More on the Midwest Home School Conference in Cincinnati

A friend sent a comment with a question for further information and suggestions for getting started with home schooling. Here's my reply:

The book The Well-Trained Mind is foundational, but it can be a bit overwhelming at first. A good place to start might be the text we purchased at the convention entitled Writing With Ease by Susan Wise Bauer. Another good option will be to view her blog and other options at http://www.welltrainedmind.com/. A further option would be to purchase a couple lectures from the convention. These were recorded by http://rhino-technologies.com/. To give you a good flavor for the "Why?" and possibilities of homeschooling, try listening to "The Joy of Classical Education at Home" (labeled B12 by Rhino Technologies) or "Writing Well: A Plan for Grades 1-12" (G54), both by Susan Wise Bauer.

Dr. Bauer is no-nonsense, direct, and exceedingly intelligent. All of these are qualities I appreciate and these are helpful for someone who really wants not just the dog and pony show for homeschooling but the nitty-gritty truth. I went to every lecture she gave and I appreciated every one. It's a pity, actually, that I didn't learn about the conference she is putting on in May. I might have scheduled for us to do that instead. After hearing her lectures in Cincinnati I will take every opportunity I can get to hear her.

Those considering home schooling should talk to people they trust who are involved, and then also talk to others. There are lots of cooperative groups depending on where you live and these can sometimes be valuable. It will depend GREATLY on where you live and who is doing what.

My apologies for the delay in getting this post up, and I welcome the further conversation.

Mr. Sleepy Home School Dad

I have no idea who the man in the picture is, but this is a scream!!!

Taken on the final day of the three-day Midwest Home School Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, this picture illustates just how tired a lot of dads were.

Fortunately, Grandma took care of the kids while we were at the convention, but a lot of dad's were there watching the kids in the hallways of the convention center while mom was inside taking in lectures. By the mid-afternoon of the third day these dads were tired!

So, here's to Mr. Sleepy Home School Dad. I hope he found a better place to rest!

2009 Midwest Home School Convention

Pictured here are Carrie and I at the recently completed 2009 Midwest Homeschool convention in Cincinnati, Ohio.

We focused our attention on the wisdom of Dr. Susan Wise Bauer, author (with her mother, Jessie Wise) of The Well-Trained Mind, the text that we are using to help us provide the classical-model framework for the O'Donnell Family Home School.

I hope to write more about this later . . .


Pictured further below are Carrie and teenage author Victoria Kastens. Victoria is a home-schooled ADD kid who has written several books, one of which we purchased for our budding author-illustrator, Siobhan.

At the very bottom is the "Nature's Workshop" booth. They have tons of cool stuff to help with the science side of things.

In any case, we had a lot of fun, and it was v-e-r-y worthwhile.