(Please contact us for a higher resolution photo. Professional and character references available upon request.)
For personal consultation on your homemaking or homeschooling journey, I invite you to book a virtual or phone appointment here:
DISCLAIMER: Any views expressed in my content in the blog and other social media, my books/articles, or non-HSLDA workshops are my personal views and not necessarily those of HSLDA.
Contact information: Vicki Bentley — Winchester, Virginia (travels from Dulles Airport – IAD)
E-mail: vicki@everydayhomemaking.com Web sites: www.HomeEducation101.com & www.everydayhomemaking.com
& www.homeschoolwithconfidence.com & https://courses.homeschoolwithconfidence.com & www.homeschoolwithconfidence.com
”I thought homeschool was 8 to 3 sitting in a desk doing what ‘school’ does. Vicki taught me that I could tailor it to what fit my family and our lifestyle, and that our ‘classroom’ was wherever the student could focus the best, not just school-at-home.” ~Angie H., homeschool mom of four
Biographical information: Meet Vicki Bentley, a joyful mother of eight daughters, foster mom to fifty children, and proud grandma to 23 wonderful grandbabies (plus eleven great-grandchildren). Alongside her husband Jim, she’s homeschooled 17 children, and her workshops and articles reflect her understanding of the daily challenges facing homeschooling parents.
SUGGESTED WORKSHOPS:
(All workshops are planned for one-hour time slots.)
“Jump-Start” to Joyful Motherhood (Psalm 113:9) What comes to mind when you hear, “Joyful mother of children”? If you aren’t sure this describes your perspective on motherhood right now, come learn six steps to guide you to the joyful path! We will also discuss practical strategies to help us stay “tuned up.”
A Mom’s Sentimental Journey – Twenty-plus years and 17 kids later, what a veteran homeschool mom would repeat and what she would do differently on this homeschooling journey! [Suitable for keynote; may be re-titled A Parent’s Sentimental Journey.]
Getting Kids to Help at Home – Training in Diligence and Thoroughness – You know you need to let the children be more involved in helping at home, for training them in character and in practical skills, AND for your sanity! But where do you begin? This foster mom to almost 50 children will share tips and practical helps that have enabled her to homeschool 17 children and still be able to open the front door to guests.
Getting Started – Are you overwhelmed by the options? Not sure where to begin? Good planning is the key to any successful road trip, so Vicki will walk you through a planning checklist to help you prepare for this homeschool journey! Topics include research, goal setting, supplies, schedules, and more, plus Six Tips for Success. Appropriate for any grade level.
So You’re Switching to Homeschooling—Now What? – Maybe you haven’t always homeschooled. . . you’re starting a few years in, or even mid-year. Can you really start mid-stream? What does homeschooling look like? Where do you begin? What should you expect? How can you ease the transition for all of you? We’ll cover these topics and more. Q&A time included, so bring your questions.
Exploring Curriculum Options – Mom of 17 homeschooled students and curriculum counselor for a statewide homeschool organization, Vicki shares the secrets to mapping out a successful course of study for your children. This workshop helps beginners to get a solid start in home education, and encourages veterans to re-examine goals and priorities. Includes a basic overview of different teaching approaches.
Homeschooling on a Shoestring Budget – Homeschooling doesn’t have to cost hundreds of dollars per child. Vicki homeschooled seven at a time while their family was without a full-time income for four years, sometimes spending less than $100 per year.
The Word for Wee Ones (Surrounding Your Little Ones with God’s Word) – Practical, hands-on ideas for surrounding your preschoolers with God’s Word as you sit in your house, walk by the way, when you lie down and rise up (Deuteronomy 6:5-9).
Organized (Well, Almost!) – Time Management for Busy Moms – As a busy mom, do you sometimes struggle with lesson planning, keeping the house somewhat presentable, teaching, keeping up with the laundry, AND getting dinner on the table the same day you homeschool? Come hear practical tips and encouragement from a fellow homeschool mom of many. Your husband and children will thank you, and you will have hope for another day of science and language arts!
Organizing Your Home – Creating a Lifestyle Learning Environment – Vicki will help you decide what is important to your family, where you need to begin, and will discuss physical organizational challenges unique to homeschoolers. Vicki Bentley, fellow busy homeschool mom, shares practical ideas that have helped her manage her household of ten.
[Note to planners: There is some content overlap in the two organization talks above.If you anticipate having primarily the same audience for both, you can (1) select just one or (2) select the combined workshop below (with very abbreviated info). In a typical convention setting, I will leave them “as is” – with overlap – because the audience may vary significantly.]
Hope for the Organizationally Challenged – A recurring theme among homeschoolers is: Help! I’m committed to homeschooling, but I’m feeling overwhelmed just by everyday life! For many of us, standard organizing suggestions don’t “stick,” and we wonder what’s wrong with us. In this workshop, Vicki shares some tools that have helped her (and other busy moms) to homeschool and get dinner on the table. . . on the same day. (If you were “born organized,” you may find yourself in this workshop anyway, to possibly pick up one more idea!)
Juggling Life and Lesson Plans – As a busy mom, do you sometimes struggle with lesson planning, keeping the house somewhat presentable, teaching, keeping up with the laundry, AND getting dinner on the table the same day you homeschool? Learn to apply nine truths of juggling skills, to take your homeschool household from sanity-defying circus act to a more joyful journey!
Multi-level Teaching – When you had one child, it seemed easy, but adding more children sometimes makes homeschooling feel like a zany plate-spinning act. Vicki shares ideas for keeping the homeschooling “plates” from crashing to the floor! Practical tips for teaching multiple ages—from a mom of 17 homeschooled students (seven school-age at a time).
…..OR…
Homeschooling Middles While You Still Have Littles — Practical tips for creating a learning lifestyle—from a mom of 17 homeschooled students (seven school-age at a time). Includes ideas for teaching your preschoolers, as well as multi-level teaching ideas for your school-age kiddos. [Significant overlap with Multi-Level Teaching; choose one; second has more toddler ideas.]
Holidays as Homeschool Curriculum—Do you ever feel stuck in the day-to-day sameness of your school routine? If you circle the holidays on your calendar, you can have not just instant mini-units, but family fun and fond memories. Celebrate!
When Life Broadsides Your Homeschool—You had a wonderful plan at the beginning of the school year for a well-rounded education, envisioning academic excellence and character development in your smiling, well-adjusted offspring. But then . . . life happened. How do you find “normal” again? In this workshop, Vicki helps you focus on the essentials when you’re on the frontlines, especially in a crisis situation. (There is some focus on specific life crises.) Also available with leader focus
(All workshops are planned for one-hour time slots.)
“I highly recommend attending Vicki Bentley’s workshops! She was a wonderful help in our homeschool. I learned so much! I appreciated her knowledge, but I really appreciated that she was real. She shared her homeschool struggles, but also offered solutions that I could put into practice.” ~Ruth B., homeschool mom, state homeschool organization leader
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For support group leaders:
Four Needs of Homeschool Families –In this interactive session, Vicki discusses four basic needs of homeschool families and shares practical ways for groups to meet those needs. Includes tips on involving the dads. (This can be an abbreviated 20-minute version for lunch or brunch, a regular 50-to-60–minute workshop, or a 1-hour condensed workshop including basic mentoring group information.)
Mentoring Groups in Action – Learn how to meet the needs of your newer families without losing the veterans. What is a mentoring group? Hear how some groups have mobilized their veteran homeschoolers to help pass the baton to the new families. Vicki discusses various types of mentoring programs available, practical ideas for success, and the benefits to your support group. Sample materials will be available.
Mentoring 2.0—High-speed, interactive opportunity for this fast-paced generation of homeschoolers! Join us for a fun, hands-on demonstration of an activity to take back to your groups. (Room set-up help needed)
L.E.A.D. with JOY – Vicki Bentley, HSLDA Group Services director and veteran state and local group leader, shares four steps to joyful support group leadership.
When Life Broadsides Your Homeschool (leadership version)—You had a wonderful plan at the beginning of the school year for a well-rounded education, envisioning academic excellence and character development in your smiling, well-adjusted offspring. But then . . . life happened. How does leadership affect your homeschooling? How do you find “normal” again? In this workshop, Vicki helps you focus on the essentials when you’re on the frontlines, especially in a crisis situation. (There is some focus on specific life crises.)
(All workshops are planned for one-hour time slots.)
“If it hadn’t been for Vicki, I may never have homeschooled at all . . . Fortunately for me, Vicki lived near me and was the driving force for our homeschooling community. Her godly wisdom and leadership, along with her kindness, compassion, support, laughter, and friendship, encouraged a generation of homeschooling families. She has a BIG heart and years of experience.” ~ Sharon D., mom of two homeschool grads
HIGH SCHOOL WORKSHOPS – Contact Vicki re availability of these workshops at your event:
High School 101: Blueprint for Success (a seminar in three one-hour parts):
Building a Framework: Strategies for High School Success (Part One) You have laid the foundation; now it’s time to envision the house! We will discuss goal setting, graduation requirements, an overview of high school planning, and course descriptions. Q& A.
High School Construction Tools: Recordkeeping & Credits (Part Two) In this workshop, Vicki will walk you through scheduling and lesson planning, recordkeeping & credits, grades/GPAs, and transcripts. We’ll also discuss how to document and give credit for less conventional studies, and how to incorporate life skills and independent studies into your program. Q&A.
“Finishing” Touches: Graduation & Beyond (Part Three) Ah—graduation! Preparing for college admission and/or apprenticeship, military service, or other options. Reading lists, resumés, essays, and portfolios. Vicki will translate the acronym maze of AP courses, CLEP tests, SAT/ACT/CLT exams, the PSAT/NMSQT, and more. Q&A.
Also available: Recordkeeping Basics for High School
Most workshops available on cd/mp3 for review. Please contact Vicki for more information.