Is your child a unique learner? Special education teacher and homeschooler Suzanne Wandling explores "red flags" or behaviors that can indicate developmental delays, dyslexia, or other special needs your child may have. She also discusses resources to help homeschool families, including screenings at the April 5-6 conference and curriculum fair.

-How Suzanne started helping homeschool families [1:10]

-Some red flags to indicate your child is a unique learner [4:15]

-How to find a quality provider or profesional to help with special needs [6:00]

-Discussing myths about dyslexia [8:20]

-Why there is no correlation between spelling ability and intelligence, and what that means for a child who has dyslexia [13:15]

-Learning screenings at the conference: speech and language, sensory motor skills, and reading [15:00]

Resource #1: https://midwesthomeschoolers.org/events/homeschool-conference/ (Homeschool Conference & Curriculum Fair)

Resource #2: Homeschoolers.com (Suzanne Wandling's website)

Resource #3: Exploring homeschool resources in the KC area and beyond

Continue the conversation!

Website: https://midwesthomeschoolers.org/

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/midwestparenteducators/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mpeinkc/

X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/mpeinkc

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mpeinkc/

Upcoming events in March and beyond include:

* School of Economics field trip on March 13. Registration has closed, but you can sign up for next year’s waitlist by emailing our office at [email protected].

* Learning screenings at our April 5-6 homeschool conference and curriculum fair. A screening is a short survey of a child to determine whether a more in-depth evaluation is recommended. The three categories are Speech (from K-5th grade) by a certified speech-language pathologist, Sensory-Motor (for ages 3-6 years old) by an occupational therapist practitioner, and Reading (for K-5th grade). Please sign up for screenings as soon as possible as our availability is limited.

* We also have a few last-minute vendor booths available at our conference. If you're a vendor who caters to the homeschool community or you have a vendor you'd like to see there, please check our website as soon as possible. We also keep a few discounted booths just for homeschool students, ages 13 and up, in our Youth Entrepreneurial Program or YEP.

* Conference speaker lineup and workshop schedule. Our conference speakers have a huge wealth of knowledge and expertise they're sharing with us across several workshop tracks, which include Unique Learners with Special Needs, Homeschooling High School, and New to Homeschooling. You can check out their bios, session titles, and more either on our website or our free mobile app.

Not too long ago, homeschooling wasn't legal in all 50 states. Zan Tyler explains how she started homeschooling in 1984 and how the movement has changed. She also answers questions from our audience about navigating curriculum, co-ops & more!

-How Zan and Joe Tyler started homeschooling [1:01]

-Why February is such a hard season for homeschool moms [5:48]

-Raising children to be others-centric, not self-centered [7:03]

-How homeschooling has changed over her 21+ years of experience [14:05]

-Advice for homeschoolers if their children ask to go to "real" school [18:00]

-Q: Do you think generations now are blessed or hindered by so many curriculum choices and pressures? [22:19]

-Thoughts on choosing the best co-op or program for your family [24:44]

-Tips for moms working part-time or full-time jobs in addition to homeschooling [28:39]

Resource #1: https://midwesthomeschoolers.org/events/homeschool-conference/ (Homeschool Conference & Curriculum Fair)

Resource #2: https://midwesthomeschoolers.org/events/womens-encouragement-day/ (Women’s Encouragement Day)

Continue the conversation!

Website: https://midwesthomeschoolers.org/

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/midwestparenteducators/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mpeinkc/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mpeinkc

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mpeinkc/

Upcoming events in February and beyond include:

* Homeschool Capitol Day will be Feb. 1. In addition to meeting with your own state legislators, you can also enjoy the wit and wisdom of our special guest speaker, Andrew Pudewa of the Institute for Excellence in Writing! If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Laporte at [email protected].

* We’re having a Homeschool Dads Night Out BBQ dinner Feb. 2. Dads will enjoy fellowship, a competition-caliber BBQ dinner, a message from Joe Tyler, and dessert. All homeschool dads (or those considering homeschooling) are welcome! 

* Our Women’s Encouragement Day will be the next day, Feb. 3, at Journey Bible Church in Olathe.

* Registration for our children’s MPEKIDS conference program for ages 5-12 is open. We encourage you to sign up before Feb. 10 for earlybird special pricing.

* Save the date for our homeschool conference & curriculum fair on April 5-6 at the KCI Expo Center. If you know of vendors you want to see there, please invite them to our conference. Vendor applications are still being processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

We all can use a little help during the cold winter months of homeschool! Jordan Gabler explores Women's Encouragement Day and how it can inspire, refresh and help moms to get through the end of the school year.

-What is Women’s Encouragement Day? [1:35]

-How it encourages and refreshes “the weary mother” [2:56]

-Jordan’s personal highlights [3:40]

-Tips for first-time attendees [4:55]

-This year’s lineup - Zan Tyler and “Refined: A homeschool mom’s call to trust” [6:40]

-The history behind homeschooling and how it wasn’t even legal at one point [8:20]

-What the day looks like [9:10]

Resource #1: https://midwesthomeschoolers.org/events/womens-encouragement-day/ (Women’s Encouragement Day)

Resource #2: https://www.facebook.com/events/339157135330750 (Facebook Live with Zan Tyler)

Continue the conversation!

Website: https://midwesthomeschoolers.org/

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/midwestparenteducators/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mpeinkc/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mpeinkc

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mpeinkc/

Upcoming events in January and beyond include:

* Our Facebook Live with Zan Tyler is Jan. 9. Zan is a featured speaker for both our Women’s Encouragement Day in February and conference in April!

* Homeschool Capitol Day will be Feb. 1. In addition to meeting with your own state legislators, you can also enjoy the wit and wisdom of our special guest speaker, Andrew Pudewa of the Institute for Excellence in Writing! If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Laporte at [email protected].

* We’re having a Homeschool Dads Night Out BBQ dinner Feb. 2. Dads will enjoy fellowship, a competition-caliber BBQ dinner, a message from Joe Tyler, and dessert. All homeschool dads (or those considering homeschooling) are welcome! 

* Our Women’s Encouragement Day will be the next day, Feb. 3, at Journey Bible Church in Olathe. Registration is open, and earlybird pricing ends Jan. 5. Seats are limited, so make sure you sign up now for the best deal!

* We’re planning our first ever homeschool business field trip to the School of Economics in Blue Springs! This is a two-day field trip. The first day is Preparation day on March 1 at Hope Family Fellowship in KCK. Students will work with their assigned teams to make decisions on their products and design a marketing strategy. The actual Business Day is March 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We need a minimum of 60 students to sign up by Feb. 15, so please register as soon as possible to help our organizers make this first field trip a success!

* Save the date for our homeschool conference & curriculum fair on April 5-6 at the KCI Expo Center. Registration for our children’s program for ages 5-12 will open Jan. 13. We encourage you to sign up before Feb. 10 for the early bird special pricing.

How do you homeschool during the holidays? Jordan Gabler discusses setting expectations, getting help, and avoiding the two “ditches” of too many projects vs. too little merriment for the season!

-Some ways her holiday season has changed over the years [1:25]

-Avoiding the two ditches of Advent and Christmas preparation [1:40]

-How being meaningful doesn’t have to mean being busy [2:55]

-Adjusting holiday projects to the ages of your children [3:20]

-Advice for new homeschoolers starting their first holiday together [4:35]

-Favorite homeschool activities and traditions [6:00]

-Thoughts for homeschoolers dealing with burnout, depression, or other challenges at this time of year [8:03]

-How to keep some sort of rhythm or routine throughout the holidays and plan for the next semester [10:10]

-Different strategies of holiday homeschooling as children grow [11:42]

-Slowly building your Advent and Christmas library and resources instead of getting overwhelmed [13:15]

Resource #1: https://midwesthomeschoolers.org/kansas-city-holiday-events/ (Holiday Events Enjoyed By KC-Area Homeschool Families)

Resource #2: https://midwesthomeschoolers.org/events/womens-encouragement-day/ (Women’s Encouragement Day)

Continue the conversation!

Website: https://midwesthomeschoolers.org/

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/midwestparenteducators/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mpeinkc/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mpeinkc

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mpeinkc/

Upcoming events in December and beyond include:

Our last Moms Breakfast for the year is Thursday, Dec. 14, at Denny’s on Shawnee Mission Parkway.

We’ve scheduled a Facebook Live with Zan Tyler on Jan. 9. Zan is a featured speaker for both our Women’s Encouragement Day in February and homeschool conference & curriculum fair in April!

Homeschool Capitol Day is Feb. 1. Coming to the Capitol is the easiest way for most people to visit their own state legislators. Meeting up for Homeschool Capitol Day provides the encouraging presence of other homeschool families as well as many first-hand educational experiences!

We’re having a Homeschool Dads Night Out BBQ dinner on Feb. 2. Registration is open on our website.

Registration for Women’s Encouragement Day is open!

Our first ever homeschool business field trip will be 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. March 13 at the School of Economics in Blue Springs! This will be for children in grades 3-8.

How do you homeschool during a school year when you're pregnant or have babies or toddlers who aren’t school-age yet? Krystal Evensen, mom of 13, shares some tips and tricks that have worked from personal experience!

-Naptimes for the win [0:45]

-Activities at the table, educational movies, learning games, etc. [1:15]

-How to set realistic expectations? [5:17]

-Knowing when to have a change of scenery and take care of mom’s needs as well as the children’s needs [6:30]

-Communicating with your spouse or friends to “divide and conquer” by separating the school-age kids from the smaller ones [7:15]

-Coping with unexpected life challenges such as the fridge breaking down, etc. [8:50]

-Focusing not on what you didn’t do, but what you DID do [10:00]

-Consider having older children helping with younger ones [11:02]

-Curriculum and cycles: how you will cover the same material in different years, just in more detail [13:20]

-Enjoying our families as part of an invitation of “making it about us” [16:15]

-The beauty of accepting and loving little ones unconditionally [17:20]

Resource #1: https://midwesthomeschoolers.org/homeschooling-with-babies-toddlers-tips/ {Homeschooling with babies and toddlers: 9 Activities & Tips)

Continue the conversation!

Website: https://midwesthomeschoolers.org/

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/midwestparenteducators/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mpeinkc/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mpeinkc

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mpeinkc/

Upcoming events in November and beyond include:

1) Great Wolf Lodge Homeschool Weeks in February. Registration is now open. Enjoy fantastic deals and discounts on room rates, waterpark wristbands, food and concessions, MagiQuest and more!

2) Our Women's Encouragement Day will open for registration in November. It's a quiet, relaxing day in the middle of winter when we all could use a little encouragement to help us finish the school year. All homeschool moms in every season are invited, as well as those moms who may be considering homeschool next year.

3) We're excited to announce an MPE field trip 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. March 13 at the School of Economics in Blue Springs, MO! This will be for children in grades 3-8. More info will be published to our website and social media as it becomes available.

4) Our next class of 2024 graduation meeting will be Monday, Nov. 13. This is the last chance to submit a signed contract and fee for the graduation. No appeals or refunds will be accepted after the November meeting.

4) Our 2024 Homeschool Conference & Curriculum Fair will be April 5-6 at the KCI Expo Center. We're excited to announce Zan Tyler as a featured speaker. Zan's homeschool journey began in 1984 when homeschooling was illegal and she was threatened with jail. For either years, she and other families battled for homeschool freedom and established landmark homeschool legislation in South Carolina. She is now a consultant with BJU Press Homeschool.