2012 Conference - St. Paul

This workshop explains the most popular teaching methodologies (textbook, living book, unit studies, classical, and unschooling), and gives attendees a close-up look at the convention exhibitors. This workshop is personalized for each convention, using your workshop schedule and exhibit hall floor plan.

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Jenefer Igarashi of Rosetta Stone Ldt.  Experience firsthand the power of Rosetta Stone® Homeschool. We’ll explore how this program provides students with a rich, interactive, and engaging language-learning experience, while giving parents the tools and resources needed to track and manage student progress. Find out why Rosetta Stone is Homeschool’s #1 foreign language curriculum. Come join us for this interactive language-learning experience! 

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Dr. Joan A. Cotter, PhD of RightStart Mathematics by Activities for Learning Inc. Children often have difficulty with fractions because they see only the parts of the fraction, and not the whole. Anyone, age 6 and up, can understand fractions with the linear model. This fraction review will give you confidence in teaching (or re-teaching) this important topic. You will also learn a few fraction card games. 

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Rick Dack of Hollywood vs. The Bible Int'l. Did Noah’s Ark sink? Was Noah cruel and insane? Was the story of Noah's Ark stolen from pagans by Moses? We will take a look at films, television documentaries (The History Channels), and animated TV series that present these ideas.

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Myrna Martin of Ring-of-Fire. Myrna is a homeschooling grandmother of two boys. She has been teaching her grandchildren fun science for over 7 years. Learn how to use simple materials found in the home to teach fun science activities. You will come away from the workshop with lots of fun and easy ideas to teach science using inexpensive and recycled materials. 

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Jan Miller of Institute for Excellence in Writing. Come and discover award-winning Excellence in Writing, a method of teaching composition that really works. Using this program, students of all ages will learn to write stories, reports and essays with style. This workshop will give you an overview of the program and show you how you can get started. 

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Russ Potter of A Beginning Advantage. The research is in! And, the benefits are awesome!! “Fun” plays an extremely important role in how well children learn – and retain what they learn. Come, see and hear pitfalls to be avoided and relevant tips and techniques from experienced educators. Includes reviews of books, and Scripture-based curricula available to enhance the fun and learning! Target Audience: K – 8. 

EXIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Barbara Beers of The PHONICS Road to Spelling and Reading. Great spelling does not have to be a mystery when you know...the rest of the story! Modern education methods of memorizing words using pictures, workbooks, and games will never give a student the tools to know HOW English is built and WHY it is built the way it is. Learn not only the foundations of great spelling, writing, and reading, but also how to coordinate grammar, composition, and Latin in a multi-sensory approach with music, art, and literature. 

Dispelling the top ten myths of homeschooling will clarify your understanding of what homeschooling should be.

Juxtaposition, metaphor, symbolism, irony, foreshadowing – HELP! Parents often avoid the subject of literature because of the intimidating vocabulary of literary analysis. The truth is, you don’t need a college degree in literature to understand this vocabulary; what you need is a well-written children’s story. Adam takes the audience on a guided tour of literary devices, making discerning literary analysts out of every audience member. Doing the same with your own children couldn’t be easier, but beware.

It’s never too early to think about homeschooling during the teen years. If that is your desire, what can you do now to build confidence and be better prepared to meet the challenge? Come hear practical information on record keeping, course and credit evaluation, development of a high school plan, as well as an introduction to transcripts and diplomas, to prepare you for the job of homeschooling through these important years.

Train your students to discern worldviews and to understand their impact on every aspect of our culture. We will analyze the impact of worldviews on our culture through interviews with those who hold opposing worldviews. This is a great opportunity to learn practical tools to reach non-Christians and to confront the culture with the Truth.

We have the story wrong!!! Girls today are bombarded by false and destructive messages from every direction. Even girls who are being raised in strong Christian families often buy into these cultural messages. Girls learn that their worth and beauty are found in being sexually enticing, their strength is found in being manipulative, their safety is found in being in control, and their confidence is found in perfection, productivity, and high performance.

In this practical workshop, the Carters discuss seven Biblical foundations, including giving our family a spiritual identity, maintaining an ordered and purposeful lifestyle, building financial skills, teaching conflict and problem solving abilities, and more to help our families be successful.

Every day, the homeschool marriage experiences high levels of stress, a frantic pace of life, and competing priorities which work to pull it apart at the seams. If all these forces are carefully dealt with, however, the result can be a marriage and family that is not only surviving, but truly thriving. This workshop deals with planning, communication, teamwork, and the primary obstacles that threaten to rob your marriage and family of relational harmony, peace of mind, and fruitfulness.  There are no handouts for this workshop.

A child may be a reluctant learner for several reasons. A bright, hardworking child who has to work too hard to learn is ‘telling’ you that one or more of his Four Learning Gates is blocked. This workshop will help you identify which of the learning gates is blocked and what you can do about it at home! Find out specifically how the brain processes information and where that processing can break down; then receive the corrections for each processing area. A homeschooling mom with a Ph.D.

MÂCHÉ board member and attorney John Tuma will give a brief overview of what is new in Minnesota homeschooling law. Most of this session will be given over to a time for questions and answers, so come with any questions you may have. There are no handouts for this breakout session.

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Cliff Warden of The Awakening. The workshop will contrast the competing worldviews of Christianity and materialistic evolution and reveal how these competing worldviews are in a battle for control of ethics in biotechnology. The workshop will also introduce The Awakening book and study guide as a tool to introduce students to the critical issues in bioethics through the power of story. 

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Paul Martin of Teens for Christ. We will show a few items from a life size replica of the Old Testament Tabernacle to try to encourage you to attend an exhibit in Hudson, WI during the summer of 2012. Those who attend will learn how the tabernacle was used in its time and how everything in it pointed to the Christ who was to come. 

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Lori Kemper of National Center for Biblical Parenting. Come learn how to start a “Family Time” in your home that will excite your kids about God’s Word. Activity is the language of children, so use it to communicate biblical truth. This workshop will energize you about “Family Time” and explain how to make the scriptures relevant and exciting for your kids. 

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Carol Kelsey of My Father's World. The myriad of homeschool choices can be overwhelming like interstates, highways, back roads & scenic routes. There are so many ways & opinions, how can one navigate through it all and still homeschool effectively? Why not blend the best of each method?

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Dr. David Stussy of Brain Balance Achievement Centers. This workshop is designed to help you understand more specifically what is going on with your struggling child. Dr. David Stussy will explain Autism, Aspergers, Dyslexia, Learning Disabilities, and ADHD as a Functional Disconnection Syndrome (FDS). FDS is a functional imbalance of brain activity within each side and/or between the right and left sides of the brain.

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Linda Fugleburg of Math-U-See. Come see how to teach math using a skill based, multi-sensory approach from counting to Calculus. Teach your child to understand math and build a foundation for a lifelong love of learning.

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Jay W. Patterson of The Works People. This K-12 curriculum hits a home run every time. It’s the most effective language arts program out there, and it’s all under one umbrella. It is handwriting, phonics, spelling analysis and spelling rules. Nonreaders read. Struggling readers improve. It’s vocabulary, grammar, composition, and higher level thinking skills. Only one set of teacher materials is needed for any number of children.

Non-Christians seem to have the advantage in our culture. We, as Christians, are sometimes intimidated by or even afraid to talk with many atheists, new-agers, evolutionists and other wizards. Too often, we fear we won’t have answers to their tough questions. Be encouraged. Learn four killer questions that will help to destroy the wizards’ secular thinking that is encasing the minds of friends, relatives and others. Learn to destroy the wizards’ sloppy, secular arguments without destroying the person.

Children are born with a God-given desire to communicate! In this seminar, Debbie will talk about the key areas of communication and how to develop your child’s skills in each area. As Christian homeschooling parents, we have been freed from “worldly philosophies” and are able to do what is efficient and effective. Come and learn about ways to decrease stress and increase productivity in your language arts instruction!

When rearing their children, parents often confuse their job with God’s job. God has designed that He alone brings life; but He has given the parent the job of building character. What Biblical character traits can we as parents consciously set as a goal for our children and how can we train them in such a way that that goal will be achieved by the time they leave our homes as adults?

Many people think that some are just born with a “photographic memory,” but we now know that this amazing ability can be easily taught. These visual memory techniques work with all types of learners and can be an essential learning tool for a child or adult who has an auditory processing glitch. You will learn the easy, powerful Right Brain Reading method Dianne used in her Resource room to help all of her students make a two-year gain in reading and spelling in one year!

Although only Noah and his family saw the Genesis flood occur, the Mount St. Helens explosion offers an outdoor laboratory of processes that probably occurred during the yearlong event (Genesis 6-9). Many of the features which geologists believe take long periods have been seen to form rapidly: deposition, erosion, fossilization, petrifaction, coal formation, and radioisotope dating. All these areas of study point to a young earth! Come learn insights which will help you reinforce Biblical truths about Creation - scientifically.

In this workshop, Cheryl, a reformed “messie,” shares practical things families can do to become more organized, including getting rid of clutter, managing mail, and developing a personalized homeschool plan for their families.

This workshop will focus on the practical, Biblical, and tangible ways that dads, especially those who work outside the home, can take an active role in homeschooling their children.

Our children have so many choices before them these days when it comes to choosing a college. How can we as parents help and guide them to make the right choice? This session focuses on the necessity of giving Christian students a healthy and intellectually engaged outlook on their faith before they go off to college.

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Sara Eppinga of The Logic of English. In this workshop your understanding of English will be transformed! Discover the phonograms and spelling rules which explain 98% of English words.We will learn:• The rule which explains the two sounds for C in accent and describes more than 6,000 words!• Three of the nine reasons for a Silent Final E.• Why we drop the Silent Final E in servicing but not in serviceable, and much more!

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Rob Snavely of Moti-Venture. Parents, are you looking for ways to motivate your children to do their schoolwork, have positive attitudes and good behavior? Then Moti-Venture may be for you! Discover an innovative way to inspire your kids through creative adventures while strengthening family bonds in a fun and exciting way! 

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Esther Wilkison of BJU Press/HomeWorks by Precept.  Some students quickly and easily navigate the learning highway while others seem stuck in mental traffic. Do you know any children who seem detoured? Struggling? Overwhelmed? Brain research and biblical insights provide practical understanding so that you can help your students go beyond merely coasting on surface memorization to comprehending at the heart level. Discover hope that goes beyond labels to help nonstandard learners.   

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Jennifer Scheler of Sonlight Curriculum Ldt.  Do you desire to give your children an excellent education, strengthen family bonds and naturally transfer your core beliefs to your children? Would you like to teach your children with confidence from your first day and enjoy learning right along with them? As a fifteen-year veteran homeschooling mom, Jennifer will share how you can achieve your goals by using award-winning literaturecoupled with complete lesson plans.     

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Julie Hiramine of Generations of Virtue. “How in the world am I supposed to tell my kids about sex?!” That seems to be the question (and fear) on every parent’s mind. We as parents realize that if we don’t talk to our kids, the media will. You’ll discover practical, insightful information on how to talk with your kids (preschool and up) age-appropriately, about virtue, character, purity, future relationships, Godly sexuality, media discernment, etc.

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Christy Peddicord of Arts Attack. The capacity of human beings to think creatively, to create and appreciate art is indispensable in developing the “whole” person. This presentation will review the essential role of art in developing right brain skills and in enabling children to develop their full potential as students. It will also review the Atelier art program, and discuss the essential elements of a successful program while viewing slides of children’s artwork. 

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Jennifer Hootman, the librarian of MINITEX Library Information Network. The Electronic Library for Minnesota (ELM) is located at http://www.elm4you.org. Available at no cost, ELM includes information in core subject areas and includes resources for kids and teens with full-text information. Locate biographies, primary sources, essays, images, videos, maps, and link to accurate and authoritative web sites. ELM resources also include citation and research tools.

The biggest and most enduring counterfeit reality of all time is most cleverly foisted upon people through film. See how moviemakers convey a secular worldview to the public…in the blink of an eye! Keep in mind Colossians 2:8 and keep focused on Bill Jack’s media examples and use of technological illusions. Otherwise, you may lose sight of true reality.

Do you have a child who has to work too hard to stay focused on a task? Does his pencil become paralyzed when you leave the room for a few minutes? Does he seem lazy and unmotivated?  Are you at your wits end about how to help this child? You know he’s smart, but it takes him FOREVER to complete his work! This workshop will give you a totally different view of and approach to children and teenagers with attention and focus issues.

In the unique seasons of parenting, there are many obstacles to overcome in order to spend time with God. Vicki offers hope and encouragement to parents of preschool, school age, and teenage children as they learn to scale the walls and approach Christ's throne on behalf of their children.

Did you know George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson all kept notebooks? Explore this natural approach to education that encourages your students to be lifelong learners! Open the door to self-motivation, academic excellence, creativity, and true learning for your children through notebooking. See how readily it adapts into any home education program and how to start your family on this exciting journey of discovery learning.

The 2 R's of teaching preschoolers are readiness and relationship. What activities are important during these formative years? How do you capture your child's heart and instill in them a love of learning that will carry you through their school years? Gain insight and inspiration from a homeschooling mother of eight.

In this fun and inspiring workshop, Cheryl, a columnist, author and freelance writer, shares ways she has motivated reluctant homeschoolers to become proactive writers. This workshop is based on her teaching writing in her homeschool co-op and her children's freelance writing experience.

Carter discusses the Rites of Passage program he has used, and is presently using, with his son and he encourages churches, community groups, and other dads to embrace the model to raise mighty men of God for the twentieth century church.

As parents, we have chosen to disciple our children to grow and walk with the Lord, but now we are preparing them to be salt and light in a needy world.  This session focuses on explaining the most pivotal moral, religious, and cultural viewpoints of the Western World, including Humanism, New Age, Postmodernism, and Islam. Sam Youngs will not only describe key facets and thinkers within these worldviews, but will also discuss how students (in particular at the college level) can apply this knowledge in a critical yet Christ-affirming manner.

In this session we will be confronting complacency, mediocrity and the sense of entitlement. The workshop provides building blocks for mentoring young people in preparation for great service with an expanding vision to serve their heavenly Father as kingdom builders. Discover the steps to channeling the energy, creativity, and imagination of children into the greater service of the Lord. There are no handouts for this workshop.

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by John Engquist of Oak Hills Christian College. In this workshop, we will compare and contrast what research has shown are the educational goals of Christian versus secular colleges and universities, as well as discuss compelling data surrounding the overall benefits of a Christian higher education. 

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by John Hunt of Bright Marketing, Inc. The privilege of home schooling in a tough economic environment has its challenges, not the least of which is making financial ends meet. In this workshop you will be shown that starting a home-based enterprise cannot only help pay the bills, but can teach the next generation about the values of hard work and reliance on the Lord for guidance and provision.

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Sara Eppinga of The Logic of English. Discover why many students struggle with reading and spelling. Practical tools will be interwoven with homeschool stories and powerful NIHCD Research that demonstrates the benefit of systematic teaching for all students. In this workshop you will learn:• Why oversimplifications, such as teaching S says /s/ discourage math and science minded students.• How to train visual muscle memory and prevent visual confusion.

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Kris Wilcox of Zeezok Publishing LLC. Our kids are from a visual generation. Many of them learn and retain more from visual stimulation than from just reading books. We’ll show you how easy it is to use movies wisely in your curriculum. But BEWARE - every movie has an agenda! We will walk you through how to recognize the worldview in a movie by giving you ten persuasive devices used by the director and producer, with examples from actual movie footage.

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Deanne Crawford of Rainbow Resources LLP. 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, definitions, comparisons, and resources for doing unit studies. Let Rainbow’s consultant help you become a “Unit Study P.R.O.”  

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Jim Cicchese of Teens for Christ. Learn how in just nine months you can attend a near-by Bible Institute and obtain up to 36 semester credits that will transfer to many local Bible colleges. All this for the very low price of $3400. 

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Dave Drake of FreedomProject Education. In education the principle of good characters are essential to all disciplines. In three parts, what is character?, How is character developed?, and character through the disciplines, we teach the fundamentals of character-building within the teaching of subjects from History to Language, Science to Math. Without inculcating character in each subject, the knowledge is vain. 

Will following Christ pass the test of time? Christian parents and teachers want their children and their students to love God with all their “heart, soul, mind, and strength” and they commit to training their children to this end. Exactly how does that translate into our culture? What is a FAD? Learn the three characteristics Christians must have and must instill into their teens if they want Christianity to be a FAD for the next generation. The wizard’s promises become the illusion of a fad, a passing fancy.

Do you have a child who seems to be “allergic” to a pencil? If you have a child who groans and fusses about writing or still writes reversals or spells a word orally correctly but leaves out letters when he writes? This workshop is for you! These children are often thought of as sloppy, lazy, or unmotivated, when they really have a writing glitch. The writing learning gate is the most common gate that is blocked with gifted kids.

This interactive workshop will cover the why’s and how’s of using games to bring math to life and to increase understanding in students. We will discuss how to use games to enhance any curriculum. Then, we will dive into a highly visual and interactive review of games to use for everything from understanding number basics, to getting the facts straight, to learning the base ten system and operations. Responses to this workshop in the past have been overwhelmingly positive.

Adam discusses the relationship between history and literature, and suggests ways that close study of the one can help us understand the other. This workshop includes a discussion of context and style in Longfellow's classic poem Paul Revere's Ride. There are no handouts for this workshop.

Do you long to be a world changer for Christ? You don't have to travel the world to powerfully impact the lives of those in your community. Although many modern-day missionaries have been called internationally, what about those suffering right at your back door?  Just as Jesus and his disciples personally went and ministered in His time, you can learn how you and your family can impact the world around you for the kingdom of God. Join Kay and Julie Hiramine with their family for this exciting and enlightening workshop on becoming a "World Changer" right where you are!

Are you in a quandary as to what tests your teens need to take during high school? Do you know the array of possible tests—from college admissions tests to tests for college credit, placement, or military enlistment to tests necessary for certain scholarships to even career tests? When should they be taken? Where? How can your teen prepare for them? Come and get these questions answered.

Participants will learn practical ways to teach their children organizational skills. Using the Bible and child development skills as a foundation, parents will learn easy ways to teach their child how to be organized and better prepared for life.

Did you know that entertainment in our culture is not merely a type of activity? It is a subtle, powerful, and holistic life philosophy that has persuaded each of us in countless ways (both with and without our knowledge) to buy into a specific belief system regarding every aspect of our culture and lives. Find out how these forces affect our thoughts (and actions) regarding ourselves, relationships, the purpose of life, heaven, pleasure, technology, the purpose of work, what we can expect out of life, who we should become, and even who we should marry.

It is the passion and prayer of every loving parent’s heart; but what does it take to build the authentic relationships with our children necessary for them to become a lasting, living legacy? This session is dedicated to exactly that question and to sending you away with a toolbox packed-full with the everyday ideas, strategies, activities, and methods for being a fun parent, building strong relationships with your kids, and raising them to faithfully live for the glory of God and the good of others. There are no handouts for this workshop.

While the worldly model of leadership gives advice for success, servant leadership asks us to lay the groundwork for growth. As you lead and mentor leaders, grace is important in all you do. Come to hear ways to sow and reap a harvest of grace for your group, and more importantly, your family during your season of service! This is a "By Invitation Only" workshop.  There are no handouts for this workshop.

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Toby Zook of Crown College. As one of seven home schooled children, Toby Zook didn’t just need to get accepted into a great college—he needed to find a way to pay for it! Hear how he was able to receive full scholarships to both college and seminary, and graduate early by utilizing CLEP tests, online classes, and summer courses. Learn the tips and tricks every home schooling family needs to know to help get your students into college and graduated with little or no debt! Sponsored by Crown College in St.

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Rich Frieder and Jen Beyst of LearningRx. This course provides knowledge and understanding of the effects cognitive skills have on learning. Attendees will receive knowledge and practical strategies to apply to their curriculum. The course is fun and interactive and includes information about new brain research and its implications on learning. The course also provides methods and tools in detecting students with weak cognitive skills and strategies to strengthen these skills. 

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Russ Potter from A Beginning Advantage. Beginning Reading – Fun From Day 1 with Guided Reading & Scripture Stories: An interactive workshop examining Guided Reading. It shares relevant tips and techniques from experienced educators. The workshop describes how by using Leveled Readers that fit the child’s level of literacy development, they will learn good reading strategies and reading becomes FUN! Target Audience: K – 2. 

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Jennifer Scheler of Sonlight Curriculum Ldt.  Education can and should be enjoyable…for both students and teachers. In this workshop you’ll learn from a 15-year homeschool veteran how the award-winning Sonlight Curriculum inspires the love to learn, builds family bonds, equips students to think, and shares a strong missions focus. Sonlight's comprehensive packages are flexible enough to teach one student or a houseful with the best books and complete lesson plans. The adventure is yours to enjoy!

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Jan Miller of Institute for Excellence in Writing. Announcing IEW’s Primary Arts of Language (PAL), a beginning reading and writing program based on Anna Ingham’s 70-year legacy.  Designed to provide everything you need to start your K-2 students reading and writing, these multisensory, interactive materials will give your children a foundation for excellence in writing as they take delight in learning.

EXIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Linda Fugleburg of Math-U-See. Come see how to teach math using a skill based, multi-sensory approach from counting to Calculus. Teach your child to understand math and build a foundation for a lifelong love of learning.

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Jay W. Patterson of The Works People. Do you need the assurance that there are no gaps in your handwriting, reading, spelling and grammar programs? Do you want a language arts program that is based upon neurological research and addresses all learning styles? Do you need a complete, integrated, research-based approach that is still adaptable to your student’s unique learning rates and needs?

The secular wizards offer the appearance of compassion. In reality it is merely smoke and mirrors. Meet some of these wizards who claim love is a many splendored thing that begins with self-love. These wizards proclaim selfishness is the proper attitude. In contrast, come learn the way of the Wiseman. There are no handouts for this workshop.

Teach your children the lifelong skill of studying for tests by taking a picture of the contents of a chapter and reducing study time. For some children, math is a monster! They hate it and always feel dumb when doing it. These children have difficulty learning math facts and tend to do poorly on tests because they ‘forget’ how to do the math processes (division, fractions, algebra, etc.). In this workshop, you will learn how to help your child store the math facts and processes in his long term memory.

This workshop will be moderated by Eileen Hoffman. It will include a presentation on issues and solutions for support group leaders. Several veteran leaders will be present for a question/answer time. This will be a time to meet, talk, and encourage other leaders.  There are no handouts for this workshop.

Do you have trouble keeping your students interested in learning? Perhaps it’s time you begin to think outside the box. Leonardo da Vinci approached knowledge from a unique perspective. Discover techniques used by da Vinci that, when implemented, will improve critical thinking and creativity, inspiring your students to want to gain knowledge. You can create an environment that develops a delight for learning and improves your children’s ability to excel in any area they choose to pursue.

All the parenting techniques and methods in the world, even biblical ones, do no good if your child is resistant to receive your training. As long as he is a child and you can force him to comply with your wishes, all seems well; but if you have not captured his heart, that serenity often proves to be a mirage that disappears during the teen-age years. How can you capture your child’s heart to insure that he will follow as adults the direction for life you have pointed for them?

There is a common, strong, and dangerous tendency for those who are raised in faith in the local church and in Christian families to be so surrounded by messages on the importance of character, obedience, correct beliefs, loving actions, sacrifice, generosity, service, and more that the gut-level summary of the Christianity they begin to live out is nothing more than a graceless perfectionism. Perfectionism is a prison of performance and a cage of conditional love. This is not a depressing presentation!

Learn practical ways to live debt-free, to create a workable budget, and to make reasonable financial goals. This workshop includes a section on teaching your kids how to manage their money.

This session will confront many head-on questions like... How can families avoid the opposite extremes of license and legalism? How can children become equipped and committed to standing alone? How can families engage their world without becoming conformed to its values? How can parents remain involved in their children’s decisions without becoming controlling or invasive? What is the right approach to making family rules and standards? What is the key to fostering character, virtue, and uncommon leadership in your children? 

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Dr. Joan A Cotter, PhD of RightStart Mathematics by Activities for Learning, Inc. Memorizing 390 math facts is exhausting. Sadly, whatever is learned by rote needs frequent review to stay learned. On the other hand, games are fun and exciting, games provide practice for the facts, and games become an application for the information! Children of various abilities can play together. Join us for some FUN as we play addition, multiplication, and fraction games. 

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Lori Kemper of Natonal Center for Biblical Parenting. It’s hard sometimes to know when and how to correct a child when you know the heart is in the wrong place. Bad attitudes, angry outbursts, disrespect, and meanness are just a few of the heart-issues that need to be addressed. A heart problem requires a heart-based approach to correction. This practical workshop will give you hands-on ways to correct your child that address the heart. 

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Rick Dack of Hollywood vs. The Bible Int'l. Was Jesus the son of a soldier? Did Jesus fake miracles? Was Jesus resurrected with a plant? We will take a look at films like The Nativity Story, television documentaries on the History Channels and animated TV series like South Park and Family Guy that present these ideas.

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Carol Kelsey of My Father's World. Our children are precious gifts from the Lord, but sometimes they can interfere with our human plans. These little ones seem to seek attention at the wrong time. What can we do at these times to creatively involve them in the learning process? My Father’s World shares many suggestions on how to educate and occupy little ones. 

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Dr. David Stussy of Brain Balance Achievement Centers. Why use sensory and motor activities? How can they help my child develop academically? Dr. Stussy will explain the importance of utilizing sensory/motor activities in your homeschool. This workshop will include demonstrations of specific activities that you will be able to incorporate into your classroom academics and activities. 

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Michelle Ullund of Northwestern College. Minnesota residents have access to the Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program that allows high school junior and senior students to take college courses from approved institutions through this special program. If you have a ninth, tenth, or eleventh grader, join us to explore how PSEO may fit into your homeschooling experience and your student’s educational goals.   

EXHIBITOR WORKSHOP presented by Barbara Beers of The LATIN Road to Grammar. No other language in the world affects English as much as Latin and reveals the secrets of many of our difficult English spellings and meanings. It is the mother language of our most commonly spoken foreign languages and provides the key to the vocabulary of the sciences, medicine, law, literature, and history.

From peach baskets to pitching mounds, from movies to museums, from…well, come discover what tools and opportunities you might be overlooking to use in reaching this culture. Learn practical strategies and insights!

Do you have a child whom you suspect has an Auditory Processing Problem? They tend to get easily confused because they do not process auditory information quickly enough. There are many learning tricks and therapies that we can do to make these processes easier. There are common physical problems that generally are at the root of Auditory Processing Problems and short term memory failure issues. Find out what they are and, what’s more important, what you can do to help your child (or your spouse or older parents) overcome these problems naturally.

Is it only January and hair is being pulled out and there's an awful lot of kicking and screaming when it's time to start school...and that's coming from you, the parent? Perhaps you are thinking this homeschooling thing is not what you signed up for. Participants will laugh and cry together as we celebrate the good, bad, and ugly sides of homeschooling. Vicki will equip you to find joy in this journey of homeschooling.

Throughout our years of grade school and high school, we were taught that science has a number of laws, such as the law of cause and effect and the laws of genetics. Using nontechnical language and easy-to-grasp concepts, Mr. Sherwin takes the audience through six of the best-known laws of science showing why the biblical case for creation is supported by each and every law of science. Conversely, evolutionism fails at each one—it’s against the law!

You have heard these suggestions over and over again: eat healthy...avoid bad fats...increase your bean consumption..and many more of the like.

How well do you understand the world we live in and the various belief systems by which people live? In order for us (as well as our children) to be bright lights in this dark world, we need to know what we can expect to encounter when sharing the gospel with others. This session focuses on a fair and thorough examination of non-Christian belief systems. A vast plurality of religions exists today, especially in America, that Christians are ill-prepared to understand or discuss.

Research shows that college success depends largely on reading and writing skills. In this practical workshop, Cheryl shares some essential writing skills our homeschool college bound teens need to successfully navigate college.

This workshop offers encouragement for moms on the challenges of homeschool family life along with tips for how dads can be a vital support to her on issues of sibling conflict, character development, and discipline. Mom needs to take a breather from trying to do everything and find the keys to enjoying deeper relationships with her children. She will hear how to see and seize the opportunities in the problems of homeschool family life. There are no handouts for this workshop.