“Montessori, Charlotte Mason, Unit Study, Un-Schooling, Project-Based Learning, Waldorf, Traditional Textbook, and the list goes on! There are so many different teaching methods and approaches to homeschooling that it can be overwhelming to choose just one. They all have their strengths. But, then again, they all have their struggles. Let me introduce you to the most popular methods and philosophies of education, show you the pros and cons of each, and help you to discover which, if any, is right for you and your kids.

Give your child what is most important. Instead of academic or social pressures, Charlotte Mason encouraged mothers to give their little ones a full six years of developing good habits, getting acquainted with nature, exploring with the five senses, growing in their spiritual lives, and more. Learn how to give your child a quiet growing time.

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.

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!

If you are a mom of preschoolers you won’t want to miss this fun workshop! You’ll put together busy bags with activities to educate and entertain your little ones. You’ll also hear important Christ-centered encouragement about the incredible value of the work you are doing in your family.

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.

How is it possible to homeschool your older children with a baby, toddler or preschooler around? Come be encouraged and gain practical tips as a mom of seven shares how homeschooling is not only possible but beneficial for the whole family when you have little ones underfoot.

Are you trying to decide what to do with your child during the preschool years? This workshop will cover the benefits of keeping your preschooler at home, things to think about before purchasing preschool curriculum, what your child really needs to learn during the preschool years and ideas for learning through play and life experiences.

Faith discusses the ultimate goal of reading instruction: comprehension. She also explores various types of thinking and processing skills required for proficient comprehension. Faith shares tips, techniques, and strategies for developing the vocabulary of the very young, as well as good habits of mind in order to lay a solid foundation for comprehension with our wee ones (up to age 5). Handout: https://masshope.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Berens_Faith_1.pdf

The frenzied push for education begins earlier and earlier in today’s society. In our world of preschool-mania, some parents pay hefty amounts to consultants who can help get their youngsters into just the right preschool. Other concerned parents are putting their preschoolers on waiting lists years in advance—sometimes even while the child is still in the womb! So what constitutes a meaningful preschool education that prepares a child for a life of learning and significance? In this workshop, we will discuss learning theories as well as practical skills you can teach your children. We will also cover how to develop a love for books in even your most active little ones. Join Zan Tyler as she addresses four vital components of a superb preschool education—and be encouraged that home is indeed the ultimate preschool!

What should “school” look like for early learners? What things are developmentally appropriate? This fun and informative session will provide an 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."

Home schooling more than one child? Do you find it hard to get everything done? This workshop is designed to assist moms who are attempting to homeschool two or more children at one time. It includes suggestions for schedules, organization, record keeping, curricula, preparing for potential problems and other ideas gleaned from homeschooling fourteen children

Practical, hands-on ideas for surrounding your preschoolers with God's Word as you sit in your house, walk by the way, when you lie down and rise up (Deuteronomy 6:5-9).

Handout available at: https://www.oceanetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/Word-in-Your-Wee-Ones-handout-2015.pdf

Practical tips for creating a learning lifestyle—from a mom of 17 homeschooled students (seven school-age at a time). Includes ideas for teaching your preschoolers, as well as multi-level teaching ideas for your school-age kiddos.

Handout available at: https://www.oceanetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/Homeschooling-Middles-While-You-Still-Have-Littles-handout-2017.pdf

Does your son or daughter seem to be faltering in their efforts to learn to read? Is it the curriculum? Is it you? Based on current research, this workshop is designed to help parents better understand the most essential elements of the reading process, along with those critical ingredients that must be emphasized to produce a successful, capable reader.

For decades, learning specialists have understood the power of multi-sensory teaching. Often associated with learning disabilities, this dynamic teaching strategy has found a home in many non-disability settings as well. This workshop is designed to explain the research-based thinking behind multi-sensory teaching methods. Practical suggestions will be given for adding this powerful strategy in your own home.

Teaching the way we were taught is almost inevitable. It’s what we know ... what we’re most comfortable doing. Not everything we experienced in the classroom as children was wrong, but there is so much more we can bring to our own children. Come and learn what research, and experience, have to say about the most effective way to teach in a homeschool environment.

Learn how to manage the chaos of homeschooling and keep a heart of hope and joy through chores, messes, markers on the wall, and diaper changes!

When a homeschooled child seems to flounder for no easily identified reason, parents often exhaust themselves in their search for answers. At some point a parent may wonder if there might be a learning disability at the root of their child’s struggle. Kristen has designed this workshop to help parents sort out the difference between routine struggles and those that could well be a learning disability. We will also explore reasons you may or may not decide on formal testing and how to go about doing that.

In today’s technology culture the enemy’s lure of our young people’s minds to escape into an artificial world is great. As the line between reality and simulation blurs, the stronghold of escapism becomes more and more powerful. Apathy and self-indulgence are two destructive consequences that lead to broken relationships, broken homes, and broken hearts. Find some practical tools you can implement to help keep your children from getting caught in the snare of escapism.

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. There will also be time for questions.

How can a mom homeschool while her children constantly vie for her attention or bicker whenever her back is turned? Simply put, she can’t. But the Razvis understand that situation because that’s what it was like for them just after their first adoption of a sibling group of five children. Come and hear how they have conquered that sibling rivalry and forged strong bonds between siblings. They will share the tremendous impact sibling relationships have on Mom’s ability to teach. This workshop will leave you encouraged that you can truly have peace in your homeschool.

With over a decade of experience teaching high school level math, Kathryn Gomes knows the end game. What are the essential parts of an elementary math program that will set your child up for success in middle school, high school, and even college? This session will highlight the crucial skills that must be mastered and the experiences that will shape your child as a future mathematician. Kathryn fleshes out each point with resource suggestions and helpful tips to make math something your child looks forward to each day.

We are called to disciple our children. But what a beautiful thing it is to get to the place where our children are wishing to be discipled by us, coming to us to ask for prayer and counsel over sin struggles in their hearts. Do you know God’s vision for your family? Do your children know it? Are you headed there together? Are you connected to your child’s heart? If your child is a toddler, now is the time to begin paving the way to family unity. If he is already a teenager, don’t miss this workshop. If God’s love can conquer unity challenges in the Razvi’s family of 13 children (8 adopted and 5 birth children), He can conquer those challenges in any family. Come hear our story and take away practical tools for developing family unity.

For 20 years, Debby has been teaching this workshop based on the the biblical virtues of honor and respect. Both moms and dads rave how this teaching has created a peaceful home environment they were missing. Come ready to learn 8 standards with practical application ideas for training the heart attitude of your preschoolers.

Come listen to Debby Sjogren share how God gave her creative ideas to train up children (even as early as 3) to serve others by starting in the family then expanding to their church, the broader community, and the world! Age-appropriate chores, serving the elderly, baking for “new mothers”, tutoring in the inner-city, and taking the Good News of Jesus Christ to a waiting world are just a few of the practical ideas you will leave with when attending this inspiring workshop based on the life of Jesus.

Learn the definition, signs, and neurobiology of dyslexia in preschool children, along with improving brain processes with early interventions. Speech pattern development, milestones, stuttering, and auditory processing are reviewed. Gain information and activities to increase print awareness, knowledge of the alphabet, phonological awareness, and handwriting skills.

What will I do with my preschoolers while teaching older children? Has this question ever crossed your mind? Carol wants to help you create a family learning lifestyle that meets the needs of everyone in your home. Integrating preschoolers into your busy day can be easy and fun! Additionally, if you have specific questions, please deposit questions in a box marked “Questions for Carol” located at the NCHEA table that Carol will address as time permits during the workshop.

Are the “Terrible Twos” eating your lunch? Need help managing your homeschool day with toddlers in the house? Megan draws on her many years of homeschooling experience with eight toddlers in tow to help you craft a plan for success. This workshop is intensely practical and will help you transform the Terrible Twos into the Terrific Twos!

If we homeschool simply to achieve high academic marks, we are squandering the opportunity to influence our children for Christ. Character healthy leaders are those children who have learned to elevate virtues above feelings. If we spend our homeschooling hours simply on academics and activities, we may win the praise of man, but we risk losing the hearts of our children. In our few short years with our children we must focus on the first things first and character is always the first thing! In this workshop, Megan, a homeschooling mother of eight, will challenge your homeschoolers to use every opportunity to teach their children to serve God by loving others and to love others by faithfully serving God.

Being a Mom is about so much more than feeding, dressing, and driving our kids to play-dates. With only a few short years to impart important spiritual truths to our children, every day becomes an important opportunity for teaching, training, and modeling Christlikeness. Moms will walk away encouraged and strengthened, knowing that although discipling their children seems a huge task, God is on their side.

Are the “Terrible Twos” eating your lunch? Need help managing your homeschool day with toddlers in the house? In this workshop Megan draws on her many years of homeschooling experience with 8 toddlers in tow to help you craft a plan for success. This workshop is intensely practical and will help you transform the terrible twos into the terrific twos!

This workshop will give you solid reasons for educating and training your children at home. You can teach your children positive socialization skills, train their character and develop an academic program to fit their needs. You’ll also learn about the homeschool law in Hawaii and gets some tips on how to get started.

Want to give your preschooler and kindergartner an edge? Though it may seem counter-intuitive, having a playful relaxed, yet intentional attitude towards learning in the early years develops creativity, encourages curiosity, builds independence, expands attention span, enhances relationships, and has fun, too. And it is PROVEN to give them an academic edge! Join Heather as she share's the art of teaching young children through play.

You’ve been blessed with this amazing bundle of energy. He has spent the first years of his life climbing anything vertical, “shooting” anything that moves, turning every serious moment into a wrestling match – and doing it all at top speed. And now you want to put a book in his lap and convince him that reading word lists and adding columns of numbers is fun??? Yeah, right. Homeschooling is the PERFECT learning environment for this child! Susan, a mother of nine children (including 7 wiggly boys) shares with you ideas on how to homeschool these distractible little bundles of energy (who’d rather be doing anything other than school)in such a way that you’ll be enjoying and utilizing their boundless energy instead of quenching their fire. And, of course, we’ll look at our own heart issues which are so quick to well up and spill out on those energetic little heads. This is a grace-filled workshop that will keep you laughing.

If you have a hyperactive or easily distractible child, you won’t want to miss this informative and sometimes humorous message shared from the perspective of a homeschooling father who was once a hyperactive homeschooled child himself. You will receive practical and Biblical insights into ADD/ADHD and encouragement that there is hope for your child!

Many parents say that one of their biggest struggles in home schooling is the bickering and fighting that occurs between their children. In this session, Sarah and Grace Mally, co-authors of the book Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends, will share how they have worked through pride, offenses, and irritations in their relationship, and learned to become best friends. This presentation, including ideas, insights, stories, and personal testimonies, is recommended for the entire family.

Whether you are new to homeschooling, or a veteran of many years, the methods of Miss Charlotte Mason are worth checking into! In this seminar, Sue Pruett will introduce you to the gentle, natural, successful methods developed over a century ago by a woman dedicated to seeing that every child receive an excellent education. Sue will hit the highlights of a CM education in this introductory session.

Nature Studies sound so wonderful – and intimidating, don’t they? We are blessed to have a wonderful guide for us in Miss Charlotte Mason! She advocated getting children into the out of doors every day, in all kinds of weather and in all kinds of spaces. Whether you have no yard of your own at all, or you have acres of land right outside your door, it IS possible to give your children an excellent education about God’s creation. Join us at this session to discover how!

When embarking upon this exciting journey of home education, figuring out which curriculum to choose for your child can seem daunting. In this very practical workshop, Linda will give an objective overview of the different learning styles and help you understand the most common teaching approaches including textbook, living books, unit studies, classical, Charlotte Mason, eclectic, unschooling, and more. Let Linda help you narrow down your choices and take the guesswork out of choosing curriculum. This workshop will boost your confidence in making educational decisions for success in your homeschool.

Picasso claimed, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” Does your homeschool dust need to be washed away with some invigorating art ideas? Come and glean from Linda Crosby’s 30+ years of art education. Knowing that art captures the visual learner, entertains the kinesthetic learner, and awakens language learning skills, Linda determined to use art in every area of their homeschool to meet the varied needs of her children. Through her humor and life experiences, she will inspire you to branch out and experiment with art history, techniques, supplies, and ideas.

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” ~ Benjamin Franklin. As a homeschool parent, it is imperative that you have a plan in place for the success of your homeschool. Veteran homeschool mom, Linda Crosby, will show you how to lay out your year, month, week and day with schedules that will allow for flexibility in your homeschool. This practical session will get you started on the right foot with a workable schedule to keep you aimed in the right direction at the areas that are most important to you. Linda will present a variety of schedules to give you planning ideas, as well as helpful hints for dealing with interruptions, housework and chores, keeping the toddler occupied, fitting it all in, eliminating time stealers, setting goals for your child, plus more. Come join Linda and plan to succeed!

You can read to your kids about Gutenberg’s moveable type printing press and they might remember it. Or the kids can glue macaroni letters backwards onto their own presses and print Bible verses themselves… and they WILL remember it! Hands-on learning is not simply to keep hands busy, it is a valuable tool to teach children various skills, help them retain information, and relate to the subjects and people they are studying. Linda addresses this issue using humor, anecdotes, and wisdom from her 25+ years of teaching. She is a veteran at keeping her children learning through doing and can show you how to be a fun parent and teacher. This seminar is especially for the mom who feels non-creative, unorganized, and ill-equipped to teach her kids! Don’t fret! You will leave with easy ideas to implement at home.

From scheduling to home organization, this workshop gives parents the confidence that they can provide a rich early education for their little ones. Lesli provides an overview of what every child from 3-7 needs to cover over the course of one year, and how to fit it all in. Lesli provides solutions for the many challenges parents with young learners face, such as time management and schooling multiple ages at the same time.

Every great scientist started out as a preschooler! Lesli teaches parents to give their children the best foundation possible. By modeling Aristotle’s Five Common Topics we can teach children to develop patterns of thought and cultivate wonder in the amazing world God has given us. Lesli will help parents provide their children with the best tools for exploring science during the early years.

In this world filled with technology and devices, intentional parenting is a MUST. Children get one shot at childhood and it is our job to make it count. In this presentation I will give you practical tips on how to engage and connect with your child. We will take a trip down memory lane that will make you laugh and possibly shed a few tears. Either way, you will be challenged and hopefully changed to take on parenting with a newfound passion.

Exhibitors workshop

Is my child behind if they are not reading by four? Will my child be okay if they prefer to play in the mud instead of write their letters? How can I make sure that my child will be successful in school? Join me for a fun and creative presentation that will answer these and many other questions parents have about academic success. I will share how to create an amazing foundation for your child based on the latest in scientific research on brain development. This information packed session will help you prepare your child for lifelong learning, while making wonderful memories along the way!

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 your little ones a valuable part of the team!

In this workshop Lesli demonstrates how to create a set of activity boxes that can be used to entertain and educate toddlers, providing Mom with an easy, organized way to keep those little ones constructively busy while educating older children or attending to household tasks.

Are the “Terrrible Twos” eating your lunch? Need help managing your homeschool day with toddlers in the house? In this workshop Megan draws on her many years of homeschooling experience with 8 toddlers in tow to help you craft a plan for success. This workshop is intensely practical and will help you transform the terrible twos into the terrific twos!

Take a peek at what learning looks like through the eyes of your preschooler with this hands-on workshop! Parents will be participating in various activities and discussing, as a group, the learning taking place.

When should I start preschool at home? What does my preschooler need to know? How much time should we spend doing educational activities? Is preschool even important?!? This workshop will answer all of these questions and more. We'll first focus on understanding the cognitive and physical development of preschoolers, and then explore practical teaching methods, tools, and activities that will lay the foundation for future learning.

Parent/Child Session
Character, heroes, and a bushel of apples! Through his stories and songs, Bruce will give you a feel for the real Johnny Appleseed and how we can all be heroes by following in his footsteps.

Parent/Child Session Gold miners, cowboys, preachers and lots of other folks were all part of the Old West. Come get a lighthearted look at life in the Old West and some of the people who helped to build America.

Young children are naturally curious about the world. They wonder what things are called, how they work, and why things happen, often taking their daily question count into the hundreds. Take heart, parents, this is a good thing! Inquiry and exploration are the tools of active learning. This workshop is full of simple ways for parents to build on the naturally inquisitive behaviors of three to five-year-olds and promote an interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Explore the Old West from the perspective of the Civil War through engaging storytelling and narrative.

Parent/Child Session
Through the eyes of a newspaper reporter, you will come to view Abraham Lincoln in a new way.

Parent/Child Session Tales from America’s past. You will hear about wise and foolish decisions and the people who made them.

Does teaching reading and writing seem like a daunting task? It doesn’t have to be. Designed for parents of preschoolers and kindergarteners, this workshop will feature developmentally-appropriate activities and experiences that will encourage early forms of reading and writing to flourish.

Parent/Child Session From wagon trains to steam trains, from wilderness trails to super-highways; Bruce’s stories will give you a sweeping look at America’s history and some of the interesting ways people travelled across this great land.

Homeschooling can be a lot of things, but most assuredly it is the adventure of a lifetime. This workshop begins by helping you build a road map for your homeschool journey, and concludes with practical suggestions on how to follow that map.

When should I start preschool at home? What does my preschooler need to know? How much time should we spend doing educational activities? Is preschool even important?!? This workshop will answer all of these questions and more. We’ll first focus on understanding the cognitive and physical development of preschoolers, and then explore practical teaching methods, tools and activities that will lay the foundation for future learning.

Does teaching reading and writing seem like a daunting task? It doesn’t have to be. Designed for parents of preschoolers and kindergarteners, this workshop will feature developmentally-appropriate activities and experiences that will encourage early forms of reading and writing to flourish.

Young children are naturally curious about the world. They wonder what things are called, how they work, and why things happen, often taking their daily question count into the hundreds. Take heart, parents, this is a good thing! Inquiry and exploration are the tools of active learning. This workshop is full of simple ways for parents to build on the naturally inquisitive behaviors of three to five-year-olds and promote an interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

When do you get started and what do you do first? We’ve had precocious readers and late bloomers, but every one of them has benefited from being homeschooled from the beginning. Learn to relax and introduce your little ones to the joy of learning in a gentle and realistic way that will prepare them to succeed academically.

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 your little ones a valuable part of the team!

Find out why Thomas Jefferson wrote at a standing desk, how a whiteboard can turn on a light bulb, and why your son does the things he does. Make school more fun for everyone and equip your boy with the learning he needs for manhood.

Do you ever have those moments of panic when you wonder if you are giving your children everything they need to succeed in life? Do you worry that you are inadequate for all that homeschooling requires of you? Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night plagued by the long list of important things that still need to be done—and know there will never be enough time in the day to accomplish them? In this session, we will discuss five areas that pose particular challenges to homeschool moms and be reminded that He always holds us in the palm of His hand. This workshop contains many practical tips for solving problems and overcoming obstacles. It also encourages a biblical vision for what you are ultimately trying to accomplish in your children’s lives through homeschooling—a vision that will sustain you through the hard times and difficult days that are sure to come.

You had a wonderful plan at the beginning of the school year for a well-rounded education, envisioning academic excellence and character development in your smiling, well-adjusted offspring. But then . . . life happened. How do you find “normal” again? In this workshop, Vicki helps you focus on the essentials when you’re on the frontlines, especially in a crisis situation.

Did you know that Mathematics has parts of speech and sentence structure, just as does any spoken language? Did you know that understanding the “grammar” of Mathematics greatly helps student understanding of problem-solving and applications? In this workshop, Tom Clark, founder of VideoText Interactive, and author of “Algebra: A Complete Course,” and “Geometry: A Complete Course,” clearly and humorously demonstrates this quality of mathematical language. At last, you will truly understand the roles of all types of mathematical symbols, and you will see how easy it is to translate between Mathematics and English, enabling you to improve your understanding, and teaching, of “story problems” at all levels.

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! Practical tips for teaching multiple ages—from a mom of 17 homeschooled students (seven school-age at a time).

This workshop is designed to help parent-educators understand the scope, the sequence, and the logic of mathematics instruction from pre-school through adult. Join Tom Clark, founder of VideoText Interactive, as he takes you on a sometimes humorous journey, describing all levels of arithmetic and all mathematics courses encountered in high school and college. In addition, considerable attention will be given to identifying the “why” of the study of mathematics with an emphasis on the development of concepts, instead of rote memorization. (NOTE: This workshop is especially helpful for beginning homeschooling parents.)

Can your child’s future really be boiled down to something as simplistic as whether they are right-brained, or left-brained? Surely, as homeschooling parents, we want our children to believe that they are capable of using “both sides” of their brains. In this educational and entertaining workshop, we will explore the natural and logical connections between Mathematics and Art. We will investigate mathematical principles, and see how they are related to, and illustrated by, artistic applications. Likewise, we will explore several artistic concepts, and see how they are based on mathematical ideas. Of course, throughout, the importance of language and communication will be stressed, as it must play a key role in the understanding of both areas.

Maybe you haven’t always homeschooled. . . you’re starting a few years in, or even mid-year. Can you really start mid-stream? What does homeschooling look like? Where do you begin? What should you expect? How can you ease the transition for all of you? We’ll cover these topics and more. Q&A time included, so bring your questions.