Session Recordings

Was there a particular presentation that truly inspired you or that you'd love to share with someone?

Were there any presentations you had to miss in order to be present at another?

Were you not able to attend any or all of the convention?

Why not order session recordings?

If you attended the convention, you will notice that we have included a handy recordings order form in the back of your convention program. If you did not attend the convention, or otherwise do not have a convention program, you can also download the session tape order form by clicking here. Simply mail that form with your payment to the address indicated, and your recordings will be mailed to you.

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open this PDF file, which is available as a free download from Adobe.


For a more detailed description of each workshop, check our Workshop Descriptions section.

back to top

Photos

Please check back here soon for photos of this year's convention.

back to top

Speakers


Andrew Pudewa - http://www.excellenceinwriting.com

Andrew Pudewa is the director of the Institute for Excellence in Writing and a homeschooling father of seven. Presenting throughout North America, he addresses issues relating to teaching, writing, thinking, spelling, and music with clarity, insight, practical experience, and humor. His seminars for parents, students and teachers have helped transform many a reluctant writer and have equipped educators with powerful tools to dramatically improve students' skills.

Although he is a graduate of the Talent Education Institute in Japan and holds a Certificate of Child Brain Development from The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, his best endorsement is from a young Alaskan boy who called him "the funny man with the wonderful words."

He and his beautiful, heroic wife Robin currently teach their three youngest children at home in Atascadero, California.

Read two of his articles here--"One Myth and Two Truths" and "Humor in Teaching".

Debbie Dufek

Deb Dufek has a passion and anointing to encourage women to fulfill the role that God has given them. As mother of seven and grandmother of fourteen, she has a wealth of knowledge and experience from life's lessons. She is presently writing a book entitled Organizing Your Heart and Home.

For twenty years she has organized annual Mothers' Luncheons to bless the women of New York. As leaders in the home school movement, Deb has served, along with her husband Bob, as regional representatives of NYS LEAH for the last fourteen years and will be finishing their service to LEAH in June. When she spoke at the Invisible Woman's Tea at last year's convention, we were all so deeply blessed.

Her desire is that women would walk with joy and freedom in the blessing of the Lord. Through the truth and principles of God's Word, Deb inspires women of all ages to know God, love their husbands, and enjoy the children He has given them. And we were thrilled to have her back again this year.

back to top

Exhibition Hall

The following publishers, organizations, and ministries were represented in our Exhibition Hall:

back to top

Special Needs


NYC/LI Homeschool Convention Special Needs Corner:

Mary Fratianni, the NYS LEAH Special Needs Coordinator and Chapter Leader of Parents Instructing Challenged Children (PICC) LEAH, once again hosted a Special Needs Corner at the convention. PICC LEAH is the Special Needs Chapter of New York State Loving Education At Home.

At the Special Needs Corner, one could find free information and resources to help homeschool a child with special learning needs. The entire Parents Instructing Challenged Children LEAH Lending Library was on display. The PICC LEAH Lending Library contains over 230 special needs items that cover the following areas: ADHD, Hearing Impairment/Deaf, Autism, PDD, Behavior Management, Cerebral Palsy, Special Needs Curriculum, Down Syndrome, Dyslexia, Special Needs Homeschooling, Nutrition, Health, Occupational Therapy, Parenting, General Interest, Physical Therapy, Reading Comprehension, Speech & Language (includes: Auditory/Visual Processing, Articulation, Sequencing, Comprehension, Reasoning, Memory Recall, Language Skills, Social Skills, Life Skills, and many more), Teaching Helps, and Vision Therapy.

Membership information for the PICC LEAH chapter (www.piccnys.com) was also available. Special Needs software demonstrations were available upon request.

You can contact Mary at either of the two addresses below.
NYS LEAH Special Needs Coordinator: fratpak@verizon.net
NYS LEAH Special Needs PICC LEAH Chapter: piccleah@verizon.net

back to top

Children's Art Class

The children's art class that was offered for the second time this year was a big hit once again. You can view some of the fun in our photos section.

back to top

Student Art Exhibition

This year's convention showcased some of our students' art work in a special juried exhibition. You can view some of those beautiful works in our photos section.

back to top

Teen Track


By all reports, this year's teen track, a special program called iAdvocate, conducted by HSLDA's Generation Joshua, was a life-changing experience for many of the teens who participated. It was an all-day track that continued for both days. Joel Grewe, Deputy Director of Outreach at Generation Joshua, led the teen track. To read his bio, click here.

iAdvocate provides a safe atmosphere for students to learn how they respond to political pressures and gain a better understanding of how leaders make tough decisions. Ultimately, the goal of the track is to train students to be an unfailing testimony as an advocate for Christian principles as they serve their country.

For more information, you can visit Generation Joshua's iAdvocate Program page by clicking here.

entire schedule

back to top

Something Special for Our Graduating Seniors

The convention was wrapped up with a special ceremony to honor graduating students and their families who are members of LEAH. Those families were required to register, but any visitor to the convention was permitted to attend. Many people who attended the graduation for the first time found it to be a most moving experience. Our prayer is that it will encourage those families for whom graduation is still in the future to continue in their decision to homeschool, to the glory of God.

Please visit our photos section to view some photos of this event, and be sure to keep this opportunity in mind for future graduates from your home school.

entire schedule

back to top

Special Ladies' Tea
"With Unveiled Faces: Reflecting His Glory"
- Deb Dufek

We were so refreshed and encouraged as Deb Dufek—wife, home schooling mom, and grandmother opened up the Word of God and her own heart. She shared a story of a girl, who was forced to live wearing many masks, some provided by others and some she had fashioned herself. She finally found freedom when a prince came and rescued her, enabling her to remove the masks that she hid behind for so long. For the first time in her life, she had someone who was ravished by her beauty, and loved her despite all the hard places in her life. This story brought with it a truth that has the power to set hearts free to be who Jesus intends us to be.

We sincerely thank Deb for returning to our convention by popular demand. Get to know more about her by reading her bio in Speakers section.

back to top

Keynotes

Friday, 7:45 p.m.

Rebuilding Your Education Paradigm: Teaching for "Freedomship"
- Andrew Pudewa
Escaping the "conveyor belt" approach of institutional education by which most of us were shaped isn't easy, but it has to be done. For many parents, our greatest handicap as teachers is our own education—but it need not be so. In this inspiring and empowering session, you will not only come to understand the nature and purpose of today's educational system as it was originally conceived and designed, but you will see a shining alternative path, one that develops true thinkers, leaders, and communicators—so desperately needed in today's world.

Saturday, 10:15 a.m.

Nurturing Excellent Writers and Speakers: The Power of Linguistic Patterns
- Andrew Pudewa
Many parents think that good readers will naturally become good writers. Others think that writing talent is just that—a natural ability—some have it; others don't. Both are myths. History and modern research show very clearly how good writers have developed, and what are the two most critical things you can do as a parent to develop a high level of aptitude, from a young age and into high school. With humor and insight, Andrew will share the two easy but unbelievably powerful things you can do to build language patterns and nurture competent communicators in your family.

Saturday, 3:45 p.m.

Conquering Corrupt Culture by Raising Christian Communicators
- Andrew Pudewa
"Conquering" infers that we are in an extended campaign—a war—for the heart of our Christian society, now corrupted by a continuous onslaught of relativism in thought, art, and morality, resulting in a culture of death, debt, and despair. We, as Christian homeschoolers, must have more than just "nice" reasons to homeschool—it's not about academics; it's about reclaiming Western Civilization for Jesus Christ, and the choices we make every day have eternal significance as we strive to raise up a generation of young people, who will be empowered to communicate the truth in a world of liars and lead their clueless peers through the coming crises. We have an immediate and urgent responsibility to raise up an army of "culture warriors."


entire schedule

back to top

Workshop Descriptions

Have you missed a workshop that you might have liked to attend? Don't forget that you can order recordings by checking our Session Recordings section.

Below are descriptions of our workshops, to help you select the sessions you would like to purchase. With each workshop description, we have also included codes to help identify the audiences to whom that workshop would be most relevant. The following codes have been assigned:

(B) Beginners/preliminary instruction and basic reinforcement for those who have been schooling three years or less
(V) Veteran/workshop for those who have been schooling three or more years
(C) Children/workshop geared towards children
(W) Women/workshop geared towards women
(M) Men/workshop geared towards men
(S) Special Needs/specialty workshops for special-needs students, dads, and moms
(E) Exhibitor/workshop conducted by a vendor or exhibitor

Session A - Friday, 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Till Death Do Us Part.....Is There a Loophole?
- Bob and Deb Dufek (M,W)
Come and enjoy this candid session that touches the hearts of married couples, as Bob and Deb, lovers and best friends, open their hearts, sharing the truth of God's Word about marriage, as well as personal triumphs and struggles that have spanned over three decades of their own marriage, twenty-four of which they were home schooling their children. Burdened for marriages within the Body of Christ, seeing many struggle and even fail, their passion is to bring encouragement and hope to couples, reminding them of the faithfulness of God. This session is recommended for all married couples!

Common Visual Disorders that Interfere with Reading and Learning
- Dr. Theresa Rua (B,S)
One out of four kids suffers from inadequate visual abilities. Vision Therapy helps treat children who have either a visual perception deficiency or ocular motility problems that cause problems learning. Skipping over words or lines while reading, reversals of letters, and poor spelling can all be signs of a visual deficiency. Come learn how to recognize symptoms and perform activities to help your child obtain the visual foundation that s/he needs for learning.

How to Homeschool High School
- Eileen Johnson (V)
Considering homeschooling high school but not sure how? Come learn how to plan your child's high school program and what resources in and outside the home you can use to teach that course of study. We will touch on how to document high school academics and extracurricular activities for college application, as well as help you decipher the various high school tests such as the ACT, SAT, PSAT, AP, and CLEP.

Children's Art Class - Session 1
- Cynthia Mason (C)
Students will complete a simple acrylic painting project. For registered children, ages 6 through 12. First-come, first served, class limited to 20. Register for this class at no extra cost at the registration check-in table in the foyer.

entire schedule


Session B - Friday, 5:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.

Bible-based Writing Lessons
- Andrew Pudewa (B,V)
This session will explain in detail how to use the Bible as a source text for teaching English composition, and how to create assignments for both creative writing and for Bible-based reports and essays. With direct applications for those teaching students second grade through high school, this session will provide a few specific lesson plans as well as presenting the general principles of how to design your own lessons to teach writing with structure and style.

Don't Let Behavioral Breakdowns Break Your Homeschool
- Mary Fratianni (S)
In this workshop, Mary will be teaching parents how to identify behaviors that adversely affect the homeschool and family. She will discuss steps a parent can take to help stop a behavioral breakdown cycle, when outside intervention may be needed, and what resources are available through the Parents Instructing Challenged Children LEAH lending library that can help.

An In- Depth Look at Transcripts
- Veteran Homeschool Moms (V)
Learn to plan and write the transcript for your high schooler. Look at sample transcripts and discuss putting one together. Ask questions and receive answers from veteran homeschool teachers who have already sent students to college.

Children's Art Class - Session 2
- Christine Weyer (C)
Students will complete a simple acrylic painting project. For registered children, ages 6 through 12. First-come, first served, class limited to 20. Register for this class at no extra cost at the registration check-in table in the foyer.

entire schedule


Session C - Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Don't Let Behavioral Breakdowns Break Your Homeschool
- Mary Fratianni (S)
In this workshop, Mary will be teaching parents how to identify behaviors that adversely affect the homeschool and family. She will discuss steps a parent can take to help stop a behavioral breakdown cycle, when outside intervention may be needed, and what resources are available through the Parents Instructing Challenged Children LEAH lending library that can help.

Time Management for Moms
- Cheryl Carter (B,W)
In this workshop Cheryl shares practical ways moms can find time to get things done …and a bit of time for themselves. Stress reduction, finding time and organizing personal and home life for greater effectiveness are emphasized.

Instilling Eternal Vision in the Hearts of Our Children
- Deb Dufek (B,V,M,W)
In this very challenging day and age the greatest thing that we can do for our children is to give them a vision greater than themselves. By the grace of God, we can be help instill in their hearts the truth that He has specific plans and purposes for each of their lives and that their generation is a key generation "for such a time as this". Seeing the faithfulness and the power of God work within many of her own children and grandchildren, Deb's passion is to see this eternal perspective birthed within the hearts of parents, knowing that it will be contagious to their children. It has been her experience that once children grasp the plans God has for them, they will be ruined for the ordinary. In the end, it's what we do for Jesus that will last!

Starting Out for New Homeschoolers
- Cynthia Mason and Elizabeth Hugo (B)
Starting the journey of homeschooling? Two veteran homeschool parents take a look at meeting NYS regulations in your homeschool. Come and learn how to manage the paperwork, maneuver the regulations, and get a clear understanding of everything you need to begin. Veteran homeschoolers Cynthia Mason and Elizabeth Hugo will help you navigate the options and myriad choices available to homeschoolers, as well as an explanation of NYS regulations, IHIPS, and quarterly reports. Come away equipped with both a vision and practical tips for your homeschool.

entire schedule


Session D - Saturday, 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

The Four Deadly Errors of Teaching Writing
- Andrew Pudewa (B,V)
We've all suffered it at one time or another—frustration about writing assignments. Either on the receiving end, or perhaps now on the giving end, there can be a few distinctly discouraging aspects to teaching and being taught writing. The tough questions include: What to correct and how to give a grade? How much help is too much? Isn't the assignment clear enough? Why don't students find their own errors? Learn and avoid four teaching mistakes that contribute to this frustration—Overcorrecting, Holding Back Help, Unclear Assignments, and Over-Expectation.

Loving Literature in Our Homeschool
- Eileen Johnson (B,V)
Stop over-relying on workbooks and use carefully chosen literature to enliven your homeschool. Come learn strategies for choosing literature that will excite your child and bolster his or her academic skills for a lifetime.

Let's Have Fun: Using Games to Teach
- Cheryl Carter (B,V)
Add life to your homeschool. Come and learn how to mix fun and learning together. Hands on demonstration as well as suggestions for all age students.

Maximize Progress: Minimize Cost
- Mary Fratianni (S)
In this workshop, Mary will be teaching parents how to get the most from their student(s) with special learning needs while keeping the cost of materials needed to do this to a minimum by using the resources available to LEAH members through the Parents Instructing Challenged Children Lending Library. She will also share ways to structure the home school day to help keep focused on your child's goals and keep them progressing.

entire schedule


Exhibitor Workshop - Saturday, 1:00 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.

VALUE - Learn Math
- Games by Bea (E)
Enjoy games! Learning Math can be fun! Similar to bingo, VALUE helps children from ages 3 to 103. Master the skills of matching numbers displayed in 5 vibrant colors, and solving problems of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fractions, where the answer is always a colored number from 0 to 10 on the game board.

entire schedule


Ladies' Tea - Saturday, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

With Unveiled Faces: Reflecting His Glory
- Deb Dufek (W)

Come and settle in from the hustle and bustle of the weekend to the relaxing ambiance of the Ladies' Tea. It's a promise that you will feel pampered by your hostess, Christine Weyer, as well as refreshed and encouraged as Deb Dufek—wife, home schooling mom, and grandmother—opens up the Word of God and her own heart. She will share a story of a girl, who was forced to live wearing many masks, some provided by others and some she had fashioned herself. She finally found freedom when a prince came and rescued her, enabling her to remove the masks that she hid behind for so long. For the first time in her life, she had someone who was ravished by her beauty, and loved her despite all the hard places in her life. This story brings with it a truth that has the power to set hearts free to be who Jesus intends us to be.

entire schedule


Session E - Saturday, 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Homeschool Dad -- A Calling
- Rich Palazzo (M)
Inspired by Ephesians 4:11-16, and drawing upon both the Scriptures and almost twenty years experience in homeschooling, this talk is intended to help dads catch a vision for the many ways that homeschooling fits into God's plans and purposes today.

Raising Children of Purity and Virtue in a Secular World
- Pastor Scott Kraniak (B,V,M,W)
Pastor Scott Kraniak, author, Christian counselor, and homeschool dad discusses why we need to talk about sexuality and purity with our children in a homeschool environment. He will look at the Biblical call to purity and how we are called to discernment in this world so we may be wise as serpents and gentle as a doves.

How to Impact the Government for Christ
- Bruce Bennet (B,V,M,W)
As Christian homeschoolers, we recognize the importance of our relationship to the government. Join us as we better understand teaching our children the essential nature of government from a Biblical point of view, and how we can identify Biblical and effective ways to better carry out the "Cultural Mandate" of Genesis and the "Great Commission" of Matthew for the glory of God.

entire schedule

Special Invitation to Exhibitors and Advertisers!

For their support of our convention, our thanks go out to the following, who took advantage of this unique opportunity to reach the homeschool community, by advertising in our program and/or by providing tote bag inserts:

Ambit Energy (www.1securefuture.net)
Barnum Software (www.TheQuarterMile.com)
Candle on the Hill (www.candleonthehill.net)
Christian Keyboarding (www.ChristianKeyboarding.com)
DRAMAcademics (www.dramacademics.com)
Diana Nygard/Used Homeschool Books and Supplies (diananygard@yahoo.com)
Engine Tech (631-447-5942)
Godly Encouragement for Homeschooling Mothers (www.homeschoolingmothersbiblestudy.com)
Hands of Praise Art (www.handsofpraiseart.com)
Intrepid Books (www.intrepidbooks.org)
Island Garden (www.islandgarden.com)
Joyful Design Art by Cynthia Mason (631-737-1659 or cyndy222@aol.com)
Loewentours (info@Lowentours.com or www.Loewentours.com)
Majesty Music Inc. (www.majestymusic.com)
Margaret Conover, Ph.D., Botany Lessons (631-357-3065)
Memoria Press (www.memoriapress.com)
Spruce Lake Retreat (www.sprucelake.org)
West Sayville Christian School (www.wscs.org)

back to top