Learning About Home Education at the 2014 CHEA Convention

We’ve decided to begin homeschooling our children in the fall and I’ve been diligently doing my research and getting to know the various big-names associated with homeschool education. In May, the Christian Home Educators Association (CHEA) hosted their 31^st annual convention at the Disneyland Hotel. As part of the convention, new homeschoolers were invited to attend the first day free to take part in the Introduction to Homeschool conference and get a preview of the vendors in the exhibit hall.

The conference was informative and covered a lot of the concerns about the legal issues involved and the steps you need to take to get started.

A few important points included:

1. You must file the Private School Affidavit each year between October 1^st and 15^th to ensure that your child is not considered truant. Yes, your homeschool is considered a private school, and you must keep attendance records, immunization records, courses of study, and faculty qualifications.

2. There are alternatives to operating as your own private school. There are charter schools, private tutoring exemptions, and independent study programs available through some public school districts. Whichever path you choose, you must file appropriately with the Department of Education.

One of the speakers during the conference was a parent educator who kindly took the time to describe a day in the life of homeschooling, what to expect, and how to stay organized. While there were points from the conference that didn’t necessarily apply to me, the overall takeaway was valuable. The convention lasted 3 days and featured many informative conferences and workshops including keynote speaker Kirk Cameron. I would have loved to attend all three days, but I was only available for the first.

Image courtesy of homeschoolnetcast.com

My favorite part of the event was the exhibit hall. Here I got to peruse the many vendors offering homeschool curriculum and related information and activities. I was excited to look through the texts of A Beka Books and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to help me determine which direction I’ll be going with curriculum. And I ran into a few booths that got me really excited about potential lessons.

Here are a few of my favorite discoveries:

1. Raddish – This complete culinary education in a box is such a fun product. Served up subscription style, delivered directly to your door, each Raddish box contains 3 recipe cards, 1 skill card, creative activities such as games and crafts, table talk cards to ensure lively family discussion during dinner, and a patch to iron on to your Raddish apron when you complete your box. Raddish comes in 3-, 6-, and 12-month subscriptions. Visit https://raddishkids.com/ for more awesomeness.

2. Rainforest Café – Hmm, I see a food theme developing. However, I had no idea that Rainforest Café offered educational programs. Local restaurants offer programs that educate about rainforests, endangered species, conservation efforts and more. They have tours, fundraising opportunities, and even lesson plans you can use. For more information visit https://www.rainforestcafe.com/parties.asp.

3. Accountable Kids – Part of the privilege of teaching your children at home includes the ability to raise them with a consistent expectation that they will be responsible for their space and actions. Accountable Kids gives you the opportunity to get started early, helping kids take on chores and personal hygiene, and be rewarded accordingly when they have been productive. The starter kit comes with a progress board, Accountable Kids book, reminder cards featuring chores and other tasks, sticker sheets, Bonus Bucks, Best Behavior cards and more. Find out more at www.accountablekids.com.

For more information on Homeschooling, visit CHEA at https://www.cheaofca.org/ or Homeschool Association of California at https://www.hsc.org/home-page.html. Follow me atheidideal.blogspot.com for more homeschool activities and resources. Questions? Email me at heidideal711@gmail.com.

Do you or have you thought of homeschooling your child?