In this session, 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 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).

Do you have a child who just isn’t getting phonics—or is struggling with beginning reading instruction? Or perhaps you have a child who has sloppy speech or doesn’t seem to hear things correctly? Poor phonemic awareness could be partly to blame. Faith provides parent-teachers with an understanding of phonemic awareness skills and how these skills (or lack thereof) impact a child’s ability to become a proficient reader. Hear about a phonemic awareness assessment that you can use at home.

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

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

So many curricula claim Christian foundations, but very few remain firm on Creation. Find out what a difference this can make and see how it not only excites your children for learning but will build a solid foundation for them to resist the constant immorality faced at every turn.

Are you looking for ways to teach communication skills in the midst of a busy homeschool life? Given Hoffman shares practical steps for training your child in communication no matter what age they are. Be empowered to enjoy your children while in the process growing their ability to communicate.

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 provides 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.”

In this workshop we will be completing a dissection together while taking a closer look at the challenges a dissection at home can present. Together we will also answer questions such as where specimens can be sourced, what preservation methods are available and what are important safety considerations.

Jimmy’s 15th birthday goes from joy to disaster after his father passes down a watch and a journal containing information that two men are sent to silence. In modern day, Scott Penner finds his faith challenged when he’s handed an assignment to cover Darwin’s voyage to the Galapagos. At home he must confront the family’s bad habits and poor attitudes towards each other.

These wonderful children learn in a different manner than their left brain siblings. You will learn how to identify the right brain child, and learn many simple teaching techniques, such as Right Brain Reading and Right Brain Math. Right Brain Reading is the method Dianne used in her Resource room to help students make a two-year gain in reading in one year! For kids who find math “miserable”, this is a Godsend. No curriculum required! Help your children get in touch with the “smart part of themselves”! Poor test takers will learn how to store facts using their photographic memory. Everyone looks smart when these strategies are used.

Is your child interested in electricity and you aren’t sure how to support their interest? In this workshop we will demonstrate the best ways to present abstract concepts around electricity. We will also provide your family with a number of simple, low cost and high interest experiments to help cement learning.

Marian and her brother (Daschel) discover where Jimmy has been taken, and risk everything to rescue him. At the Penners, rumors around town abound about strange activities surrounding the Penner family.

“Mom, Johnny’s drinking from the dog dish again!” Homeschooling with little ones under foot can feel a bit like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos...a bit counter-intuitive.But, the fact is, the foundation of homeschool is HOME and everyone in it...even the toddler who’s currently feeding Cheerios to the goldfish. Discover how you can engage your little ones CONstructively during the harried homeschool day.

“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.

This encouraging workshop offers ideas for how to make homeschooling fit with your family’s unique situation and needs as well as your teaching style and your children’s learning styles. Faith offers suggestions for scheduling, time management, organization, and teaching children of different ages simultaneously.

Learn the importance of spelling and presents the developmental stages of spelling. She also shares various strategies, techniques, and fun, hands-on, multi-sensory methods for spelling practice, as well as specialized spelling programs and strategies to help you transform “I am a terrible speller” into “I am a good speller!”

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!

You may have a right brain learner in your midst! These wonderful children learn in a different manner than their left brain siblings. You will learn how to identify the right brain child, and learn many simple teaching techniques, such as Right Brain Reading and Right Brain Math. Right Brain Reading is the method Dianne used in her Resource room to help students make a two-year gain in reading in one year! For kids who find math “miserable”, this is a Godsend. No curriculum required! Help your children get in touch with the “smart part of themselves”!

Do you have a child who is “allergic” to a pencil? You may have a child who groans about writing, writes reversals, or misspells words he knows when he writes. These children are often thought of as sloppy or lazy when they are really using way too much energy for the writing process. The writing learning gate is the most common gate that is blocked with gifted kids. In this workshop you will be shown a daily exercise you can do with your child to get the writing into his “automatic” brain hemisphere, and remove stress from the writing system.

Many people think that some are just born with a “photographic memory”. But we now know that this amazing ability can be easily taught. The ability to use the photographic memory is one of the best gifts you can give your child. Your child can store his spelling words in his photographic memory for quick retrieval. Vocabulary is learned in a totally different way! Imagine your child actually having fun improving his vocabulary for the SAT. Poor test takers will learn how to store facts using their photographic memory. Everyone looks smart when these strategies are used.

In this session, multiple award winning author and longtime homeschool mom of six Dr. Sandi Queen discusses the many facets of language arts - phonics and reading, grammar, handwriting, spelling, vocabulary, writing, etc., and how to teach each of these using the Charlotte Mason approach. Included will be information on how to identify and choose materials that fit into this method.

Math is so much more than memorizing rules and facts. With a unique and humorous approach, Steve demonstrates how to use hands-on manipulatives to illustrate important math concepts such as place value, double digit multiplication, fractions, algebra, exponents, squares, square roots, and factoring trinomials.

What is a “living book?” How can “copywork” really be that effective?” “How do I fit nature study into our day – and why do I want to?” “What about math, language arts, and other ‘core’ subjects?” Dr. Sandi Queen, award winning author of over 400 books for Charlotte Mason style educators, discusses who Charlotte Mason was, and how her ideas for educating children are as applicable today as they were during her lifetime. Come and learn how implementing the Charlotte Mason approach can lighten your load, increase your child’s retention and attention span, and foster a true love for learning. Also discussed will be how to identify curricula that fits into this style of learning in all subjects. For parents of children of all ages.

Part of training up a child in the way he should go includes setting boundaries, discipline, and instilling godly character traits. The session will give practical tips to accomplish all three from the toddler years through the teens.

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.

If your child gives you the “blank stare” when you ask him to do a creative writing lesson, don’t despair – there is help! Dr. Sandi Queen, author of the multi-award winning “Language Lessons” series and homeshooling mom of six, shares how to let your child know what is expected in his writing, how to draw out the reluctant writer and inspire confidence, and more in this session for parents of all ages.

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.

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.

Learning to read shouldn’t be unnecessarily hard for our children… or exhausting for moms! Learn some practical things that can help open the door to understanding for your child in the area of Reading. We’ll cover small changes you can make using any curriculum, including what you are already using, that can help both mom and child find success.

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.

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

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.

This workshop is offered to provide practical application of the five key elements of reading discussed in the workshop "Why is Reading So Hard". Whether you attended the earlier workshop or not, you will be blessed by learning about teaching strategies and innovative activities that not only gives you fresh ideas for more effective teaching, but will also help you better understand the essentials for reading success.

Most homeschooling parents feel uneasy when planning math courses for their children. Lots of parents say, "We learned our math a long time ago," or "We learned it a different way," or maybe "We learned it not at all". How can we know if the methods we are using will achieve the desired results in our students? In this workshop Tom Clark will expose ten common myths about teaching math and then counter those myths with solid, practical help for parents. You will also leave with a checklist of items which can be used to determine the best math course for your students.

What are thinking skills and why all the fuss? This seminar challenges traditional teaching methods head on by outlining the best way to teach so your child can remember and use what he has learned...even when he is an adult. Analysis, synthesis, and evaluation are explained; samples of creative and critical thinking are provided. You will leave with lots of resource suggestions and activity ideas that are uncomplicated, inexpensive, effective, and yet not time consuming!

It is amazing to study both history and the Bible and see the things young people accomplished. Teens such as Joash, Josiah, David, Alexander Hamilton, John Quincy Adams, David Farragut, William McGuffey, “Stonewall” Jackson, Charles XII, Peter the Great, Evan Roberts, Bob Jones, Sr., Vance Havner and others accomplished much in their teen years. We don’t have this in our day because we have no vision for it. In Luke 2 Jesus, by age twelve, had developed seven key qualities that parents should seek to develop in their pre-teen children.

Language is an amazing grace from God and a gift to steward and revel in. Skill and confidence in crafting words into stories and arguments will open doors for your children and lead them into their futures. Here’s how to cast a vision, encourage and support the journey, capture each child’s unique writer’s voice, and delight in the prose and poetry your kids produce. You may find yourself inspired to write as well.

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.

Do you want life-long learners who initiate studies on their own? Then let go of the wheel and start giving your children responsibility for their education. Here are practical, inexpensive steps that will encourage your children to pursue their own learning and prevent parent burn-out as well.

What goes on behind the scenes in public schools? This presentation serves as just one reminder why homeschool parents do not give their children away.

Looking for inspiration in your study of ancient times? Join Linda Lacour Hobar (author of the series The Mystery of History) to discover what happens when Bible history and world history meet face to face – literally! With a look at Daniel and Belshazzar, Esther and Xerxes, Jesus and Pilate, and more, you will see bible characters and world history figures “meet” on one seamless, thought-provoking timeline. Through stories and activities for all ages, let His-story be revealed.

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.

Need to brush up on art history? Want a better grasp on the classic artworks of the Renaissance? Join Linda Lacour Hobar, author of the award-winning series, The Mystery of History, for a delightful presentation of six major artists of the Renaissance that everyone ought to know. This fact-filled lecture includes beautiful, family-friendly slides of some of the world’s most famous masterpieces and a fun test for students of all ages. This informative session welcomes novices and connoisseurs alike.

Shaped by our personality types, grades have the power to motivate some and destroy others. Listen to Linda Lacour Hobar, author of The Mystery of History, share theories of grade keeping, as well as practical tips on keeping it simple. With Linda’s “real life” examples from the work of her own children, this session is designed to encourage newbies and veterans alike.

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.

How, when, and why should you teach your kids about sex? This practical presentation is anchored in the Scripture where parents can learn how to use the Bible as a starting point for sex-ed in the home.

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.

Learn how to set up boundaries for screen time, without your kids voting you off the island. Learn some of the common roadblocks that will keep you from finding media balance in your home and the tools that will make "I'm bored" a thing of the past.

Join Tom Clark as he offers an entertaining and educational session designed to help you discover the reasons behind the difficulty on several of the traditional trouble spots in math. Topics discussed will be determined by the audience and may include division of fractions and multiplication of decimals (using those mindless rules), long-division, story-problems, positive and negative numbers, and numerous others, all of which seem to indicate that mathematics is just naturally “difficult”.

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.

Why do earthquakes and volcanoes happen? Why are all continents shifting towards the Pacific? Why are the ocean trenches all arcs? Why is the moon so cratered? What is stumping the scientists about the current comet photos? Why do we have unique weather patterns? The answers are all related and might surprise you.

Bible memory is absolutely vital in our lives. Learn the benefits of Bible memory, how to choose passages of Scripture, and techniques that will allow your family to memorize Scripture quickly and effectively.

Science doesn’t need to be a boring subject of textbooks and vocabulary. This workshop (for parents AND KIDS) shows you fun ways to learn about the Lord’s sky above with hands-on learning activities.

Who is going to build a house by starting with the walls? Without a solid foundation, those walls may hold up for a bit but eventually will come crashing down. Math is a lot like building a house. We need to start with a strong foundation and build up from there. It doesn’t have to be hard! See how easy it is to teach math.

As an experienced homeschooling mother of four children, Jeannie Fulbright shares tips and ideas to make homeschooling children of different ages and abilities a breeze.

Is your second grader building a fusion reactor in your backyard or calculating rates of speed and velocity? Forrest and Beth Mora’s daughter, SmartCookie #1 received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in three short years at 21 years of age and is a certified teacher. Their son, SmartCookie #2 and twin to #1, received a 104% in Calculus 2 in his senior year of high school and reads C++ programming textbooks for enjoyment. Beth candidly shares her journey of home educating her two academically advanced children and learn how she kept the wheels of opportunity turning. Learn what worked and what didn’t. If you have a “Smartcookie”, you won’t want to miss this unique perspective.

Why can my gifted student calculate geometric ratios but he can’t find his shoes? One moment you’re conversing with your student about the research on genetics and the next moment he’s arguing with you that his Superman cape can sustain flight because it has super powers. Gifted children often experience what’s called “asynchronous development.” How do you meet the developmental and academic needs of a gifted learner? Beth Mora will address this in detail from experience with her two academically gifted children.

People, especially children, are visual learners. Approaching math from a visual perspective using an abacus is a sure-fire path to success! Learn how an abacus fosters quantity recognition and develops addition strategies. Investigate place value in a crystal clear format. Explain “borrowing and carrying” when adding and subtracting numbers. Discover the simplicity of multiplication. Find the easy way to learn the math facts.

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.

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

Is behaving like a gentleman an outdated and antiquated idea? Join Dr. Steve in a discussion of how to teach our young men to be masculine in a society that seeks to squeeze them into a feminine mold. Becoming a gentleman starts at home. Come discover ways to cultivate a culture of masculinity without raising men who are brutes!

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.

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.

Are you tired of flashcards? Does your child cry when you give another timed math fact test? Are you beating your head against the wall because your child can’t seem to remember the multiples of 7? This workshop will show you fabulous and effective alternatives to worksheets and flashcards by playing easy and fun math card games from the RightStart™ Math curriculum. Imagine your kids asking to practice their math facts more! Come and discover games to help your child learn their math facts!

American Heritage Girls is the premiere national character development organization for girls ages 5 – 18 that embraces Christian values and encourages family involvement.

Toddlers, Tweens, and Teens, OH MY! Do you have a houseful? Are you planning on having a houseful? If so, then this is a great workshop for YOU! Heidi and Jay St. John are the homeschooling parents of seven perfect, never messy, always obedient, very sweet, usually tidy, generally obedient, always energetic, very curious children. They have homeschooled all the way through high school.

One of the most challenging aspects of homeschooling a houseful is figuring out how to teach them all while finding time to manage the rest of your day! Moms are always wondering if they are “doing enough” and finding the time to teach individual subjects, well, individually… can be overwhelming.

In this workshop, Heidi will share seven secrets of multi-level teaching that will empower, encourage and enlighten you! If you’ve got a houseful, then you’ve got your hands full! Let’s laugh together, and rediscover the JOY of homeschooling with a full heart AND a full house

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.

Sarah and Grace Mally, two homeschool graduates, together with their father, will discuss the importance of being a Christ-centered family in an ungodly world. How can parents pass on a Biblical foundation? How can young people be prepared, not just for college or a career, but for the mighty works the Lord has called them to do? How can they avoid rebellion and shipwreck? How can they find purpose and gain zeal? When a family has an eternal mindset and takes initiative in ministry, the young people are given motivation and vision, the family learns to overcome struggles and work in harmony, and mighty works are accomplished for God’s kingdom. This workshop will give practical ideas, direction and encouragement to help children and young people become mighty warriors for Christ.