Before I started homeschooling, I decided to check out the Houston homeschool convention. In my mind, it was a one-stop shopping place to get all my curriculum with no shipping charges. And that was all! A place to save money on my curriculum. Little did I know (or expect) God had so much more for me at the convention twenty years ago.
When I arrived, I immediately visited all the booths, checking out the curriculum I would need. One decision I made before arriving was to use Abeka Grammar. So, I skipped the Abeka booth knowing I could order the following day.
By 2pm, I had seen it all and grabbed a cup of coffee. As I drank my coffee, I looked at the workshop listing and one stood out to me: Whole Child, Whole Books, by Sally Clarkson. When I was a public school teacher, I wanted so much to have classroom sets of real books. I wanted my students to read an entire book, instead of a few chapters in their reader.
The workshop started in 10 minutes, so off I went to see what it was all about. I was intrigued with the “living books” concept. I had never heard about “living books”, even in my Masters of Education classes. Yep, I have a Masters in Curriculum & Instruction. I can read and analyze a Scope & Sequence like nobody’s business.
But my Masters never prepared me for real education.
That homeschool convention was the beginning of “my” real education in preparing my kids for life. The first step would be using real books. God used a homeschool convention to show me the direction He wanted me to go in giving my kids the real tools of learning.
I spent the night at my parents and looked through the entire WholeHeart catalog. Another item that intrigued me was, Simply Grammar. A living books approach to grammar.
What?
No workbooks. No circle the nouns. No contrived exercises. WOW!
So . . .
I returned on Saturday morning searching everywhere for Simply Grammar. I had to find this grammar resource to see if it was better than Abeka. Long story short. I bought Simply Grammar and used it throughout our entire 10 years of homeschooling.
Another revelation from my first homeschooling convention. . . using real, living books to learn grammar gave my kids a reason to learn grammar. Their grammar exercises were taken from real, living books.
Why am I sharing this story?
- To encourage you to trust God each year as you plan your homeschool
- To encourage you to attend a homeschool convention
God can use conventions in many unexpected ways. Which one should you attend?
My favorite homeschool conventions this year are Teach Them Diligently.
What makes Teach Them Diligently different from other homeschool conventions? They . . .
- Encourage! Equip! Inspire!
- Are Christ-Centered
- Comfort moms who think their child is the only one struggling
- Encourage homeschoolers who have burn-out
- Help parents who are unsure if they should homeschool
- Have something for everyone: Mom’s Night, Dad’s Breakfast, Kid’s Program
- Energize homeschool mom for the upcoming year (or finishing strong this year)
- Prepare homeschoolers as they embark on new stages with their kids
- Support moms who are unsure how to homeschool
- Have many vendors so you can put your hands on curriculum
My Big Announcement
I am excited to announce that I will be speaking at the following Teach Them Diligently locations in 2018 . . . I limit my speaking to places that give homeschoolers a similar experience as I had 20 years ago. Places that allow God to speak through the speakers and work in the hearts of homeschoolers.
March 22 – 24 / Rogers, Arkansas
April 5 – 7 / Atlanta, Georgia
May 3-5 / Mobile, Alabama
May 17-19 / Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
I would love to meet you face-to-face, even have coffee together. If you don’t see a location near you, I highly recommend taking a weekend trip. You’ll be glad you did.
It’s not too late to register. Click here to get your questions answered and reserve your family’s spot.
My INVITATION to YOU:
I would love to have a quick cup of coffee with you at one of these conventions. Simply email me or leave a comment below. Once I have my speaking schedule, I’ll let you know when I have time to visit with you.
Question: Which Teach Them Diligently convention will you attend? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
