Over the past couple of decades Nancy Bjorkman has presented many workshops at homeschool conferences, in our shop, and to local homeschooling groups. Below are descriptions and handouts (updated annually) for these workshops.
Engaging Early Learners
What should “school” look like for early learners? What things are developmentally appropriate for the
younger ages? This fun and informative session will provide a comprehensive overview of teaching methods
specifically geared to pre- and elementary-age children. Nancy will share resources, fun games, toddler tips,
and easy activities, all designed to help parents think outside the box when it comes to “doing school.”
Workshop Handout
Exploring Homeschooling Methods
This engaging workshop will review several different teaching approaches found in homeschooling, and then
help attendees identify resources and curricula to fit their family’s particular style. Just getting started in
homeschooling? Needing to refocus and redefine what homeschooling could look like for your family? Come benefit
from Nancy’s 20+ years of experience, and enjoy her dynamic style.
Workshop Handout
Exploring Learning Styles for More Effective Instruction
Gain a fresh perspective on how your children’s actions and attitudes help you discover their natural bent,
so you can plan strategies that will help them grow into the person they were created to be. We’ll peel back the
layers to reveal pieces of the puzzle that go beyond the usual “auditory, kinesthetic, and visual” discussions.
This workshop will provide you with insight into a variety of ways you can effectively teach to various learning
styles in your children.
Workshop Handout
Homeschooling: The BIG Picture
Come and discover, or discover anew, a bigger vision of what homeschooling can be for your family. Find encouragement
as you reconsider your goals and put into perspective the pieces of the puzzle. We’ll talk about both academic and
non-academic objectives, and practical ways to fit it all together to help you and your children find out who they
were created to be.
Workshop Handout
Homeschooling Through High School
This very popular, interactive workshop will help to answer frequently asked questions about homeschooling
through the high school years. We will consider course requirements, transcripts, record keeping, curriculum
choices, dual enrollment opportunities, co-ops, CLEP and other testing options, resumes, career assessments,
and more. Attendees will leave with the tools necessary and the confidence needed to homeschool through high school.
Workshop Handout
Transcript Template
Language Arts in the Real World
Explores the natural sequence of language learning beginning with the early years of learning to speak,
followed by the reading stage, and then on to writing. We’ll discuss the stages that are input or output,
what’s essential, and how to set goals for different seasons. Topics covered will include phonics, reading,
penmanship, grammar, spelling, creative and formal writing, and literature. Get a fresh perspective on this
subject that frequently frustrates or confuses homeschool parents.
Workshop Handout
Math Outside the Book
This interactive workshop will cover the why’s and how’s of using games to bring math to life and increase
understanding in students. We’ll discuss how to use games to enhance any curriculum. We’ll then dive into a
highly visual and interactive review of games to use for specific goals, e.g. understanding number basics,
mastering basic math facts, grasping the base-ten system, using multiple operations, and more.
Workshop Handout
Meal Management in an Age of Fast Food
This workshop will explore many ideas for managing the daily chore of feeding your family, and will include
the benefits and methods for bulk cooking along with several strategies for meal planning and preparation.
Nancy will teach about the savings seen in time, energy, money, and stress levels, as well as the increased
nutrition and enjoyment in sharing hospitality with others. We will then look at the how-to’s for getting it
done and some of the resources available to get people on their way. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll wonder why you waited.
Workshop Handout
Time and Home Management: Managing Life and Home While Homeschooling
Time must be budgeted just like money. We must determine the difference between the fixed – what we must do, and
the discretionary – what we would like to do, and set our priorities. This workshop will be filled with practical
tips and encouragement for everyday living as a homeschool family. Areas covered include understanding your calling,
relationships, schooling, meals, household clutter and cleaning, and general household management. Attendees will
leave with practical and applicable tips.
Workshop Handout
What’s Your Story?
We don’t often consider that figures from history, whose lives and accomplishments inspire and teach us today,
were just ordinary people. It is likely they did not think they were “making history”. In this workshop Nancy
will remind us of how God is using even the most routine parts of our lives to write a story of His goodness
and provision that we can and should share with our children and future generations. It will include encouraging
stories from the lives of the Bjorkman family as God has carried them through both good times and hardship in
their almost 40 years of marriage and 20+ years of homeschooling. It will change your perspective on day-to-day
life which may never seem “ordinary” again.
Where Do I Begin? A Workshop for New and Prospective Homeschoolers
Considering homeschooling? Not sure where to begin? This workshop will define realistic and foundational
goals for homeschooling that will get new families off to a solid start. We’ll cover some common roadblocks and
misconceptions about “what school should look like”, state law, and many practical tips for success. There will
be a time for interaction and questions.
Workshop Handout