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TABLE OF CONTENTS
What Your State Organization Can Do for You
Capitol Day in Your State
Getting the Most Out of Home-School Events --
Conventions, Conferences, and Book Fairs
Attending
5+ Benefits
of Attending an Event
5 To Consider
Going with You
4 Possible Ways
To Save on Registration
Preparing
8 Ways To Prepare
5 Things To
Do the Day Before
At the Convention
In the Exhibit
Hall
Mind Your Convention
Manners
3+ Ways To Network
Afterwards
6 Follow-Up
Activities
Recommended Resources
Moody Science Classics
Structured Writing
Student Of the Word
Life Checks
Teaching Home Magazine Back Issues
Sunnyside Up: Humorous Anecdote
Greetings!
Unique benefits await you at your local, regional,
or state
home-school convention, conference, or book fair. We urge
you to attend!
Be sure to get the most out of any home-school
event with
the practical suggestions and check-lists in this issue.
May the Lord bless you and your family for
His glory.
Cordially,
Cindy Short and Sue Welch, Sisters and Co-Editors
The Pat Welch Family, Publishers
Pat, Sue, Heather, Holly, and Brian
____________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________
For a list of state organizations,
with contact information and
website links, see
http://www.teachinghome.com/states/index.cfm
What Your State Organization Can Do for You
A host of dedicated home-school parents --
just like you --
serve the home-school community in necessary and beneficial ways
through state organizations. These are some of the most obvious
ways they work for you.
1. Protect Your Home-School Freedoms
It is vital for a strong, state organization
to constantly
monitor proposed legislation that could threaten even the best
home-school law in the nation.
By joining your state home-school organization,
you can
provide needed support. You will be informed so that you can take
part in any political action.
2. Supply Getting Started Information
Your state home-school organization can supply
getting
started information including how to comply with your own state's
unique laws.
3. Offer Events & News
Home-school events inspire and inform (see
more about this
in the articles below).
State newsletters and magazines provide specific
information
and news for your state.
4. Network & Serve Local Support Groups
Your state home-school organization may provide
networking
and leadership helps to local support groups as well as referring
new home-school families to them.
Capitol Day in Your State
Many state organizations arrange a day at
their capitol to
acquaint legislators with home-school families and to acquaint home
educators with legislators and the legislative process. This
prepares families to participate in activism that can help
preserve parental and home education rights.
Check with your state organization to see
if and when they
are planning a day at your capitol. See links to state
organizations at http://www.teachinghome.com/states/index.cfm.
____________________________________________________
A Neo-Classical Approach Makes
This
Academic Writing Curriculum
Innovative and Doable
The Structured Writing Company's writing program
uses
color-coded formulas to teach academic writing step-by-step.
Once learned, the formulas help your student
set up different
types of academic writing assignments while the color codes
effectively illuminate the different parts of each assignment.
An extremely detailed teacher's manual compliments
the
effectiveness of the student handbook.
Get more information at http://www.StructuredWriting.com.
____________________________________________________
Getting the Most Out of Home-School Events
--
Conventions, Conferences, and Book Fairs
Find out exactly when your state convention
is by going to
The Teaching Home's website (link below). There you will see
the
event and date and be able to link directly to the state organization's
website for complete information.
http://www.teachinghome.com/states/index.cfm
Check this list to see if your state's convention
or capitol day
is coming up soon (listed by state / followed by foreign).
March. AK, AZ, HI, OK / SK
April. CA, CO, DE, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, NE, NM,
OK, SC, TN, TX, UT / AB, MB
May. AR, FL, GA, IL, MI, MS, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OR, PA,
TN, TX, WV, WI, WY / NB, QC
June. CO, CT, ID, IL, IA, KS, MT, NY, OH, SC, SD, 2 TX,
VA
July. AL, AZ, CA, KY, TN / NZ
August. OR, 2 TX
5+ Benefits of Attending an Event
The opportunities brought together in this
once-a-year event
can renew and expand your vision for teaching and training your
children. Be encouraged, rejuvenated, inspired, motivated, and
better equipped to home school!
1. Speakers can broaden your horizons with new ideas, methods,
materials, and approaches as well as reminders
of the basics.
2. Workshops give you practical training in specific topics
to
make your teaching more efficient.
3. Exhibit Halls enable you to examine, compare, and purchase
home-education products from many vendors
in one place.
You can speak to authors or knowledgeable
representatives to
learn more, and you can usually save on shipping.
4. Networking with other like-minded home schoolers can
offer
valuable friendship and support.
5. Extras. Check to see if any of the following
are offered:
Used Curriculum Sale.
Teens' or Children's Programs.
Tapes of General Sessions and Workshops.
Luncheon or Meeting for Support Group Leaders.
Graduation Ceremony.
Boxed Lunch or Snack Bar.
Special Hotel Room Rates.
5 To Consider Going with You
1. Spouse. It is ideal for a husband and wife to
go together to
share perspectives and focus on family goals
and budget.
2. Friend. If it is not possible for your spouse
to attend, a
friend can help you in much the same way.
3. Nursing Babies, of course, stay with Mom.
4. Young Children. Children might not be allowed
and will be
a distraction; either you will not be able
to get all you can out
of the convention, or you will not be able
to give adequate
care to your children.
5. Teens and Older Children. If programs are offered
for them,
you may want to consider this option.
Hotel Room. If you need to travel
far, you might take a room
for overnight, to stow purchases, or to take a rest.
4 Possible Ways To Save on Registration
Check out these cost-cutting options:
1. Preregister. This can save you money that you
can spend on
buying materials.
2. Volunteer To Work. A few hours or more can be
a real help to
the organization sponsoring the event, and
you might be rewarded
by a reduced entrance fee and/or other benefits.
You will also get
to know some great home schoolers while working
with them.
3. Join Organization. By joining, you help support
home-school
efforts in your area, plus you might receive
discounts on your
convention fee and other benefits.
4. Special Rates for couples, grandparents, teens, children,
pastors, and other full-time ministers.
____________________________________________________
Student
Of the Word
Is
a K-12, Bible-Centered Curriculum.
* The goal is to know God.
* The method is discipleship.
* The main text for all the subjects
is the Bible.
* Integrated, multilevel approach.
* Covers all basic subjects except
math.
* Scope & sequence, charts,
daily lesson plans.
http://www.sowcurriculum.com
____________________________________________________
8 Ways To Prepare
The vast array of workshops and exhibit booths,
combined
with a limited time to take it all in, can be overwhelming when
you walk into a convention unprepared.
On the other hand, if you go with a plan and
focus on your
purpose and priorities, you can spend your time and money
more wisely and get the most out of the convention.
1. Pray for the Lord's promised wisdom in all your decisions.
2. Your Spouse and you should discuss your educational
goals,
plans, and budget.
3. Gather Information. Obtain a convention schedule,
list of
exhibitors, and exhibit hall floor plan.
4. Select and Prioritize speakers' sessions, workshops,
and
exhibitors you don't want to miss and conference
tapes you
might want to buy. Make a list and/or
mark your program and
exhibit hall floor plan.
5. Compare your agenda with that of your spouse or friend
attending with you and see if you can each
cover several
different sessions and then share their content
with each other.
6. Research. Check out publishers' and suppliers'
catalogs (in
print or online) to plan which materials you
would like to
examine. You can link to 300+ home-school
suppliers at
http://www.teachinghome.com/resources/index.cfm.
7. Shopping List. Make a list of specific materials
or the
types of materials you will be looking for.
8. Questions. Make a list of questions to ask exhibitors,
speakers, and/or other attendees.
5 Things To Do the Day Before
Make these last minute preparations.
1. Family Needs. Spend some special time with your
children
and husband. Prepare meals and make
provision to meet
other needs while you are at the convention.
Confirm child
care arrangements.
2. Directions. Make sure you know exactly how to
get to the
convention facility and what parking is available.
3. Schedule. Plan to leave in time to be early or
on time.
4. Pack items you will take with you.
Directions and/or map.
Cash, checks, or debit card.
Highlighter to mark your program.
Canvas tote(s) for handouts and purchases.
Steno pad and pens to take lots of notes.
Return address labels to use in filling out
forms.
Watch to keep track of time so you won't miss
sessions.
Comfortable walking shoes.
Water, snack, and lunch, unless you have other
plans.
5. Sleep and Eat. Get a good night's sleep and a
good
breakfast.
____________________________________________________
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At the Convention
Once at the convention, follow your plan.
Schedule. If you have not already obtained and marked
a
schedule and exhibit hall floor plan, do this
first.
Breaks. Take breaks to rest your feet, reassess your
progress, and write notes while your impressions
are fresh.
Speakers. Don't expect to agree with everything a speaker
says. Compare everything to God's Word;
accept and use what
you can and let the rest go.
The Unexpected. Allow some free time to take advantage
of an
unexpected opportunity.
In the Exhibit Hall
Work Your Plan. Use your prioritized plan of booth visits
and your shopping list to do your "must see"
visits first,
then go through the exhibit hall finding and
learning more
new things.
Talk to vendors about their products' methods, goals, and
philosophy, and how to use them. Use your
list of questions.
Purchases. Use the parcel check or take your purchases
to your room or car rather than carrying them
around.
Busy Exhibitor. If the representatives are busy at a "must
see"
booth, go on and return later, or ask to be
included in the
discussion.
Sleep on It. If you are attending two days, gather
information the first day, and then think
and pray about
your purchases before making them the next
day.
Also visit nonprofit and service organizations' booths to
find out what they can offer you (e.g., your
state organization).
Give Feedback. When appropriate, give a vendor a brief,
clear, and focused comment about your needs,
opinions, and
experiences to help them produce better products
and services.
Mind Your Convention Manners
Observe these guidelines to show consideration
to everyone
involved at the convention.
Convention Rules. Follow the rules set out for the convention
regarding food and beverage in exhibit hall
(check if bottled
water is OK), children, strollers, etc.
Exhibitors. Support the ones who help you. Do not take
up an
exhibitor's time in counseling and explaining
his products and
then go buy the same product from another
exhibitor or from a
discount supplier. Exhibitors help make the
convention possible.
Babies and Children. Immediately remove a crying or
disrupting child from a workshop or meeting.
Ask your child to
give his chair to an adult if there is not
enough seating.
3+ Ways To Network
1. Meet and talk to other attendees; greet old friends
and make
new ones.
2. Ask advice. Get feedback on ideas and products and
share
opinions and experiences. You may get your
most valuable
information and encouragement from another
home-school mom.
3. Offer to help someone. Hold a baby and give a
mother's arms
a rest; find a new home schooler (it will
be obvious) and give a
word of encouragement; offer to help a speaker
or exhibitor.
+ Smile at everyone.
____________________________________________________
Never Out of Date:
Teaching Home Magazine
Back Issues
Many home schoolers have
found information, inspiration, and
support from the writers who have
contributed to The Teaching Home
magazine for more than 20 years.
Fifty-one back issues are offered for sale online.
These back issues never go out of date.
They are relevant
and applicable to your needs today.
http://theteachinghomen.goemerchant7.com
____________________________________________________
6 Follow-Up Activities
(To Get the Last Bit of Good
from the Event!)
1. Debriefing. Have a debriefing discussion with
your spouse
or friend. Discuss the ideas and products
you encountered at
the convention to help you sort through things,
keeping some
and discarding others, focusing on how to
get the most out of
your experience.
2. Just Do It. Return home with at least one new
idea that will
make a difference in your home school to put
into practice.
Look over all your notes while they are fresh,
and narrow down
all the wonderful things you would like to
do to no more than six.
Then prioritize your list and start on the
first one the following week.
3. Be Accountable. Ask your husband or a friend
to pray for you
and keep you accountable to work on your goal.
The results may
surprise and encourage you.
4. Share the information you have gathered with your support
group or someone who was not able to attend.
Let them know if
you would recommend that they plan to attend
next year.
5. Clean Up. Sort literature you received into four
categories:
1) Take action. 2) Save for future reference
or reading.
3) Pass on to someone else. 4) Toss.
6. Thank Yous! Write a thank you note to those who
put so much
effort into putting on the convention, a speaker
that ministered to
you, or an exhibitor that took time to help
you.
____________________________________________________
Please Thank and Support
Our Sponsoring Advertisers!
These free newsletters are made possible financially
by the
fine suppliers who advertise in them and in the accompanying
e-mail. Please consider those that advertised in our last issue
(below) as well as the ones in this issue.
Moody Science Classics
http://www.moodypublishers.com/Publishers/default.asp?SectionID=B52F15D175DC433BA20DD62D3EF94C40
Keystone National High School
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Bible Maps & Resources
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Praiseworthy Books
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The Indestructible Book
http://www.kenconnolly.org
God's World News Weekly Current Events
http://www.gwnews.com/theteachinghome
____________________________________________________
Sunnyside Up
I was reading a story to our 5-year-old about
a discontented
caterpillar that turned into a butterfly. Always the teacher, I
stopped and asked, "And do you know what that is called, when the
old caterpillar rests in the cocoon and later comes out as a
beautiful butterfly?"
Our son ventured a guess, "Recycling?"
Submitted by Janet B., Pennsylvania
____________________________________________________
God Loves You.
Because we have been separated from God by
sin, Jesus Christ
died in our place, then rose to life again. If we trust Jesus
Christ as our Savior and Lord, He will give us eternal life.
"For by grace you have been saved through
faith; and that
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of
works, that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8, 9).
http://www.TeachingHome.com/about/Salvation.cfm
____________________________________________________
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