Most teens crave to be independent, express their opinions, and control their lives. Wise parents will channel these tendencies to propel homeschooling forward. Learn how to start communicating with your teen to work together on your teen's homeschool strategy.

Protecting children on social media is a critical issue in today’s world, where online platforms are increasingly becoming a part of everyday life. With the rise of cyberbullying, online predators, selling of drugs laced with Fentanyl, and exposure to inappropriate content, it is essential to establish new approaches and guidelines to safeguard kids on social media. In this speech, Connie will discuss what parents can do to protect their child from the dangers of social media.

Character is the most important fruit that parents can nurture in their children, and is the foundation for academic learning. Discover how character is learned, and how to make a plan for teaching it to your children. Kathie will give several creative & practical ways you can encourage your children to develop in this important area, and help your kids grow in Godly character.

Wouldn’t it be great that instead of being overwhelmed by your wild child’s spirit, you could embrace all that he is? In this session, we will share our personal experience and knowledge in hopes of encouraging and providing practical strategies that will meet the needs of your child while keeping your sanity.

Do you need help getting your child excited about science? Having trouble getting excited about science yourself? Get new visions and methods for teaching science with a biblical worldview in this workshop. Get ready to have some hands-on fun!

For too many kids, their only outlet is … an outlet. Are your kids bored and grouchy unless they are plugged in to the Internet or a video game? What ever happened to catching frogs, picking dandelions, climbing trees, and lying in the grass to watch clouds? There is an outdoor world waiting to be discovered. Every child should explore the wonders of God’s creation because of three truths that can be found in one of the most exciting classrooms, the one outside.

Want your teen to take more initiative around the house? Want to reduce the “drama” level in the family? Want to get your pre-teens, teens, and young adults excited about character healthy living? Join “America’s Parenting Doctor,” Dr. Steve Scheibner as he reveals seven practical steps to raising the behavior bar in your home. This “character matters” session will begin the process of moving your young people from ordinary to extraordinary.

Is there a way to save money, reduce the stress of homeschooling, and still give your children a solid education at home? YES! Come learn the tips and tricks of teaching multiple children at home, saving money on curriculum, and having more fun

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

You can do more than survive! It is more than possible and you can manage it all! Learn tips on child training, teaching multiple children, and home management from a home school mom of six children (within nine years) who has spent 27 years refining the process.

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.

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.

Jimmy’s captured and put in a place where nobody seems to care that he’s been kidnapped, except a young boy, Tom. For the Penner family, Scott’s father, Ian, dies. This leaves behind his mother, Ellie (who’s suffering from Alzheimer’s) and living in a mysterious home.

Missions is the great call of our Lord for all believers to take part in. Yet, not all of us are evangelists, church planters, or pastors. Is there a place for the technically minded in missions? Yes! God has gifted each of us in unique ways so that we can use those gifts for His Kingdom’s work. In this presentation, come learn about how the skill of aviation in missions is spreading the Gospel farther and faster to the most isolated parts of the world.

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.

The two men who burned down Jimmy’s barn (Marley and Clive) comeback, looking for his father’s journal and threatening Jimmy’s mother. The Penners come to Ian’s funeral and find that there’s no one to take care of Grandma (Ellie). The family begins to work together to fix up the house, but Ellie refuses to sell.

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.

Regardless of natural ability or internal desire, young people can learn to discover ideas, discern truth, and influence others by participating in debate. If your children are ready to meet their challenge, grow in grace, and communicate with confidence, check out debate. It’s an adventure worth taking!

Jimmy’s transported to the port of Plymouth, England. Marian and Daschel are in a race against time to find Jimmy before Marley and Clive. For the Penner family, Ellie shows up with a burnt diary containing a code. Winny, Hope, and Heath must work together to try to discover the meaning.

Jimmy and Daschel come face to face with his captors. Who will prevail? The Penners have to work together to get to the parade in Ellie's small town. Later, they find Ellie remembering enough to help the family decode the secret of the Penner home. What will they find?

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.

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!

Is the world sending you mixed messages? Have lies about your identity from the pop culture, high expectations from others, and confusing self-talk from your own emotions and brain become a jumble of exhausting mental activity tossing and turning like a washing machine’s agitator? Many teens are secretly wondering, “How do I sort through all of this to find out who I really am and what I’m supposed to be? Do I really have what it takes to be a Christ- follower in this culture?” Angela will reach into the hearts and minds of teens with the TRUTH of God’s Word that brings confidence, peace, and wisdom to those who are searching.

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.

Melanie, Kristen and Melissa Thomsen, homeschool and college graduates, share about how the habit of a daily Quiet Time can help us grow in our relationship with God. They will share why the Quiet Time is important, how simple it can be and the difference it makes in their personal lives. Bring your Bibles and join other mothers and daughters in learning how spending daily time with God is not only doable, but tremendously rewarding. This session is for daughters ages 10-20 and their moms.

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.

(for Dads only/or Dads and sons) - The "coming of age message” that Eric originally designed for his twelve-year-old son, that has made a huge impact on men all over this nation.

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.

X-Boxes, Game-Cubes, the INTERNET, Facebook, and iPhones have changed the way we live, have fun, and interact. Children quietly glued to game monitors for hours have replaced laughter and creativity. They beg to play, whine when they can’t. Teens and pre-teens spend most of their waking hours texting, chatting on Facebook, or ‘tweeting’ on Twitter. Today’s latest-breaking technology becomes tomorrow’s obsession, demanding more time, attention, and sacrifices. Maybe you feel like you’ve lost control in your own home. Does this tell you that something is terribly wrong? Do you feel like a beast has invaded your home, but you don’t know how to handle it? If so, listen to Todd on the timely topic of taming the TECHNO-BEAST!

If you have ever wondered how to design a high school course of study, evaluate the results, develop a transcript or award a diploma, then this is the workshop for you! Linda will cover all of these subjects and more in one quick hour.

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.

Readers are leaders...and writers have the opportunity to help forge the future through the books those leaders read. Whether you are eight or forty-eight, there are key fundamentals to excellent fiction writing that readers and publishers alike are looking for. Chuck shares his insights on how to write fiction that captures the hearts and minds of all ages

Blended learning is the homeschooling world's secret weapon, especially as homeschool students ability, interest or knowledge outstrips their parents time or ability. Blended learning occurs when technology and teaching inform each other allowing them to interact with others from around the world, learning from world-class teachers. If you’re wondering how to balance homeschooling with working, multiple children, abilities, disabilities, and more, this workshop is for you.

Lures abound to sidetrack homeschooling parents. One such lure is the promise of “free,” state-run, “home” school programs to “help” you educate your children. It is paramount to consider who should be in authority over what is taught to the minds and hearts of children. Dr. Ray will challenge you to think through this issue and provide you with information and insight that will help you promote the concept of the separation of school and state. This has emerged as one of the most important issues with which homeschoolers must grapple

Are you just starting to homeschool and want to make sure your child actually enjoys math? Seeing math frustration in your older child and want to change course? We’ll help you dodge mistakes when teaching math and put you on the path to true math understanding and success with easy-to-implement techniques.

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 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

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.

Want your teen to take more initiative around the house? Want to reduce the “Drama” level in the family? Want to get your pre-teens, teens, and young adults excited about character healthy living? Join “America’s Parenting Doctor,” Dr. Steve Scheibner as he reveals seven practical steps to raising the behavior bar in your home. A Character Matters session will begin the process of moving your young people from ordinary to extraordinary.

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.

If your child graduates high school with only one skill in hand, it needs to be this one. Academic writing, AKA argument writing, is how your child will engage the culture and the academic community on campus and online. This is what admissions offices scour the student essay for, and this is what scholarship committees prize. Your teens will improve their critical thinking, master subject matter across domains, learn to evaluate and counter other’s ideas, and clarify their own IF argument writing is at the center of your college prep high school program.

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.

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.

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”.

Luke and Trisha take on some of the most common mistakes Christian parents make when it comes to sex education...and how to make changes today.

From trenches and truces on the Western Front to famous flying aces in the sky, let Linda Lacour Hobar (author of the award-winning series, The Mystery of History) walk you through an invigorating summary of what tweens and teens should know about World War I through unforgettable stories and Linda’s exclusive “5-4-3-2-1 Countdown.”

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.

Want to better understand the headlines? Planning to teach modern history? Then you need “Modern History That Shook the World!” Join Linda Lacour Hobar, author of the award-winning series, The Mystery of History, as she recounts world-shaking events from the 20th century to present day from a biblical worldview. With vivid snapshots of the Cold War, the Formation of Israel, the War in Korea, the Collapse of the Soviet Union, and more, students and teachers will not only see the past more clearly, but be better prepared for the future!

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.

When asked, “What are the language arts?” people may respond by listing numerous subjects: spelling, phonics, grammar, penmanship, copying, dictation, narration, and composition. But actually it’s much simpler! For those adhering to the classical model, those ascribing to a Charlotte Mason approach, or those who just want a common-sense curriculum, there are really only four core language arts: listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and attending well to the first two makes teaching the latter two so much easier. Come prepared to have your educational paradigm adjusted, your load lightened, and your commitment to excellence renewed as you focus on the most important things in the limited time you have.

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.

Evaluating a student’s writing can be very difficult, especially for the parent who may feel less than perfectly confident. Learn how to provide specific models and stylistic goals for each composition, giving specific assignments to your students for both fiction and non-fiction. Solve the “How long does it have to be?” problem. Never again hear yourself say, “Don’t you want to add a little more detail?” With confidence and precision, you can design and communicate to your students goal- and model-based writing assignments, and can have a concrete tool to objectively evaluate their efforts.

How long do you allow a child to think before you start helping them? Sometimes we need to be quiet and let them wrestle with the problem. Do you know that children will learn better and remember things longer when they discover the solution? The goal is to provide a way for them to learn how to solve problems. Find out how to help your child think their way through 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.