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.

Whether you want ready-made unit studies or the tools to develop your own, this workshop could be the answer! Come for an overview and explanation of definitions, comparisons, and resources for implementing unit studies into your home. In this workshop, we will also develop your personal Unit Study P.R.O. skills and provide you tools to create your own unit study at home.

Teaching reading is as easy as A-B-C…or is it? Join us as we examine the popular approaches of teaching children to read, current research on reading success and provide an overview of the wide range of available curriculum. Pre-reading exercises and tips designed to develop reading fluency and comprehension will be shared to equip your emergent reader.

This workshop is for those of you who are working to juggle homeschooling life with toddler life. We will look at the importance of prioritizing, planning our work, and working our plan to ensure balance between working with our older children and meeting the needs of even the littlest. Table Talk discussions will center around creative ways to engage our little ones in the power of play while still being accessible to the rest of our children. You will leave with a list of resources and recipes, but more than that, my prayer is that you leave feeling encouraged, knowing that you can do this and you are not alone.

Teaching reading is as easy as A-B-C…or is it? Join us as we examine the popular approaches of teaching children to read, current research on reading success and provide an overview of the wide range of available curriculum. Pre-reading exercises and tips designed to develop reading ?uency and comprehension will be shared to equip your emergent reader.

Do you ever wonder if your child's development is on track? Four areas of development are essential for your child: social/emotional, physical, cognitive, and speech- language. Research-based activities and intervention as for optimal brain development will be presented in the ?rst of this two-part workshop.

In part two of this work shop we will continue to determine if your child's development is on track. Four areas of development are essential for your child: social/emotional, physical, cognitive, and speech-language. Research-based activities and intervention as for optimal brain development will be presented in the second part of this two-part workshop.

Planting seeds of scripture in the hearts of our children begins at an early age.  At this session, we discuss a Bible-centered approach to home schooling. Can one book possibly cover all subjects?! Come and see how the Bible becomes the primary "curriculum" to educate your little ones.  Ages 4 and up.

How, What, When & Why! How do I go about teaching? What do I teach? When should I teach? And most importantly, why should I homeschool my preschooler? Bring your questions and get a wealth of information from a 25-year veteran of homeschooling.

In this session, Faith will discuss the ultimate goal of reading instruction, which is comprehension, and will explore various types of thinking and processing skills required for proficient comprehension. Tips, techniques, and strategies will be shared on how to develop very young children’s vocabulary and good habits of mind in order to lay a solid foundation for comprehension with our wee ones, ages birth to five.

In the midst of these days with little ones, where the days are long and the years are short, it’s easy to feel a little lost and overwhelmed. Advice is plenty, but support feels farther away. You’re not alone. You’re not failing. Let’s take some time to not only see the light at the end of the tunnel, but to rejoice in the sunshine God pours into this grand adventure of raising small people for His glory.

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 session, Megan, a homeschooling mother of eight, will challenge you to use every opportunity to teach your children to serve God by loving others and to love others by faithfully serving God.

Welcome to the digital age. What does the future of education look like, and how can the homeschool community take advantage of this? Here's a look at free tools and free content sites online that can make your homeschool more efficient, more economical, and more powerful. Harness the educational advantage of online learning and give your kids a jumpstart on their future. We will look at how Web 2.0 applications are changing the definition of education - blogs, wikis, Google applications, Skype, VoiceThreads, open courseware, YouTube, Facebook and even Twitter, when used appropriately can really help kids learn.

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!

Do you want a lifelong learner who initiates studies on his own? Then let go of the wheel and start giving your kids responsibility for their education. Here are practical, inexpensive steps that will encourage children to pursue their own learning, and prevent parent burnout as well.

Dr. Eagleson draws on his 30 years of homeschooling and twenty years on the CHAP board to introduce the topic of getting started in homeschooling. A summary of the research into home education is provided. Curriculum, schedules and record keeping will be covered. Dr. Eagleson takes questions from the floor both during and after the presentation. Many homeschoolers comment that they heard this talk when they were just starting.

Have you wondered, "How can I afford to homeschool" or "Am I capable of teaching my children?" You and thousands of parents these past 30 years have wondered the same exact things and have homeschooled their children successfully. There are so many options today, so where do I start? You can homeschool on one income and do it very well! Homeschooling is a journey for the whole family, one in which you will all grow individually and together. Come and glean from the 30 plus years of experience as Renee Miller shares hundreds of ideas to save you money as you teach your children and raise them to love the Lord with all their hearts.

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.

Ages 2 to 7, are critical years that help form your child's ability to comprehend and do well later in their educational process. Come learn why and how to help your "little blessings", gain the most from those early years and increase their success and love for learning. Renee Miller will share many ideas that will help make these years truly fulfilling.

Art is the forgotten subject for many families. But what has been missed is not just the "Art Lessons". Come learn why art is important, how to incorporate it into core subjects, and how to make learning fun! You'll leave with hundreds of ideas to make learning more enjoyable, refreshing and fulfilling. Best of all they will retain what they learn!

Picking curriculum can be an overwhelming, confusing, and a surprisingly expensive venture. If you are starting out on the homeschool journey, or if you are a curriculum junkie who has struggled with completing curriculum, this talk might be for you. Sarah Mae gives you the confidence that you can give your child a wonderful education without spending hundreds of dollars.

Food engages the senses and intrigues our minds, so why not add it to your curriculum! Join Sara Rask as she offer suggestions and resources for incorporating cooking into your classroom. Learn how to make your curriculum truly multi-sensory in this tasty workshop!

It gets better! You will not always be sleep-deprived or brain-depleted! If you are a mom of little ones, Sarah Mae will offer you some clarity and perspective on the often exhausting years of baby and toddlerhood.

We hear about the brain a lot these days, and sometimes we can be tempted to cram more book learning into our children’s heads to produce little geniuses. But this is actually counter-productive. There are some important tips and tricks that you can easily incorporate into everyday learning and living to maximize your children’s learning potential. Come find out 10 key ways to help turn your child ON to learning and help that learning STICK!

As a mother of a preschooler, do you feel the pressure to do it all? Do you desire to make cookies with your kids, play games with them, teach them to read and write, all while keeping your house neat and tidy? Join Kathy H. Lee, mother of 8 and author of The Homegrown Preschooler as she shares her experience of motherhood. Be prepared to laugh and maybe even cry as she empowers you to be the super mom (not necessarily a supermom) you were meant to be

Learning to embrace a natural, holistic way of education can make homeschooling doable and successful academically, spiritually and socially for both the students and the parents. It’s important to let go of our pre-conceived notions of what “school” should look like, and instead major on the strengths of homeschooling – flexibility, real life learning, real books (living books), dialogue rather than formal tests, etc. Discover how to emphasize the benefits of homeschooling and avoid the burnout that happens when parents try to replicate a traditional school in their homes.

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.

Don’t let the idea of teaching science send you into a panic. Science at its core is about making observations, asking questions, and seeking out answers. Going on a nature walk provides the perfect opportunity to nurture the budding scientist inside each of you. Come unlock the wonder and beauty of science explorations awaiting your family in the great outdoors. We’ll delve into the many benefits and give you an arsenal of ideas to implement in your neighborhood, parks and nearby wilderness areas! Plus you’ll discover how these adventures will help in all of your other academic endeavors as well.

In this refreshing workshop, participants will learn how to nurture their preschooler’s mind and soul through play in order to prepare a firm foundation for the delights and demands of a classical education. Wonder is the fuel for a lifetime of learning, and parents will learn how to cultivate this in their children and win it back for themselves!

Come explore the scientific research behind the mind/body connection and how movement can be the key switch to turn your child ON to learning. Learn ways to incorporate movement into everyday learning to maximize your child’s learning potential.

Kathy shares how to create an amazing preschool experience for your child at home. From the latest in scientific research on child development to the organization of supplies, this information-packed workshop will help you prepare your child for lifelong learning and make wonderful memories along the way!

Come see how to teach math using a skill based, multi-sensory approach form counting to Calculus. Teach your child to understand math and build a foundation for a lifelong love of learning.

Learn the fast, effective way to teach all children how to read.

How, What, When & Why! How do I go about teaching? What do I teach? When should I teach? And most importantly, why should I homeschool my preschooler? Bring your questions and get a wealth of information from a 25-year veteran of homeschooling.

Can a simple 20-minute lesson drag into 2 hours? Does your little wiggler seem to fall out of his chair a great deal? Is he distracted by things others don’t notice? Find the key that unlocks learning for the highly distractible child. We’ll cover putting motion into learning, making math fun (no, really!) and creating learning experiences that cement your child’s understanding of science, history, and language. (Best for Pre-K through 6th grade.)

Get answers to the big questions: "What do they really need to know before kindergarten?” “How do I get started?” “How do I know if I’m doing it right?” Learn the tools of the trade to create a lifelong love of learning.

This workshop explores how a child’s brain develops and how you as parents can give them the best start. Discover how true comprehension and learning take place and the damaging effects the electronic world is having on students from preschool to college.

The early years before children begin formal education is the time to show them that learning is fun and interesting. Elizabeth will present informal reading and math “lessons” that not only teach, but also help transition mom into their first teacher. Learn to take advantage of teaching opportunities and apply wisdom to the education process that will help insure your little ones will love learning and move easily into formal academics.

There are differing views on when formal schooling should begin. Research done by Dr. Raymond Moore in the late 1970's helped launch the modern homeschool movement. This session covers information on academic readiness, how children learn best, and avoiding burnout so your child can be a life-long learner.

By anyone’s standard boys are failing in the current educational environment. Recent research has confirmed the biological, psychological, and physiological differences between the way male and female brains learn. Rick explores those differences and looks at some strategies that can help males succeed in an educational environment that is often confusing and discouraging to their learning styles.