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contents

2016

12

Features Departments10 AdventureofaLifetime: ADadandHisSon David C. Winyard, Sr.

12 BeaHomeschoolKnight inShiningArmorTodd Wilson

14 KnowtheConditionofYourFlock Brad Smith

16 ProjectGuysand BuildingRelationshipsPhil Downer

18 LettingGo Gary Thomas

20 GettingYourHusband InvolvedinHomeschooling Todd Wilson

23 VolunteerSpotlight

24 NauticusHomeschoolDay

4 FromtheEditor Mary Kay Smith

5 Letters

6 VirginiaKidsDidIt!

7 FromtheDirectorofHomeschoolSupport Yvonne Bunn

8 FreedomWatch

22 ComingtoVirginia

30 ClassifiedAds

special convention inserts 2008WorkshopDescriptions 2008ConventionBrochure

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“L ethergowithus;she’llbeokay,”myhusbandsaid.Iwasn’tsosure.I took aquickphotoofmy fam-

ily and our hosts as they started the climb, andthenIquicklyturnedaway.Ididn’twantmylastmemoryofmysix-year-olddaughtertobeoneofher tumblingdown the rocky faceof theSouthDakotaBadlands.

Thatwaseightyears agoandmydaughter is still alive.Myhusbandwasright—mostadventuresdon’tendinafall.Manyyearsbeforethat,hehadalsobeentheoneencouragingourtoddlersontoclimbonplaygroundladderswhileIcringedinconcern.Myhusband’smoreadventurousnaturebroughtabalancetomynurturingone.Infact,parenting,education,andotheraspectsoffamilylifearealittlelikebalancingaplaygroundseesaw.Eachparentneedstotakeanendinorderforthefamilyseesawtowork.

Thisissuedealswiththe“dadpart”ofthehomeschoolingbalance.Ofcourse,thatmeansdifferentthingstodifferentpeople.Inmyownsupportgroup,we’vehaddadswhoaren’tatallinvolvedintheirkids’education,todadswhoclaimthetitle“principal”andreviewtheworkattheendoftheday,toanddadswhoactuallydopartoftheteaching.Ourgrouphasalsodealtwithissuesbroughtaboutbyabsenteedads.

Ourwriterssharevariousaspectsofdadsandhomeschoolingwithyou,butall of those aspects haveone crucial element in common—involvement.AndthebestadviceforinvolvementmightbesummedupinToddWilson’sarticletodads:Findoutwhatyourwifeneedsfromyou.Adad’spartoftheseesawbalancemight—ormightnot—haveanythingtodowithclasses.IamtoldthatoneofthebiggeststressissuesourHEAVcounselorshearaboutdoesn’tevenhavetodowitheducation—itisthatmomsaresobusywiththeteachingthattheywanthelpwithtime-managementfor“extra”thingslikemealsandlaundry.Inthosecases,“dadsandhomeschooling”mightmeanthatdadcooksonceortwiceaweek.Inothercases,dadinvolvementmightbethespiritualtrainingofthechildren.Oritmightbeplanninganadventureorworkingonprojectswiththekids.

Ithinkthepoint isthathomeschoolingtakessomucheffortanddedica-tionthatitneedstobeviewedaspartoffamilylifeasawhole—notasanextrathingtackedon.Sothebestwaydadscanhelpushomeschoolistohelpinthebalanceoffamilylife—whetherbyteachingsomeoftheclasses,organizingfieldtrips,caringforyoungerchildren,takingonthelaundry,ormaybepayingforacleaningserviceonceamonth.

Dad,checkwithyourwife.Helpherkeepupthehome-lifebalance—theridedoesn’tgoanywherewithonlyonepersonontheseesaw.

From the editorMary Kay Smith

index to Advertisers

American School ..................................................28Angela Polomo, Uppercase Living .............30Birdies ...........................................................................30BJU Press .................................................................. IFCBread Beckers .........................................................15Chalk Dust Company ........................................30Chandler Portable Welding ...........................30Dive Into Math .......................................................13FYI Coaching ............................................................19Hampton Parks & Recreation .........................9Homeschool Foundation ................................26Keystone National High School ..................28Mariner’s Museum ................................................15National Driver Training .............................OBCNo Greater Joy Ministries ..................................5Patrick Henry College .......................................27Regent University ...............................................IBCSamaritan Ministries ............................................25Sandy Cove Ministries .......................................27Science Museum of Virginia ...........................28Triangle Educational Assessments..............29Western Conservatory .......................................5

ThepurposeofThe Virginia Home Educa-tor is to provide a forum for the discussionof Virginia homeschool issues. The views ex-pressed in this magazine do not necessarilyreflectthoseofHomeEducatorsAssociationofVirginia.

The Virginia Home Educator is sent quar-terlytoVirginia’shomeschoolingfamilieswith-outcharge.Toreceiveafreesubscription,signupatwww.heav.org.

Toinquireaboutadvertisingorsubmittinganarticle,please contactHEAVatPOBox6745,Richmond, Virginia 23230-0745; or e-mailus at advertising@heav.org or editor@heav.org.HEAV reserves the right to edit for style andspaceortorefuseanysubmissiondeemedinap-propriateforourpublication.

Permission is granted to reprint any newsitems from this magazine, providing propercreditisgiven;allothermaterialiscopyrighted.Forreprintpermission,pleasecontacttheeditorateditor@heav.org.©2008HomeEducatorsAssociationofVirginia

Submission deadlines:Spring2008(Issue2)—March15Summer2008(Issue3)—June15Fall2008(Issue4)—September15Winter2009(Issue1)—December1

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I attended the “How to Get Started” workshop, andwanttoexpresshowmuchIenjoyedtheseminarandhowthankfulIamthatIwent.

BothYvonneandVickiwerewonderfulpresenters.Notonlyaretheyknowledgeable,butalsointerestingandhelp-ful.Theypresentedalltheinformationinsuchalivelyandproductive manner (even the dry stuff!) that I leftfeelingwell-informedandmoreconfident.Whatanincrediblywell-spentafternoon!

Thankyouforofferingtheseservices.Thiswasavalu-ableandworthwhiletrip.I’mverymuchlookingforwardtothenextone.

I’mstillintheprocessofmakingthedecisionofwhetherhomeschoolingisrightforus,butIfeelalotmorepreparedtomakethatdecisionandcertainthatifIdo,thesupportisavailable.Thankyou!

Kiera Stewart

thAnkS to heAV Thankyousomuchfortakingthetimetocomeshare

yourexpertisewithusatourrecentworkshop.Theinforma-tion you brought with you was invaluable to our partici-pants, andIhope somegoodconnectionsweremadebe-tweenHEAVandourstate’smuseums.

Thankyou,too,forbringingsuchawell-informed“en-tourage”withyou.Pleaseextendmyveryheartfelt thankstoJennifer[Ford]andherfamilyforspendingtimewithus.Herinsightwasaperfectadditiontoourdayoflearning.

Jennifer Weiskotten ProgramDirector,VirginiaAssociationofMuseums

HEAV board member Linda Linder and Jennifer Ford, along with Jennifer’s homeschooled children, joined Yvonne Bunn in Richmond in a presentation to the Virginia Association of Museums. Yvonne explained the demographics of homeschool-ing families, suggested creative ways museums could serve the homeschool community, and outlined ways HEAV could work with museums to develop special homeschool programs.

visit us on the web at www.heav.org!

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writtenreportoftheirwork,andpresentedanoralpresenta-tion inwhich theydescribed theengineeringprocess theywentthroughincreatingtheirrobot.

CoachDougBenzingerpointedoutthatperseveranceplayedakeypartintheteam’ssuccess.“Thereweremanytimeswhentheyhadsetbacks,butwithencouragementthattheycouldfigurethingsout,theykeptworking.Theirdili-gencepaidoff!”

VirginiA kidS did it!

CongratulationstoThe Twisted Bots,ateamofMid-dlePeninsulahomeschooledhighschoolstudents,whowontheInspireAwardandabidtotheFIRSTRoboticsWorldChampionships in Atlanta in April. Their winning perfor-mancewas at theVirginiaFIRSTTechChallengeonDe-cember1attheUniversityofVirginia.WinnersoftheInspireAwardhavetoperformwellinalljudgingcategoriesandarechosenbythejudgesasthebestrepresentativerolemodelsforFIRSTTechChallengeteams.Thosewinnersarejoinedby the state’s pointswinners at theWorldChampionship.CongratulationstoPhillip Benzinger (team leader,age 17), Nicholas Benz-inger(14),andNathaniel Ward (14) of Roanoke,who were first-place win-nersoftheSecondAnnualAutonomous RoboticsCompetition sponsored by Virginia Western CommunityCollege.Thehigh school students participated against11teams—onelocalmiddleschoolteamand10teamsofcol-lege students currently taking an “Introduction to Engi-neering”class.

TheRoanokehomeschoolersdesignedarobotthat,inthreeheats,successfullypickedupanddepositedping-pongballsalonganobstaclecourse.Thegroupalsosubmitteda

Pictured, from left: Brandon Williams, Carson Towne, Coach Jon Thompson, Julia Thompson, Mentor Nathanael Miller, and Dylan Burto Not pictured are team members Sawyer Towne and Caleb Taylor.

Left to Right: Nathaniel Ward, Nicholas Benzinger, Phillip Benzinger (captain), Douglas Benzinger (coach)

visit us on the web at www.heav.org!

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Childhood memories areimportant. They influ-ence the way we think

andwhoweareasadults.WhenI asked my children about theirfondest homeschool memories,theydidn’tmentionall theyearsItaughtthem,orthespecialproj-ectswedidtogether,orthetimes

Ihelpedthemfinallyunderstandthemoredifficultsubjects.I’msuretheyappreciatedthosethings,buttheydidn’tmakethetopofthe“bestmemory”list.

Tomysurprise,themostmemorablehomeschooleventdidn’t involvememuch at all. It involved theirdad.Likemostdads,George’spartinourdailyhomeschoolactivitieswaslimitedbecauseofhisworkschedule.Butonethinghedidmadealastingimpactonourchildren:Hereadtheclas-sicstoourfamilyintheevenings.

Itwasveryrelaxed.Georgedidmostofthereading.Theolderchildrenwouldlieonthefloor,andtheyoungeroneswouldsitbesideusanddraworcolorwhilelearningtobequiet.Ourgoalwastoreadtheclassicsthreeorfournightsaweekdependingonourschedule.WereadPinocchio(nottheDisneyversion,butthenovel),Heidi,Swiss Family Robinson,Little Women,Little Men,Robinson Crusoe,The Last of the Mohicans,etc.Wewouldchooseanovelbasedontheagesofmostofthechildren.Theycomplainedatfirst,butwithina fewweeks,as soonas thedinnerdishesweredone, theybeganasking,“Canwestartreadingnow?”

We spent lots of time together as a family—goingonfieldtrips,doingspecialprojects,volunteering,havingfamily

From the direCtor oF homeSChooL Support Yvonne Bunn

devotions.Whydidthishomeschoolexperiencemakeittothetopoftheirlist?

Theywere listening to theirdad’s voice ashe read tothem.Theywerehearinghimaskthought-provokingques-tions.TheywerediscussingwhatwehadreadinPsalmsandProverbsduringfamilydevotionsandrelatingittothechar-actersandcircumstancesinthenovel.Theyweredevelopingabiblicalworldviewandpracticinghowtoapplyitthroughgoodliterature.Ofcourse,academicthingswerehappeningduring the process: increased vocabulary, comprehension,andwritingskills—butthatwasn’twhattheyremembered.

Lookingbackonthoseyears,itseemssosimple.Asoneofouradultchildrensaid,“Dadreadingusthosebooks—thatwasthebest!”Asimplestatementfilledwithvaluablememories of their dad and a special family time together.Sometimesthesimplestthingscanhavethegreatestimpactonourchildren’slives.

There are many creative ways dads can be part of their children’s homeschool years. Don’t miss the workshops especially for dads at the upcoming HEAV Convention. Gregg Harris will be giving workshops and keynote addresses, and other work-shops include Dad’s Role, Encouraging Homeschool Moms, Overcoming Obstacles in a Homeschool Marriage, and Build-ing World-Changing Leaders—Phil & Paul Downer; Path to Financial Peace, Path to Destruction: Dealing with Debt, College Planning & Scholarships, and Basic Financial Plan-ning—Barry Hardy; Economics—Greg Rehmke; and Power Tools and What Wives Wish Their Husbands Knew about Homeschooling—Scott Somerville.

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VirginiA high SChooL LeAgue mAkeS FinAL deCiSion on SportS ACCeSS

InSeptember,HEAVmadeaformalpresentationtotheVirginiaHighSchoolLeagueonbehalf of homeschoolerswho were interested in participating in interscholastic ac-tivities.HEAVproposedwayshomeschoolerscouldcomplywiththeintentandspiritofVHSLruleswithoutjeopardiz-ingtherightsofparentswhodonotwanttoparticipateinpublicschoolactivities.

Yvonne Bunn e-mailed VHSL newly published infor-mationaboutTimTebowoftheUniversityofFlorida,thefirst-eversophomorewinneroftheHeismanTrophy.TebowwashomeschooledbyhismotheringradesK-12inFlorida,wherethelawpermitshomeschoolerstoparticipateinpub-licschoolsports.Whilebeinghomeschooled,Tebowplayedfootballforhislocalhighschoolteamandledthemtothestate championship. The e-mail message to VHSL stated,“Itcanwork!”

Atthefollow-upExecutiveCommitteemeetinginDe-cember,thecommitteedecidedtowithdrawthehomeschoolproposal.InarecentconversationwithVHSLexecutivedi-rectorKenTilley,YvonneBunnofHEAVaskedforanexpla-nationof thevote.Tilley stated,“Itbecameobvious therewasnosupportfortheproposal.”Hefurtherexplainedthatnoone felt theycouldaccommodatehomeschoolers.Theysawitasimplementingadifferentstandardandhadquestionsaboutacademicoversight,concernsaboutlackofaconsistentacademiccriteria,anddiscussionsaboutdisciplineissues.

AccordingtotheVHSLDecemberminutes,theExecu-tiveCommitteemadethefollowingrecommendation:

“This proposal has received considerable attention anddiscussion at the fallmembershipbreakout sessions; regionmeetings for principals, athletic directors and superinten-dents;andattheVSBA(VirginiaSchoolBoardAssociation)Conference.Becausetherehasbeenvirtuallynosupportforthelegislation,staffrecommendswithdrawingtheproposal.”

AsummaryoftheVHSLminuteswiththeHEAVpro-posalcanbefoundatwww.vhsl.org/minutes.htm.

HB 375 Sports Access – A sports access bill, HB 375, was introduced by Delegate Bill Carrico (R-Independence) during the 2008 General Assembly. There was strong opposition from the Virginia High School League, the Virginia Education As-sociation, the PTA, as well as some athletic directors and prin-cipals. After heated debate and amendments by House Educa-tion Committee members, the bill failed to pass.

heAV heLpS muSeumS SerVe homeSChooLerS The Virginia Association of Museums invited HEAV

topresentaworkshoptitled“ReachingHomeschoolers”attheirmonthlyassociationmeetingforeducationaldirectorsfromalltypesofmuseumsthroughoutthestate.

In the presentation, Yvonne Bunn, HEAV’s directorofhomeschoolsupportandlegislativeaffairs,describedthehistoryofhomeschooling, the reasonswhyparentshome-schooltoday,thedemographicsofhomeschoolers,andthesuccess of home education. Yvonne suggested museumsthink outside-the-box when working with homeschoolerssince the standard, segregated, classroom approach hasn’tworkedwellforhomeschoolers.Findingawaytoadapttheirprogramstoworkwithmultipleagelevelswouldbeabetterfit.Yvonne recommended their programs includeparentalinvolvementinhands-onworkshopsandfollow-upmaterialsforfurtherat-homelearning.

YvonnewasjoinedinthepresentationbyLindaLinder,anHEAVboardmemberandManassassupportgrouplead-er,andJenniferFordandherhomeschooledchildren.Lindaaddedauniqueperspectiveasa leaderandfield-triporga-nizer.JenniferFordandherchildren,whoadmittedtobeingenthusiasticmuseumvisitors,explainedwhattheyespeciallylikedaboutvisitstosomemuseumsandwhatmadevisitstoothermuseumslessenjoyable.

Asafollow-uptothisimportantmeeting,JenniferFordwill be contacting museums across the state on behalf ofHEAV to arrange free museum open houses and reducedregularratesforhomeschoolingfamilies.Thiswin-winsitua-tionwillintroducehomeschoolerstomuseumstheymaynothavevisitedandallowmuseumstoservefamiliesduringtimeswhenschoolsarenotabletovisitthemuseum.Ifyouhaveagreatmuseuminyourareathatyouwouldrecommendtootherhomeschoolers—onethatislargeenoughtoholdsev-eralhundredvisitors,pleaseletusknowbysendingane-mailwithcontactinformationtosupport@heav.org.

The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and Mariner’s Mu-seum both noted an important characteristic of homeschoolers at their open houses—they commented that the children and adults were very grateful for the opportunity to come to the mu-seum. A museum director said she had never been “thanked” so much for what they did. “It definitely makes me want to do this again!” she commented. HEAV appreciates your good testimony and grateful spirit! In the future, we will provide contact information for those who would like to send e-mail thank-you notes.

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CoLLege AdmiSSionS oFFiCerS Seek homeSChooL inFormAtion From heAV

If you’ve run the gauntlet of college admissions withyourhomeschool high schooler, then you know the chal-lengesofnavigatingthesystemmadefortraditionalstudents.Throughout the years, HEAV has talked with numerouscollegeadmissionsofficers,tryingtoexplainthedifferencesbetweenhomeschool students andpublic school students.WhentheopportunitycametospeaktoalltheVirginiacol-legeadmissionsofficersatonetimeandinoneplace,HEAVwasdelightedtoaccepttheinvitation.

InDecember,YvonneBunn,HEAVdirectorofhome-schoolsupportandlegislativeaffairs,traveledtotheVirginiaTechCampus inBlacksburg toaddress theannual confer-enceoftheVirginiaAssociationofCollegiateRegistrarsandAdmissionsOfficers.YvonnewasjoinedbyHEAV’scurricu-lumandhighschoolcounselor,VickiBentley.

Yvonne first presented homeschool demographics andstatistics.Shethensharedthereasonshomeschoolersmakesuccessfulcollegestudents.Yvonnediscussedissuesinvolv-

ingparent-generatedtranscriptsanddiplomas,aswellasthereasonshomeschoolersdon’twanttogetGEDs.TherewasagoodexchangeduringtheQ&Aaboutdualenrollment,communitycollege,andAPandCLEPcredits.

Numerousadmissionsofficersfrombothlargeuniversi-tiesandsmallcollegesofferedpositivecommentsaboutthehomeschool students they had accepted at their colleges.They noted that homeschoolers adjusted well to campuslife, were some of their most creative students, and oftenbecameleadersoncampus.Theyadmittedthereweresome-times challenges during the admissions process, but nonethatcouldn’tbeovercome.

HEAV recommends that parents begin preparing a high school transcript at ninth grade. See TheHighSchoolHand-book by Mary Schofield for helpful high school information or contact Vicki Bentley, HEAV’s curriculum and high school counselor, at the HEAV office at 804-278-9200 for more in-formation.

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onAugust17,2002,mysonandIplannedtoleaveourhomeinRich-mond togo toCalifornia. Insteadof a routineone-day tripby air, itwouldbetheadventureofalifetime.Well,atleast,thatwaswhatIhoped

itwouldbe—fourteen-year-oldDavidCharlesandIwouldbetravelingtoCalifor-niaonabicyclebuiltfortwo.

IhadpedaledacrossAmericatwicebeforewithWanderingWheels,apioneeringChristiancyclingorganizationbasedinIndiana.Myfirsttripwasaturningpointinmylife.Thesecond,takenwithmywifeTracionourtandembicycleayearbeforeDavidCharleswasborn,wasanimportantstepinourmarriage,establishingcyclingasanenduringpartofourhomelife.BuildingonDavidCharles’enthusiasmforcycling,Iwantedourcross-countrytriptobeaturningpointinhislife,broadeninghishorizonsandgivinghimconfidencetofacechallengeshewouldinevitablyfacelaterinhislife.OurplanwasforDavidCharlesandmetocycle,withTraciandourtwoyoungerchildren,AudreyandZane,followingalonginourvan.

the ChALLengeEvenaftermanymonthsandmilesoftraining,thesummerheatandhumidity

coupledwith thehillsandmountainsofVirginia,WestVirginia,andKentucky,madeforatoughfirstweek.Iknewthatourbodieswouldeventuallyadjusttothedailyriding.Still,wehadtopushourselvesthroughthetransitionasweworkedourwayupallthosesteepgrades.All-you-caneatrestaurants,beautifulsceneryalongcountryroads,theglimpseofabearcrossingaWestVirginiaroadaheadofus,andmanylong,fast,downhillrunswereourrewards.Wesetourtriprecordat48½mphdownonehill.

Withtheeasternclimbsbehindus,wespentarestfulweekendinLouisville,

Kentucky,attendingchurchandwatch-ingbaseball.Thiswasnoordinarybase-ballgame—itwasthefinalsoftheLittleLeague World Series. Monday morn-ing,excitedbythediversion,refreshedinbodyandspirit,DavidCharlesandIpressedonacrossIndianaandIllinois.

Althoughweenjoyedridingacrossthe flat prairie, David Charles be-came bored by the endless cornfields.He found more excitement when wecrossedtheMississippiRiveratSt.Lou-is,wheretheGatewayArchwelcomedusto“TheWest.”

The next morning we left on thefirstofourmarathonrides—129milestoMissouri’scapital,JeffersonCity.Wefought our way across one green hillafter another. But turning toward theMissouriRiveratthetownofWashing-ton, we found ourselves on the worstroadof theentire trip—aminefieldofbrokenpavementandpotholescrowd-ed with heavy traffic. Our confidenceshaken,wetookrefugeataMcDonalds.Awomanstruckupaconversation,en-couraginguswithnewsofbetterridingconditionsnorthoftheriverandadvis-ingcautiononthenarrowbridge.Butwhenwegot to thebridge,we foundpoliceofficersblockingcarsacross thebridgeforasouthboundpieceofheavyequipment—andwecruisedrightacrosswithouthavingtododgetraffic.

From there to Jefferson City, wewereblessedwith theverybest ridingconditionsofthetrip—abeautifulroadalongtheriverandachip-and-tarpathweusedinacoupleofplacestoavoidclimbs onto the bluff. We even beatTraciandtheyoungerchildrentoourhotel, their departure from St. Louishavingbeendelayedbysightseeing.

Our secondweekend rest stop, in-cludingourfirstdaycompletelyoffthebike, was spent at my sister’s home inPrairieVillage,asuburbofKansasCity.Itwasawonderfulvisit,fullofconversa-tion,naps, food,andrefreshingdips inthebackyardpool.TheclimaxforDavidCharles,thankstomybrother-in-law’sar-rangement,wasaninterviewwithaKan-sas City Starreporter.Mondaymorningwewereexcitedtoseehiswordsinprint,withourstoryprominentlydisplayedonpageoneoftheMetropolitansection.

Adventure of a Lifetime: A Dad & His Son David C. Winyard, Sr.

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the deFeAtWhile the first two weeks of our

tripwereacomplete success, thenexttwowere among themost difficult ofmy life.Expecting tobe strengthenedbytheridefromVirginia,IhadplannedlongdaysacrossKansas.Unfortunately,extraordinarily high temperatures andheadwindsblew in forourLaborDayridetoManhattan,Kansas.

RealizingthatwewouldnotmakeittoManhattanbeforesunset,Idecid-edjustafterlunchthatweshouldquitriding only 60 miles into my planned113.Tracipickedusuponthesideoftheroadandwerodeinair-conditionedcomforttherestoftheway.

David Charles and I put every-thing we had into the next day’s ridefromManhattantoOsborne,134milesacrossthedrought-parchedhillsofKan-sas. Unfortunately, the following day,thewindswerebackinourfaces.Afteronly30milesofriding,DavidCharleswastired.But,whilehewasjusttired,Iwasexhausted.Forasecondtime,Tracihadtorescueusonthesideoftheroad,andwedrovethenext100milestoourstop in Colby, Kansas, feeling somberfromtheoverwhelmingdefeat.

As Traci and I struggled to keepourtripontrack,DavidCharlesenjoyedhimself more each day. He had neverbeenwestoftheMississippi,andhewasfascinatedby thehighplainsofKansasandColorado.BythetimewereachedColorado Springs, our moods wererunning in opposite directions: I wasexhausted and depressed by the manymiles we had missed; David Charleswashittinghisstride,thetripbecomingmoreofanadventuretohimeachday.

Alternating successes and failurespersistedfromColoradoSpringstoSt.George, Utah. Instead of headwindsandheat,webattledmountains, cold,and rain. We enjoyed riding up theArkansas River gorge and across theRockyMountains,butIwasphysicallyunabletorideeverymileduetoinjuryandfatigue.BythetimewereachedtheGrandCanyon’sNorthRim,Ifeltthatour trip was a looming failure. DavidCharles, despite a 24-hour bout withtheflu,washavingthetimeofhislife.

Finally,believing that lowereleva-

tions andwarmer temperatureswould relievemeof pains inmy ankle, I felt areneweddeterminationtorideeverymileacrossNevadaandCalifornia.Wewereable to ride all of the remaining miles despite desert temperatures in excess of100oF. While David Charles was enchanted by the excitement of Las Vegas, Isimplyfocusedonthefinalpushtothecoast.WearrivedinVentura39daysafterleavingRichmond.Ontheverylastmile,ourdivergentattitudesbecameapparent:Myrelieved-to-be-finishedintrospectionwasinterruptedbyDavidCharles’shoutsofjoy.Itdidnotmatterthatwecouldnotrideeverymile—wehadridden2,600ofthe3,000milesplanned,andithadbeentheadventureofDavidCharles’life!

the BLeSSingAshomeschoolingparents,TraciandIknewwewerewisetocomplementour

children’sstudieswiththephysical,social,andspiritualchallengesofcycling.Itisgoodtodreamandplanforfamilyandparent-childadventures.Althoughcyclinghasitsrisks,itsrigorteacheslessonsthatcannotbelearnedfromthesafeperspec-tiveofaspectator.

OurridetaughtusthatGodisfaithfulevenwhenweareweakanddepressed.Heoftenencouragedusthroughpeoplewemetalongtheway.

WhileTraciandIfocusedonthegoodthatmightaccruetoourchildrenfromourcyclingadventures,weweregreatlyencouragedintheprocess.Whatabless-ingtowitnessDavidCharles’displayofstrength,determinationthroughadver-sity,andcompassionforhisexhausted,overambitiousfather.Thoughtheburdensoftripleadershipweighedonmymind,DavidCharlesfaithfullyencouragedmethroughmyweakness,nevercomplaining,andalwaysdoinghisbest.

Bestofall,sinceourtrip,DavidCharleshasgrownintoafineChristianman.NowastudentatVirginiaCommonwealthUniversity,activeincampusandchurchministries,heismovingaheadwithotherlifeexperiences.Ithasbeensometimesincehe rodebehindmeonour tandem,butTraciandIarebehindhimone-hundredpercentinhisownadventures.Andwhereverlifetakesus,weallsharememoriesofasummeradventurethatwilllastalifetime.

David Winyard and his wife, Traci, reside in Richmond, Virginia, and have homeschooled their three children, David Charles, Audrey, and Zane, from birth. You can read more about David’s bike ride in his book ShoretoShore:AFatherandSonJourneyacrossAmerica, available at www.lulu.com.

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dad,canwetalk?Idon’tknowif you’ve noticed lately, buthomeschoolingishard.Imean

gut-busting, mind-mushing, and joy-crushinghard.It’sespeciallyhardwhenweaskourwivestodoitbythemselves.Homeschoolingisatwo-personjob.

All across the country dads askme,“HowcanIencouragemywifeinhomeschooling our children? I don’thave time to teachany subjects,but Istillwanttohelp.WhatcanIdo?”

As I’ve thought about that ques-tion,I’vecometotheconclusionthatthemostimportantthingwecandoashomeschooling husbands is to LEADandENCOURAGE!

By leading, Imeanbeing involvedandmakingtheeducationofyourchil-drenasimportanttoyouasitistoyourwife.Afterall,shethinksaboutit,plansforit,andworriesaboutit,andshehastodealwiththedailyfacetsoffailure,dis-obedience,andunmotivatedchildren.

But more often than not, we’reuninvolved and don’t really want tobebotheredbyall thedetails. Iknowthat sometimes when my wife wantsto talk aboutmathormath curricula,I’d rathernot. It’snot that Ifindmywife boring, I just don’t always likediscussingtheprosandconsofdiffer-entmathprograms.Whydoes itmat-terwhetherweuseMiquon,Saxon,orBobJones—numbersarenumbers?AsfarasI’mconcerned,thekidscanjustcountontheirfingersandtoes.Idon’tcarewhichmathprogramweuse, justaslongasshepicksone.

ButwhatIconveytomywifewhen

Be a Homeschool Knight in Shining Armor Todd Wilson

I seem uninterested is so much morethan not caring about math. I com-municate tomywife thatIdon’tcareaboutHER,ourchildren,orourhome-school.Thetruthis…ifIcareaboutmywife,thenI’llcareaboutwhatshecaresabout.Ifmathprogramsareimportanttoher,thentheyshouldbeimportanttomebecausesheisimportanttome.

Youdon’thavetobecomeanexpertinallareasofhomeschooling,butyoudoneedtolistenandtalkoveroptionswhenshewantsto.Thetemptationformeistolistenquicklyandthengiveanoff-the-cuff-answer like, “Sure honey,I’dgowith thatMiquondoWhatcha-Macall-Itprogram.Soarewedone?”

We usually are, but only becausesheleavestheroom.

Whatmywifewantsisformetolis-tentotheoptions,thinkthemoverwithher,weighallofthemcarefully,thinkofalltheprosandconsofeach,andimag-ineallthepossiblecataclysmicproblemsifshepicksthewrongone.Inshort,shejustwantsmetocare,beinvolved,andleadourhomeschool.That’swhatyourwife wants and NEEDS from you aswell.Shewantsyoutoleadthechargeandthencheerheroninthebattle.

Thatleadsmetothesecondofthetwo things we can do for our home-schooling wives and that’s to EN-COURAGEthem.Afterall,attimesall

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ofourwivesfeelasthoughthey’refailingtheirchildren.They’rebombardedbyliesthatsay,“Everyoneelse’schildrenaresmart,allothermomsaremorequali-fied,andeveryoneelselikeshomeschoolingtheirchildren.”

AsIspeakacrossthecountry,I’vepolledthehomeschoolpopulationandnotfoundonemotherwhofeelslikeshe’sdoingagreatjob.Thatmeansyourwifefeelsthesame.It’suptoyoutoconvinceherotherwise.

Sadly,wesometimesreinforcethoselieswhenwesaythoughtlessthingslike,“Shouldn’twehavethekidstestedorsomething?”“Whyisn’thereadingyet?”or“Bob’skidsarefourgradesaheadineverything.”

Whenwesaythingslikethat,wejustdrivethenaildeeperintoourwife’sal-readydoubtingsoul.Instead,weneedtocheerourwiveson.Saythingslike:

• Youcandoit,honey!• You’redoinganawesomejob!• Oh,whocaresifthey’renotreadingyet,they’llgetit!• Wedon’thomeschoolforthatreason;wedoitforthisreason.• Ourkidsaresoblessedtohaveyouastheirmother.• AndI’msoblessedtohaveyouasmybride.

Youtellmewhathomeschoolingmomwouldn’tbeenergizedbythosekindsofcomments?EvenasIwritethem,IrealizeI’vebeennegligentinsayingthemtomywife...andIknowsheneedstohearthemfrommymouth.

So,Dad,let’sgetbackinthegame.Takethelead,andbeginbyaskingyourwifethesequestionstonight:

Howdoyouthinkourhomeschoolisgoing?Whatfrustratesyouthemostabouthomeschooling?WhatcouldIdotobemoreinvolvedandprovemycommitmenttoyouand

ourfamily?Ifyouneedtoapologizeforthepast,doso,andthenpresson.Writeashort

note of encouragement to your wifethankingherforallthatshedoesandhowmuchyouappreciateher.

Taking the lead and encourag-ing your wife will make a difference.Notonlywillyoubringjoybackintohomeschooling,butyouwill alsobe-comeherhomeschoolknightinshin-ingarmor.

Want additional ideas for encouraging your homeschooling wife? Pick up Todd’s book Help! I’m Married to a Home-schooling Mom published by Moody Press. You can order that and other homeschooling-encouragement products online at www.familymanweb.com.

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“Bethoudiligenttoknowthestateofthyflocks,andlookwelltothyherds.”Proverbs27:23(KJV)

ItwasNewYear’sDay.ItoldmywifethatIwouldbedisappear-ingforseveralhoursandmaybethewholeday.Iwantedtospendtimeinprayerandmeditationformyfamily.Itwasanewyear,andIwantedtomakesomeadjust-ments.Ifeltweneededit—Ineededit.

AfewhoursintothistimealonewithGod,Iwasinspiredtowriteout—notjusthaveavaguenotionabout—whatIbelievedtobefourrolesofahusbandanddad.IwrotedownLeader,Provider,Teacher,andFriend.AsIwroteoutsomethoughtsastowhateachmeant,IrealizedthatoneareathatIwasespeciallyweak inwas“teacher.”

Iwaslikemanyhomeschoolingdads—mywifedidtheteaching;Ididthesup-porting.Iworked50+hoursaweekandledthemen’sministryinourchurch.Iwasabusyguy.Still,IwasastudentoftheWord,andtheLordplainlyindicatedtomesomerolesIneededtofulfill.Leader,Provider,Teacher,Friend.Teacher.Adad,too,issupposedtoteachhischildrenandnotleaveitentirelyuptothemom.

Teachingwasnotmystrongsuit.Iwasnotthemostprolificthinkerorspeaker.Ididn’tclaimtohaveawealthofBibleknowledge.AndIsurelydidn’thavethe

timetoprepareathree-pointmessagetopreachtomyfamilyeachweek.

So what would this look like forme?Well,theLordmadeitratherob-viousandrelativelypainless.IreadtheBibledaily.Ireadit,thoughtaboutit,checkedoutrelatedverses,talkedoverthemeaningwiththeLord,andprayedoverchangesoractionsIshouldtakeasaresult.

The Lord said to me, “Just readMyWordwithyourkids.”

Istartedmeetingweeklyforonehour with my oldest son who wasthen12,andwithmydaughterwhowas eight. Iwrote the appointmentsinmycalendar.

My sonandI startedout readingProverbstogether.Wejustreadthroughit. I explained its meaning, comparedScripturetoScripture,andoccasionallyreferenced other translations to assistwiththemeaning.Severalmonthslater,wepickedupChuckSwindoll’scharac-ter studyonJosephandreadthroughittogether.Wemetweeklyforsixyearsuntilmysonleftforcollege.

MydaughterandI startedwithabook about Ruth and thenmoved toEsther andProverbs.Recentlywefin-ishedJohnMacArthur’sTwelve Extraor-dinary Women.Mydaughterleavesforcollegenextyear,andwearenowstart-ingLeeStrobel’sThe Case for Christ asatooltoreinforceherfaithbeforeshefacespotentialstormsatschool.

My youngest daughter and Ihadarockystart.SittingandreadingthroughabookintheBibletogetherdid not come as easily for her. Aftera few false starts, we finally found arhythmwhensheturned11.

That’sit.Onehoureachweekwitheachchild.Onthecalendar.Apriorityappointment.We’vereadabookfromtheBibletogether,readabookabouttheBibleoraBiblecharacter,orsome-timesjusttalkedaboutthethingsgoingoninourlivesandwhattheLordwassayingtous throughthem.So, inmyverybusyworkandministryschedule,Ihavecarvedoutspecifictimetodisciplemykids—toknowtheconditionofmyflockandtoaddressareasofconcern.

Whatamazedmeabouttheseone-on-onetimeswitheachchildwashow

Know the Condition of Your Flock Brad Smith

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importanttheybecametous.Equallyrevealingweresomeofthesubjectswediscussed.Theweekly“timewithDad”wasabigdeal,andnottobemissed.Itbecameakeycomponentinthedevelopmentofourrelationship.Theconversationswerelight,grace-filled, and transparent.Eachof thekidswouldbringupquestionstheyhad,ofteneverytimewemet.

If I had not planned those weekly times with my chil-dren,Idon’tknowhowIcouldhaveeverconveyedtothemmyheartonsomeveryimportantmattersoflife.Ihavebeenable to teach themavarietyofbiblicalprinciples andaboutmanhoodandwomanhood.Weneverwouldhavegottenintosomeratheruncomfortablesubjects,haditnotbeenforthefactthatwewerebasicallyforcedintothoseconversations.Forexample,whenmysonandIreadaboutPotiphar’swife,Ihadtotalkaboutit.WhenQueenVashtirefusedtodancebeforethemeninherhusband’scourt,Ihadtotalkwithmydaughteraboutit.Theseconversationsopenedthedoorstodeepersub-ject—subjectsthatmykidsexpressedthanksfor,eveniftheyweren’tsuretheywantedtobringthesubjectsupthemselves.

Often,the“timeswithdad”endwithahug—initiatedbythem.Thesehavebeenandarespecialtimesforustotalk,share,and learn together.AndIbelieve theyhavebecomecrucialtomykids’spiritualandall-arounddevelopment.

Evenifwedadsaren’talwaysinvolvedintheacademicpartofhomeschooling,itisourjobtoknowtheconditionofourflocksandlookwelltoourherds.We,too,needtoteachourchildren.

Brad Smith is a senior analyst and project manager for a consulting company. He also travels internationally helping with ministry strategy and teaching about men’s ministry.

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inmyexperience,menhaveatendencytofall intotwocategories: peopleguysorproject guys.Eitherwe likepeople and don’t care much for projects, or we love

workingonprojectsandfindpeopletobesomewhatofaninterruptionofourgoals.Peopleguysoftenhaveaneasiertimekeepingthefocusonbuildingrelationshipswiththeirchildren. But we project guys all too frequently disappearinto the garage on Saturday morning and don’t show upagainuntilSundaynight,leavinglittleornotimeforbuild-ingrelationshipsandmemorieswithourchildren.SoIde-cidedmanyyearsagothatIneededtofindawaytomakemyprojectsmorefocusedonmykids.OneofthebestwaysI discovered for accomplishing this was taking them on acampingtrip.

AftermyVietnamdays,diggingholeseverynight,fight-inginthejungles,andsleepinginthedirt,thelastthingIeverwanttodoisgocamping.However,Iknowthat inraisingkids,ifwedadsdon’tsometimesgobeyondourcomfortzoneanddothingswedonotwant todo,wearegoingto losethemtotelevisionandneighborhoodactivitieswhich,frankly,aremoreexcitingthancomfort-lovingdad.Itwasmygoaltobeapartoftheirlives,andIknewitwouldrequiresomethingthatbroughtusalltogether.SoIdecidedtotakeitlikeamanandgocamping.

ThedayIfirstraisedtheideawithmywife,Susy,shehadherownreservations.Atthetime,thetwinsweretwoandwehadafour-,six-,andeight-year-old.Ontopofthat,one

oftheneighborhoodboyswasspendingthenightwithus.Shesaid,“Areyousureyouwanttotakesixlittlekidscamp-ing?”ImighthavebeenbitingoffmorethanIcouldchew,butIwasgoingtogoforitanyway.

Igothome,packedthecar,andwewentofftothecamp-sitewithtwogoalsinmind:First,Iwantedtohavefood.Mygoalwasnottohavecleanfood,orevenhealthyfood,butjusttohavefood.Second,Iwantedtobringthemallbackalive.OnethingI’velearnedisthatifIhavetoomanygoalswithkids,Itakemyeyesofftherelationshipandstartfocus-ingonperformance.SoIsimplytoldthemIwantedtohavefunandnotletanybodydieorbeleftbehind.Theyseemedtothinkthosewerereasonablegoals.

Atthesametime,Ihadmyowninnergoal:nottolosemytemper.Itwouldbeeasyformetogetmadaboutsome-thinggoingwrong, and I reallywanted thisfirst campingexperiencetobegreat.SowhenthepancakesburnedwhenIflippedthemonthesideofthestoveandtheycaughtonfire,Ijustblewitoff.Whenwetippedoverthedrinkingwater,Irefusedtoworryaboutit.

However, things really heatedup thefirst nightwhenJoshtrippedandfellheadlongintoalog,severelybruisinghislipsagainsthisteeth.Becauseoftheblood,Ireachedinand counted his teeth with my fingers. Although I didn’texactly know how many teeth two-year-olds are supposedtohave,itfeltliketheywereprobablyallthere.AndIdidn’tgetupset.

Project Guys and Building Relationships Phil Downer

(continued on page 24)

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Project Guys and Building Relationships Phil Downer

HELP GET THE WORD OUT!Share the vision, encouragement, and ex-citement of this year’s convention with your community! It’s easy! Put convention infor-mation on the calendar in your local newspa-per. Place brochures in your church, library, doctor’s office, and local bookstores. Print off posters from the HEAV website and hang them around town.Word of mouth is how most hear about the con-vention—thank you for helping to get the word out. We look forward to seeing you in June!

Thursday, June 5 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm Free!Introduction to Homeschooling ~ Yvonne BunnHomeschooling is among the top ten of more than 200 significant trends that will have an impact on future society, says The Trends Journal, world leader in trends analysis and forecasting. If you’ve wondered what home-schooling is, or who homeschools and why, this fact-filled workshop will give you an-swers. From the history of homeschooling to the statistical results of the most recent na-tionwide study, you will receive the informa-tion you need to decide if homeschooling is right for you and your family.

3:30 pm to 4:30 pm Free!How to Begin: What You Really Need to Know Yvonne BunnOverwhelmed by friendly advice and tons of information? This informative workshop will help you weed through all the things you’ve heard and help you focus on what you really need to know for a successful homeschool year: Am I qualified? How do I prepare? Where can I go for help? What things should I never do? What are some secrets of success? And more! Don’t miss this opportunity to get off to the right start.

5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Free!Know the Law: Notifying & Testing Demysti-fied Yvonne BunnKnow your homeschooling rights—don’t let the “legalese” confuse you! In this workshop,

find out who is required to attend school, what requirements you must meet in order to homeschool, what tests or evaluations you may use, whom you should notify and when, what to do if you are homeschooling because of your sincere religious beliefs, and what types of records need to be kept. Know your options before you begin!

6:30 pm to 7:30 pm Free!Choosing Curriculum ~ Vicki BentleyHEAV’s curriculum counselor (and the mom of 17 homeschooled students) shares the se-crets to mapping out a successful course of study for your children. This workshop helps beginners to get a solid start in home educa-tion and encourages veterans to re-examine goals and priorities. Includes a basic overview of different teaching approaches.

FRIDaY, JUNE 6KEYNOTE a – 8:30 am to 10 amWhat Do You Have In Your House? ~ Gregg HarrisA poor widow once came in desperation to the Prophet Elisha (2 Kings 4:2). A creditor had come to take her two children as slaves to pay her late husband’s debts. Elisha’s response was to ask her, “What do you have in the house?” Her answer set in motion a miracle of provision far beyond her wildest dreams. Are you concerned for the safety of your chil-dren in a world that threatens to make them its slaves? Then listen as Gregg Harris asks you the same question. “What do you have in your house?” Then take a brief tour of your household with him to see what is provided there to meet your needs.

SESSION 1 – 10:30 am to 11:30 amIdentifying If Your Child Has a Learning Glitch ~ Dianne CraftThis workshop is for your puzzling child. Is your child just maturing later than the oth-ers? Is there a learning glitch? Or is this child just a “right brain” learner who is not using his/her dominant hemisphere for learning? In this workshop, you will determine if all four of your child’s “learning gates” are open

or if one of them is blocked. You will use checklists to identify visual, auditory, visual/motor, or focusing issues in your child. You will learn how to determine if a child is just wiggly, employing “task avoidance,” or has a real attention issue. In this workshop, you will also be introduced to the latest brain research on children and learning.

Supporting and Encouraging the Home-school Mom ~ Phil & Paul DownerThis workshop offers encouragement for the battle, with tips on overcoming conflicts and teaching godly discipline. Mom needs to take a breather from trying to do everything and find the keys to enjoying deeper relationships with her children. Here she will learn God’s steps to turning problems and challenges into opportunities and blessings.

Managing Household Finances the Econo-mizer Way ~ Steve & Annette EconomidesNew York Times best-selling authors, Steve and Annette Economides, share the easy-to-implement strategies they have used since 1982 to live a debt-free, fun-filled life with-out feeling one bit deprived. On a modest income they have paid off their first home in nine years, purchased all of their cars with cash, taken fabulous family vacations without credit cards, and fed their family for just $350 per month. They’ll cover many money-saving strategies and the single most important tool that any family can use to reach their finan-cial dreams. Their book, America’s Cheapest Family Gets You Right On The Money is changing lives throughout the nation. Some of the topics covered include:• The single most important financial tool

every family can easily employ; • Hundreds of ways to save money on every-

day expenses; • A practical system for eliminating debt for-

ever; and• Simple ways that couples can work together

to eliminate financial stress.

Deciding What to Teach in Mathematics ~ Tom ClarkTom Clark, president of VideoText Interactive and author of Algebra: A Complete Course, will lead you through a detailed investigation of the nature of concept development, logical reasoning, and analytical skills—all of which are preferable to memorizing shortcuts, tricks, formulas, and rules. Considerable attention will be given to identifying the reason behind the orderly arrangement of mathematical concepts with an emphasis on the determina-tion of “appropriate” content. Strategies will be demonstrated which help students become more personally involved in, and responsible for, their own learning.

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Homeschooling—Making it Simple! ~ Rick BoyerFaced by the bewildering selection of cur-ricula and learning theories available today, homeschooling parents often feel intimidated and inadequate. Is learning really so compli-cated? If so, why did America have a nearly universal literacy rate at the time of our founding, when nobody knew we have a right and left brain? There’s no need to stand in the middle of the exhibit hall and hyperventilate! Join Rick Boyer—father of 14—in following the lead of great minds in Scripture and his-tory to learn how to maximize learning and minimize stress.

Vocational Realities for aspiring Christian Filmmakers ~ Geoffrey Botkin This seminar addresses trends and opportu-nities affecting the generation of pioneering filmmakers who venture outside Hollywood. Botkin establishes the scriptural legitimacy of filmmaking as a vocation, along with the inher-ent dangers of this vocation. He points the stu-dents to important spiritual and academic qual-ifications for venturing into this arena. He offers perspective on how to develop vision and how to get started with small family productions.

Organized (Well, almost!)—TimeManagement for Busy Moms ~ Vicki BentleyAs a busy mom, do you sometimes strug-gle with lesson planning, keeping the house somewhat presentable, teaching, keeping up with the laundry, AND getting dinner on the table in one day of homeschooling? Vicki Bentley, fellow busy homeschool mom, shares practical ideas that have helped her manage her household of ten.

Spiders! ~ Mike SnavelyRepulsive beasts, right? Perhaps, but spiders have incredible abilities. They are marvels of design and very beneficial to mankind. This session takes a fun and fascinating look at these creatures. (Will you hesitate to squish the spiders you see in your house after attend-ing this session? No, probably not, but you’ll likely see them in a whole new light!)

a Brighter Future ~ Barry HardyHave you heard the legendary story of Ben and Arthur? Or, how about the person who was able to get FREE cars for his entire life? Come and hear these life-changing, true sto-ries and learn the secret to their success, as explained by Barry Hardy of Dave Ramsey’s financial organization.

Why Homeschool THROUGH High School ~ Dr. Jay WileHomeschooling parents are often faced with a difficult decision when their children reach high school age. Typically, parents feel that they are just not able to teach the more de-

manding courses which are required at the high school level. As a result, many parents feel they must send their children to school for a proper high school education. In this seminar, Dr. Jay L. Wile, a former assistant professor of chemistry at Ball State University and Indiana University, will explain why such a decision is not in the best interest of the student.Using data gathered from many different sources, including his own experiences, Dr. Wile shows that the last place a student can get an adequate high school education is in the typical public high school. While there are some notable exceptions, the typical public high school does not provide the student with an academic program that is rigorous enough to prepare him or her for the university or the workplace. In addition, most public schools will reduce, not enhance, a homeschooled student’s study skills. This seminar is filled with statistics that show that homeschooled students are better aca-demically prepared and better socialized than their publicly or privately schooled counter-parts. Interestingly, the academic superiority of homeschooled students GROWS during the high school years. These facts allow Dr. Wile to make a compelling case that the best thing for a high school student is to stay in homeschool, regardless of the parent’s academic abilities.

Gifted and Special Education ~ S. SomervilleThe special education laws are paved with good intentions, but they do not always lead fami-lies where they want to go. Scott Somerville has been advising homeschool families with exceptional children since 1992. In this work-shop, he explains the history and logic of the federal special education laws and helps fami-lies find their way through the maze.

are You Leaving (GaSP!) Gaps? ~ Tammy DubyHomeschool parents are scared to death of leaving “gaps.” How about you? Are you so fearful of meeting requirements set by some-one else that you have lost sight of your own goals? This class will help you focus on why you are homeschooling, whom you are seek-ing to please, what is important and what isn’t. Learn to CHOOSE your gaps and capi-talize on all the good stuff—the eternal stuff. Otherwise, you may be in danger of filling all the “gaps” and missing the whole point. Courtship: One Family’s Experiences ~ Panel discussion facilitated by Anne MillerIn theory, courtship sounds like a good idea. But how does it work in real life? Come find out from two now-married couples who walked through the courtship process in very different ways, a 21-year-old whose courtship did not end in marriage, a 23-year-old waiting on the Lord…and the parents! Fast-paced and per-sonal. Lots of time for Q & A.

∆ Breathing Life into Your Language arts ~ Total Language PlusGreat literature can provide the motivation to learn language arts. While your third- through twelfth-grade students read novels they love, they can develop stronger com-prehension, vocabulary, spelling, grammar, writing, and critical thinking skills. Total Language Plus can bring fresh air to your lan-guage arts program.

∆ Patrick Henry College: The Homeschool College ~ Patrick Henry CollegeThis workshop presents the unique ministry of Patrick Henry College and how to prepare your homeschooler for college.

∆ Why art is Essential to Your Child’s Edu-cation ~ Arts AttackMark Osterink, a passionate advocate for children’s visual arts, will review the impor-tant role art plays in developing right-brain skills (creativity, synthesis, spatial awareness, intuition, imagination, visualization, etc.) and in enabling children to develop their full potential as students. He will also review the Atelier art program and discuss the essential elements of a successful program while pre-senting slides of children’s art work.

∆ More than a Game: Chess and Its Impact on Learning ~ Championship ChessStudying chess accelerates learning across the curriculum, improves problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, and develops self-esteem. Coach Steve Schneider, author and well-known proponent of scholastic chess, will introduce the successful methods he has pioneered in teaching chess to children for more than 25 years. He’ll demonstrate hands-on activities that support and enhance cogni-tive outcomes—visualization, thinking ahead, thinking concretely and abstractly, weighing options, focusing, and planning.

∆ Instilling a Heart for People and Missions in Your Family ~ Gospel for AsiaDoes your family have a heart for those around them, let alone those around the world? Familiar verses like John 3:16 show God’s heart for the world. The Lord wants us to have the same heart for those for whom Christ died that He does. How can we walk in love towards each other and not be so in-wardly focused? Through this workshop we seek to help believers lead their families to live for what is eternal.

∆ Learn Movie Making with Stop-Motion animation ~ NR ProductionsLearn how to make a short animated video, including storyboards, sets, lighting, sound, shooting, and editing.

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sessIOn 2 – 1:30 pm - 2:30 pmSmart Kids Who Hate to Write ~ Dianne CraftThere are children who can tell a wonder-ful story orally, but when it comes to writing their thoughts down, they only write a few sentences. Sometimes these children reverse letters, or have difficulty writing cursive, or just have very sloppy handwriting. They write many of their letters from the “bottom to top.” These children can often spell a word cor-rectly orally, but leave out a letter when trying to write it in a test. When they copy from a book, they leave words out or even spell them incorrectly. Their spacing on a math paper is very erratic, leading to math errors in prob-lems they know how to do. These children may be “mixed dominant,” being left-eye dominant, but right-handed. They are truly experiencing a “glitch” between their head and their hand. Learn how to distinguish between the child who has a true “writing glitch” (that is correctable) and a child who is just not motivated to write. This workshop answers these and many other questions that may have puzzled you about your children. The exercise you will learn is used throughout the United States. It will take the stress out of your children’s writing systems and make the whole process so much easier.

Obedience From the Heart ~ Marilyn BoyerNothing blesses the heart of a parent more than a child who obeys consistently and will-ingly. Many moms and dads, however, miss the mark by trying to change behavior without changing the heart. Marilyn shows why the task of the loving parent is not merely to con-trol outward behavior, but to build godly atti-tudes by ministering to the spirit of the child.

Row Yourself to the Battle ~ Gregg HarrisHey, guys, do you feel you are just not up to the task of being the husband and fa-ther God wants you to be—let alone a great homeschooling dad? Well, take heart. God’s plan runs just fine on regular. In fact, “regu-lar guys” are who get the job done in every area of life. Gregg Harris will present four ba-sic household responsibilities that allow any regular guy to get the exercise he needs to be-come the man that God intends him to be.

Freelancing and the Homeschool Family ~ Jane BullivantWhere do your skills lie? We’ll discuss the ad-vantages and disadvantages of this style of work. Is it compatible with homeschooling? Unpack Proverbs 31 and take a moment to consider the benefits of a productive family lifestyle. and Just How Far Till the Finish Line? En-during and Endearing Home Education for the Long Haul ~ Kerin MorganEncouragement for those who have been at this a long time and have a long time yet to

go! What do we do when we feel tired and seem to have lost some spark? What do we do when we feel tempted to quit, or the other demands of life seem to vie for our attention? This is about faithfully staying the course by the grace of God, but also being flexible and open to Him asking us to do something dif-ferent than what we have done before.

a Vision of Victory for the Single Young Women of the Twenty-First Century ~ Anna Sofia & Elizabeth BotkinThe thesis of The Return of the Daughters, this message will give a vision for dynamic, produc-tive, vibrant family life and the role daughters play in the culture and ministry of the home.

∆ Teaching with Tapestry of Grace ~ Tapestry of GraceDo you hear “Classical Ed” and feel simultane-ously intimidated and inspired? Do you want to learn more about selecting a curriculum that will serve the ends you have in mind for your children? Do you want to learn how to teach all the children in your home in a cogent, uni-fied, orderly way that will draw the family to-gether while delivering a truly classics-based, subject-integrated curriculum with a bibli-cal worldview to every student in the house, keeping you both sane and peaceful? Parents will be helped with all these concerns in this session that explains the Tapestry of Grace curriculum philosophy of education, and methods for implementing that philosophy.

Evaluating Student Writing: You Don’t Have to Be an English Major! ~ Janice CampbellDo you know what you need to know to evaluate your student’s writing skills? Can you recognize quality writing when you see it? Most professional teachers use a set of objective standards, known as a rubric, to fairly evaluate students’ written work and to pinpoint areas that need improvement. You can use these valuable tools also! Come to this workshop and learn how to recognize well-written work and how to use a rubric to evaluate writing skills, including content, organization, style, word choice, sentence flu-ency, and mechanics.

College Planning and Scholarships ~ B. Hardy The average college student graduates with more than $27,000 in student loans. Half of all enter-ing freshmen borrow, and more than 20% of borrowers drop out. This session will teach you how to plan for college expenses for your chil-dren and provide you with ways to send your children to college without borrowing money.

Teaching Critical Thinking ~ Jay WileOne of the biggest failures of public and pri-vate school systems is that they do not teach students how to think critically. In this semi-nar, Dr. Wile gives you specific suggestions as

to how you can teach your child to think criti-cally, regardless of the subject matter that the student is learning. You will learn how to help your student evaluate statements, look for hid-den assumptions, find political/social agendas, and discover faulty logic. Although Dr. Wile’s area of interest is science, he will show you how critical thinking applies to all academic areas, as well as all facets of your life.

Power Tools ~ Scott Somerville Scott identifies three tools men can use to build up their families and address the danger of placing their desires ahead of God.

Trust In God and Keep Your Powder Dry: Vi-tal Military Lessons for Mothers ~ S. HendryForced marches, unrelenting assaults, unpro-tected flanks, and bayonet charges are terms that apply to the war every family faces when attempting to bring up a godly seed. “Trust in God and keep your powder dry,” has been a key reminder of military leaders...especially at the memorable Battle of Gettysburg. Women of today would be wise to understand the nature and psychology of war, the characteristics of our enemy, the eternal stakes, and the strat-egies of the enemy. When applied to home-schooling, these concepts are very powerful. No woman can afford to ignore that we are in the midst of a cosmic battle. Let us expose the schemes of our unrelenting foe who daily has his claws ready and his missiles aimed at us and our children, and let us press on to vic-tory in Christ.

Launching Your Film Company ~ George EscobarLearn the fundamentals of professional feature filmmaking for Christians, specifically in the untapped homeschool market. This practical workshop covers the basics of raising investor funding; organizing your production; acquiring equipment, resources and locations; and recruiting your cast, crew, investors, and supporters. The pitfalls and realities in target-marketing and self-distribution for your movie will also be discussed. The lessons taught in this workshop have been pioneered and applied by Advent Film Group for its own productions with Patrick Henry College. AFG is now helping other filmmakers across the country launch their own homeschool-based film production and distribution companies. ∆ The Way You Wish You’d Been Taught ~ Sonlight CurriculumFlexible…Faith Affirming…Filled with Great Stories! Do you want to create life-long learn-ers and equip students to think, not just mem-orize facts? Are you looking for higher educa-tion success while building family bonds and enjoying outstanding literature that your fam-ily will want to read over and over in the years to come? Come see how Sonlight Curriculum

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has done the planning for you and compiled all the tools to make this year a learning ad-venture for a lifetime.

∆ Setting a Paradigm for Purity ~ Generations of VirtueA biblical, age-appropriate approach to sex education for homeschoolers. In this work-shop, parents of elementary and middle school children will learn what to talk about with their kids at every stage of development. This workshop includes information on how to set a paradigm for purity and courtship be-ginning in preschool.

∆ Introducing analytical Grammar ~ Analytical GrammarRobin Finley, the author, will explain how Analytical Grammar differs from other pro-grams on the market. You can teach this important subject thoroughly and compre-hensively in much less time and with less rep-etition. Recommended in The Well-Trained Mind and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.

∆ Hands-On Science for Grades 7-12! ~ Beginnings Publishing HouseWhere can I find a technically sound science curriculum designed for homeschoolers that is creation based and that my students can work on independently? Where can I find labs that include everything and will fit into our busy schedule? Come and hear about The Rainbow™ (for junior high), and The Spectrum™ (for high school), written by Dr. Durell Dobbins, father of five homeschooled children.

∆ Raising accountable Kids One Step at a Time ~ Accountable KidsDiscover ways to develop accountability, re-sponsibility, respect, and confidence in your children by understanding how to apply es-sential parenting principles. Learn effective ways to teach kids life lessons in a manner that will bring the entire family closer togeth-er. Discover ways to help children become contributing members of the family in a fun and interactive way.

∆ Math-U-See: Where Seeing is Understand-ing! ~ Math-U-See/ Math+PlusDo you feel you lack the confidence you need to teach math? Math-U-See eliminates fears and supplies tools so you can teach math con-cepts easily. Together we will see how math can be taught using a multi-sensory approach to give a level of understanding that will allow our children to function in a math world.

SESSION 3 – 3:00 pm - 4:00 pmTeaching the Right-Brain Child (Part 1) ~ Dianne CraftHalf of the population is right-brain domi-nant, and half is left-brain dominant. If you

have more than one child, you likely have a right-brain learner in your midst. These won-derful children learn in a different manner than their left brain siblings. They don’t learn as easily in an auditory manner (like many curriculum methods employ), but rather store information in their long-term memory by using pictures, color, story, or emotion attached to the facts they need to learn. In this workshop you will learn how to identify the right-brain child and learn many simple teaching techniques, such as visual spelling which causes the words to “stick instead of slip.” Watch your children become good spell-ers with very little effort! You’ll learn how to put “velcro” on math facts and how to help your right-brain children easily follow verbal instructions. You will help them get in touch with the “smart part of themselves” and really shine using these right-brain strategies. Their faces will light up when they find they can re-trieve information so easily. If you have right- brain children who are struggling to retain information, or left- or right-brain children with auditory processing problems, you will love these techniques! Put them into practice the next day! (This workshop is also great for moms who are highly distractible!)

Common Sense Economics ~ Greg RehmkeEconomics is a way of thinking, and its most valuable insights don’t require mathematics, graphs, or charts. This session covers key eco-nomic principles for students (and parents) and provides links to free and low-cost publi-cations and online resources. The importance of free markets, property rights, and limited government follows from economic principles that can be easily learned and appreciated.

Homeschool Marriage that Doesn’t Merely Survive but Thrives ~ Phil & Paul DownerHomeschool marriages experience a particu-larly difficult stress, a coordination challenge, and keyword requirements. If successfully dealt with, the result is a thriving marriage, family, and homeschool experience. This workshop deals with overcoming four of the primary challenges and moving your mar-riage from survival to success.

How to Write a Best-Selling Book ~ Anna Sofia & Elizabeth BotkinIn this workshop, Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin talk about the most important things their parents taught them about being writ-ers, as well as the lessons they’ve learned since they began writing their best-selling book, So Much More, at the ages of 17 and 15. Among other things, you’ll hear the common at-tributes of best-selling authors, tips on style, and warnings to all aspiring writers.

Teaching Kids about Money Isn’t Kids’ Stuff ~ Steve & Annette EconomidesThis seminar will help you raise financial-ly responsible kids. Since 1995, New York Times best-selling authors Steve and Annette Economides have been teaching their kids to earn, save, and spend their own money. They’ll cover the system they’ve developed and how you can customize it to fit your own fami-ly’s lifestyle. Teaching practical life skills is a must for every homeschool family. Training your kids to handle money wisely will prepare them to enter adulthood ready to soar.Some of the topics covered include:• Teaching kids to make smart purchases; • How to deal with high-tech gizmos and

their cost; • How to make an allowance more like the

real world; and • How to have a balanced approach to chores

and how to help your kids develop a strong work ethic.

and Then They Grow Up ~ Kerin MorganKerin addresses the challenges to our job as parents, educators, and mentors as our chil-dren grow into teens and adults. This work-shop is filled with practical educational op-tions as well as principles to make the most of the opportunities we have to mentor and work towards friendship.

Multi-Level Teaching ~ Vicki BentleyWhen you had one child, it seemed easy, but adding more children sometimes makes homeschooling feel like a zany plate-spinning act. Vicki shares ideas for keeping the home-schooling “plates” from crashing to the floor! Practical tips for teaching multiple ages from a mom of 17 homeschooled students (seven school-age at a time).

Copycat! ~ Mike SnavelyMan has invented many incredible machines over the years, most of which serve specific purposes. However, in many cases, man did not originate the invention—God did! He created creatures that can do amazing things, and man has found ways of copying nature for his own benefit.

You Gotta Have a Plan! ~ Barry HardyEver wonder where all your hard-earned mon-ey is going? It’s probably because you did not bother telling your money where to go. This session will teach you how to give instructions to your money in the form of a budget. asking the Right Questions—Teaching Literature with Socratic Discussion ~ A. AndrewsAs teachers, we often measure our success from day to day by the quality of classroom interaction we can inspire. Did we have the students’ attention? Did we engage them in

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sparkling discussion of the material? Did we reach that ultimate goal of every teacher—reaching the students’ hearts? Did we cause them to respond not only with assent but also with love to the things we were trying to teach? Too often, of course, we fall short of this lofty goal, and we’re always on the lookout for ways to achieve it more consistently. This lecture presents a crucial principle that we must keep in mind: effective class discussions begin with effective questions—not questions OF the teacher; but questions BY the teacher. Based on what we call the Socrates Principle, this presentation shows aspiring classroom leaders five ways to lead students naturally and effortlessly into quality discussions of any book. Adam demonstrates this technique with mini-discussions of two American clas-sics and provides audience members with the tools necessary to try it at home immediately.

Cross-Eyed Parenting ~ Marcia SomervilleThough we may start homeschooling with no-ble goals of discipling our children and leading them onward in godliness, it is easy to quickly grow weary in well-doing! We can become too busy to feed ourselves before attempting to feed our children. We can be deceived into thinking that our success and failures rest on our own shoulders. We can develop habits of speech and action that are harmful to our children. In short, we are as much in need of sanctification and growth as are our students! Sound familiar? Come and learn the releasing truth of how a daily practice of preaching the gospel to ourselves can inform many common situations in our homeschools and reveal one of homeschooling’s best kept secrets: We are as sanctified by the process of homeschooling as are our children.

Lesson Planning 101 ~ Tammy DubyYou want to have the best year yet, but don’t know how to organize the piles of curriculum you’ve purchased for your kids? Tammy will show you different lesson-plan formats and how to plan for several grade levels. Start us-ing your time wisely and you’ll feel like you have more of it. And you can stop feeling guilty about never getting around to all that great stuff you bought!

College Panel—Get the Facts—a View of Homeschoolers by College admissions Officers Panel discussion facilitated by Yvonne BunnOne of the oft-asked questions by well-in-tentioned family and friends of homeschool parents is, “What about college? Can your children really be accepted with a home education?” What is the real perception of homeschooled students within college and university admissions offices? Join us for a lively panel discussion with admissions and financial aid officers who will provide a “be-

hind-the-scenes” look at the college admis-sions process—especially in regard to home- schoolers. This is a must-attend session if you have questions or concerns about how individuals in higher education view home-schooled students.

∆ Spelling Difficulties? Here’s the Solution! ~ Quest for LearningPhonics Solution software can help your child become a better speller. This self-directed program reinforces spelling rules and Orton-Gillingham phonograms with powerful diag-nostic tools that highlight areas where your child needs more work. The no-nonsense design does not insult older students, mak-ing this the ideal product to improve spelling ability, regardless of the age of the student.

∆ Gateway to the Classics: The Right Litera-ture at the Right Time ~ Yesterday’s ClassicsLiterature can be a powerful force for the for-mation of character if you choose books suited to the age and understanding of your children. On their way to maturity, children pass through several stages—rhythmic, imaginative, heroic, and idealistic. Learn about the characteristics of each stage and how to choose books that match their needs in each stage.

∆ Training Students to Defend Christianity ~ Apologetics PressPractical suggestions and tools for studies in apologetics (Creation vs. evolution, attacks on the Bible’s inspiration, the divinity of Jesus, etc.). Because public schools are preparing mil-lions of students to battle against Christianity, our students must prepare to fight the anti-Christian forces at work in our culture. Equip your youngsters for this urgent task.

∆ Coaching Teens toward Better Writing ~ WriteAtHomeNothing is tougher to teach than writing. Students need more than a red-pen-wielding evaluator—they need a mentor, a partner, a coach. This workshop reveals the WriteAtHome method for successful writing coaching. Not just a WriteAtHome infomercial, this work-shop will entertain and equip parents hoping to improve their children’s writing skills.

∆ Rosetta Stone’s NEW Version 3 Foreign Language Curriculum ~ Rosetta StoneExperience firsthand the all-NEW Version 3 Homeschool Edition from Rosetta Stone! We’ll cover the basics of the new breakthrough Rosetta Stone curriculum and the philosophy behind our Dynamic Immersion™ method. Homeschool’s #1 foreign language curricu-lum just got better. Come join us for this in-teractive language learning experience!

∆ How to End Every Discipline Time with a Positive Conclusion ~ National Center for Biblical ParentingParents often think their job is done after they’ve given a consequence, but many chil-dren don’t seem to make the connection be-tween correction and life. Walk away from this workshop with a plan to move correction from the head to the heart. You will have a plan for helping the child who blames, ration-alizes, or justifies. Come see ways that God includes hope in the discipline process.

KEYNOTE B – 4:30 pm - 6:30 pmSeasons of Life ~ Gregg Harris“What is God’s purpose for my 70+ years in this world? What is a distraction from that purpose? What should I be doing now?” These are important questions—especially for young people just starting out. But most lives unfold in four distinct seasons. Most every young man will be a Student, then a Householder, then an Elder, and finally a Statesman; that is, unless he becomes disqualified by the con-sequences of foolishness or sin. Each young woman is most likely to be the wife and help-er of such a man, going through each season by his side. Understanding where you are in this sequence and where you are headed can allow you to confidently say “yes” to the right things at the right times for the right reasons and say “no” to everything else. This is how to become strong and finish well.

25th anniversary Celebration

SaTURDaY, JUNE 7, 2008KEYNOTE C – 8:30 am - 10:00 amBuilding World-Changing Leaders for Christ Phil DownerPhil will discuss the practical and biblical ap-proaches to training our children to have the confidence to stand alone as ambassadors for Christ, to be godly leaders, and to become men and women who are able to influence, lead, and disciple other leaders.

SESSION 4 – 10:30 am - 11:30 amTeaching the Right-Brain Child (Part 2) ~ Dianne CraftOnce you have identified your right-brain learners, become an expert at training those children to use their superior “photographic memory” in many areas of learning. Teach your children the lifelong skill of studying for tests by taking a picture of the contents of a chapter. These memory techniques are commonly used by Cambridge University students to reduce studying time. Learn how to help your children improve their read-ing comprehension by showing them how to make a movie in their heads while they read. This only takes ten minutes a day to do. You can even “glue in” those phonics sounds

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for ease in reading long words and watch their reading soar. This works well for sight word memorization too. Using these power-ful strategies, your right-brain children will truly “learn how to learn” and confirm to themselves that they are very smart! Learning doesn’t have to be so hard!

Stretching Your Grocery Dollars—Without Becoming a Coupon Queen ~ Steve & Annette EconomidesDo you need to spend hours clipping and fil-ing coupons to gain maximum savings at the grocery store? “No,” says frugal shopper and homeschooling mom Annette Economides. She’ll share how she feeds a family of six for just $350 per month, as well as multiple ways you can save with a minimal investment of time.According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average family of four spends over $8,500 per year on groceries—that’s over $700 each month. Just implementing a few of Annette’s many strategies into your grocery-buying habits will have a huge impact on your food budget.Some of the topics covered include:• Ways to shop less and save more; • Simple planning that will save you hours

each month; • How to establish a buy price, so you can

stock up and save; • A balanced approach to couponing; and • A comparison of the warehouse clubs to

grocery stores.

What Wives Wish Their Husbands Knew about Homeschooling ~ Scott SomervilleScott Somerville dared to ask 100 home-school moms for their personal “wish lists,” and was relieved to discover there is hope for homeschool husbands! These women weren’t asking the impossible, nor were they looking for a whole new man; instead, they wanted their husbands to show their love in some practical, pastoral, and personal ways. Scott combines information with motivation for life-changing results!

The Christian Communicator: a Vision to Touch Hearts and Lives for Eternity ~ S. HendryThis workshop will discuss a Christian phi-losophy of speech and drama. Special empha-sis will be given to criteria for selecting the materials for and settings of speech opportu-nities for teaching and training as part of the home education process, as well as the devel-opment of a family ministry. Demonstrations and practical suggestions will be given.

100 Years of Hollywood History ~ G. Botkin The story about the specific ways Hollywood destroyed itself, creating a sensuality cartel that could communicate a new theological message about fathers and fatherhood in America.

Son of a Single Mom: Hope for Families Without Fathers ~ Rick Boyer Having grown up in a single-parent family, Rick Boyer has seen firsthand the difficulties and challenges that confront single mothers. This workshop discusses those problems and applies biblical solutions for what Dr. James Dobson has called “the world’s hardest job.”

“Teaching” the Junior High & High School Sciences at Home ~ Dr. Jay Wile In order to help the homeschooling parent plan his or her upper-level science curriculum, Dr. Wile provides study timelines for both the science-oriented and the non-science-ori-ented student. In addition, he also discusses the mathematical skills needed in order to maintain the proposed timeline. Finally, Dr. Wile discusses the curriculum that will make it possible for the homeschooling parent to provide a high-quality high school science education for his or her children. With both the parent and the student helping each other learn, an upper-level science experience can be equally rewarding for both!

Exploding the Myth of the Perfect Homeschool ~ Jane BullivantThis presentation explores the effect of per-fectionism in the homeschool and reveals a fresh approach to striving for excellence without being a slave to the schedule.

Path to Financial Peace ~ Barry HardyThe Baby Steps! Come and learn something that has a 100% guarantee. This session will teach you Dave Ramsey’s proven, easy-to-un-derstand financial plan that will guide you for the rest of your life.

The High School Transcript: It’s Easier Than You Think! ~ Janice CampbellThere is really nothing scary in the tran-script preparation process! Come and learn about the three basic sections in a transcript and how to collect and record information in a professional format. Whatever kind of homeschooling you’ve done—traditional or non—you can create a transcript that ac-curately records your student’s achievements. Remember, it’s easier than you think!

Delight-Directed Study: a Good Idea Even Better ~ Gregg HarrisHomeschooling, unschooling, unit studies, and now delight-directed study. What’s the difference? What’s the big deal? How, practi-cally speaking, does “delight-directed study” fit into the routines of a Christian home-school? What materials are useful in delight-directed study, and which are not? And what if your children are not all that delighted with homeschooling? Where do their friends fit into the picture? Hear the answers to all of these questions and more.

Teaching the Classics from Seuss to Socrates —Literary analysis for Everyone ~ A. AndrewsDoes the subject of literature seem like a mys-tery? Are you at a loss about how to under-stand it yourself, much less teach it to your kids? This inspiring lecture demonstrates that everything you need to know about under-standing and teaching literature is present in your second-grader’s bedtime story. Adam reads a classic children’s story out loud to begin the presentation and then leads the audience into a discussion of eternal literary themes. Along the way, he shows how you can do the same at home by following five sim-ple steps. Your literature curriculum—to say nothing of family story time—will come alive automatically. You’ll never put the kids to bed the same way again!

∆ Teaching Composition to the Elementary and High School Student ~ For Such a Time as ThisTo whatever our children are called for such a time as this, they need to know how to write. Writing is the quintessential skill for young people preparing to be 21st-century apologists. This workshop is an overview of the goals and objectives of writing from pre-K to college. As a bonus, Dr. Stobaugh discusses the SAT-I es-say, which he has graded for the College Board. The participant will hear that Dr. Stobaugh be-lieves that the nurture of the heart is as impor-tant as the teaching of writing skills.

∆ Do Not Eat the Bread of Idleness ~ Bread BeckersWe all diligently seek the Lord’s help to train our children in the way they should go. It is our belief that in these last days, God Almighty is raising up a mighty army, a godly generation for service in His purpose. But the question we must ask ourselves is this: How can this generation effectively serve our Lord Jesus wholeheartedly, as did Caleb, if they are sick, drug dependent, or dying from the common diseases which plague these United States? Sue Becker, with a degree in food science from the University of Georgia, will present basic nu-tritional information on how to greatly reduce the risk of these common diseases by focus-ing on the importance of returning to God’s perfect provision for our food and health with references from the books of Matthew, Exodus, Proverbs, Isaiah, and Psalms.

∆ Math on the Level: Family Lifestyle Learning ~ Math on the LevelMath on the Level may change the way you view homeschool math instruction! Whether your children are struggling or are doing well in math, come find out how Math on the Level’s flexible, family-life approach, emphasis on maturation and practical application, and unique 5-a-day individualized review system make math meaningful and fun while achiev-ing superior long-term results.

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∆ Homeschooling Your Gifted Child ~ Moving Beyond the PageTeaching gifted children at home can be a re-warding experience for you and your child. Learn about the characteristics of gifted chil-dren, explore the current theories of gifted-ness, and discover strategies for teaching gifted children at home.

Home School High School Football: “It’s More Than Just a Game!” ~ Tracie & Dave HollisHave you considered putting your child in public school because he longs to play high school football, be in a marching band, or cheer for a team? Has your child outgrown the age and weight limits for Little League sports? Wouldn’t it be a dream come true for your high school student to be coached by godly men who would disciple him in the Lord through football? How awesome would it be to see your child stretched mentally and physically as he develops into the best shape of his life? Come sit down with Tracie and Dave, and let them show you how to make it possible. They did it and so can you! ∆ Great Spelling Made Easy ~ Schola PublicationsHow you teach can be as important as what you teach. Since many students are good read-ers but poor spellers, let us show you the most efficient method for teaching balanced skills in spelling, writing, reading, grammar, and composition, with an introduction to Latin.

SESSION 5 – 1:30 pm - 2:30 pmThe Biology of Behavior (Part 1) ~ D. CraftJohnny is a constant motion machine. Tom cries in frustration over minor matters. Susie has mood swings. Joey is nicknamed “Eeyore” because of his negative attitude towards things. A three-year-old gets so angry that his rages are almost scary. Carol acts “spacey” and forgets the things she knew the day be-fore. Harold lies awake a long time each night before he can fall asleep. Could all of these be-haviors be caused by an upset “gut ecology”? Could they be related to multiple antibiotic use when the child was young or other fac-tors that affected the child’s intestinal health? Could common physical symptoms such as athlete’s foot, rashes, canker sores, sinus prob-lems, and stomach aches be related to these children’s behavior and learning issues? The answer is a resounding, “YES!” Find out what other parents have been learning: There is a direct connection between the physical well being and learning ability and behavior of a child. This fascinating workshop provides you with clues to your child’s internal learning en-vironment, and shows you how to change that environment for the better. It is easy to cor-rect these conditions at home and dramati-cally affect your child’s learning day. The tes-timonies that we receive from parents across

the United States who are using these simple remedies with their children are amazing!

Lap Books™ across the Curriculum ~ T. DubyThis is a hands-on class! Tammy will bring the scissors, glue, and paper, and will teach you how to help your students make time-less teaching aids that integrate reading and writing, math and science, map and globe skills, and critical thinking. Textbookers and Unit Studiers alike find these foldables easy to make and a joy to use. Stimulate creativity while putting the responsibility for learning on the student. Let’s get busy!

Teaching a Houseful ~ Marcia SomervilleAre you trying to teach junior high or high school students and grammar school students, perhaps with one or two toddlers underfoot as well? Marcia’s been there and done that! In this session, Marcia will seek to explain some overarching principles that will encourage you to make it a foundation of your homeschool to keep a quiet home. She will help you see your children’s development in three areas (aca-demic, social, and emotional) and to think of your children’s development in terms of stages, not ages. Following the chronological develop-ment of the average large family, this session will cover ages birth to third grade. You will walk away with many helpful practical tips.

The Goal of Service as a Family ~ Eric WallaceGod’s purpose for saving us is to glorify Him! One way we glorify God is to serve Him! Yet, it is often difficult to see how we as families, especially families with small children, have much to offer in the way of service. But there is plenty you can do if you’re looking for the opportunities. This session will fill you with encouragement and simple ideas that your family can do to build God’s kingdom right in your own neighborhood.

Building a Work Ethic in Your Children ~ Marilyn Boyer In a time when young people are generally expected to be lazy and irresponsible, diligent sons and daughters stand head and shoulders above the crowd. Come and learn how to in-still a heart of servanthood in your child!

When the Weary Need Encouragement ~ Kerin MorganKerin focuses on the story of David in which a portion of the men are just too weary to fight and rescue their wives and children. It is a poignant story about the strong watch-ing after the weak and weary and saving face for them with grace. Kerin encourages fami-lies who feel too tired to fight, too ashamed to complain about it, and too overwhelmed to care. Maybe you (or someone you know) believes that everyone else walks in victory,

so you sit in silence. Kerin makes an appeal to support one another in the seasons of weari-ness and gives “permission” to those who feel weak to rest without guilt.

Ecohysteria: a Scientist Examines the “Environmentalist” Movement ~ Dr. Jay WileIn this seminar, Dr. Wile discusses the facts related to the environmental debate that is currently raging in America. Because the hys-teria related to “global warming” has become so rampant in the past few years, he spends most of his time on this hot-button issue. He discusses data related to global tempera-tures, climate models, glaciers, and polar bear populations to demonstrate that most of what you hear in regards to climate is simply not supported by science. In addition, he provides you with quotes from respected climatologists who are currently doing research in the field to show you that there is no scientific consen-sus on global warming. This is mostly due to our lack of understanding when it comes to very basic issues related to global climate. If you have been scared by what you have heard from the likes of Former Vice President Al Gore, you should definitely hear this talk!

Homeschool Hospitality: Dolley Madison Without the White House Purse and Staff ~ Shelley HendryLet’s gain a vision for enriching, God-hon-oring gatherings that can refuel the heart without draining the life. Using the gracious Dolley Madison as an example, Shelley will discuss a three-part model for low-stress, meaningful, memorable fellowship for the whole family to: (1) Draw closer to the Lord, (2) Refresh and inspire people without mak-ing yourself crazy, and (3) Share great acts of God in history. Let’s eliminate perfectionism and the all-or-nothing mentality! We will consider these questions: How do you make people feel in your home? How can you show hospitality in a simple yet satisfying way so that the food and work do not sink you? How can you show hospitality with limited funds, time, or skills? How can you show hospitality during seasons of babies and little ones? No matter your talents, budget, husband, or ca-pabilities, come share in this talk designed to inspire women from all walks of life to min-ister from their home as they train up their children for the Lord.

Basic Financial Planning: Restoring HOPE & Peace in Your Home ~ Barry Hardy Seventy percent of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck. Americans have a NEGATIVE savings rate! This session from Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace seminar will help you develop a solid financial home which will lead to a brighter future.

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Dad’s Irreplaceable Role ~ Phil & Paul DownerThis is a practical and biblical session on the father’s role in training the homeschool fam-ily and leading the home. Dad needs to be engaged in instructing but also in building character. He is called to be a strong leader and yet gentle and humble. He is not just a coach but God’s player-coach.

Learning and Teaching Global Economics ~ Greg RehmkeNew Deal programs enacted following the Great Depression gave the federal govern-ment far more power over the U.S. economy. Many economists believed markets had failed and that governments were needed to “man-age” and “control” the private economy. These economic ideas are still taught in most main-stream economics courses and textbooks (and are generally called “macroeconomics”). This session will discuss global economics and a popular book and documentary from the 1990s called The Commanding Heights, which documents the “battle of ideas” on the proper role for government in free societies. It is an exciting story and one that provides home-school students and parents a way to teach why American and world prosperity depends on limiting government control of the economy.

Identifying and avoiding Trouble Spots in Math ~ Tom ClarkJoin Tom Clark, president of VideoText Interactive and author of Algebra: A Complete Course, as he offers an entertaining and edu-cational session designed to help parent-edu-cators with several of the traditional trouble spots in math. Topics discussed may include “Division of Fractions” (using that mindless rule), “Equations and Inequalities” (an inquiry approach), “Percent” (using logic, not tricks), “Problem-Solving” (critical-thinking skills), or others as suggested by the audience.

∆ art: The Glue that Makes It Stick ~ Miller Pads & PaperArt and hands-on projects can transform your homeschool. Come learn why and how! If you think you don’t have an artistic bone in your body, come gain confidence and learn how to pull art into core subjects. Leave excited, with ideas galore and art basics for the whole family.

∆ Reaching the Reluctant Writer ~ Institute for Excellence in WritingDo writing assignments bring tears? Come learn a method of teaching writing that is guaranteed to be fun as well as effective. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to teach writing!

∆ Combining Classical Education, Charlotte Mason, and Unit Studies with a Christian Perspective ~ My Father’s WorldThe myriad of homeschool choices can be as

overwhelming as interstates, highways, back roads, and scenic routes. There are so many ways and options, how can one navigate through it all and still homeschool effective-ly? Why not blend the best of each method? Instill Christian values while integrating great literature, chronological history, geography, hands-on activities, notebooks and timelines, narration, study of Greek and Latin roots, nature studies, and more. Enjoy short, well-planned lessons in the morning with time to pursue individual interests in the afternoon.

∆ It’s Much More Than Maps ~ Geography MattersGeography: It’s much more than maps. Geography gives connections to seemingly un-connected subjects and provides a framework for learning. See how it impacts history, language arts, science, and more. We’ll show you how you can naturally incorporate geography with these subjects in a way that develops critical thinking and makes learning fun for all ages. ∆ Help for the Teenager Who Wants to Drive National Driver Training Institute The daunting dilemma of getting adequate driver training. Passing this subject could be the difference between life or death. Understanding the do’s and the don’t’s will keep you safe and will allow you and your teen to have fun!

∆ The Power of Blessing Our Daughters ~ Daughters 4 GodBlessing our children is a powerful bibli-cal principle that has nearly been lost in our Christian culture. Parents can restore this significant spiritual practice in everyday life. Learn practical and powerful tools that bring life, significance, and lifelong blessing to your daughter from pre-birth to adulthood.

∆ Becoming americans ~ Colonial Williamsburg FoundationWe will discuss the role that Colonial Williamsburg played in America’s history and the relevance of our study visit programs to Virginia’s Standards of Learning.

SESSION 6 – 3:00 pm - 4:00 pmThe Biology of Behavior (Part 2) ~ D. CraftRemember when your mom told you that “fish is brain food”? Well, she was right. Current brain research is very clear on this fact. The brain is 60% FAT, with half of that fat in the front part of the brain where focusing and attention takes place. For the brain synapses (connections) to be properly made, proper fats are required. (French fries and doughnuts don’t count.) Many universities, including Harvard and Purdue, have done much research on the use of essential fatty acids for good neurologi-cal health. Dyslexia, dyspraxia (“the clumsy child syndrome”), ADD, hyperactivity, bipolar

disorder, depression, post-partum depression, and sensory integration problems are condi-tions of essential fatty acid deficiency. This deficiency often shows up in physical symp-toms such as dry hair, dry skin, asthma, aller-gies, bumps on the back of the arms, or white spots on the fingernails. When the brain is fed the fats it needs, the physical symptoms dis-appear as well. Kids often comment that they can “think better” when they take the essential fatty acids. Get the real skinny on fats! Learn how to help your child feel better, and thus act and learn better. Knowledge is power!

Babies, Babies Everywhere! ~ Kerin Morgan A humorous view of life with many little ones underfoot and under tables and under... where? Tales of being educated by all life has to offer a busy home—harmonious and orderly chaos! Kerin will share the joys and challenges and some hints for dealing with the young ones in the home while still trying to educate the older ones! Come and be absolutely convinced that it can be done—without pulling out any hair!

Tomorrow’s Revisionist History 101: “The Pilgrims Feasted on the Indians” ~ G. BotkinGeoff Botkin explores the story of American history textbooks of the 20th century, why they are dangerously unreliable, and what historical revisionists have planned for the future.

Dinosaurs! ~ Mike SnavelyThis session answers the basic questions eve-ryone has on the subject of dinosaurs: What were they? When did they live? What hap-pened to them? Does the Bible talk about them? And more!

Beat Homeschool Burnout ~ Jane BullivantIt is entirely possible to raise and educate your children in excellence without burning your-self out in the process. Organization is not the answer; it’s merely a tool. The answer to beat-ing burnout? Come and find out. Homeschool frenzy will be a thing of the past!

Passing It On: Why Do We Need To Teach Our Children about Money? ~ Barry HardyTeens are the fastest growing group of bank-ruptcy filers in the country. People entering col-lege are offered eight credit cards during their first week of school. More students drop out of college due to financial pressure than academic issues. Still need a reason to attend this session? Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Paul Revere: a Case Study in the Unit Study ~ Adam Andrews Do you know the difference between set-ting and context? Come listen to the story of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and his famous poem, and discover the power of these two ideas to deepen your understanding of the

books you read. Based on the idea that every book is a product of a certain time and place, Adam presents these details as important keys for unlocking the meaning and signifi-cance of any work of literature. Even if you’ve read the poem a thousand times, you might come away with a new perspective—and new vision for your work as a teacher.

a Tale of Two Fathers ~ Gregg HarrisTwo fathers. Both righteous men. Both warned by God about coming judgment. Both attempt to save their families, but only one succeeds. The other loses everyone and everything but his own soul. What did they do differently? And how can we learn from their examples in the Bible?

∆ aLERT academy ~ Father and Son Training ProgramsThis workshop will deal with the raising of boys to become godly men as they transition from childhood to manhood according to 1 Corinthians 13:11.

∆ Classical Education Made Do-able ~ Classical ConversationsWhy did sixteen-year-olds throughout American history successfully teach multiple grades and

multiple subjects while we struggle at home with three students? Learn their secrets in this overview of classical education. The Classical Conversations Foundations program for K-6th grades, Essentials program for 4th-6th grades, and Challenge program for 7th-12th grades will be presented.

∆ a Practical Guide to Making Scripture Central in Your Home Education ~ Vision ForumFor many, the reformation doctrine of Sola Scriptura is an easy doctrine to say “Amen” to; however, adherence to this great Christian truth requires far more than verbal assent: “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15 (KJV). The keeping of God’s commands requires a working knowledge of His Word. Reformation of the heart and victorious Christian living only come with recognition of the consequences of our profession and conformity to the image of Christ through transformation and renewal of our minds.

∆ How to Do Real Science that Sticks to Your Brain ~ Supercharged ScienceLearn how to avoid the three biggest mistakes made in science education—from a real rock-et scientist and university instructor! Bring dynamic hands-on projects into your science curriculum. If you’ve never fired seltzer rock-ets, built laser light shows from Tupperware™,

or created working robots from junk, you’re in for a real treat!

∆ The 4 C’s of LEGO Learning ~ LEGO EducationConstruction allows students to learn through building. A child’s most serious work is play, which allows him to imitate others and to discover “what happens when I....” This work-shop, designed for parents, will discuss the 4 C’s of the learning process (connect, con-struct, contemplate, and continue) and show specific examples of applying them with age-appropriate educational sets developed by LEGO Education. Science kits and activity packs developed by LEGO to teach simple machines, energy, structures, and robotics are presented. Sets involve problem-solving activities, easy-to-use worksheets, and de-tailed teacher notes.Products are available for all age divisions, from early learning through high school. At the conclusion of the workshop, a drawing is held for those in attendance for a LEGO edu-cational set with teacher’s guide.

WRaP-UP SESSION – 4:30 pm - 5:30 pmask a Homeschool ParentA panel of veteran homeschoolers answers audience questions. Don't leave the conven-tion with your questions unanswered—come ask our panel!

(Spouses are always free!)

Questions?Call: 804-278-9200 Visit: www.heav.org e-mail: registration@heav.orgregisteronlinetodayatwww.heaV.org!

(Names And DOB)

(Names And DOB)

Preregistration oPtions Mbrs / non-MbrsFull 3-Day Convention (spouse free) ❏ $55 ❏ $70 $______ includes all Shopping (uCS & exhibit Hall) & Workshops

FriDay only (spouse free) ❏ $40 ❏ $55 $______exhibit Hall, uCS & Workshops

SaturDay only (spouse free) ❏ $40 ❏ $55 $______exhibit Hall, uCS & Workshops

SHopping only (spouse free) ❏ $20 ❏ $25 $______exhibit Hall (th.-Sat.), uCS (Fri.-Sat.) & Choice of Keynote Session

granDparentS (non-homeschooling) Free $______

teen/young aDultS (13 & up) $20/one; $40/two or more $______

‘tWeenS (10-12) $20/one; $40/two or more $______

CHilDren’S program $20/child per day ❏ Fri. ❏ Sat. $______

Donation (thank you!) ❏ Scholarship ❏ general $______

Heav memberSHip $35 per year ❏ new ❏ renewal $______❏ $75 Sustaining member ❏ $750 lifetime member

granD total $______

payment metHoD ❏ Check/money order ❏ masterCard ❏ viSa Card #______________________________________exp. Date_____________Signature_________________________________________________________

leaDerSHip lunCHeon Contact the HEAV office

volunteer i’d like to volunteer! please Contact me For:Specific area ________________________________ ❏ Wherever needed❏ thursday ❏ Friday ❏ Saturday

(Names And DOB)

preregister&

payonline!

OFFICE USE ONLY: PMK/RCD_______________________________

FREE

OFFICE USE ONLY: ORG#_______________

(Names and DOB of children (ages 4-12) registering for the Children’s Program)

namesastheyshouldappearonnametags

Parent/s___________________________________________________________

Grandparent/s_____________________________________________________

Teen/s & Young Adult/s____________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

‘tween/s____________________________________________________________

Children for Children’s Program_________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Address____________________________________________________________

City____________________________State___________Zip________________

Phone (______)_____________________________________________________

e-mail___________________________________❏ please send newsletter

topreregister, send form and payment to: HEAV, P.O. Box 6745, Richmond, VA 23230-0745; or preregister online at www.heav.org. preregistrationdeadline:may19—after that, register at the door.

∆ Exhibitor Workshops / www.heav.org l �

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myoldestdaughterstoodinthelunchlineatTrin-ity Western University, her new home as a first-yearcollegestudent.Wehadhelpedhersetupher

dormroom,butIneededtodrivebackearlierthenmywifeLisatotakeourotherdaughtertoaconcert.

So,itcametimetosaygood-bye.LisasawmeturntowardAllison,noticedthecloudcov-

eringmyeyes, and then said,“Don’tyoudare cry.Don’tyoudare.”ShewasafraidthatifIlostit,she’dloseit,too.SheandAllisonwerestillinaverypublicplace,whileIcouldsoonbreakdowninthequietconfinesofmyowncar.

IhuggedmydaughterandthankedGodfordarksun-glasses,whichIputonwellbeforeImadeitoutdoors.

Thenextday,aftertheconcert,myyoungestdaughterKelseyaskedme,“Didyouhaveaheadachelastnight?”

“No.Whydoyouask?”“BecausewheneverIlookedoveratyou,youwerehold-

ingyourhead.”“Oh.That.Iwasmourning.”“Dad,herschoolisforty-fiveminutesaway.”“It’sinanothercountry!”“You’regoingtoseeherinaweek.”“Yeah.Awholeweek.”DuringtheconcertIhad,indeed,satthereandmourn-

ed.Whilethesingerswhippedthecrowdupwiththeirmu-sic,Imournedthelossofmyoldestdaughter.

ButthenGodcamethrough,inawonderfullyreassuring

way.Mygoal,withallmychildren,hasbeentoraise“sonsanddaughtersofLevi.”Malachigivesus apictureofwhatagodlychildis: “[Levi]reveredmeandstoodinaweofmyname.True instructionwas inhismouthandnothing falsewasfoundonhislips.Hewalkedwithmeinpeaceandup-rightness,andturnedmanyfromsin.”Malachi2:5-6(NIV)

According to this passage, God wants us to maintainfamiliesthatteachourdaughtersandsonsto:

• liveinaweofhim• reverehisWord• walkwithGodinfellowship• livepeacefullywithothers• turnothersfromtheirsin.

God met me with an overwhelming sense that I haddonewhatIcould;nowAllisonneededtoleaveourhomeforabitforGodtocompletehisworkinher.Iregrettedallthelostopportunities,butGodremindedmeofopportuni-tiescaught.Ithoughtofallthatwasleftundone,butGodencouragedmewithvisionsofallHe still is doing.

Godisworkinginourchildren’slives.Wehavearole—averyimportantrole—butweneverparentalone.Ihadthisstrangesenseoftogetherness;Iwasliketheassistantcoach,strategizing with the head coach about how we’ll get thisplayerready—notforagame,butforlife.Icouldrest,real-izingGodhasplans,Godhasapurpose,Godistakingtheinitiative.Ihadplantedalittle,tinyseed;Godwouldmakeitblossom.

Letting Go Gary Thomas

ResourcesOncewerealizethatweareallsinnersgrowingtoward

God,familylifetakesonanentirelynewpurposeandcon-text.Sacred ParentinginvitesustoexperienceGodinneweranddeeperways.

Tender Warrior: Every Man’s Purpose, Every Woman’s Dream, Every Child’s Hope byStuWeberencouragesmentobetheheroesthatGoddesiresthemtobe.WeberdividesmanhoodintoKing,Warrior,Mentor,andFriend.Heem-phasizes that a tender warrior is vigilant, committed, andconsiderateandtakesinitiativeinhisrelationships.Heun-derstandshisresponsibilitytohisfamily,recognizingthatheis“underorders”fromahigherauthority.

In Raising a Modern Day Knight: A Father’s Role in Guiding His Son to Authentic Manhood,PastorRobertLewissharesabiblicalperspectiveofmanhood,alongwithinsightsandpractical ideason raisingboys tobechivalrous,godlymen.Lewissuggestsequippingboyswiththreeessentialele-ments:avision,acodeofconduct,andacause(Christianity)in which to invest their lives. This book also comes withideasfora“knighthood”ceremony.

michaelFarris,HSLDApresidentandhomeschoolingfa-therof10,wroteThe Home Schooling Father: How You

Can Play a Decisive Role in Your Child’s Success,offeringin-sightandguidancefromyearsofexperience.UsedcopiesofthisbookareavailablefromAmazon.comforlessthan$1.

MichaelFarris has alsoupdatedhis bookondads anddaughters. What a Daughter Needs from Her Dad: How a Man Prepares His Daughter for Life discussesadad’suniqueopportunitytotraindaughtersindating,personalappearance,andpreparingfortheirfuturerolesaswomen.Thebookin-cludesnewmaterialonrelatingtoadultdaughters.

LivingwithGodinsteadofjustforGodmightsoundlikeanabstractdoctrine,butthefactis,you’llnevercomeacrossamorepracticalhelpinlife.IthinkofJeremiah17:5,7-8(NIV):“Cursedistheonewhotrustsinman,whodependsonfleshforhisstrengthandwhoseheartturnsawayfromtheLord…ButblessedisthemanwhotrustsintheLord,whoseconfidenceisinhim.Hewillbelikeatreeplantedbythewaterthatsendsoutitsrootsbythestream.Itdoesnotfearwhenheatcomes;itsleavesarealwaysgreen.Ithasnoworriesinayearofdroughtandneverfailstobearfruit.”

Thisisastrueinourobedienceasitisinourparenting.

Gary Thomas (www.garythomas.com), award-winning author of many outstanding Christian books and articles on spiritual formation, is the founder and director of the CenterforEvangelicalSpirituality and an adjunct faculty member at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. This article is an excerpt from Gary’s latest book, The Beautiful Fight, which was released by Zondervan in October.

Preregister for Convention & Save! For more information

visit www.heav.org.

toddWilson, contributingwriter andHEAVconferencespeaker,hasseveralgreathelpsforbothdadsandmomsas

theyworkthroughtheirhomeschoolingjourney.Youcanordertheseandotherresourcesatwww.familymanweb.com.

ForDads:SignupforTodd’sweeklynewsletterofencour-agement at www.familymanweb.com/newsletter. BooksyoumightwanttolookatincludeYou ‘da Dad,acompila-tionofsomeofTodd’sbestweeklye-mails,andHelp! I’m Married to a Homeschooling Mom,whichshowsdadspracti-calwaystomeettheneedsoftheirhomeschoolingwives.

ForMoms:Homeschooling but Still Marriedsharesthesecretofmaintainingagreatrelationshipwithyourhusbandeventhoughyouhomeschoolandtellshowtokeephome-schoolingfromconsumingeverythinginyourlife.

gary Thomas, director of The Center for EvangelicalSpirituality,istheauthorofmanyhelpfulbooksavail-

ableatwww.garythomas.com.Sacred Parenting: How Raising Children Shapes Our

Souls isnot a“how-to”book that teachesparentshow tochange their kids,but ratherdiscusseshowGoduseskidstochange theirparents.Topics includedealingwithguilt,listening to God, confronting cowardice, handling anger,learningpatienceandperseverance,makingthesacrifice,andembracingjoy.

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Todd Wilson

L etme just sayup front thatmypassion is showingdadshowtobemoreinvolvedintheirfamiliesandespecially in their homeschools. But, in case dads

aren’treadingthismagazine,I’mgoingtoaddressallyoumomswhoare.

I’m going to share with you the holy grail of home-schooling—howtogetyourhusbandmoreinvolvedinyourlife,yourfamily,andyourhomeschool.Icanseeyounod-dingyourheadindisbelief,butI’mserious.WhatI’mgoingtosharewithyouhasthepowertotransformyourlife,yourmarriage,andespeciallyyourhomeschool.

Actually,it’snotallthatdifficultintheory.Infact,itallboilsdowntooneverysimpleprinciple.Hereitis:When-everyourhusbandinvolveshimselfinanyway—LETHIM.

That’sit.

Yousee,mostofthetimewhenahusbandtriestohelpout,hegetstoldthathediditwrong—whetherit’sloadingthedishwasher,dressingthetoddler,orpickingsomethingupforyouatthestore.

Considerthisscenarioforexample:Yourhusbandseesyoustrugglingandfeelsguiltyaboutthehugeburdenthatyoushoulder,sohedecidestotrytohelp.Hopingtosur-priseyou,hestraightensuptheschoolroommessbeforehegoestobed,soyoucanstartthedaywithaspic-and-spanhomeschoolarea.

Thinking he has done something good, he excitedlywaitsforyoutoseetheroomthenextmorning.Butinsteadofbeingappreciative,youcomplainthathemessedthingsallupbyputtingstuffwhereitdoesn’tbelong.

Now,guesswhatgoesoninyourhusband’sheadwhen

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portantthingisthathewillbecomemoreinvolvedinyourfamily,youandyourchildrenwillreapthebenefits,andhewillloveyoumorebecauseyoubelieveinhim.

So,goon—lethim.

Todd Wilson is a homeschool dad, writer, conference speaker, and the founder of Familyman Ministries (www.familyman-web.com).His passion and mission are to encourage parents through seminars, books, and The Familyman Weekly (a weekly e-mail sent to thousands of dads).

hegetsthatkindofresponse?Hemakesamentalnotenevertodothatagain.Andhedoesn’t.

Oh, it’snot justaboutcleaninguptheschoolroom.Itappliestohelpingwiththedishes,discipliningthechildren,leading family devotions, and a hundred other things. Wehusbandsoftenquitinvolvingourselvesbecausewhenwedo,youpointouthowwediditwrong.

Wepullout.Wequitleading,quitofferingtohelp,andsitonthecouchandwatchTVinstead.It’seasier—andsafer.

Myownwifestilldoesittomesometimes.BeforeIgotmarried, I thoughtIwas smartandcoulddosimple taskslikeparkthecar,butafterwegotmarried,thingschanged.I’dpullintoaparkingspace,andmywifewouldsay,“Whyareyouparkinghere?”

Iwouldlookatherlikeitwasatrickquestionandan-swer,“Um,becauseitwasempty?”

Shejustwantedmetoparkalittlecloser,butIfeltlikeshethoughtIwasdumb.ItevengottothepointthatI’dfreezeupwhenIgottoaparkinglotandhavetocheckwithmywifebeforeIparked.

OnetimewhenIwasspeakingtoalargegroupofwom-eninMassachusettsaboutthisverythingIgavethemthehomework assignment of telling their husbands that theypickedagoodparkingspot.

Theverynextday,abigguywalkeduptomeandsaid,“Idon’tknowwhatyoutoldthosewomenyesterday,butmywifetoldmethismorningthatIdidagoodjobparkingthecar.”

Hepaused,andthenwithoutahintofasmilesaid,“It’llneverlast.”

Inshorthewassaying,“Icanneverdoanythingrightinhereyes.”

Mom,letmesayagain,thisiswhyhusbandsdon’tgetinvolved.We’velearnedthatalthoughyouneedourinvolve-ment,youdon’tWANTour involvement,unless it’sdoneYOURway—andwecan’talwaysdoityourway.

Sohere’swhatyouneedtodo:wheneveryourhusbandinvolveshimselfinanyway,shape,orform—LETHIM.

So,ifhecleansupyourhomeschoolareaandputsthingsawayinthewrongplace,yousay,“Thanks,Honey,Ireallyappreciateyoudoingthat.”

Ifyoudothat,IGUARANTEEthathewilldoitagain.Thenexttimeyourhusbandspendsafewminutesread-

ingtooneofyourchildren,don’ttellhimyou’dloveitifhecoulddothatmoreoften.Justsaythankyou,andheWILLdo it again.If you ask for more, he will give you less. If you thank him, he will give you more.

Ifyouwantyourhusbandtotakeamoreactiveroleindiscipliningyourchildren,justwaituntilhedoesandthenthankhim fordoing suchawonderful job. If youcorrecthimforhis“overzealous”punishmentorundowhathehasdone,thenhewon’tdoitanymore.

Ifyouneedyourhusband’sinvolvement—andyoudo—thenwheneverhe involveshimself inanyway,LETHIM.Thenbeappreciative!

Thiswillwork.Tryitthisweekandseeforyourself.Hemaynotdo ityourway,but thatdoesn’tmatter.The im-

Yousee,mostofthetimewhenahusbandtriestohelpout,hegetstoldthathediditwrong—whetherit’sloadingthedishwasher,dressingthetoddler,orpickingsomethingupforyouatthestore.

Considerthisscenarioforexample:Yourhusbandseesyoustrugglingandfeelsguiltyaboutthehugeburdenthatyoushoulder,sohedecidestotrytohelp.Hopingtosur-priseyou,hestraightensuptheschoolroommessbeforehegoestobed,soyoucanstartthedaywithaspic-and-spanhomeschoolarea.

Thinking he has done something good, he excitedlywaitsforyoutoseetheroomthenextmorning.Butinsteadofbeingappreciative,youcomplainthathemessedthingsallupbyputtingstuffwhereitdoesn’tbelong.

Now,guesswhatgoesoninyourhusband’sheadwhen

Don't Miss the 25th Annual HEAV Convention!

Register today! www.heav.org

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Coming to VirginiAheAV homeSChooL SuCCeSS SeminArS

2248GDabneyRoad,Richmond804-278-9200 or info@heav.org Seminars begin at 1:00 p.m.

Registrationisavailableatthedoor,butpre-registrationwillguaranteeaseatandallowustonotifyyouofanyschedulechangesorspacelimitations.WeacceptVisaorMasterCard.Childcareisnotavailable.

Testing and Evaluations ~ March 13, 2008Itisthattimeofyearagain—testing!Weknowthiscanbeachallengeforstudentsaswellasparents.Thisseminarwillhelpyouprepareforthisend-of-the-yeareventandalleviate“testanxiety.”

Sarah Olbris, an experienced test administrator formore than 13 years and a homeschool mom of four, willpresent practical information on achievement tests—howachievement tests differ from other tests, how to prepareyourstudentsforthetest,andhowtointerprettheresults.Shewillsharestrategiestogiveyourstudentsconfidenceandpossiblyimprovetheirscores.Sarahhasworkedwithgifted,average,andspecial-needschildren.Shehasexperiencewithstandardized achievement tests, independent evaluations,andportfolioassessments.

How to Begin Homeschooling: What You Really Need to Know! ~ April 15, 2008Areyouthinkingabouthomeschoolingnextyear?Getyourquestionsanswered,andusetheinformationfromthissemi-nartoprepareforthecomingyear.Whatarethefirstthingsyoushouldyoudotogetstarted?Whatdoesthe lawsay?Wherecanyougetcurricula?Whatkindofrecordsshouldyoukeep?Wherecanyougethelp?

Nowisthetimetogetreadyasthiswillbethelastspringseminaratourresourcecenter.Youcanmaximizeyoursuc-cesswithpracticalideasfromtwoveteranhomeschoolmoms,Yvonne BunnandVicki Bentley.Thisinformativeseminarwillhelpyoufocusonthethingsyouneedtoknowforasuc-cessfulhomeschoolyear, includinghowtoprepare, the insandoutsoftheVirginialaw,testingandevaluationoptions,howtochoosecurricula,howtoteachseverallevelsatonce,how to get the support you need, where to find the bestresources,somethingstoavoid,andsomesecretsofsuccess.

Schedule a Seminar for your Support Group!Ifyouwouldliketoschedulea“HomeschoolSuccess”semi-narinyourarea,contacttheHEAVofficeat804-278-9200,ore-mailYvonneBunnatsupport@heav.org.Ourgoalistohelp you succeed by providing the right information andbestresourcesavailable!

heAV Convention graduation Doyouhaveaseniorwhowouldliketoparticipatein

the HEAV commencement ceremony on Saturday, June7, 2008? If so, please contact theHEAVoffice at office@heav.orgor804-278-9200andrequestaGRAD(Gradua-tionRegistrationandDetails)packet.Thepacket includesanapplicationandinformationfororderingcapsandgowns,diplomas,announcements,photographs,andmore.Theap-plicationmustbereturnedbyApril4,socalltoday.

Find the right CoLLege!Areyouworkingwithyourteentomakeadecisionabout

college?If so, thereare lotsof factors toconsider.Youcanmake personal contact with college representatives and getyourquestionsansweredatoneofseveralcollegefairsthrough-outtheCommonwealth.Eachfairwillincluderepresentativesfrom100-250collegesanduniversities.TheVirginiaAssocia-tionofCollegiateRegistrarsandAdmissionsOfficerswillhostthefollowingfreecollegefairsduringthespring:

April 10~ArthurAsheCenter,Richmond–8a.m.to1:30p.m.Contact:BeverlyMountain,804-780-6574

April 15 ~GretnaHighSchool,Gretna–6:30p.m.to8:30p.m.Contact:RebeccaColbert,434-656-2246

April 17~NotreDameAcademy,Middleburg–1:30p.m.to3p.m.Contact:ErinO’Leary,540-687-5581

April 17 ~PatriotCenter,GMU–6p.m.to8p.m.Contact:KevinHolmes,703-993-2405

April 23~CharlottesvilleHighSchool–7p.m.to9p.m.Contact:LisaMorales,434-245-2609

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reCognizing the AmAzing VoLunteerS who heLp do the work oF heAV!

the nAtionAL BetA CLuBTheNationalBetaClubpromotes character,develops

leadershipskills,encouragesserviceinvolvement,recognizesachievement,andprovidestechnologicaladvantagestostu-dentsingrades5-12.Theirfocusistopromoteacademics,service,character,andleadership.

Theopportunitytoservethecommunity,especiallythehomeschoolcommunity,istrulyablessingforRichmond’shomeschool chapter of the National Beta Club. Not onlyhavetheyservedHEAV,butalsoHabitatforHumanity,thehomeless, Angel Tree, Operation Christmas Child, Rich-mond Regional Home Educators, the Pocahontas ParkClean-upProject,andattheBetaClubConvention.

CommentsfromtheBetaswhovolunteeredwithHEAV:

Year after year, HEAV orchestrates a beautifully or-ganized and inspiring convention that runs smoothly for all of us. The day I volunteered, I saw a tiny por-tion of the effort that goes into every detail to ensure a wonderful experience for the thousands who attend. My job was simple the day I volunteered. Working in a team of six, we prepared and organized name tags. Such a minor part, but still a piece of the “big picture” which helped to make the 2007 convention an awe-some experience for all who attended. - Kathleen

I enjoyed serving Virginia’s homeschoolers, and the HEAV staff was very amiable and helpful. I can’t wait to volunteer again in ’08! - Ashlyn

Helping HEAV is very worthwhile to me as I can serve the homeschool community, meet other volunteers, and hone my organizational skills at the same time. A big thank you goes to HEAV for allowing youth like me to serve in this way. I am very proud to be able to help out for this wonderful event! - Victoria

By working in the HEAV office a couple of weeks be-fore the HEAV Convention, I really got the feel of how much work is involved in planning all the details, and enjoyed volunteering. Once I got to the convention, I was amazed at how much fun a homeschool conven-tion could be! - Emily

Working at the HEAV office was loads of fun. It was fun to find people’s names that we knew while stuffing envelopes. My siblings and I had a great time and are looking forward to doing it again this year. - Josiah

I was eager to help out with HEAV so I could have a chance to give back to the organization that has helped our family so much over the years with homeschooling. It was fun working side-by-side with friends on a big project. HEAV bought us pizza too! - JohnThank you, Betas!

VoLunteer SpotLight

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project guys & Building relationships (continued from page 16)

Nauticus Homeschool Day

did You pet the ShArkS?You could have if you were at the HEAV-sponsored

Nauticus Homeschool Day! On January 15, more than1,200 homeschoolers and their parents came to Nauticusat the downtown Norfolk waterfront to learn about theworld’slargestnaturalharbor.Childrenofallagestouchedexoticseacreatures,includingseastars,hermitcrabs,horse-shoecrabs,seaurchins,andotherinhabitantsoftheChesa-peakeBay.Daringparticipantseventouchedthebackofoneofthewarm-waternursesharks!

Studentsgottoobserve, feel,andevencreateweather!They had the opportunity to learn about ocean currentsaroundtheworld,seeademonstrationoftheElNiñoeffect,pickupfreeresourcesandeducationalmaterialsfromNOAA(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), andparticipateinvariousworkshopsandspecialexperimentsheldthroughouttheday.ThosewillingtobravetheharborwindscouldalsoboardtheBattleshipWisconsin,locatedbesidethemuseum,foranup-closeviewofitsmammothguns.

HomeschoolDayatNauticuswasanHEAV-sponsoredevent—onewhereHEAVstaffandvolunteersworkedsidebysidewithNauticusstafftobringyouagreatday.AtHEAV,we’redelightedtohavetheopportunitytoserveyouthrougheventslikeHomeschoolDayatNauticus.WeappreciateyourcontinuedsupportofHEAVthroughyourprayers,notesofencouragement,membership,donations, andvolunteer ser-vice—yoursupporthelpsusoffereventslikethisonethrough-outtheyear.Wecouldn’tdowhatwedowithoutYOU!

Althoughhisupperandlowerlipswereswellinguplikebal-loons,therewerenoseriousgashes.AsIlookedaroundatalltheequipmentIhadcarriedtothecampsite,Idecidedwewerenotgoinghome.

Joshua had another mishap, poison ivy behind bothears,whichcausedthemtoswellupandturnred.Theywerestickingoutfromhisheadat90-degreeanglesbytheendofourtrip.

But,wehadanamazingtime.ThekidsandIcooked,burnedmostofthestuff,andateuntilwecouldnoteatanymore.Wespentadayandtwonightscamping,andultimatelygothomeinonepiece.Ialmostblewitattheend,though.Ihadgottenthroughthetwodaysprettywelluntilwewereatthecampsitetoilet.Joshuawalkedinbehindme.Iturnedmybackonhimjustlongenoughforhimtowashhishandsinwhathethoughtwasthebathroomsink.Actually,itwas

aurinalhangingonthewall,fullofurine.Ialmostlostit.Somewordsquicklycametomylips,butIshutthemoffandsuggestedJoshuawashhishandsusingthenon-yellowwaterbeforedigginginthebagformoregummyworms.

Ican’timaginewhatSusymusthavethoughtwhenshegotherfirstlookatus.Therewewere,tiredanddirty.Josh-ua’slipswereswollennearlytothesizeofhotdogsandhisearsstuckstraightoutfromhislittlehead.Susylookeddownandexclaimed,“Whathappened?”

Isaid,“Look,he’sbackaliveandinonepiece.Thatwasthedeal.Isaylet’scelebrateamissionaccomplished!”Intheend,notonlyhadthecampingtripbeenasuccess,butI—aproject guy—hadshareda fun-packed,relationship-buildingweekendwithmychildrenthatnoneofuswouldeverforget.

The above article was adapted from Phil’s book, AFather’sReward, published by the Eternal Impact Publishing. The book may be ordered online at www.dnaministries.org.

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heAV Board of directorsAnne miller | President Williamsburg | president@heav.orgAl Linder | Vice PresidentManassas | vp.heav@comcast.netrick Boyer | Board MemberRustburg | learningparent@aol.comCherrie moore | Board MemberVirginia Beach | cherrie@heav.orgpatrick ryan | Board MemberPurcelleville | pryan@heav.org

Advisory BoardYvonne Bunn | Murfreesboroybunn@heav.orgFlorence Feldman | Virginia BeachFlowNow@aol.comLinda Linder | Manassaslinda.heav@comcast.net

heAV StaffJim Bentley | Executive DirectorExecutivedirector@heav.org Yvonne Bunn | Director of Homeschool Supportsupport@heav.orgFlorence Feldman | Convention Directorflo@heav.orgCarol Clark | Office Manageroffice@heav.orgVicki Bentley | Curriculum Counselorvicki@heav.orghelen wright | Financial Managerfinance@heav.orgJoshua Fisher | Webmasterjosh@heav.org

publications StaffAnne miller | Director of Publications & Marketingamiller@heav.orgkatherine Loop | Asst. Director of Publications & Marketingkloop@heav.orgmary kay Smith | Magazine Editoreditor@heav.orgkathy williams | Advertising Directoradvertising@heav.orgkathleen dillie | Update Managerupdate@heav.orgChris ellyson | Update Editor Anna dykhoff | Update Graphic DesignerSusannah miller | Graphic Designersusannah.miller@gmail.com melissa Barnes | Editor/Proofreader

on the Cover

Cover design by Susannah Miller.

Send address changes to: Home Educators Association of Virginia, 22��-G Dabney Road, Richmond, Virginia 23230-0���; Fax: �0�-2��-�202; E-mail: office@heav.org; Phone: �0�-2��-�200; or Web: www.heav.org. For fastest service, send your for-mer and new addresses.

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2248 G Dabney Road • P.O. Box 6745 •

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage

pAidPermit No. 2��

Richmond, VA 23230

Train up a child in the way he should go25