socialization?” Israel will go back in History and reveal the engineers behind modern social education theory. You may be surprised to learn what is truly behind this infamous question.

Homeschooling high school can seem intimidating. This is an informational session for those with children approaching high school or in high school. Basic information about transcripts, credits, tests, course descriptions, and some of the options available for high school courses and curriculum will be presented. This overview is designed to provide insight and encouragement as you enter this new phase of the homeschooling adventure.

The heart of leadership is influence and everyone influences someone. That means everyone needs some basic leadership skills, no matter who you are or what you do. You can spend a lifetime reading and studying leadership, and that’s not a bad pursuit, but this session will give you the basic leadership skills you need to understand so you can apply them immediately

The homeschool movement coined and promoted the idea of fostering a LOVE of learning…and yet most homeschooling moms have fostered a “hate” of learning. Instead of inspiring their children to love exploration, discovery, and learning, all of which homeschool SHOULD foster, moms find their children fighting them tooth and nail to “do school.”

The first step in safeguarding your homeschool is knowing your state’s homeschool law. Dan regularly communicates with school officials, social workers, and others regarding the legal requirements and legitimacy of homeschooling. In this workshop, Dan makes sure you know what is legally required of you while equipping you to confidently handle interactions with government officials.

Have your questions answered by a panel of homeschool veterans.

Why do you homeschool? When your children are grown, what will define success for you? What is the difference between a Biblical view of education, and the way most Christian parents (even homeschoolers) educate their children? This workshop will help you to focus on what is really important.

This session is for anyone looking for information about evaluations. It is for those who are preparing to meet with an evaluator as well as those who might be interested in becoming an evaluator. We will look at the requirements in Pennsylvania Home Education Law for both. There will also be time for questions. Barb will share her experience in doing evaluations over the past 21 years.

Why is it that almost half of college graduates can’t find a job? What’s missing? What does a student really need to learn between the ages of sixteen and twenty two to be ready for “real life”? Everyone focuses on academics, but you need more than academic ability to be fully equipped for the challenges and responsibilities of adulthood. This session will guide you through the seven essential skills and abilities that are crucial for successfully launching into adulthood. This time of life is a unique time, offering amazing possibilities. Come learn how to maximize this time, focus on the essentials, and be prepared and equipped for extraordinary success!

Homeschooling is hard, parenting is hard, and marriage…well, that’s way hard. And that’s OK and even normal. Trouble is we don’t like hard. We want easy, fast, and cheap, and at the same time we want successful results. But the truth is that good things are hard and hard things are good, and they go hand in hand. Sadly, most people don’t ever experience the good because they can’t handle the hard. They put the hard thing off, hoping it will get easier, or they avoid it all together, and all they end up with is a pile of regrets. Here’s the good news: you can handle the hard. In fact, if you’re faced with two choices, pick ‘HARD.’ During this hour, you’ll laugh with Todd as he shares how to embrace the hardness while keeping your eye on the joy and experience God’s best for you.

It's a fact! The only thing tougher than being a homeschooling mom is...being married to a homeschooling mom! Dad, your wife needs your help. Come join me as we discuss how to support and assist our wives in the homeschooling journey. We'll also do a lot of laughing, as I encourage men to be encouragers of their homeschooling wives.

After you’ve filed all your papers to homeschool, what happens then? What do I do with these children all day? What does a day of homeschooling like? Are there different ways to homeschool and what do they look like? How do you find the perfect curriculum? What counts as “school”?

The world, the flesh, and the devil are vying for the minds of our kids, often in such subtle ways that it goes unnoticed until they are in crisis. This session will delve into multiple venues in which our thoughts, our time, and our choices are influenced by our worldview. We will put many of these examples to the test of a biblical worldview with the goal of heightening awareness of where “little foxes” creep in and seek to spoil (Song of Solomon 2:15).

As homeschoolers, we are often accused of retreating from society instead of impacting it. What is the balance between sheltering our children and reaching out to a lost world around us? In this session, Israel explains how you can equip your children for the ‘real world’ by developing a family ministry.

Pennsylvania is one of the most regulated states for homeschooling. It is considered one of the “hardest” states to homeschool in, but it’s not as difficult as it seems. Come hear about how easy it is to meet the law requirements, see what a simple portfolio looks like, hear a description of what an evaluation looks like, and ask all your homeschool law related questions.

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.

We like things nice and neat, orderly, and with a predictable outcome, but most of the time OUR plans don’t ‘come together’ as we hoped. Instead, our plans often fall apart, disintegrate right before our eyes, and leave us dumbfounded and stunned. I’ve talked to plenty of homeschooling parents who were sold a plan. They followed the plan and then later stood before me with tears in their eyes because the plan “didn’t come together.” “We did everything THEY said to do,” they say. “We didn’t have TV…we homeschooled…we ate organic…we only wore dresses…we sheltered and protected….we practiced courtship…they played the violin…we emphasized the classics…we never missed family devotions…we emphasized purity…we birthed our children at home…we had a home business” and on and on the list goes. They feel betrayed, angry, and lost….and their children are starting ‘tell all’ websites!!! I have to admit that several years ago when I heard their sob stories, I inwardly wondered what they had done wrong. I believed that they must have gotten the WRONG plan…or didn’t carry the plan out according to the instructions. And while some of that may be true, I know NOW that sometimes our plans don’t come together because God has a DIFFERENT PLAN. Join me as we take an honest and humorous look at plans, why they fall apart and what to do when they have.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, homeschooling has exploded. Millions of new homeschool students are experiencing the benefits of a customized education at home. But the growth of homeschooling has also caught the eye of policymakers who want to help—and those who don’t. Dan will bring you up to date on homeschooling trends and equip you to advance homeschooling freedom into the future.

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.

Many homeschoolers struggle with self-doubt and/or criticism for their decision by well-meaning friends and family. In this session, Israel will tackle some of the top objections people raise about home education and will give statistics and fact-based answers to help give you confidence to defend your choice to home educate.

Simplifying your homeschool could be the difference between a parent who makes it thought the long haul and one who gives up after a few years, sending her child back to school because she “can’t do this anymore.” This workshop is full of practical ideas to implement and philosophical thoughts to ponder. Bring your specific questions about a trouble spot in your homeschool and let’s see if simplifying will smooth it out.

People are everything. Relationships are the foundation that gives meaning to our lives. Today we’re more connected than ever before and at the same time more isolated than ever before. Why? A lot of people no longer know the basics principles of great relationships. This session teaches those basic relationship principles.

Drawing from over 40 years of experience in the home-education movement, Israel will help you to avoid some of the top errors many parents make in the homeschooling process. The tips offered in this session can save you hundreds of dollars and perhaps years of regret from committing these costly errors.

All children are created equal. Girls and Boys have equal importance and significance but there are certain responsibilities that we need to train our boys and girls differently. It’s not archaic or about inequality, it’s Biblical parenting and our children need us to prepare them for the future. Join Todd as he tackles this sticky topic and combines laughter, truth, and practicality together for a vital topic in today’s wacky and purple world.

If you have more than one child, you know first-hand that they come to us uniquely “crafted” by our Heavenly Father--no two are alike! This fact is especially challenging when homeschooling and trying to plan what to teach. This session will: • Address the imperative given to us in Proverbs 22:6 to “Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent]” (Amplified Bible), • Include several “personality” test options to help you understand your children and how they learn best, and • Provide teaching/learning strategies to help you utilize this information to inform your homeschooling efforts.

This engaging workshop will review several different teaching approaches found in homeschooling, and then help attendees identify resources and curricula to fit their family’s particular style. Are you just getting started homeschooling? Needing to refocus and redefine what homeschooling could look like for your family? Come benefit from Nancy’s almost 30 years of experience and enjoy her dynamic style.

As homeschool moms and dads, we plan and prepare, but let us never forget to pray for our children! It is easy to fall into the daily routine of lesson planning and teaching but forgetting that ‘except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it” (Psalm 127:1). Therefore, let us pray.

In a world that is moving at warp speed, it’s easy to forget that kids are still kids. Their needs haven’t changed: they need time to explore and experiment with the real world around them, to absorb life through all their senses, to process their thoughts at their own pace. All of these are crucial in laying a firm foundation for higher learning, but this TAKES TIME. Learn why this is so important and how to protect and defend your kids’ childhood.

an introduction to Charlotte Mason, including her belief in the child as a person and her viewpoint that education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life, and the science of relations. Who was Charlotte Mason? What was her educational philosophy? Can her methods be used in high school as well as in elementary school and middle school? Drawing from her 20 years of experience using Charlotte Mason’s methods, Nancy will talk about the basics of a Charlotte Mason education and how it can transform your homeschool.

Can you recall those early days when your children were very little? What do you remember most? The happy times? The fun adventures? Or do you remember the mistakes you made and the ways you failed? Science and research have shown that our brain is hardwired to recall negative memories over positive ones. It’s vital that you take steps now to ensure your memories are not distorted with this natural tendency to focus on the negative. In this session Jeannie will share what you can do now to preserve joys of your homeschool journey and how this will increase the joys your family experiences in your daily life.

The world of work is changing, and that change is being driven by technology. In this session you will hear about those changes and how to best prepare today's youth for tomorrow's workplace. We will discuss the changing landscape of needed workplace skills and technological developments that are reshaping the way America and the World works.

Time must be budgeted just like money. We must determine the difference between the fixed – what we must do, and the discretionary – what we would like to do and set our priorities. This workshop will be filled with practical tips and encouragement for everyday living as a homeschool family. Areas covered include understanding your calling, relationships, schooling, meals, household clutter and cleaning, and general household management. Attendees will leave with practical and applicable tips

Sometimes unexpected things disrupt the homeschool year. When this happens, it seems like all the best-laid plans go out the window. We will discuss how to make realistic adjustments to academics and life rhythms, manage stress and model resiliency for your teens.

Interested in a rich, vigorous, character-building education for your high schooler? Charlotte Mason had a successful plan for the high school years. Her offering was in response to the utilitarian system that was in place 100 years ago and unfortunately still reigns. This session will discuss Mason’s blueprint and offer principles and practices to begin planning what could be your student’s best years!

We all have clear reasons that we decided to homeschool, but as we continue this journey, the lines can become blurred. It can be so easy to get caught up in how our kids (and we) are (or aren’t) performing when it comes to homeschooling. But what if that isn’t actually what we are called to? Mastery can be important. God talks about becoming skilled and the importance of diligence. But what if we are giving up purpose and exchanging it for performance?

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.

Jobs in the building trades are projected to increase faster than jobs in every other sector in America over the next decade. Over the same period, many white-collar jobs requiring 4-year college degrees will cease to exist. This talk exposes the “Vital Lie” in our society that manual labor is only for low-paid, uneducated, dropouts. In fact, trades are among the highest-paid, longest-lasting, and most resilient professions

Ever feel lost when trying to do Picture Study, tour an art museum or teach basic drawing? This workshop will train your eye to notice the 7 elements of art and how to teach them to your children. Navigating the art world is tricky for the homeschool parent. How do you choose a curriculum? Is the internet an ok substitute for a teacher? How do you critique your child’s art without being an artist yourself? Learn not just what to teach about art, but how to see art with an artist’s perspective, and how to convey that to your children through your own teaching style and at your own pace.

“The Principality of Mathematics is a mountainous land, but the air is very fine and health-giving.” ~Charlotte Mason Is this indicative of high school math in your home? Are you enjoying the fine air and taking in the summit view, or does the air feel thin and your student is seemingly stuck hiking in a circle? In this workshop we will learn how to help students retrace their steps to build a more solid understanding of place value, fractions, decimals, integers, and exponents. Then with this firm ground under our feet, we will navigate how to breathe life into your upper-level math lessons through hands on discovery and practical examples of Algebra and Geometry concepts. Come explore with us, for a world of truth and beauty awaits to be found in this mountainous land!

The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties lends itself to overcoming the countless obstacles that life can bring. As adults, we have all experienced things we never thought we would face, and we know that our children will have their own share of difficulties. Though there is no way to know what those will be, we can prepare our children by helping them build resilience throughout their childhood

This workshop addresses 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 will also share a disability resource guide for teens and young adults.

There is a reason that American school children score at the bottom on international science assessments. It is the ineffective way in which science is taught in schools. Most of us were subjected to this system and obtained only a cursory understanding of science. As homeschoolers, we have the freedom and opportunity to throw out those unproductive techniques. We can truly impart a deeper knowledge and love for science. Jeannie will share five vital steps, inspired by Charlotte Mason, that will ensure you impart a superior science education. These five steps will not only enrich your homeschool, they will prepare your children for high school and college.

Join Erin Port from -Simple Purposeful Living- as she helps you meal plan simply, on purpose, for your busy family. Together, you will debunk popular myths about meal planning and walk through the meal planning process step by step. You will walk away encouraged with tangible tips and tools to be successful and take the stress out of “what’s for dinner” so you can gather around the table for a delicious meal and meaningful conversation. Get ready to see meal planning in a whole new light; we will laugh and have fun along the way.

In every generation except the last two or three, parents have taught their children how to grow their own food, keep animals, and provide for their basic needs. With wit and wisdom, this talk presents some ways parents can teach their children homesteading skills and “mend” the chain that has been broken with our great- grandparents.

Do you struggle with organization? Do you and your family struggle to find things in your home? Does your home constantly feel like chaos? Do you struggle finding peace in your home? If you answered yes to any of these questions, we would love to help you turn your chaos into calm.

As a homeschooler you have a plethora of opportunities to enroll in classes, co-ops, extra-curricular activities, clubs, and organizations, as well as service, and ministry. You even have an abundance of curriculum choices for every area of education. The question you must ask yourself is, “How will choosing to do this affect your day, your week, and the atmosphere of your homeschool?” It’s vitally important that you guard against being overscheduled with courses or activities that ‘seemed wonderful’ when you were presented with the idea but do nothing but create stress and an atmosphere of chaos and hurry. Jeannie will share stories of her own mistakes and triumphs, as well as how you can know when to say “yes”, and when to say “no” when creating your homeschool schedule.

This is THE most popular topic I speak on! Most of us didn’t factor into the equation just how much sibling conflict would be part of our homeschooling days! It can be exhausting! As homeschooling parents, we have a unique opportunity to nurture sibling relationships among our children. Find out practical ways to do this and what an IMPORTANT part of our homeschooling it really is!

“The parent who would educate his children, in any large sense of the word must lay himself out for high thinking and lowly living; the highest thinking indeed possible to the human mind and the simplest, directest living.” – Charlotte Mason Simplicity is a topic near and dear to Charlotte Mason’s heart and completely relevant in today’s complicated and consumeristic culture. She said that the quality of simplicity is “the first condition of all successful work with children.” What did she mean by that? Through Scripture, poetry, art, and lanterns, we will examine the nature of simplicity and uncover what hinders us from living simple lives and doing the deep work required of us as parents.

The Bible teaches that the basic economic unit of society is the Family—not the corporation, not the government, not the individual. This talk explores the basic elements of a family-centered economy and provides practical steps for families to reclaim productive households that will thrive in uncertain times.

What should “school” look like for early learners? What things are developmentally appropriate for the younger ages? How do we keep our “Littles” appropriately occupied while homeschooling their siblings? This fun and informative session will provide a comprehensive overview of teaching methods specifically geared to pre- and elementary-age children. Nancy will share resources, fun games, toddler tips, and easy activities, all designed to help parents think outside the box when it comes to “doing school.”

When your child gives you that look and says, “Don’t judge me!” you are at a crossroads, a moment of truth, a moment of great peril and great opportunity. This session will give you the tools you need to turn what could be an ugly situation into a transformative moment of healing and redemption. If your head sometimes swims when you try to figure out whether it’s right or wrong to judge your child in a particular situation, this session will plant your feet on solid ground in ways that may surprise you

What are we implanting into the hearts, souls, and minds of our children? What are we giving them to think about? God has given us wisdom in answer to these questions: "Whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything is worthy of praise, think about these things. Remember the saying: "An ounce of prevention ..." Come and hear how David and Shirley have applied these truths to education.

For thousands of years before college was an option, people trained for work through the apprenticeship model. Rather than going tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars in debt, young people were paid to learn and were prepared for life by godly mentors. This talk explores alternatives to the college-debt route, including, apprenticeship, mentorship, and entrepreneurship.

In this workshop we will dive into the details regarding ACT and learn general test taking strategies. Next, we will look at each of the four individual tests which comprise ACT (English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning) and discuss strategies and resources specific to each test. Lastly, since the math portion seems to strike fear in all high school juniors, we will spend time working through example problems together. We will come to understand how mathematical thinking, as opposed to rote memorization, is the key to success on this portion of the exam.

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.

The homeschooling journey becomes such a big part of our lives as moms. Sometimes it seems as though we will never see the finish line but talk to any homeschool mom with grown kids and she will tell you, ”The days are long, but the years are short.” What feels like a lifelong commitment soon becomes a distant memory and when you’ve given your all to this worthy task of homeschooling, the next season can bring a conflict of emotions. Durenda has graduated seven (so far) whom she has homeschooled from the beginning, and, in this session, she shares some key thoughts to consider as you near the finish line.

You can do this! The high school years can be the best homeschooling years of all. We will discuss the basics you need to know about planning and goal setting, figuring out what your unique teens need, finding the right resources, record keeping that doesn’t give you headaches, and preparation for your teens’ futures.

Do you value your imagination? Your child’s? This workshop is an exploration of the importance of imagination in education, faith, and life. Mason said that “imagination is, like faith, the evidence of things not seen” and is an integral part of everyone’s personhood. How can we nurture this in our materialistic society where testing reigns supreme?

Writing is one of the subjects a homeschool mother dreads to teach. There is a reason for this. Most people do not understand the difference between academic writing and creative writing. In fact, the difference is so vast that most publishers won’t publish a novel from a person who is accomplished in writing nonfiction. Nonfiction, like math, is formulaic and easy to master. But few students are given the formula. Instead, they are given curriculum that increases writing anxiety, requiring flowery prose, metaphors, similes, onomatopoeias, alliteration, and the list tirelessly goes on. The truth is that this is not the kind of writing that earns one A’s in college; it’s quite the opposite. In this talk, Jeannie will share the simple formula that will make writing the easiest subject you teach.

There are few things more frustrating to the homeschool mom than a child who does not care to do his lessons. In this talk, Jeannie shares valuable tools for developing children with self-initiative. These tools are none other than Charlotte Mason’s teaching called Masterly Inactivity. By implementing the seven elements of Masterly Inactivity, you will find yourself homeschooling from abundance, trusting in the Lord’s plan for your children’s live, and watching your children blossom into self-confident people that pursue their learning with purpose.

Every teen has a different life destination. Here are ten tips for creating a transcript that truly shows who your teen is and where they are headed in life. We will discuss transcripts for teens headed into the workforce, the military, community colleges, private colleges, and competitive universities.

Throughout Charlotte Mason’s six volumes we read about dozens of notebooks. We will look at this wide variety and see how they were used, why they were used, and which ones we should use today. Nancy will share examples from Mason’s day as well as what her own family has implemented, inspiring attendees to begin or continue this life-long habit of self-education.

One day a terrible parent in your state may do something criminal to a child— and the media may push the narrative that because the child was homeschooled, more restrictions should be placed on homeschooling families. This session will analyze some real-life situations where this has actually happened and equip you to give a compassionate, commonsense answer when family, friends, coworkers, or the local media assert that the problem is not enough homeschool regulations.

Wellness and how we fuel our bodies have become confusing topics, haven't they? It can be even more confusing to try to explain these concepts to our kids. What if you could strip away some of the noise around this topic and instead make informed, intentional decisions about how you fuel your body and your family? In this course, we'll walk through the foundations of wellness including a simple strategy for categorizing food (so easy my four-year-old can do it!), mindful eating, the key components of a nutrition label, and how you can incorporate these ideas into your homeschool. We'll wrap up with a brief discussion about our habits and the stories that surround them. At the end of our time together, you and your kids will be empowered to have positive conversations about how you fuel and move your bodies with intention.

Mathematicians and scientists have been closely tied to many famous disasters. The Challenger explosion, the failure of the Mars Explorer, and the Kansas City Hyatt Regency walkway collapse all involved thinking errors. Our future mathematicians and scientists must know how to prevent tragedies such as these from occurring. Because science and mathematics instruction is often dominated by facts and calculation, children are rarely exposed to these important concepts. You will leave this session with many high interest stories and activities that will fascinate your children and show them the strong connections between math and science and the world we live in.

We all begin our homeschool journey with high hopes, but it often doesn’t take long before we realize that some things simply are not working. We find ourselves and/or our kids in burnout mode. At the same time, we are confronted with the fear that we may somehow fail our children if we let go of something. Learn the importance of creating a sustainable homeschooling life unique to your family, bring joy back into your homeschool days, and help equip you to go the distance!

Every teen is unique! One of the best things about homeschooling high school is that we can help them choose electives that are meaningful to them and help build the life skills that they need (as well as an awesome transcript). We will discuss 10 different categories of electives as well as traditional and creative ways to earn those credits.

The apostle Paul calls us to “work with your hands ... so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12). This talk explores the biblical mandate to work hard, build community, and decrease our dependence on worldly systems.

You may be asking: “What are the BEST books for my children?” Books that make for wonder! Books that make one kneel in reverence and respect! Books that challenge one to pursue trust in God! Books that are filled with truth! Make time to have shared moments by reading aloud with your family. Share the heartaches and joys of characters from living books tonight and every night with your family. When your family is grown, they will remember the joy of literature!

Does your child have a learning disability or severe special needs? Have you pulled your child out of public school where he used to have an IEP (individual education plan)? Participants of this workshop learn the purposes and benefits of an SEP (student education plan), the homeschool version of an IEP. This workshop also provides guidance on drafting an SEP. Participants look at sample student education plans and receive a template of a Student Education Plan as well as a resource list of books that will assist them in drafting their own homeschool student education plan.

Come and explore nature journaling as a formational practice. Responding to the natural world around us is not only a skill which can be learned, but, more than that, it is a practice which we form to, in turn, form us. It is a practice which trains our attention, our affections, and our devotion to the first Maker of good and beautiful things.

While we all know that loving God and our neighbor is the fulfillment of the two greatest commandments, it's easy to miss what that kind of love actually is, and how it should be lived out from a biblical and practical perspective. While the world will readily offer up its own skewed definitions of love, we will explore what the One who is love itself has to say about it. As we do so, we'll gain a greater understanding from Scripture on how to first cultivate this love at home with our own family, how to integrate it into all facets of our homeschooling environment, and how to demonstrate it in every other sphere of life.

We daily face giants of culture that cause our kids to lose hope instead of embracing God's promises. How do we prepare kids to stand alone even when everything seems to be falling apart? With our guide Dr. Jeff Myers from Summit Ministries we'll look at four areas where we and our children can make daily progress in getting a vision for our lives, developing a strong sense of mission, staying motivated, and setting worthy goals.

Compassion doesn't come easy for the forgetful. As Christian homeschooling families who are daily surrounded by the things of God in our academic environment, it's easy to become detached from the world and the importance of proactively demonstrating the heart of God toward those who live outside the four walls of our home—especially those who don't know Christ, or who do things differently than us. Combine this with the reality that we are busy people who live in an increasingly diverse world, and we find ourselves failing to emulate the compassionate heart of our Savior toward unbelievers, and our fellow Christians. We will learn how to fight this harmful tendency, how to be at peace with families who make different educational choices, how to avoid being condescending toward those who employ different parenting styles, how to draw near with the gospel to unbelievers whose sins grieve us, and how to emulate Jesus—the One who looked out on the multitudes and was moved with compassion.

Many Christians find themselves at odds with the culture around them and even under attack for their beliefs. They're tempted to lash out, but that's a mistake. Here's a biblically-based leadership strategy for combating bad ideas in an inquisitive, friendly fashion that changes hearts and minds.

Weaknesses! Not only do all of us have them, but they are often the greatest source of our disheartenment as Christians. Whether it's in our role as husbands, wives, children, or homeschooling parents, we are all often haunted by our shortcomings and besetting sins. Enter Christ—our High Priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses, and who experienced our same temptations. In this session, we will be refreshed by the delightful truth that Jesus calls weak sinners like us to come boldly to His throne of grace, where we will find mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.

“It’s bad to be a boy.” That’s the message of our gender-confused, stereotype-obsessed culture. Dr. Jeff Myers shares five aspects of masculinity, based on the Bible, that help parents raise self-assured and level-headed boys in in a culture that abuses and abandons the very idea of what it means to become a man.?

Many parents say that one of their biggest struggles at home is the bickering and fighting that occurs between their children. In this session, Sarah and her dad, Harold, will share how their family learned to work through pride, offenses, and irritations in relationships, and learn to become best friends. This presentation, including Scripture, ideas, insights, stories, and personal testimonies, is recommended for the entire family. Sarah is the co-author of Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends, with her siblings.

Take a closer look at this familiar group of insects. By taking a quick tour of some of the more interesting species of ants, we will be flabbergasted at the complexity, diversity, and behavior of these ordinary, yet extraordinary insects. All these talks are meant to be more than entertainment. They will show us that wonders surround us at every turn. We just need, as teachers, to remove the curricular cataracts that prevent us from seeing these creatures with childlike wonder.

Patrick Henry was perhaps the most outspoken Christian of the Founding Fathers. He is also one of the most forgotten, except for his speech to the Second Virginia Convention at St. John’s Church. He sat at the feet of the great Virginia preacher Samuel Davies in his early years, next to his devout Christian mother. He rose through the ranks of the frontier lawyers then among the Tidewater Grandees of the House of Delegates. Always outspoken, always with enemies arrayed against him, Henry stood on principles and did back down from those who would challenge them. He led Virginia to Independence and through the War, then opposed the Constitution for its granting too much power to a president, though the first one would be his friend George Washington. An example to generations of young Americans, Patrick Henry needs to be better known today.

Choosing curriculum and making sure that your children are on the right track academically can be extremely overwhelming and cause you to lose sight of the most important aspects of homeschooling – discipline and discipleship. Many parents try to add a little character training here or there and miss the crucial daily opportunity for spiritual training. This workshop will deal with the vital aspect of laying a strong spiritual foundation in your children’s lives and keeping academics in their proper place.?

Kathie shares how to use God’s word all through the day, and how she has taught her children to love God’s Word, and get excited about it. You will be encouraged as she shares the blessings that have resulted in her family as they practiced these ideas. Included will be suggestions on making Scripture memory fun and easy!