Home School Topics
Dr. Kathy and some of our other speakers enjoy teaching parents who home school their children. The topics are important for these parents and are consistently well received. Several make good convention keynote topics while others will be excellent workshops. Bringing two or more of us to your event can multiply our positive effect. As you’ll see in the descriptions below, some can be given from our Christian-faith perspective. Most can also be presented at community events. And, children and teens can attend some of the seminars with their parents. Our speakers’ upbeat style and problem-solving approach is well-received by home-school parents and their children.
Click on your audience below to see associated topics.
Dr. Kathy Koch’s Seminars for Home School Parents
Authentic Answers to Life-Changing Questions
The Development of Word Analysis Skills and Sight and Meaning Vocabulary
Effective Oral Reading Instruction
Fabulous Feedback: The Art of Complimenting and Correcting Students
How Am I Smart? A Teacher’s Guide to Multiple Intelligences
Inside Out and Right-Side Up
The Master Method: Teaching Jesus’ Way
Miracles Matter
Motivating Students to Learn and Succeed
No Two Alike: A Learning Styles Overview
Overcoming the Challenges of Change
Strong-Willed? A Focus on Solutions
Teaching and Questioning to Facilitate Thinking
Today’s Esthers Need Another Mordecai
Where are Today’s Geniuses?
Associate Speaker - Dr. Linda Page's Seminars for Home School Parents
Dealing with the D’s (ADD, ODD, and LD)
Understanding Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome: What’s a Home-School Parent to Do?
(Read about Dr. Linda Page)
Authentic Answers to Life-Changing Questions
One of the most important things parents do for their children is to help them meet their basic needs of security, identity, belonging, purpose, and competence in healthy ways. When this occurs, your children will be more fulfilled and successful in all of life. They will be less likely to experiment with drugs, alcohol, and sex outside of marriage. You’ll have fewer behavior, motivation, and academic problems. When parents understand the Authentic Answers Model, they’ll be able to determine why some children engage in unhealthy behaviors and how to help them change. In addition to learning why the order of these core needs is significant, we’ll learn the power of their interactive nature and some of the best answers to the corresponding life-changing questions: Who do I trust?, Who am I?, Who wants me?, Why am I alive?, and What do I do well?. Click on Authentic Answers for more information on this topic. [Community or Christian (titled “Authentic Hope”), children and teens may attend with parents, 1-hour overview to a 2-day seminar with many details and small group applications included.]
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The Development of Word Analysis Skills and Sight and Meaning Vocabulary
This is a fun and practical seminar that has been appreciated by many, many parents of elementary-school-age children. Practical teaching strategies and learning methods related to word analysis skills and vocabulary development will be explained and demonstrated. [Community or Christian,1 hour]
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Effective Oral Reading Instruction
Purposes of oral reading instruction will be discussed; stressing the development of fluency, expression, and comprehension. Characteristics of effective oral reading instruction will be demonstrated. When implemented, children and parents will be more involved and enthused and children’s abilities and interests will increase. [Community or Christian,1 hour]
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Fabulous Feedback: The Art of Complimenting and Correcting Students
Compliments and corrections have the power to increase or decrease children’s self-esteem, self-discipline, intrinsic motivation, and learning. Therefore, they’re a very important communication and teaching tool. In addition to other points, the value of specific and focused compliments and corrections vs. general statements such as “good” and “that’s unacceptable” will be emphasized. Differences between corrections and criticisms will be explained and modeled. [Community or Christian, 1-1½ hours]
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How Am I Smart? A Teacher’s Guide to Multiple Intelligences
All children have eight different intelligences that can be can be awakened, strengthened, focused, and trained (e.g., word smart, nature smart, self smart). These intelligences will be defined and explained so parents can determine which ones are strengths for their children and how to further develop the others. Specific ideas about how children think with each intelligence and how each is expressed will be shared. When there’s enough time, what children need in order to fully develop each intelligence and what they enjoy when they have it developed will be shared. How to use all intelligences when learning and studying will also be included. We’ll also examine which negative behaviors might actually be rooted in intelligence strengths (e.g., logic-smart children may question authority more than others, body-smart children may move more inappropriately). Helping children be smart with their smarts will be an emphasis of this teaching. For more information see How Am I Smart? [Community or Christian, children and teens may attend with parents, 1-3 hours]
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Inside Out and Right-Side Up
Shows like Extreme Makeover and The Bachelor, magazine issues like People’s “50 Most Beautiful People,” and endless news reports about obesity and dieting can cause people to judge themselves and everyone else by their outward appearances. There’s so much more to us! In this message, Kathy will encourage us to examine our internals – e.g., our heart, emotions, beliefs, thoughts – and whether our priorities are “right-side up.” We must raise our girls and boys in an “inside out” and “right-side up” manner! [Christian, children and teens may attend with parents, 1 hour]
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The Master Method: Teaching Jesus’ Way
Jesus was the best teacher who ever lived. He accomplished so much in a short time! Imagine using His techniques as you home school your precious children. By examining Jesus’ teaching methods, we will learn much about effective teaching. When we teach like the Master Teacher our children can be master learners. Come to learn something new about Jesus, teaching, and learning. [Christian, 1½ hours]
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Miracles Matter
Every child is a unique miracle who matters. Children who understand their uniqueness believe in themselves and are more willing to strive to develop their talents. They’re able to keep believing even in the midst of challenging circumstances. The illustrations shared bring this message to life! [Christian, children and teens may attend with parents, 1 hour]
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Motivating Students to Learn and Succeed
All children are motivated, but they might not be motivated to learn and succeed. Are any of yours motivated to fail, motivated to remain apathetic, or motivated to get into trouble? Unfortunately, they can be present in all types of families. In this seminar, practical, realistic, and helpful ideas to get and keep children motivated to learn and succeed will be explained and demonstrated. You will be encouraged! [community or Christian, 1-2 hours, When enough time is allowed, ideas from the “Fabulous Feedback” seminar are included.]
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No Two Alike: A Learning Styles Overview
Have you noticed learning differences among your children? What one enjoys, another might find boring. What helps one understand something might confuse another. Some grasp details well, while others do better with main ideas. (Have you ever told children to do four things, but they only do one?) Some remember best by seeing, others by talking, and still others by moving and doing. Some concentrate well in formal, well lit, and quiet settings and others concentrate well in the middle of what looks like chaos to us. Understanding learning styles can help us individualize our communication, discipline, and teaching. You’ll get a practical overview of three different learning styles. The models include environmental preferences (how students concentrate), modalities (how students remember), and cognitive style (how students understand). The ideas will help you determine and communicate to strengths, discipline with these strengths in mind, and teach to the strengths. More success and less stress is the outcome.
[community or Christian, 1-1½ hours, The “How Am I Smart?” seminar is an ideal companion.]
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Overcoming the Challenges of Change
Change is not only possible, it’s essential if our children are to mature into excellence. But, change isn’t easy. What can help? We’ll look at the role of “power thinking,” the “application arrow,” and the “stop/learn” principle. We’ll also learn to apply a process and an analogy that involves identifying what to change out of and what to change into. The steps will be practical and the examples will guide you as you apply the ideas to yourself and individual children who need to change beliefs or behaviors. [community or Christian, 1½ hours]
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Strong-Willed? A Focus on Solutions
Are you raising strong-willed children who always want to get their way? In this practical and encouraging session, we’ll examine why strong-willed children behave the way they do. Then several strategies that can immediately improve your relationships and lead to peace in your family will be clearly explained and demonstrated. More importantly, perhaps, strong-willed children will be more able to thrive when they learn first-time obedience through these strategies. [community or Christian, 1-1½ hours]
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Teaching and Questioning to Facilitate Thinking
All children think all the time, but they don’t necessarily think about what you want them to think about. For example, rather than being able to answer your questions, were they thinking about what they would have for lunch or the places in the history lesson rather than the people you were going to emphasize? And, do you set out to have quality discussions, but find yourself having question-answer interrogations instead? Children’s passivity and a lack of purposeful thinking should concern all of us. Therefore, practical, realistic, and fun methods that will increase thinking, involvement, and participation will be fully explained and demonstrated. They can make an immediate and positive impact on attitudes and abilities. [community or Christian, 1-1½ hours]
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Today’s Esthers Need Another Mordecai
Although children have been created with skills, talents, and gifts, they don’t always behave like they have been! Often, adults need to help them determine their strengths and how they can be used to glorify God. Today’s precious children need adults to come alongside and instruct and guide them much like Mordecai did for Esther. Let’s examine Mordecai’s methods so we can use them effectively to transform children we know and, through them, the world! [Christian, 1 hour]
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Where are Today’s Geniuses?
All students think all the time, but they do not necessarily think about what you want them to think about. For example, rather than being able to answer your questions, were they thinking about what you were wearing, what they would have for lunch, or the places in the history lesson rather than the people you were going to emphasize? And, do you set out to have quality discussions, but find yourself having question-answer interrogations instead? Are only some students involved? Are you frustrated by the hand-raising “games” your students play? Students’ passivity and a lack of purposeful thinking should concern all of us. Therefore, practical, realistic, and fun methods that will increase thinking, involvement, and participation will be fully explained and demonstrated. They can make an immediate and positive impact on attitudes and abilities. [Community or Christian, 1-1½ hours]
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Associate Speaker - Dr. Linda Page's Seminars for Home School Parents
Dr. Linda Page - Dealing with the D’s (ADD, ODD, and LD
You perhaps have all kinds of D’s in your family – including children/teenagers labeled ADD, ODD, and LD. Do you want some new realistic ideas for positively meeting their needs? Who doesn’t? Linda will present specific and practical strategies to increase the likelihood these children/teenagers will be successful. You will also come to understand how the world looks through an ADD, LD brain. [Community or Christian,1-1½ hours]
Dr. Linda Page - Understanding Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome: What’s a Home-School Parent to Do?
Does one of your children have Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome? What do these two terms really mean and what do you need to know as you teach? This workshop will enable you to approach children with Autism or Asperger’s with confidence and understanding. Strategies and accommodations will be offered as well as encouraging words for addressing children with these special needs. [Community or Christian, 1-2 hours]
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Dr. Kathy promotes positive relationships and builds confidence in children, parents, and educators. |
