A Workshops, Saturday 8:30-9:30 AM

Denotes a CONNECTIONS workshop.

A-1 Advanced Science — Cindy Duckert — Creative ways homeschoolers can learn biology, chemistry, and physics without a purchased curriculum or the equipment, labs, and resources of conventional schools. Using community resources. Advantages to studying science outside of conventional schools. Note: Since each family makes its own decisions about philosophical or religious approaches to science, this will not be covered.

A-2 Comparing Reading Curriculums — Connie Hendricks — Hear about the pros and cons of reading curriculums from Sonlight; Sing, Spell, Read, and Write; and The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading by Jessie Wise and Sara Buffington (classical approach). An approach based on pulling together various unrelated sources will also be presented. Share your ideas and learn from others.

A-3 Effective Ways to Learn Social Studies — Lori Fares — Want to cover the topics included in each grade in a typical conventional school without having to spend the money to buy a curriculum? A list of topics covered in each grade. How to find free and inexpensive resources in public libraries or on the Internet for each topic. A demonstration of how to cover one specific topic will be included.

A-4 Are We Learning Enough of the Right Things? Evaluating Our Homeschools — Susan Kaseman — Dealing with our middle-of-the-night worries. Setting our own priorities, goals, and standards. Understanding the limitations of testing. Why conventional schools don't have the answers. Choosing approaches to evaluation that work for us. Helping kids learn how to learn. Learning to live with some uncertainty.

A-5 Classical Education and Critical Thinking — Pattie Kelley — Huff — Introduction to the Trivium. Approaches to classical education and critical thinking skills for any learning style and any amount of structure. Kid-tested and parent-appreciated resources and ideas, including easy-to-do clubs and get-togethers where kids have fun while learning chess, Latin, writing, literature/rhetoric analysis, and Socratic-style discussion using Jr. Great Books, Newbery books, Shakespeare.

A-6 Homesteading and Homeschooling — Jodi and Brian Bubenzer — Hear the speakers' stories of homesteading with their four sons on a 35-acre farm and learn how you can move toward great self-sufficiency through backyard chickens, canned and frozen food from the garden, and maybe a beehive, no matter where you live, while children soak up valuable lessons on birth, death, and everything in between.

A-7 How Homeschooling Prepares Kids for Our Changing Economy — Tomi Fay Forbes — How technology is changing the world and jobs that will be available in the future. Skills required to cope with these changes. How we can prepare our children by emphasizing curiosity, flexibility, adaptability, and creativity and developing general and specific skills. Based on the book The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman.

A-8 How Parents Learn to Unschool — Alison McKee — Ways parents can overcome their own conventional education and the pressures of mainstream culture so they can trust their children and provide the encouragement and environment that allows children to pursue their interests and strengths. How parents deal with their own doubts and criticisms from others.

A-9 Ways to Homeschool Special Needs Children: An Idea Swap for Parents — Kathleen Mueller, Coordinator — Share the ways you have helped your disabled child learn basic skills (using scissors, caring for pets, etc.) and learn from other parents. Feel free to bring sample materials, photographs, etc., that will help show what you have done. Also see B-7 Does not address LD or ADHD.

A-10 Homeschooling Freedoms: 25 Years and Counting — Larry Kaseman — How WPA's strong and exciting history prepares us for the work we have to do now and in the future. Countering threats to our homeschooling freedoms from public virtual schools, tax credits for homeschoolers, proposals for a federal parental rights amendment, and more.

A-11 How Fathers Participate in Homeschools — Hear two fathers describe the way their homeschool is organized, the role religion plays, leadership they provide, and ways they guide their family's homeschooling, even when their schedules do not allow much free time. Questions from the audience.

A-12 I Don't Mind If You Wear Slippers: Making a Home Organization Plan That Works For You — Anne Strauss — How do our values and homeschooling lifestyles influence the way we keep our homes? How can we find stuff when we need it, make cleaning up as quick and simple as possible and include even young children, and use a limited amount of space for many activities? How can we sift through ideas from so-called experts to find those that meet our family's needs?

A-13 Stay Home, Stay Fit, & Stay Healthy — for Women — Ciara Burgi — Discover simple ways to incorporate exercise into your life without joining a health club or investing in expensive equipment. Learn various exercises that you can do at home to increase strength and improve flexibility. Bring a large towel or sheet to the workshop. Presenter is a personal trainer and grown homeschooler.

A-14 College Admissions for Homeschoolers — Katie McCarney — Why homeschoolers who want to go to college can be assured that they can get admitted. Differences in applying to selective and non-selective public and private institutions. Speaker is a grown homeschooler who works in admissions at a selective private college.

A-15 Chess & Checkers Challenge — Faith York — Bring your game boards and pieces, meet other homeschoolers, and make new friends while playing these old favorites. No presentation or instruction. All ages and skill levels welcome.

A-16 Fabulous Flower Pots — Glenny Whitcomb and Maya Franzen — Celebrate spring by painting and embellishing clay flower pots which will be displayed in CONNECTIONS until you take them home. All ages welcome. Bring $2 to cover supplies. Limit 30 youth.

A-17 Hair Braiding Techniques for Beginners — Maria Kuehmichel — Learn three-strand braid, French Braid, Dutch Braid, and (time permitting) how to make stylish buns. Bring a partner and practice on their shoulder-length or longer hair. Good for mothers and daughters. Bring a wide tooth comb, a rat-tail comb, a brush, and hair ties. Suggested for ages 8 and up. Limit 40 participants (20 pairs).

A-18 Letterboxing — Dawn Petersen — Meet the Frog-A-Nobies and learn about a family-friendly treasure hunt that flexes your brain and meshes art with nature. Bring a small notebook or index cards, an ink pad or washable markers, and a stamp or your thumb. Letterboxes will be hidden around the conference and nearby parks, Pick up your clue sheet and meet other Letterboxers for stamp exchanges.

A-19 Open the Door to Origami — Peter Walker — Make simple and amazing designs through the ancient art of origami, paper folding. See art by the homeschooling presenter. Your creations will be displayed in CONNECTIONS until you take them home. Limit 10 youth.

A-20 Red Cells, White Cells: What Else Is In Your Blood?-Tracy Moraine — Find out what is floating in your veins. Use a microscope to see different cells and learn what they do. Hear what a clinical lab scientist discovers by testing blood. Limit 15 participants. Repeated as B-16

A-21 Visit CONNECTIONS and/or the Curriculum Fair — See F-15

More Workshops

Friday, 7:15-8:30 PM: Friday Evening Workshops

Saturday, 9:50 AM-10:50 PM B Workshops

Saturday, 1:30-2:30 PM: C Workshops

Saturday, 2:50-3:50 PM: D Workshops