Home Education – Getting things into Perspective”
This would be a good keynote message. It is an all round message – something for everyone.
Covers things like:

• What”s it all about
• Schooling versus education
• Character training
• Can I do this: parents’ qualifications
• Tutoring/Mentoring
• Where is this going: developing vision

Some comments from those who have attended this workshop in the past:

• Great input from Craig Smith on stepping back and looking at the “big picture” of why and how we are home educating.
• Thought provoking and interesting. Took on board idea of evaluating & teaching “our” kids to their abilities and interests.
• Entertaining – good shot at a very broad subject.
• Craig Smith is just gold! Whatever conferences you have, you MUST have Craig!

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2nd Session:

“Getting Started, dealing with MOE/ERO, pulling children out of School, doing exemption form etc”
Legal aspects; curriculum materials; educational approaches
A comment about this elective:

• Excellent. Practical and helpful information presented in a relaxed style – I took heaps of notes. I would recommend this session.

“Avoiding Burnout – Keeping Going When the Going Gets Tough” 1 1/2 hrs
Symptoms of burnout
Causes of home school burnout
Strategies for avoiding burnout

Comments made to us after this talk:

• I was going to send my children back to school until I heard you give this talk. Now I am going to keep home educating them
• I was really worried about home schooling. I didn’t think I could do it. After hearing this talk I’m going back to fill in my exemption form.

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3rd Session –

“Choosing or Developing Your Own Curriculum”
Exploring a number of issues around choosing a curriculum or developing your own.

“Training Our Children’s minds”, “The Tools of Learning” and “Motivation”
Barbara takes the Grammar, Logic and Rhetoric stages of a classical education and applies it to a Hebrew/Interpersonal approach. This is a good workshop no matter what curriculum you are using or not using.

Here are some comments made about these electives:

• Very valuable info picked up from this session
• I would like to let you know how much I enjoyed your talk – and how very inspired it left me! My children are all under 10, so we began straight away (we have been un-schooling), and after only one week, all the kids are doing really well. (So am I – I like the simplicity.) So, thank you very much – keep up the good work. Kind Regards, Vicki.
• Thanks sooo much for your time on Saturday at WHSA. I enjoyed listening to you both. Barbara, I am going to introduce your memory box – daily, weekly etc! – Love Leanne
• Thank you for all the work you did to prepare and present the classical homeschooling workshops in South Auckland. It was a real encouragement. Thank you for sharing your vision for homeschooling. Thank you for generously giving your time in this way, for sharing your love for the Lord and how that translates into educating your children. Love, Tarnya
• I went to the homeschool workshop last weekend, and it was lovely to see some of you there. Barbara Smith led some excellent workshops on classical education. I was renewed in my vision for where we are going and in the joy of the journey!
• Good explanation of the logic stage in classical education. Still very down-to-earth and practical. Appreciated finding out about resources.

Some comments in the Wellington Home Schoolers Association newsletter:

• The Classical Education session was what I enjoyed, especially the reminder that one to the best things I could do for my children was to read myself and also to read to the children more. I like the idea of memory cards for maths facts, memory verses, poems, etc. Kaye
• I particularly enjoyed the Classical Education session led by Barbara Smith. I realised I have trained my mind very successfully to “forget”, rather than remember. I have instigated the memory card idea in our home, and am now focusing on training minds to “remember”. Jennifer
• The idea that grabbed my attention in the Classical Education session was that after the children have mastered the basic facts, it should only take 2-4 years to teach them the tools of learning! i.e. how to write an essay, take notes, summarise material, and how to research, etc. Once they have the tools they can then learn whatever they want to, and hopefully you will then have a motivated, independent learner. The other idea that I found helpful is the one about the stages of learning – the age of knowledge when facts are easily learned, followed by the age of understanding, which is then followed by the wisdom age, when things will be applied. Jocelyn

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4th Session:

“Home Educating Through Secondary and Preparing For Tertiary Education and the Workforce”

Changing the Heart of a Rebel (For preventing rebellion and dealing with it; Christian presentation)“““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““

There will be a number of stands with books and curriculum on them.

Home Education Foundation

Learnex

Dayspring

Geneva Books

Second Hand Books

Issacharian

There will also be a second hand books table that is usually really popular. Bring your own to sell as well.

You can come to all the conference or to just some of the sessions. Individual sessions are $5.00 each.

You can bring a baby and quiet children. There will be no children’s programme or creche.