Children like to do what they can do, they want to do what they think they can do, and they hate to do what they think they cannot do. If you want excited and enthusiastic children who learn well, you must understand these key laws of motivation, and focus on the essential requirement of relevancy. If it matters, children will learn it, and if it doesn’t, they won’t. This session will enlighten you with speci?c ways to ?nd and create relevancy for children, even when they have no apparent interest.

Evaluating a student’s writing can be very dif?cult for anyone, but especially for the parent who may feel less than perfectly con?dent in her own English or grammar skills. Learn how to provide speci?c models and stylistic goals for each composition, giving speci?c assignments to your students for both ?ction and non?ction. 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 con?dence 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.

Many children (and some adults) have dif?culty learning to spell, but the diff?culty may not be with the student so much as with the method of presentation. Find out in this workshop how spelling information is most ef?ciently stored in the brain, and why. With a greater insight into the nature of spelling and neurological function presented in this workshop, parents and teachers will be well- equipped to meet the needs of all their children, not just the naturally good spellers.

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 the attending well to the ?rst 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.

Many parents think that good readers will naturally become good writers. Others think that writing talent is just that—a natural ability—some have it; others don’t. Both are myths. History and modern research show very clearly how good writers have developed. What are the two most critical things you can do as a parent to develop a high level of aptitude, from a young age and into high school? With humor and insight, Andrew will share the two easy but unbelievably powerful things you can do to build language patterns and nurture compe- tent communicators in your family.

Exploring the practical elements of the Thomas Jefferson education model, Andrew will explain the seven keys as well as the five learning environments as developed by DeMille and his colleagues. (There’s even an unofficial “eighth key.”) With humorous stories from his own family’s experience, Andrew will delight homeschooling moms looking for tips on how to escape the “conveyor belt” approach to doing “school” at home.