CDs
“It literally sent a chill down my back. It was a moment of a change of perspective, when the picture turns inside out. It got me to thinking.” – Ric Kolseth
Now you can listen to our workshops at home on CD! Add to your cart at the bottom of the page…
On Raising Boys
Ballistic Homeschooling
Have you ever had a war break out in the midde of history or had a math lesson last three hours? Homeschooling boys can be a huge challenge for those of us raised in our feminized schools. Come hear from a mother that has taught six boys at one time from Kindergarten to 12th grade share how to turn wiggle worms into scholars and boys into real men!
On Family Life
A House NOT Divided: Building Unity in Your Family
You’ve heard the verses and caught the vision, but what can you do to get your children on your team? Stop the bickering and rivalry and begin making memories! In this idea-packed workshop, Hal and Melanie share how to tear down obstacles and build up family unity in fun, memorable ways.
Strengthening The Homeschooling Marriage
(Hal & Melanie) How can homeschooling be such a blessing and so stressful at the same time? Where do you find hope for frustrations that only a homeschooler would understand? Learn about the special stresses that homeschooling places on your marriage, and how to use them to grow a stronger family from the top down. Hal and Melanie will help you turn your homeschooling marriage into a happier and more Christ-centered one.
Just As I Am: Homeschooling in Hard Times
Homeschooling is a challenge at any time. Sickness, job loss, learning disabilities, business travel, and relocation are just a few of the extra stresses that can derail our best efforts to teach at home. Hal and Melanie Young have seen God’s grace in all of these situations and more. The good news is that God can enable you to teach and learn more through the hard times than you ever thought possible. Come for a frank and encouraging look at what God can do through difficulties, and why it’s so important to keep homeschooling in spite of the challenges.
Sanity’s In The Freezer
In this eminently practical workshop, you will learn how to have real meals on the days your science experiment eats the kitchen. Don’t worry if you have tried once-a-month cooking and didn’t like spending a whole day in the kitchen. Melanie didn’t like that either! Find out how to feed your family well on less money and how to serve great dinners with minimal time in the kitchen. You will learn how to convert your favorite recipes to bulk cooking, how to take shortcuts in meal preparation, and how to bulk cook even if you have a house full of little ones or can’t spare a single day out of your schedule. There is something in this workshop for everyone – those who love to cook and those who are clueless in the kitchen. Anyone can make their life easier.
The World, the Flesh, and the Young’uns
Studies show that nearly all of the active homeschooling task is done by the mother – which makes sense, because most fathers spend the majority of their days earning the family’s living. While the teaching may be delegated to Mom, Dad needs to be aware of her critical need for more than financial and moral support. She needs protection from things that may not have occurred to either one of them. Hal Young points out where some of the hidden land mines lie, and offers suggestions for how husbands can protect their wives.
Yes, We Know What Causes That: Being Open to the Blessing of Children
(Hal & Melanie) Why in the world do so many homeschoolers have huge families? What’s up with that? Hal and Melanie both came from typical one boy and one girl families. Hear their testimony of how and why they’ve chosen a bigger adventure.
On Homeschooling
Homeschooled From the Beginning: What to Do When Your Children are Young
(Melanie) A Favorite for Parents of Preschoolers You’ve made the decision–your child will be homeschooled from Day One. Good for you! But should you start at a young age? Is it wise to even try? How do you know when to get started and what to do first? Melanie Young has raised precocious readers and late bloomers, but every one of them has benefited from being homeschooled from the beginning. This session can give you a new perspective on how to relax and introduce your little ones to the joy of learning in a gentle and realistic way.
Diapers, Playdough, and Microscopes
(Melanie) Sometimes homeschooling feels like one of those plate-spinning acts and you wonder how in the world you are going to meet everyone’s needs. The baby needs to be changed, the toddler is playing in the toilet, your high schooler is impatiently waiting for you to help with his biology experiment, and two other children say, “I can’t do anything else without you, Mom.” Melanie Young, mother of eight (ages 19 to infant), shares encouragement and ideas for how to keep all of those plates spinning at once without your life spinning out of control. Learn how to raise independent learners, how to keep the household moving, and how to make sure the little ones get enough attention. You can’t get all of high school done while your baby takes a 90 minute nap. Come hear how Melanie manages it all.
Homeschooling High School and Transcripts: Getting It Done and Getting It Down
(Melanie) Thoughts of high school tend to make even veteran homeschoolers shake in their boots. Scary memories about confusion in algebra class and dissecting frogs make you wonder if you can really do this. Come learn how to plan it, how to do it and even how to tell the rest of the world with a top notch transcript. Melanie Young will help you figure out what they need to take, how to do the classes you are not so sure about (or are sure you can’t) and what records you need to keep. High school can be the most important formative years for your child. Don’t give up now! This workshop will leave you prepared for and excited about high school at home!
Aiming for College
(Melanie) Sometimes our sons will need a college degree and we’ve all been asked, “But can they get into college?” The answer is a resounding yes! Homeschoolers not only get in, but they are often highly recruited and are offered scholarships as well! Come find out how to : choose colleges, make a college visit count, apply for admission and scholarships, demonstrate your record, get financial aid, and decide on a college. Get filled in on all those mystifying things: ECs, FAFSA, PROFILE, ACT, SAT, AP, CC, and CommonApp. Melanie Young has served for many years on scholarship committees and has spent the last few years helping her son and others through the admissions process. Now she’d like to help you!
On Homeschool Policy and Research
Homeschooling and the Pursuit of Happiness
(Hal) Homeschooling is a task that demands dedication, discipline, self-sacrifice and time. According to several research studies, though, homeschooling parents and their students are finding significant happiness and satisfaction in the experience. What gives? Find out in this unusual session.
For Support Group Leaders
Homeschool Leadership
(Hal) Encouragement and admonition for support group leaders. Leadership looks like a lot of glory from the outside, but behind the scenes it’s not nearly as pretty. Self-sacrifice, hard work and difficult decisions can lead to burn out if you aren’t prepared for the fight. History shows that often, victory is just a little push more, a little longer endurance. Get the encouragement you need to keep going.
Stop the Presses! Or Start Them Up: Practical Media Relations
(Hal) Presented at HSLDA International Leadership Conference. What do we do when the news is bad? Do we always have to play on the defensive? The answer is a firm NO — with a proper understanding of how the media operate and a strategic approach to dealing with them, it is possible not only to minimize the impact of bad news but to actually generate positive news for homeschooling and our organization. Hal, speaking as both a veteran homeschool leader and an experienced investigative journalist, explains how to handle print and broadcast interviews, write effective press releases, and cultivate relationships with the media. Micheal Smith of HSLDA said every homeschool leader should listen to this workshop.
