Homeschool Update Magazine - 2019, Volume 3, Issue 105

T H E H E A R T O F H O M E S C H O O L I N G
How Will You
Measure Success?
But I Can't Teach
My Child Music!
7 Rungs on the
Ladder to
Independence
The Most
Misunderstood
Child
4 16 26 28
ARTICLES INSIDE THIS ISSUE INCLUDE
2019 IVOLUME 3 IISSUE 105
GETTING TO THE
HEART OF YOUR
CHILD'S BEHAVIOR PAGE 6
FATHER SON
RETREAT
RECAP
PHOTOS ON
PAGE 15!

Enjoy the security, privacy, and all-access benefits
that come with family enrollment in the
CHEC Independent School!
Learn more at CHECIS.org
Security Privacy All-Access
Benefits
INCLUDED IN YOUR
ALL-ACCESS BENEFITS...
• CHEC Conference Admission
• Homeschool Summits Membership
• Homeschool Introductory
Seminar Admission
• High School & Beyond
Seminar Admission
• Teacher & Student ID Cards
• Report Card Template
• High School Transcript Template
• Homeschool Planners
• Discount on CHEC Graduation
Ceremony
• Discount on HSLDA Membership
Enrollment for the 2019–2020
school year is open now!

CHEC Homeschool Update IVolume 3, 2019 IIssue 105
INSIDE
19039 Plaza Drive, Suite 210 Parker, Colorado 80134
720.842.4852 I1.877.842.CHEC (2432) ICHEC.org
Front Cover: Father Son Retreat. Photography by Daniel Swanson Photography.
This page: CHEC Homeschool Spelling Bee. Photography by Joshua Erber.
Family Encouragement
6 Getting to the Heart
of Your Child's Behavior
BY GINGER HUBBARD
8 From Bathtubs to
Business Plans
BY BARB HEKI
10 Lessons from Creation
for Fathers
BY DR. JOBE MARTIN
16 But I Can't Teach
My Child Music!
BY MARCIA WASHBURN
24 Preparation for
Gospel Teaching
BY CHARISSA HARWERTH
26 7 Rungs on the
Ladder to
Independence
BY RACHELLE REITZ
CHEC Events
12 Rocky Mountain
Homeschool Conference
PRESENTED BY CHEC
15 Father Son
Retreat Recap
PRESENTED BY CHEC
Columns
4 Director’s Desk
18 Homeschool Leaders
22 Legislative Liasion
28 Struggling Learners
30 Resource Review
32 Partner’s Page
See
Spelling Beeinfo on
page 17!

It is no secret!
Homeschoolers
tend to think outside-
the-box … especially
about education.
But no matter how
independently-
minded we may
think we are, at the
end of the day, we
are affected, and
sometimes deeply so,
by the ideologies and
expectations of the
culture in which we
exist. Oftentimes,
it is more than
we realize.
Efficient schedules, completed curriculum, assess-
ment scores, and extracurricular proficiencies are
things our minds run to when we self-assess our
homeschooling. And while all of these things have
their proper place, their priority in our minds show,
if we are honest, that our “box” is often only slightly
bigger than and only marginally outside of the “box”
of most educators.
So at the beginning of this school year, I want to
challenge us to determine how we will think about
the success of this school year when we reach the
end of it.
A good first step is to determine that we are going
to measure the growth of our children primarily by
what God clearly says in His Word is of value to Him.
A good first step is to determine that we are going to
measure the growth of our children primarily by what
God clearly says in His Word is of value to Him. Top
on the list is love for God, love for our neighbors (the
ones inside the home as well as the ones outside
the home), and the manifestation of this love in life
through obedience to God and Christ-like character.
We all need to keep returning to these essential goals
of Christian discipleship and life preparation because
we all easily stray from them. As I said before, we are
affected by our culture more than we know.
But I want us to take a step further. Let’s turn our
attention from the “what” of our measurements of
success to the “when.” If we are careful, we will real-
ize that it is our expectations of the “when” that leads
to much discouragement and is often at the root of
losing our focus on the “what.”
In his book Upgrade, Kevin Swanson shares some
profound, helpful wisdom regarding how we should
think about the “when” of success in education.
“Education is preparation for life, so life is the
only real measure of the success of educa-
tion …. Success in education will be seen in
the success of relationships, the success of a
spiritual journey, the success of a marriage, the
success of a family, the success of a business,
and the success of a career and investments
over an entire lifetime. It will be seen in young
men and young women who find where they fit in
life. It will be seen in those who learn to love the
Lord their God with all their heart, soul, mind,
and strength. It will be seen in those who have
learned to glorify God, enjoy Him, obey Him, and
MEASURE SUCCESS?
How Will You
PHOTOGRAPHYBYISTOCK
BY STEVE CRAIG
C H E C H O M E S C H O O L U P DAT E I Vo l u m e 3 , I s s u e 1 0 5 , 2 01 94
DIRECTOR’S DESK

Phillipians 1:6 says, Being confident of this very
thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will
complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. This is the
truth through which we must look at our children’s
progress. Yes, we have to do our part and should do it
well, but He will bring the increase.
Make God your confidence. And at the end of the year,
determine to measure the success of your school year,
not by the achievements of your children, but by your
willingness to continue to trust and obey God in the
training and discipleship of your children. 
Steve Craig is the Executive
Director for Christian Home
Educators of Colorado. He and
his wife Tara are 2nd generation
homeschoolers and have a
passion to inspire others toward
biblical discipleship in the home. Steve and Tara live in
Parker with their five children: Carson, Christiana,
Angelina, Jewel, and Ariel.
worship Him. Ultimately, that success will be seen
in eternity.”
Here is the main point. It is not helpful to put too much
stock in the success or failure of a single school day,
week, month, or year because what really matters is
ETERNITY.
If your kids do really well this year and everything
goes as well or better than expected, praise God! But
remember, what really matters is eternity. If everything
falls to pieces this year and your homeschool feels like
a complete disaster, pray to God! And remember, what
really matters is eternity. As Christian parents, we are in
this for the long game. It’s not about Harvard, it’s about
Heaven!
And finally, having considered the “what” and “when”
of success in education, let’s remember “who” is
responsible for this success. God is the one who has
promised to bring about ultimate success in the lives of
His children. And we need to trust that He WILL complete
His good work, not over a period of 18 years, but “until
the day of Jesus Christ.”
IT IS NOT
HELPFUL TO PUT
TOO MUCH STOCK
IN THE SUCCESS
OR FAILURE OF A
SINGLE SCHOOL
DAY, WEEK,
MONTH, OR YEAR
BECAUSE WHAT
REALLY MATTERS IS
ETERNITY.
“
“
gg
There's a lot to think of when you are just
getting started.
CHEC hosts our Homeschool Introductory Seminars to
help you make sure you get started on the right track —
to give you the vision, legal background, and scheduling/
curriculum/record-keeping help you need
to homeschool with confidence.
Join us for our all-day seminar on
Saturday, October 19th or
Saturday, January 11th.
NEW TO HOMESCHOOLING?
Sign up at
CHEC.ORG/EVENTS
Recordingsavailable
anytime!
Vo l u m e 3 , I s s u e 1 0 5 , 2 01 9 I C H E C H O M E S C H O O L U P DAT E 5
DIRECTOR’S DESK

CHILD'S
BEHAVIORBY GINGER HUBBARD
Do you feel guilty
because you
know you should be
faithfully training
and instructing
your children in
righteousness, but
you're not sure how?
Are you spinning your wheels with ineffective
parenting methods such as bribing, counting
to three, and threatening punishment in an
attempt to get your children to mind?
Are you frustrated because it seems
no matter what you do, you just
can’t reach the hearts of your
children?
Good news — the Bible
provides a treasure
chest of wisdom
for parents that will
richly bless their
child-training efforts.
God has saturated His
Word with nuggets of gold. A
wise parent will dig out those valu-
able nuggets and invest them in the lives of
their children.
Unfortunately, many parents today focus only
on the outward behavior of their children,
having assumed the philosophy that by get-
ting their children to act right (to behave), they
are raising them the right way. Yet parenting
involves more than getting children to act
right. As parents, we must get them to think
right and to be motivated out of a love of virtue
rather than a fear of punishment.
We do this by training them in righteousness.
Righteous training can only come from the
Word of God. All Scripture is God-breathed
and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting,
and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).
God has provided us with everything we need
for effective parenting. The key is learning
how to flesh out the Scriptures in the everyday
struggles our children face.
When children sinfully express themselves
by disobeying, throwing temper tantrums,
talking back, lying, etc. they are drawing from
what is in their hearts. Parents need to realize
the importance of reaching past the outward
behavior and pulling out the issues of the
heart. The heart is the well from which all of
the responses to life gush forth, which is why
we are instructed, Above all else, guard your
heart, for everything you do flows from it
(Proverbs 4:23). The behavior a child exhibits
PHOTOGRAPHYBYISTOCK
Getting to the Heart
of Your
FAMILY ENCOURAGEMENT

AS PARENTS, WE
MUST GET OUR CHILDREN
TO THINK RIGHT AND TO
BE MOTIVATED OUT OF
A LOVE OF VIRTUE
RATHER THAN A FEAR
OF PUNISHMENT.
is an expression of the child’s heart. To put it simply
— the heart determines behavior.
In order to get to the heart of your child’s behavior
and promote change, consider four steps:
Probe their Hearts.
The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters,
but one who has insight draws them out (Proverbs
20:5). Jesus set the ultimate example for how to
probe the heart of another in order to draw out what
lies within. When dealing with sinners, Jesus did not
shake His finger at their faces and tell them what they
were doing wrong. Instead, He would ask thought-
provoking questions in such a way that the persons
to whom He was talking had to take their focus off of
the circumstances around them and onto the sin in
their own hearts.
Heart-probing questions cause people to evaluate
themselves.
When parents merely tell a child what his problem is
and what he ought to do about it, they are hinder-
ing him from learning how to think like a Christian.
This can cause the child to become handicapped
in the area of discerning matters of his own heart.
When children learn to evaluate their own hearts and
biblically deal with the sin found there, they learn to
govern their own behavior. This is how they grow in
wisdom and character.
Penetrate their Hearts.
Parents can correct and instruct their children repeat-
edly, but they cannot reach their children’s hearts with
their own wisdom. It is God’s wisdom from God’s
You’re probably thinking, “How do I go about locating
the right passages of Scripture for the different issues
with which my children are struggling?” I’ve created a
handy tool to help you along. Wise Words for Moms
is a quick-reference flip chart to aid parents in using
the appropriate Scriptures for specific struggles that
children deal with on a day-to-day basis.
Provide a Means of Escape.
In 1 Corinthians 10:13, God explains that when His
children are tempted, He always provides a means
of escape. God ordains parents as the authority over
their children to put His plan into action. We must fol-
low through with His plan by providing our children
with a means of escape. We do this by training them
in how to replace wrong behavior with right behavior.
It is never enough to simply rebuke sinful behavior.
Rebuking sinful behavior without teaching godly
behavior can exasperate children and provoke them
to anger as we are told in Ephesians 6:4, Fathers, do
not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up
in the training and instruction of the Lord.
It is important that children learn to put off sinfulness.
However, it is equally important, if not more important,
that they learn to put on righteousness (Ephesians
4:22-24). The means of escape is found in their choice
to replace what is wrong with what is right.
Practice by Role-Playing.
Role-playing is an extremely effective tool for
training children to put into practice what they have
learned. As they put the knowledge gained into use it
becomes part of their lives. Role-playing encourages
children to become doers of the Word of God rather
than just being hearers.
When parents require children to actually walk
through the correct behavior, they are training them
in righteousness, instead of just rebuking them
for wrong actions. They are providing them with a
means of escape. They are showing them how to
put off corrupt and deceitful desires and put on the
righteousness and holiness of God. Not only does
role-playing teach children how to practically apply
God’s Word to daily life, but it also equips them to
respond biblically to similar situations in the future. 
Ginger Hubbard, bestselling author
of Don’t Make Me Count to Three,
Wise Words for Moms, and I Can’t
Believe You Just Said That, speaks
at women’s events, parenting
conferences, and homeschool conventions across
the country. For listed resources or to contact her,
visit www.GingerHubbard.com.
“
“
Word that will truly penetrate the hearts of children as
we are told in Hebrews 4:12, The Word of God is alive
and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it
penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and
marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
CHEC STAFF TIP
Julianna Dotten’s mom
actually had a time during
their group lessons where they
would practice obedience. Her
mom would tell the children to
go do something, and they would
role-play what it would be like
to obey with a cheerful heart. If
completed correctly, there would
normally be raisins or MMs after!

Iwas just a
preschooler…
back when there
was no such thing
as preschool. My
“classroom,” on
one particular day,
was … our bathtub!
Yes, you heard that right! My grandma was
giving me a bath. But she was multitasking …
before multitasking was a word. She was simul-
taneously washing me physically and spiritually
as she taught me how to memorize the Lord’s
Prayer while I splashed around in soap bubbles.
She was successful! I learned the entire prayer
during bath time. I didn’t need rubber ducks or
squirt guns to entertain myself because I had
Grandma, and she was interacting with me.
Today, as a grandma myself, I realize that was
discipleship — the most important role of
grandparents, as Deuteronomy 4:9 commands,
what YouTube and those art videos you bought at the
Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference are for!
Your job is to gather materials and create with your
grandchildren.
Choose an artist and read together about that artist’s
life. Now the twist: mimic their unique style and envi-
ronment. If studying Michelangelo, simulate a ceiling
by taping oil paper underneath a table. Have the grand-
children lie on the floor and paint a scene from Genesis
on their own “chapel” ceiling. Don’t forget to wear eye/
nose/mouth protection, in case of paint drips.
End with a celebration over ice cream. Discuss the
painting challenges Michelangelo experienced and
how he overcame them. Move on to his life chal-
lenges. Discuss his spiritual beliefs, what kind of life
he led based on his beliefs, and what kind of eternity
he might face based on his beliefs. A discussion of
Jesus’ salvation for repentant sinners is a natural
segue into hearing the grandchildren’s heart ques-
tions and responding. What a beautiful discipleship
opportunity!
Character-Based
Family Tree
Memories of drawing my own family tree as a child
consist of diagramming, labeling, and collecting
From Bathtubs to
BY BARB HEKI
Teach them to your children and to their children after
them. All it takes to disciple our grandchildren is
getting involved in their lives. And with today’s tech-
nologies — especially video chats — long-distance
grandparents can be just as involved as those who
live locally. Try some of these ideas!
Educational Treasure Hunt
Kids love treasure hunts! You can plan clues and be
there in person or on video chat during the “hunt.”
Here’s how to make a treasure hunt educational: think
of scientific and mathematical clues — things your
grandchildren will need to figure out. For example:
“Walk North” (learn compass directions) or “Half the
length of the ark” (look up ark length, divide by 2,
convert cubits to feet). “Look for the closest elm tree”
(identify elm leaves/bark).
You get the idea. Use nearby natural or man-made
structures to devise your academic questions. Have
a fun prize at the final destination and you will have
educated them in STEM knowledge and Bible facts,
and created a fun-filled memory.
Art with a Twist
Kids love creativity! Don’t worry, Grandpa and
Grandma — you don’t have to be artists. That’s
BUSINESS PLANS
PHOTOGRAPHYBYHEKIFAMILY

relatives’ names. The whole thing was totally struc-
tural — who begat whom.
There’s a better way to do family trees, in which
grandparents’ knowledge is essential — a character-
based family tree. Yes, draw the structure (“tree”
diagram) because that is the foundation for the really
important part which is delving into the character
and life of each relative. Were they believers in Jesus
Christ or unbelievers? How did their spiritual beliefs
impact their lives? Help your grandchildren look for
patterns showing the ramifications of life choices.
Talk about eternity, personalizing the conversation
with your grandchildren by asking, “How does your
faith impact your choices? Do you know where you
will be for all eternity? How do you know?” You can
end this precious time with a few minutes of prayer
for one another, and thankfulness for family members
who model living for Jesus Christ.
Start a Business
Busy parents teaching multiple subjects to multiple
ages often run out of time to teach crucial skills like
entrepreneurship. That’s where grandparents can
be a huge blessing! Don’t make it an overwhelming
monstrosity; keep it simple! Grandparents can help
a 7-year-old start a business weeding gardens or a
16-year-old begin an interior painting venture.
Don't skip writing a business plan! Whether a simple
outline or an in-depth project, this is an essential
step that will tell the child whether their business is
viable. Google “Write Business Plan” and all kinds
of resources and examples will be at your fingertips.
Starting a business encompasses practically every
academic discipline imaginable and produces confi-
dence and ambition that will serve your grandchildren
well throughout their lives.
Campaign Work
NOW is a perfect time to volunteer with your
grandchildren on a political campaign. Like starting
a business, it’s fun and encompasses almost all
academic subjects!
Prior to selecting a campaign, discuss issues with
your grandchildren, identifying biblical teaching on
GRANDPARENTS CAN
HELP A 7-YEAR-OLD START A
BUSINESS WEEDING GARDENS
OR A 16-YEAR-OLD BEGIN
AN INTERIOR PAINTING
VENTURE.
“
“
each issue, then analyze which candidates support
the biblical position. Make sure Dad and Mom ap-
prove, then charge ahead. Your grandkids will learn to
work hard, think critically, and converse with people
of different beliefs. Most importantly, they will learn
how to advocate and apply biblical teachings to all
aspects of public and private life.
The Grand Outcome
Grandparent involvement in homeschooling, at any
level, is a win-win for everyone! Parents get extra
help, grandparents and grandchildren enjoy deepened
relationships, the Gospel goes forth, and discipleship
takes place. God bless all of you grandparents! You
are so valuable! 
Barb Heki and her husband Rich
are the founders of Grandparents of
Homeschoolers, an organization
devoted to helping grandparents
worldwide get actively involved in
the education and discipleship of their
grandchildren. The Heki’s reside in Des Moines,
Iowa, and have four adult children and three
grandchildren. Grandparents (and parents) may
sign up to access free resources at www.
GrandparentsOfHomeschoolers.org.
Want to connect with other
homeschoolers across
Colorado? Join us for
year-round homeschooling
support!
www.CHEC.org/FBgroup

PHOTOGRAPHYBYISTOCK
Ihave loved studying creation,
especially God’s creatures, for decades. In fact, it was
through studying these that the Lord brought me from
being a theistic evolutionist to a young earth creation-
ist. I have marveled at how the Creator, the Lord Jesus,
has created every living thing with specified, irreduc-
ible complexity (i.e. they have all the parts they need
to live where God put them). How perfectly He has
programmed them with the exact instincts they
need to survive so that the young (which in some
cases never even meet their parents) are fully
functional within the characteristics of their
kind. Most importantly, by studying God’s
“wonders without number” (Job 9:10), I
have been brought to worship our Creator
Jesus Christ, Who the Bible also says is
our Redeemer (John 3:16).
As mankind, made in the image of the
Creator God Himself, we parents have
been given the unique privilege of
instructing our children in the nurture
and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians
6:4), while at the same time modeling
and instilling future life skills into them.
Because we do not function simply
on instinct as the animal kingdom
does, but through study, practice, and
discipline, we must rely heavily on
God’s grace (2 Corinthians 12:9–10) to
become the humble, sacrificial, Christ-
like heads of our homes.
BY DR. JOBE MARTIN
Lessons from
CREATION
for fathers
Let’s take a little different look at a few creatures to learn
some quick thoughts about parenting.
Dads, if we love the Lord with our whole heart, mind,
soul, and strength (Mark 12:30–31), we will have the
ability to love our wife and children sacrificially. This love
is willing to do anything to help them grow in the grace
and knowledge of the Lord Jesus (including our switch-
ing off a sports game to have a listening ear). Rejoice
that you are not a male penguin who has to hold his
chick’s egg on his feet for weeks, while standing on the
icy ground, waiting for his mate who is off foraging for
food! He lets nothing move him from his responsibility,
no matter how strong the icy blast.
Dads — are you allowing things far simpler than
a blizzard in Antarctica to move you from your
God-given responsibilities at home?
Consider also how the father murre (a coastal, cliff dwell-
ing sea bird) coaches its fledgling chick on how to jump
off its cliff home — falling up to 1,000 feet into the sea,
he finds his specific chick among the multitude! Despite
the extreme danger from staying in the water, the father
stays with the chick, training it for nearly a month. (They
learn to dive up to 200 ft. below the surface for food!)
What we need today are fathers like this who will stay
with their children in these turbulent times, loving them
enough to come alongside them and help them learn
how to defend their faith and understand the Christian
worldview so they do not sink in the culture.
DAD TO DADDAD TO DAD

HOMESCHOOL GRADUATION CEREMONY
MAY 22 OR MAY 23, 2019
celebrate YOUR
STUDENT’S HIGH
SCHOOL graduation
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
■ Pomp and Circumstance as graduates and parents enter
■ Special music sung during the ceremony
■ Commencement address and charge to the graduates
■ Parents’ presentation of the diplomas
WE TAKE CARE OF ALL THE COORDINATION!
Your registration includes participation in the ceremony,
a cap and gown, a printed diploma and cover, and ceremony
programs. (Optional photo/video package also available.)
Last, as the protectors of our families, we need to lead
in pulling the family together to protect our weak-
est members, just as the muskoxen do. When these
formidable creatures are threatened, they run together
and all try to face the threat. If it is a lone predator, they
form a line, but if surrounded, they form a defensive
circle around the young, all facing outward. This
barrier of heads and horns is virtually impenetrable.
Do we take the dangers and predators of our family’s
hearts and minds that seriously? We are in a culture
where we need to be vigilant in defending our family.
May I encourage each of you to daily pray through
Ephesians 6:10–18 for your family, along with Colos-
sians 1:9–14?
God has called Dr. Jobe Martin and
his wife Jenna Dee Martin to travel,
teach, evangelize, and disciple
people in all walks of life. Dr. Martin
is a graduate of Dallas Theological
Seminary with a Masters in Theology. Through his
education and life experiences, Dr. Martin has had
a powerful impact on many people around the
world. Dr. Martin can be reached through his
website, BiblicalDiscipleship.org.
CHEC’s High School Beyond Seminars equip parents and
teens to finish their homeschool careers with excellence.
A special guest speaker from HSLDA and experienced
homeschoolers will share sessions on:
■ Developing a 4-year high school plan
■ Transcripts record keeping
■ College prep testing
■ Dual enrollment
■ Entrepreneurship college alternatives
Sign up for this all-day seminar on Saturday,
January 11, 2020 (8:30-4:30) for only $69 for
parents and their students (and includes lunch!)
LEARN MORE REGISTER AT
CHEC.ORG/EVENTS
HIGH SCHOOL AHEAD?
Video
recordings
also
available!
plan now to join the celebration!
Register at CHEC.org/events/graduation

Rocky Mountain
The 2019 Rocky Mountain
Homeschool Conference (June
13 - 15 in Denver) was a life-giving
experience for 1300+ families.
God brought an incredible increase and 50% more families than last year
joined us from across the
state (and beyond)! We're
grateful for the gathering of
families passionate about
discipling the next genera-
tion of Christian leaders and
we're already planning for
next year! To God be
the glory. 
FAMILY SCIENCE EXPERIENCE
HEIDI ST. JOHN
GREAT NEW LOCATION!
SILENT AUCTION
EXHIBIT HALL
FELLOWSHIP
GENERAL SESSIONS
Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference
JUNE 25-27, 2020
RockyMountainHomeschoolConference.com
PHOTOSBYTOBIASSTEEVESANDSARAHBRYANT
ABBY
JOHNSON
from the movie
Unplanned
STEPHEN
KENDRICK
from the movie
Overcomer
DR. CARLTON
McLEOD
KEN HAM
CHILDREN'S
ACTIVITIES
YOU CAN
REGISTER
NOW FOR
2020!
CHEC EVENTS

A homeschool curriculum designed
for busy, beautiful lives.
Don’t miss another moment.
Visit DiscoverMonarch.com and
use promo code MON30CHEC
to start a risk-free, 30-day trial
of Monarch today.

This classic go-to compendium
used by countless families in Colorado is now
completely updated and streamlined for you!
Whether you are just getting started, or you have years of
experience, don’t miss out on this fantastic resource!
NEED A MAP FOR YOUR HOMESCHOOLING JOURNEY?
Get your print copy
at CHEC.org!
This classic go-to compendium used by countless
families in Colorado is now completely updated and
streamlined for you!
Whether you are just getting started, or you have years
of experience, don’t miss out on this fantastic resource!
This classic go-to compendium
used by countless families in Colorado is now
completely updated and streamlined for you!
Whether you are just getting started, or you have years of
experience, don’t miss out on this fantastic resource!
PHOTOGRAPHYBYDANIELSWANSON
What happens when you mix 350 fathers and sons,
food, fellowship, mountains, challenging biblical teaching,
educational creation talks, ziplines, water slides, bowling,
downhill tubing (seriously!), and a gazillion other fun things to
do? CHEC’s 2019 Father Son Retreat!
This year, the Father Son Retreat moved to the fabulous Sky Ranch Horn Creek Camp, which is nestled in at the foot of
the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Fathers and sons traveled from as far away as the United Kingdom to join in on this
memorable weekend filled with fun and fellowship, but most importantly, the work of the Spirit of God who was drawing
the hearts of fathers and sons to Christ and to each other.
Every year, God does something special at the Father Son Retreat, and this year was no exception. Through some of the
conversations that CHEC staff had at the retreat, it was evident that the truth of the Gospel reached the minds and hearts
of some of the boys (and fathers!) who attended in a new and deep way ... perhaps for the very first time.
Praise God for the work He is doing in these father-son relationships and for fathers who are willing to seize important opportunities to make
eternal investments in their sons! Learn more about the 2020 Father Son Retreat at www.ColoradoFatherSon.com! 
RECAP BY STEVE CRAIG
CHEC EVENTS

Homeschool
parents are
busy people — so
much to teach and so
little time. Important
subjects such as music
are often delegated to
others or relegated to
“when we get around
to it.”
Yes, there is evidence that playing an instrument
improves a child’s spatial-temporal ability and
physical coordination. And yes, the Bible says
to make music in our hearts to the Lord.
But how can you fit music into your already
overloaded school day? What if you are
musically illiterate? And what if private music
lessons are out of reach? Here are some ideas
to start you on your way toward making music a
part of your family’s life.
The soprano recorder is an inexpensive, easy-to-
learn instrument. I once taught a group of moms
to play it in one hour. Most of them had never read
music before, but they taught their children to play
at home. We had one rehearsal for the children the
following week and then presented four songs at an
end-of-year celebration. There is a wealth of both
easy and challenging music available for those who
wish to explore the recorder in more depth.
Use simple games to teach basic music ter-
minology. Since the Italians developed our modern
system of musical notation, most words found in
printed music are Italian. For example, the terms for
dynamics — how loudly the music is performed —
are piano (soft) and forte (loud). Forte is pronounced
FOR-tay. Variations include pianissimo (very soft)
and fortissimo (very loud). Mezzo (MEHT-zoh) means
medium, as in mezzo-piano (medium soft) or mezzo-
forte (medium loud).
Children can learn these terms,
and how to control the volume of
their singing, by playing
the Dynamics Game.
While one child is
But I Can't Teach
BY MARCIA WASHBURN
Integrate the arts with music. Some music tells
a story. Encourage your children to act out the story,
make paper sack puppets to dramatize it, or use paint
or chalk to record their feelings about the music.
Help your children naturally move with mu-
sic. Encourage them to march to a John Philip Sousa
piece, dance to a waltz, and stomp to a square dance
tune. London Bridge is Falling Down and Looby-
Loo are popular folk dances that can be done with as
few as three or four people. Or invite a square dance
caller to teach families in your homeschool support
group to dance — great inter-generational fun.
Play simple instruments. Invest in commercial
rhythm instruments, or make instruments for your
own family rhythm band. Partially fill a bathroom
tissue tube with rice or dried beans, taping the ends
shut, to make a homemade maraca (shaker). Use
an empty cardboard oatmeal container as a drum,
playing it with your hands or a wooden spoon.
Cover blocks of wood with sandpaper and rub them
together. String pairs of metal bottle caps around
the edge of a doubled paper plate for a homemade
tambourine.
MY CHILD MUSIC!
PHOTOGRAPHYBYISTOCK
MANAGEMENT FOR MOMS

out of the room, hide an object some place in the
room. When the child returns, help him find the
object by singing louder when he is close to the
hidden object and quieter when he is farther away.
A further benefit: you can remind your children that
fortissimo voices are for outside play only!
Teach basic rhythm. The Clapping Game
is fun and teaches attentiveness. One person
claps a short rhythm pattern and the others try
to duplicate it. You don’t have to be able to read
music to clap a rhythm — just make one up.
Gradually lengthen the pattern. One mom gained
her children’s attention to change activities by
clapping a pattern for the children to echo.
Enjoy great music together. God created mu-
sic as a way for us to voice our love and adoration
of Him, both here on earth and in heaven. Start
each day with quiet worship music. Sing together
during your family devotions.
In addition to songs of Christian faith, every child
should learn the folk and patriotic songs of our
country. The Wee Sing company produces great
selections if you’re not comfortable teaching the
songs yourself.
Classical music is another important part of your
child’s education. But many parents don’t know
where to start and are fearful of wasting a lot of
money on music they or their children won’t like. If
you’re not familiar with the music of great compos-
ers, take a look at Beethoven Who? Family Fun with
Music. It is written so even those who don’t read
music can learn along with their children. High
school students can also use it as an elective.
Attend live performances whenever pos-
sible. Local concert associations, colleges, and
symphonies sometimes have special concerts for
children. Folk festivals and similar events provide
great opportunities for all ages to experience
music from other cultures.
Share your music with others. Grandparents,
nursing home residents, church members, and
others are blessed when children sing for them.
Share your music with those who need encourage-
ment. You need not have a polished performance
— just learn some songs and
invite your audience to sing
along. We found that people
who could no longer remember
how to speak due to dementia
could often still sing along with the
hymns and songs that they had learned in their
youth.
It is a wonderful gift for children to study music
with a professionally-trained teacher. But don’t
cheat them, or yourself, out of the joy of making
music together on your own. Select an activity or
two to try and pretty soon, music-making will be a
regular part of your day. 
Footnotes · 1
See http://rhythmband.com for good quality
instruments for children. 2
Want to know how I taught those
moms to play in such a short time? Check out Teach Your
Child (and Yourself!) to Play the Recorder by Marcia Washburn,
available here: https://marciawashburn.com/Teach-Your-
Family-How-To-Play-The-Recorder/. 3
To expand this game,
read Marcia’s free article at https://marciawashburn.com/
TEACHING-MUSICAL-DYNAMICS. 4
See http://weesing.com
for book and CD sets for under $10. Sung by well-trained
children’s voices. 5 See https://marciawashburn.com/
Beethoven-Who-b1002/ for more information.
©2011, 2019 by Marcia K.
Washburn who homeschooled
her five sons for nineteen years.
Excerpted from an article
originally published in The Old
Schoolhouse Magazine (Nov. 2012). Marcia
holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in
Music Education and is the author of over a
dozen books including Talent to Treasure:
Building a Profitable Music Teaching
Business. Looking for a step-by-step approach
to teaching music appreciation? Check out her
unique approach for the whole family: https://
MarciaWashburn.com/Beethoven-Who-b1002/
GOD CREATED MUSIC
AS A WAY FOR US
TO VOICE OUR LOVE
AND ADORATION
OF HIM!
“
“
COLORADO
HOMESCHOOL
SPELLING BEE
WHEN: Saturday, January 18,
2020, Elizabeth, CO
WHO: Any homeschool student
in the state of Colorado in
8th grade or below
HOW: Register for $25/student
today!
Winners advance to the
statewide Denver Post
spelling bee!
CHEC.org/events/
spelling-bee
MANAGEMENT FOR MOMS

12 BENEFITS
Christian leadership
is not for the lone
wolf. The labor is too
important when souls are
in the balance, and all of
us are simply too frail and
shortsighted, with too
much indwelling sin and
too many blind spots, to
go at it on our own.
Whatever our role, we desperately need each
other in all of life, and especially in leadership.
Christian leadership is a team sport, and in a post-
Enlightenment society which is still deeply affected
by modernist individualism, the biblical model of
plurality in leadership is a desperately needed cor-
rective and a powerfully redemptive grace.
Team leadership does not mean there is no
“chief among equals;” it’s both inevitable
and good among any group that one person
eventually functions as the “senior” or the final
buck-stopper — might as well name that and
make it plain. But the clear model in the New
Testament is team leadership.
Wiser Together
Before providing a dozen additional benefits of plural-
ity in leadership, here is a headlining principle: We
are wiser together. Without counsel plans fail, but with
many advisers they succeed (Proverbs 15:22).
The vast majority of decisions we face in life each
day are not clearly laid out in biblical do’s and don’ts.
The way we learn to do “what is good and acceptable
and perfect” is by being transformed by the renewal
of your minds, that by testing you may discern what is
the will of God (Romans 12:2). We don’t live life fol-
lowing a list. Rather, God remakes us from the inside
into increasingly new people, and as we’re renewed
in the spirit of [our] minds (Ephesians 4:23), we
exercise wisdom as we try to discern what is pleasing
to the Lord (Ephesians 5:10). As we are filled with
the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and
understanding (Colossians 1:9), we learn to approve
what is excellent (Philippians 1:10).
Plurality in leadership, then, is the corporate
manifestation of such sober-mindedness, sanctified
level-headedness. The toughest decisions we face in
leadership are not clear “do’s” and “don’ts.” And in
leadership, the messes multiply, and the decisions
become more difficult. What we desperately need is
to exercise a collective wisdom stemming from God’s
remaking of us, not just individually, but together.
We need to supplement each other’s judgment and
seek to discern together God’s path for the ministry
we lead. Which is why one of the first characteristics
required of elders in the church [or Christian group] is
“sober-mindedness” (1 Timothy 3:2).
A Dozen More Gifts
When we have carefully guarded the door to leadership
on the way in, and we know each other well enough to
confirm we’re walking together in the light, then we can
exercise great trust in the team’s sense of direction. We
are significantly wiser together than alone.
Of course, there are drawbacks to plurality in leader-
ship. Even though it’s more likely that an individual
will be led astray, whole groups have also been de-
ceived and corrupted. But on the whole, the benefits
of leading together far outweigh going at it alone.
Here, then, are a dozen more benefits to supplement
the truth that we are wiser together:
1. More Strengths, Fewer Weaknesses —
Rounding out our giftings with the talents of others;
pooling our complimentary gifts to work more effectively
(Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:4–6; 1 Peter 4:10).
2. Healthier Teaching — Any group with only one
teacher will become painfully like that leader if you
give it enough time (Hebrews 13:7; 1 Timothy 3:2;
Titus 1:9).
PHOTOGRAPHYBYISTOCK
of Team LeadershipBY DAVID MATHIAS
EDITOR’S NOTE: Leaders, this is excerpted from
an article originally written to pastors, but the
principles outlined apply to all of us leading
groups as part of our Christian service.
HOMESCHOOL LEADERS

3. Lightening the Workload — When we divide
the labor and distribute the weight of ministry, we
make everyday life more livable for leaders and
protect them from exhaustion and burn out.
4. Being Shepherded and Accountable —
When we are held accountable by others, there is less
room for subtly taking advantage of our of leadership
privilege. For every Christian shepherd [leader], it
is important to realize that our more fundamental
identity is being one of the sheep [member of the
group] (Luke 10:20).
5. More Safety Together — Leading together not
only makes us wiser together when many options are
on the table, but also helps us to move carefully for-
ward, one step at a time, into a situation in which we’re
not even sure there’s one good option. In an abundance
of counselors there is safety (Proverbs 11:14).
6. More Support from the Church [group] — A
single leader is not able to influence and win support
and deal with individual circumstances nearly so
strongly as a team working together.
7. Less Sting from Unjust Criticism — Flying
solo in leadership means all the sting lands squarely
on the one leader. But when we lead as a team,
and make and own decisions as a team, we’re less
exposed to unjust criticism for those decisions.
8. More Encouragement in Difficulty — Trials
will come, but when we lead together, we’re in a much
better condition to walk in those trials without losing
hope. Together, we strengthen each other to continue
rejoicing — truly, deeply, continually — even as we
experience great sorrow.
9. More Stable in Transition — Transition
comes to every leadership team; if the organization is
healthy, it can survive for a longer duration of time.
10. More Sanctifying — Not only is there the col-
lective wisdom, but leading together makes us better
as individuals. Shared leadership is more sanctifying.
Iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17).
11. Greater Joy Together — While at times it may
feel easier to make all the calls yourself, the joy of
www.AMEprogram.com
See a sample and to purchase online:
ameprogram.com/
money-101-earn-give-save-spend
A STUDY GUIDE/CURRICULUMReal, Basic, Relevant Money Skills for Our Children Taught from a
Biblical Foundation for Grades 9-12.
Covering topics on:
What is money?
How does it work?
What should I spend it on?
Why should I save money and how do I do that?
The format is logical, simple to follow, and applicable to real life!
Here'saBrand-NewResourceforYourFamily:
AreyourKidsConfusedAboutMoney?
!AME_HalfPg_Money101_CHECupdate–V2-19_F1.indd 1 3/20/19 3:32 PM
leading together, with all its attendant difficulties, far
surpasses being the king of the hill.
12. Together Under the Chief — Finally, and
most significantly, working as a team of undershep-
herds should remind us continually that there is only
one chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4). We undershepherds
[leaders] are plural, but there is a singular great Shep-
herd and Overseer of your souls (1 Peter 2:25), only
one great shepherd of the sheep (Hebrews 13:20).
He is the one with shoulders broad enough to roll all
our burdens for the flock onto Him (1 Peter 5:7). The
reality of plurality reminds us that we are not the lone
leader of Christ’s church [and the groups within it].
He is. 
David Mathis is executive editor for
DesiringGod.org and pastor at
Cities Church in Minneapolis/St.
Paul. He is a husband, father of
four, and author of Habits of Grace:
Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines.
This article is excerpted from (accessed 7.1.19):
https://churchleaders.com/pastors/preaching-
teaching/246818-twelve-benefits-team-leadership.html.
HOMESCHOOL LEADERS

ADVICE • INSURANCE •INVESTMENTS •BANKING •GENEROSITY
About money that is.
Have you had
“the talk”
with your kids?
In the midst of drastically competing values, our kids need solid biblical
guidance—especially in the area of finances. They need to understand the
power and pitfalls of money.
Without your instruction, they will be unprepared for the challenges ahead—at
the mercy of all the competing voices that too often ignore God’s wisdom
and guidance.
Visit our booth to learn how Thrivent can equip you to start the conversation today.
welcome@thrivent.com • 888.834.7431
website

Order at Generations.org/curriculum
Jesus Christ is the Lord of history. Does your history curriculum teach this?
For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things,
to whom be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36)
Here is the definitive Christian Worldview history covering the
five-hundred year story of America, beginning with Christopher
Columbus in 1492 and ending with Donald Trump in 2018. It
is an epochal story of the rise and decline of the most powerful
nation on earth. . . the United States of America.
10th
-12th
Grade History
America In God’s Providence
A Christian Worldview History (1492-Present)
25% OFF
This offer applies to online purchases only for the following
history sets: America in God’s Providence Set, American Faith
Set, History of the World Set. Offer expires Nov. 15, 2019.
Use coupon code PROVIDENTIALHISTORY at checkout
to save 25% on these 3 history resources!
Learn the story of American history through the lens of
biography. American Faith covers twenty-seven crucial figures
in American history, retelling the American history through
real Americans whose lives impacted our nation.
7th
-9th
Grade History
American Faith
27 Sketches from Winthrop
to Wilkerson
If Jesus is Lord of all and preeminent over all things (Col. 1:18),
this must profoundly affect the way Christians will look at
history. This course places the Lord Jesus Christ squarely at the
center of human history from AD 33 to the present.
History of the World Set
(AD 33 to the Present)
The Transforming Influence
of Jesus Christ
7th
-9th
Grade History
NEW!
New Providential History Curriculum
From Generations and Kevin Swanson
NEW!

Losing Our
LIBERTYBY CAROLYN MARTIN
PHOTOGRAPHYBYISTOCK
The United States of
America is unique
among all nations,
past or present.
It is not just because of our Bill of Rights or
our Constitutional Republic. Our true unique-
ness lies in the principles laid out in our
Declaration of Independence. In it we rejected
the “Divine Right of Kings” and instead
acknowledged that ultimate authority resides
in the Creator God, and He alone establishes
what is right and wrong. We clearly affirmed
that all unalienable rights are God-given, not
contrived and granted by men.
Just as all mankind throughout history has
strayed away from God and His truth, today
America is trying to sustain freedom and
liberty without God. It is an impossibility.
As Christians, we know that only a revival in
the hearts of individuals will turn the nation
back to God and our founding principles.
Our work is not only to proclaim the
Gospel to all people, but to bring His
principles to bear on every opportunity
He calls us to.
Whether it is the freedoms outlined in the Bill of
Rights, or the other unalienable rights that were
self-evident not that long ago, we are losing our
liberties at an alarming rate. There are three areas
in which we are losing our liberties where we can
and must act: overreaching laws, overzealous state
departments, and misinformed bureaucrats.
Overreaching Laws
In Colorado, the fundamental, God-given right of
parents to direct the upbringing, care, and educa-
tion of their children continues to be undermined.
At least four bills passed this year violate the
sanctity of the family and parental rights.1
Laws
being made today ignore the jurisdiction of the
family and instead elevate state-ordained experts
who no longer acknowledge the Creator and His
truth. It is our duty as “we the people” to hold our
elected officials accountable and speak out against
these egregious overreaches.
Overzealous State
Departments
The Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment (CDPHE) continues to reveal a
propensity toward making rules that violate the
clear intent of the law. In 2016, the Home School
Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) went so far as
to threaten a lawsuit unless the CDPHE stopped
violating parents’ rights of conscience with an
illegally mandated form. This year, the legislature
attempted to undermine parental authority and give
the CDPHE more authority surrounding vaccines.
CHEC, along with others, raised the clarion call
against that bill (HB19-1312).2
While the bill was
defeated (praise God!), the governor later issued
an executive order that expanded the state’s role in
collecting vaccine data and educating the public.3
As law-abiding citizens, we have a responsibility
to raise the red flag when state departments make
unlawful rules and push biased information.
Misinformed Bureaucrats
In May of this year, the Aurora Public Schools sent
a letter to parents who homeschool in that district
asking for information beyond the legal require-
ments.4
When parents give in to these demands,
it empowers bureaucrats to ask for more informa-
tion, thereby expanding their authority. In this age
of technology, information is power, and those
controlling the data garnish control over us if we
willingly cede our rights and liberties to them. It is
imperative we know the law and hold bureaucrats
accountable to uphold it.
Vigilance and persistence are key to slowing down
these assaults on our liberties. Speaking out,
sounding the alarm, and holding officials account-
able are things each of us must do. In addition,
let’s be informed voters. There will be many issues
LEGISLATIVE LIAISON

The homeschool freedom we enjoy today
in Colorado must be guarded carefully.
WE NEED YOU!
Every family in Colorado has an opportunity to get involved,
either onsite at the Capitol or from home. You can:
 Help read and review proposed bills for their potential effect on
home education, parental rights, and religious liberty
 Donate to help with costs for legislative liaison work
 Subscribe to the CHEC blog for regular legislative updates from
Carolyn Martin every two weeks
 Subscribe to our email list for prayer updates and join the
private Facebook prayer group
Learn more and sign up for updates
at CHEC.org/freedom
on this year’s ballot5
— vote to secure liberty and
encourage others to do the same! 
Footnotes · 1
Colorado Homeschool Freedom Team, 2019
End-of-Session Report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lIOi0eD
gJIM80uxGLHSEIWInGjQsl-f8/view. 2
2019 Colorado House Bill,
HB19-1312: http://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb19-1312. 3
Colorado
Governor Polis Executive Order B 2019 006: https://www.
colorado.gov/governor/sites/default/files/2019-06/2019-06-13-
EO-.pdf. 4
Letter from Aurora School District: https://drive.google.
com/file/d/1QKBx9YmhPDsHmoDnyUry_VUWGBND4qFN/
view. CHEC Response to letter: https://drive.google.com/
file/d/1079NRYb1UUdbfdabAQ--PUySrhrfEOv2/view.
5
Colorado Secretary of State, Amendments and Propositions on the
2019 Ballot: https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Initiatives/
ballot/contacts/2019.htm
Sign up for my bi-weekly email
updates at CHEC.org/Freedom!
Carolyn Martin, CHEC Homeschool
Legislative Liaison, and her
husband, Todd, began
homeschooling their three children
in upstate New York before moving
to Colorado in 2004. Her passion is to see
homeschooling remain free from government
intrusion for future generations.
CHEC.org/leadership-retreatCHEC.org/events
HOMESCHOOL GROUP
leaders
RETREAT
March 27-28, 2020
Glen Eyrie Retreat Center
January 30, 2020
Homeschool group leaders are
invited to join us for fellowship
activities, networking, round-table
discussions, biblical messages and
encouragement, and time to relax
around the beautiful grounds of the
Glen Eyrie Retreat Center.
Get help for making a
difference when you meet
with your elected officials!
CHEC EVENTS

GOSPEL
TEACHINGBY CHARISSA HARWERTH
Preparation for
Itook a deep breath as I
nervously prayed in front
of the 12 children sitting
before me. It was my first
time sharing a Bible lesson
with such a group.
As I began introducing the lesson, my blood
began to pump, and enthusiasm rushed through
me. At that moment, I knew I wanted to teach
kids about Jesus for the rest of my life. Years
earlier, when I had accepted Christ in my youth,
I had no idea that He would lead me to become
an Elementary Education major at a Christian
university. He had a plan for me, and it has
worked out in my life for His glory.
This desire did not just come about in one day,
but through many opportunities and events
rooted in my family’s Christian heritage. Coming
from a line of three generations of pastors —
including my grandfather, my father, and my
brother, as well as a missionary to a Bible camp
on my mother’s side — telling and sharing the
beautiful story of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was
instilled in me from a young age.
I attribute much of what I have learned and
experienced to the quality Christian education
I received because of being homeschooled. It
did get lonely at times, as the youngest of five with
a significant age gap between my older brothers
and me. However, my flexible homeschool schedule
provided me with many opportunities to help my
parents with their ministry at church. I assisted with
teaching Children’s Church on Sundays year-round,
Good News Club one night a week during the school
year, and week-long Vacation Bible School in the
summer. These were valuable hands-on educational
experiences in addition to my ‘textbook’ education.
In high school, being homeschooled allowed me to
travel on missions trips and work as a teacher’s aide
at a local Christian preschool. As I approached gradu-
ation, the familiar words of Proverbs 3:5–6, Trust in
the Lord with all your heart … and He will make your
paths straight, continually worked its way into my soul.
That is when the call began for me to attend Calvary
University for a degree in Elementary Education.
First, I had a burden for students who do not receive
the majority of their education from loving, Christian
parents. Second, my desire to disciple and share
the Gospel of Jesus with students was born. Third,
I realized students need good teachers not just in
institutional schools but also in local churches. I
decided that if Christ would equip me to become an
elementary education teacher, I could make a differ-
ence with kindness and love wherever He called me
to serve.
The education I am receiving at Calvary includes
mandatory Bible classes in which I am learning how
to follow Christ in my own life by knowing His Word.
I also have opportunities to head up ministries in
the dorm and around campus through Bible studies
and Resident Assistance (RA) work. This has trained
me how to disciple students, making me even more
excited and prepared to go into the education field.
After I graduate, I would like to travel overseas to
work with students in elementary grades by serving
missionary families or in orphanages. I also want
to teach English as a second language. Whether I
remain single or God blesses me with a family, I will
be prepared to share the Gospel of Christ through
teaching children.
I am beyond grateful for the loving and individualized
education I received from being homeschooled. This
gave me the time to invest in things I love to do and
God has used it to show me His path for my life. 
Charissa Harwerth spent her early
childhood in rural Nebraska and
moved to northeastern Colorado as
a teen. Attending a Christian
university in Kansas City, Missouri,
she is pursuing a grace-filled life of service
wherever the Lord leads. If you need any more
information or a word of encouragement, email
her at Tawissahar@gmail.com.
PHOTOGRAPHYBYISTOCKANDCHARISSAHARWERTH
Do you ever wonder if homeschool graduates are
successful in life as adults? Our Gen 2 column seeks to
encourage you that the answer is “Yes!”
GEN2

BEST OF CHEC.ORG/BLOG
INDEPENDENCE
7 Rungs on
the Ladder to
PHOTOGRAPHYBYISTOCK
BEST OF CHEC.ORG/BLOG
Recently, I asked a
younger single friend
about whether something
was appropriate for my
daughter. I told her that I
had so many things about
parenting figured out
before I became a mother,
and now I needed her
untethered wisdom to give
me some perspective. I am
not sure if she realized I
was serious. I was.
A lot of emotion is wrapped up in being a parent.
Sometimes it is hard to see the forest for the
trees. Likewise, sometimes little problems make
it tricky to keep your eyes on the big picture. A
little outside perspective can help: a parenting
book, a respected friend, a younger person who
has recently learned independence, and an older
parent/grandparent who has seen success and
failure. If you, like me, struggle a little, here are
some practical steps to think about as you help
your children climb the ladder to independence:
Can he manage time? Is he
conscious of deadlines, limits?
I send my son with a watch and an end time when he
plays at a friend’s house. I give him a deadline a few
weeks in the future on a project. A middle-schooler
should begin to understand the concept of time
involved to read a book or write a paper, and you
should gradually quit reminding them of the deadline.
I recently purchased mine a pocket calendar to help
him with project and paper due dates. Also, I have
him get up in the morning on his own and put himself
to bed at a reasonable time. Don’t be afraid to let them
stay up too late. Better they figure out what it is like to
function on three hours’ sleep while still at home, than
when they are living on their own and capable of RE-
ALLY getting into trouble with limited brain function.
Does she exercise
self-control?
I’m still learning this one when faced with chocolate
truffles! Whether it is completing chores before
playing or abiding by limits on video gaming, this is
a huge rung to master on the path to independence. If
you must ask three times for your child to turn off the
Xbox or get off the computer, then she is not passing
this test. When you can leave home for the afternoon,
and tell her to get off after an hour, and know she will,
she has mastered a big test.
Is he responsible for
personal care?
Can he remember to brush, floss, shower, dress in
appropriate-to-the-occasion (including weather)
clothes, and be ready on time? This one has surprised
me, as these things came more naturally to me. Most
females will get this one down earlier rather than later;
most males probably will be a little delayed. Take heart!
Can you leave her
home alone?
Talk through what to do in certain situations. Stranger
at the door? Lights go out? Fire? God forbid anything
1 2
3
4Visit
CHEC.org/blog
for more weekly
encouragement!
BY RACHELLE REITZ

BusinessStructure
• Practical full year study on establishing and operating a business enterprise built on
a biblical foundation.
• Easily teachable – just follow the steps with simple level assignments
• Relevant – learning occurs through application
• Instruction from Proverbs and Ecclesiastes on wisdom, character, and work
• Study through the process of starting and running a business while building
an actual business plan
• Grasp and understand basic economics, money management, and personal ﬁnance.
• Use the knowledge gained to ACTUALLY start and operate a REAL family business.
• 17 lessons divided into 36 weeks at four hours per week, about 45 minutes per day
• 136-140 hours of study
• Includes reading, research, follow up tests, worksheets, and quizzes
www.AMEprogram.com
See a sample and
to purchase online:
generations.org
ameprogram.com
The Curriculum/Study Guide for the Book,
One with Everything: anatomy of a hot dog stand and other great family businesses
The Curriculum/Study Guide for the Book,
anatomy of a hot dog stand and other great family businesses
!AME_HalfPg_OWEcombo_CHECupdate–V2-19_F1.indd 1 3/20/19 3:34 PM
happens, but knowing whom to call, what to do, and
being clear-headed are milestones to independence.
Most kids are ready for this while still in [elementary]
grammar school, but do check the laws in your state
[for leaving minors at home without an adult].
How does he manage
money?
There are various money styles and priorities, and
both kids and adults will handle money differently
from others. However, being able to think long-term
and recognize that spending money immediately
is likely not wise, is a huge step to independence.
Understanding the implications of what money can
do without letting it rule you is a huge step in life that
some adults never achieve.
Is she able to find
her way home?
Hopefully, she can do more than find her way home.
Even in a world of GPS, this is more and more of a
challenge. A general directional awareness is helpful
and indicates an interest in being independent. My
youngest is currently paying a lot of attention when I
take a different route to a familiar place and will com-
ment and ask questions.
Does he take
responsibility?
There are all kinds of ways that tweens and teens
learn to take responsibility. A volunteer position,
church responsibilities, and a part-time job are all
good steps beyond household chores. My daughter
volunteers in our church nursery and babysits for a
local Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) group. My
son is an acolyte at church and volunteers to help
with the summer reading program at our local library.
The added benefit for homeschooled kids is the
opportunity to work with other authorities (besides
parents).
Guiding your own children up the ladder toward
independence can be difficult and a little scary. That’s
why I found it helpful to run a tough decision by my
wise, clear-headed friend who didn’t have parenting
angst getting in the way. Preparing them to leave
7
5
6
home is part of our job, and knowing our children are
capable and will be fine without us will give peace of
mind when that day comes.
Rachelle Reitz is a busy wife, and
homeschooling mom to Ben, Kyrie,
Evie. She works part-time as a
travel coordinator for State Policy
Network. A west coast native, she
loves exploring her new home state of Michigan
and still gets excited whenever it snows. You can
read more of Rachelle’s blogs at
https://blog.hslda.org/author/rachellereitz/.
Traditional
Box Tops clips
are being phased out of
production, but may continue to be found on
many products throughout the store. You can
still clip them and send them to CHEC. Every
valid Box Tops clip is worth 10¢ for CHEC.
Make sure each one has a clearly visible
product acronym and expiration date.
BEST OF BLOG

Again, exceptionally bright children may struggle with
high levels of stress and anxiety because they “know
the stuff” but can’t get it out on paper. You might hear
words like, “Why am I so dumb?” or “I HATE school!”
The brighter the child, the greater the frustration level
with their learning gaps; the greater the frustration, the
greater the anger; the greater the anger, the more likely
emotional and behavioral problems will emerge. Some
bright children may become perfectionists; others might
become obsessive or compulsive.
So, what is a loving
parent to do?
Seek help: find a resource to measure your child’s
processing skills and determine what the underlying
learning problems are. Some learning therapies might
help (brain training, vision therapy, brain mapping, etc.).*
Consider enlisting a pastor or counselor for therapeutic
help with anxiety issues.
Positive focus: give your child lots of encouragement
in the Can-Do areas (special classes in art, creative writ-
ing, instrumental music, robotics, worship dance, etc.).
Measure success: God’s mercies are new every morn-
ing (Lamentations 3:23). We recommend a daily points
award program. The rewards will help students stay on
When he really
tries he can do
it, so he must not be
trying!”
Hearing these words, I wonder if this might be a
child with double challenges. Children may be
gifted in some areas, but still struggle with basic
skills — handwriting, spelling, or math facts.
These students are often identified as “Twice
Exceptional” or “2-E.” Their natural abilities may be
advanced, but deficits in basic skills make school
a daily battle. Home education is truly the best
answer for the 2-E child. Now let’s debunk some
myths surrounding our 2-E learners:
Having a high IQ can overcome a learning
gap or an attention-focus challenge.
If a child is bright, he/she may be able to solve
problems well, but can’t fix the underlying process-
ing challenges, so learning becomes frustrating.
The child isn’t “trying hard enough.”
The opposite is more likely true. Processing skill
assessments will reveal what is affecting the
STRUGGLING LEARNERS
learning process. Rather than slothful, lazy students, we
discover some challenged children are actually “heroes
in hiding” who work VERY hard, but with limited results.
(Assessments can measure visual processing, auditory
processing, memory skills, logic and reasoning, and
processing speed.)
You can’t address giftedness and learning chal-
lenges at the same time in the same program.
Yes, we can! We believe every home-educated child
should have a “custom-crafted curriculum” shaped
around their strengths and weaknesses.*
2-E learners should be more mature
than others their age.
Sadly, the opposite is more likely true. They often mature
later and can be quite challenged socially. With gaps
in their processing, children can have daily emotional
stress and so can their teachers, but no one intervenes
because they don’t measure “low enough” to qualify for
extra help from ‘the system’.
Because we home educate our 2-E Learner, we
won’t have emotional or behavior problems.
CHILD
misunderstood
The Most
BY TERI SPRAY
PHOTOGRAPHYBYISTOCK
“
STRUGGLING LEARNERS

task and maintain effort, especially when it’s difficult.
These children are often hard on themselves and need to
see positive results every day.
Think outside the box: move away from grade-level
approaches in your education plan and focus on building
skills — life skills, survival skills, college prep skills,
career skills …. 
*At Christian Cottage Schools, we do assessments to
measure your child’s achievement levels as well as pro-
cessing skills. Then we craft a custom curriculum program
to meet the specific needs of your child as well as your
learning program. We also offer the PACE Brain Training
program to improve processing skills.
Home school pioneers Mike and Teri
Spray have led Christian Cottage
Schools Home School Services since
1986 and helped to start CHEC in
1990. They are the proud parents of two married
children, their spouses, and four amazing
grandchildren. Teri is the lead author of over 12
volumes of curriculum including Easy English which
is in use in over 12 nations. Contact Teri through her
websites, ChristianCottage.org and TeachEasyEng-
lish.org, or call her at (303) 688-6626.
CASTERLINE SINGLE
MOM'S BANQUET
Register now at CHEC.org/events
(Deadline for free registration is Saturday, October 26th)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2
LITTLETON COLORADO
Enjoy a delicious meal,
an encouraging message,
special extras, and
provided childcare — all on us.
 Monday, November 4, Free Day at the
Denver Zoo
 Tuesday, November 5, Free day at the
Children’s Museum of Denver (4–8 pm).
 Tuesday, November 5, Botanic Gardens
Chatfield location free day
 Saturday, November 9, Free Day at the
Longmont Museum
 Monday, November 11, Free Day at the
Denver Botanic Gardens York Street
Monday, November 11, Free entrance day
into National Parks
VIEW MORE UPCOMING EVENTS AT
CHEC.org/community/community-calendar/
HOMESCHOOL FAMILY DAYS
STRUGGLING LEARNERS

Additionally, when they were later ready to under-
stand how each component of the board is related to a
computer and needed guidance from me, I discovered
the educator’s guide available for download on Turing
Tumble’s website (www.turingtumble.com). There is
also a “virtual” Turing Tumble on the website, so it is
possible to experience how the device works before
purchasing it.
I think the Turing Tumble would be an excellent
addition to any homeschool. This is not the type
of learning device that requires intensive teacher
involvement, and it is diverse enough to not end up
collecting dust on a shelf. It is well made and comes
in a sturdy box with a molded tray which holds all
the pieces. Best of all, the Turing Tumble is great fun
and makes learning about computers and developing
problem solving skills delightful. 
Cindy Puhek resides in Colorado
Springs and has been married to
Peter for more than two decades.
They are well into their second
decade of homeschooling their six
children who range in age from toddler to high
schooler. Cindy holds a masters degree in
chemistry and has written dozens of articles to
encourage others in their homeschooling
journeys. You can visit her blog at www.
homeschoolenrichment.com/blogs.
bits, interceptors, gears, and gear bits — students
can set up the board to achieve specific objectives.
For example, students might be asked to set up the
board so one blue ball falls and then three red balls
fall in sequence. When the kids get the board set up
correctly, it is beautiful and elegant to watch the balls
fall in order.
The Turing Tumble comes with a 110-page book
which has 60 puzzles scattered throughout a comic
book story about a space engineer who must fix the
ship’s computer in order to get home. Each puzzle has
a diagram of an initial setup for the board, gives the
objective, and lists the pieces the player can add to
the initial set up to achieve the objective. The puzzles
are initially very easy and get increasingly more
difficult with the later puzzles being difficult enough
to challenge professional computer programmers and
software engineers.
When I surprised my 10- and 14-year-old sons with a
Turing Tumble last June, they opened the box and im-
mediately began building. Independently, they figured
out how the board worked. They continued to play
with the board every spare minute for several days.
Even if they didn’t understand all the nuances of the
computer programming in which they were engaged,
it was apparent they were getting good training in
problem solving and logical thinking.
A new logic game
called Turing Tumble
came on the market in
summer of 2018, and
it has won numerous
awards.
Named for the computer pioneer Alan Turing,
this amazing toy acts like a sophisticated marble
maze, but it is really designed to help kids ages
8 to adult understand how computers work.
Players can “program” the board to give specific
outputs. But best of all, it’s a lot of screen-free,
unplugged fun, and my boys voluntarily work
with their Turing Tumble for hours. As my teen
son exclaimed, “It’s amazing that by using these
little pieces of plastic I can make the marbles do
incredibly sophisticated things!”
Paul Boswell designed Turing Tumble while he
was a professor at the University of Minnesota.
He had become frustrated with programming
toys that taught kids how to program but did not
help them understand how computers work. So,
he set out to design a tool that would help kids
understand how different computer program-
ming commands interact with a computer.
Using six components — ramps, crossovers,
TURING
TUMBLEBY CINDY PUHEK
CURRICULUM REVIEW
PHOTOGRAPHY:TURINGTUMBLE
RESOURCE REVIEW

Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk
NOW ON
Monday — Friday at 4:30 p.m.
The voice you trust
for the familyyou love
DrJamesDobson.org
MONDAY — FRIDAY AT 4:30 PM
Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk
now on
Profound truth. Simply stated.
FIND ANSWERS AND
ENCOURAGEMENT AT
lwf.org
Weekdays at 7am
ON KLTT 670
WEEKDAYS AT
7:30AM
9:30PM
DavidJeremiah.org
“Alexa, Play KLTT”
670KLTT.COM

27 short years ago,
we sat together in
one of our pre-marital
counseling sessions.
The pastor, seemingly
out of the blue, asked
us, “Have you thought
about kids?”
We quickly looked at each other, each having as
many question marks in our eyes as we did in
our minds. We replied, “Of course!” I mean, kids
aren’t really an option, are they? “How many are
you thinking?” “Um ...” again we looked at each
other, both being completely naïve and having
our own, undiscussed thoughts on the subject.
Then simultaneously we answered, “3” and “4.”
On to the next question then … ”What about
schooling?” Good, an easier one this time, we
both thought to ourselves. Quickly glancing
at one another, and sure we each had this one
teaching us the many blessings of serving others
and ultimately, God. Striving to plant these seeds of
thought into the next generation’s mind during the
family get-togethers at Jodi’s grandparents, the elders
would have the family sing the hymn Others as the
meal prayer. It goes like this …
Lord help me live from day to day
In such a self-forgetful way
That even when I kneel to pray
My prayer shall be for others
Others, Lord, yes others
Let this my motto be
Help me to live for others
That I might live like thee
Help me to live for others
That I might live like thee.
We were married in June of 1993 and lived for the
first 14 years of our marriage in Nebraska. It was
there that we were first introduced to the idea of
homeschooling. Jodi had developed a friendship
with a homeschooling mom and was very impressed
by her children, thinking they were very nice kids.
right, we replied at the same time, “Public school” and
“Christian school”!
Needless to say, we hadn’t spent much time discuss-
ing some of the things that are very pertinent to
married life as we began our journey together. But
even though we obviously didn’t think in unison on
everything in life at that point, God had placed us in
very similar upbringings to the benefit of our mar-
riage. We both grew up as farm kids, raised in rural
America. For generations, our families had faithfully
attended churches where we were taught about God’s
sovereignty and His love. We learned about the
problem of sin and were shown the only solution to
it — Jesus — and His death on the cross. We both
knew from an early age that we desperately needed a
Savior, as there was nothing we could do on our own
to merit salvation.
Through the examples of our parents and grandpar-
ents, we were shown that living for Christ meant living
outside of yourself and looking for ways to serve
others. Our families always looked for opportunities
to serve in the communities in which we grew up,
WE'VE COME!BY RANDY AND JODI SQUIRES
How Far
PHOTOGRAPHYBYSQUIRES
PARTNER'S PAGE

For 29 years, CHEC has been at the forefront of the battle for home education and discipleship.
CHEC serves thousands of families every year through our events, Homeschool Update magazine,
widows fund, special needs fund, the CHEC Independent School, and more. We receive phone
calls throughout the week that give us a chance to provide advice, encouragement, and an extra
“boost” to homeschoolers when the going is tough. CHEC depends on your generous donation to
both continue and expand our mission.
Go to CHEC.org/donate to donate to any of these funds:
• General Fund
• Colorado Homeschool Freedom Fund
• Event Scholarship Fund
• Sign Language Interpreting Fund
• Casterline Single Moms
• Struggling Learners
Jodi felt at that time that if we would homeschool our
kids, they would be that nice, as well!
Striving to live at peace with Jodi, Randy agreed to at-
tend our first homeschool conferences in Des Moines,
Iowa, with an open mind and heart. We heard keynote
speaker Chris Klicka one year and then Michael Smith
another year speak on the responsibilities of godly
parents to govern the input into our children’s hearts
and minds. That’s all it took. Randy was sold on
homeschooling, too. Through the further teaching of
several conference speakers, as well as our own study
of God’s Word, God started to shape our understand-
ing of parenting, relationships, and God’s design for
the family. Ultimately, we came to understand that
homeschooling itself doesn’t necessarily make your
kids “nice.” Our homeschooling journey had begun,
but change was on the horizon.
In 2006, our lives were shortly disrupted as God led
us from Nebraska, and the life that we had learned to
love, out to Colorado. Once here, we began looking
for homeschooling connections and opportunities as
this had become a way of life for us. It had provided
us with needed friendships and support. We, well
Jodi at least, loved attending the used curriculum
sales up in Loveland and down at the Jefferson
County Fairgrounds. Living on a shoestring budget,
the used curriculum sale allowed us to get the next
books we needed for our kids’ schooling, plus a few
extra items on our wish list. The next natural step was
to attend our first CHEC conference. Just as we had
experienced at previous conferences, the speak-
ers proved to have information that was valuable to
our spiritual growth. Over the years, our family has
benefited greatly from all that CHEC has to offer for
the homeschooling community in Colorado.
Several years later, as our children were getting older
and more able to help, we heard about an opportunity
to help with the CHEC Used Curriculum Sale (UCS),
both prior to and during the conference. Seeing this as
a great opportunity where the whole family could be
involved in serving others, as well as help cover part
of our conference expenses, we jumped on board. For
several years, we continued to work under the direc-
tion of Christy Korin, the prior coordinator of the UCS.
We helped with many of the different aspects that were
involved with the sale. Our children always looked
ahead with anticipation to helping with the UCS each
year. As Christy prepared to move away from the area,
she approached us and asked if we would consider
taking over her spot as the UCS Coordinator. At first, it
seemed like an overwhelming task and not some-
thing that we were gifted for. However, we did agree
to prayerfully consider it and talked it over with our
entire family, knowing it would require all of us serving
together to pull it off. After a discussion with Steve
Craig, we felt God was reminding us that with Him all
things are possible. So we stepped out in faith and
said “yes” to a task that was larger than our abilities,
remembering all the times in the past that we had
been blessed by the service to other homeschooling
families in this way.
Although the beginning of our journey through life
together may have started with a couple of questions
that neither of us had the correct answers to, we
now laugh at how naïve we were then. Also, we are
reminded that although, A man’s heart plans his way,
the Lord directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9). How thank-
ful we are for this reality! God has blessed us with six
children: Ryland is 21, Kali is 19, Kara is 18, Kylie is
15, Rance is 13, and Randon is 11 years old. We are
a regular family just like yours. We strive to do our
best in school, but sometimes we just endeavor to do
school. We desire for our children to grow up loving
and serving God, learning to live beyond themselves,
looking to serve others around them. We are so
thankful to God for shaping our lives how He has seen
fit. It hasn’t always been easy, but stepping back we
can see where God’s hand has always been at work in
directing our steps. 
Randy and Jodi Squires are the
USC Coordinators for CHEC’s
Rocky Mountain Homeschool
Conference (RMHC). This past
June, they managed to label
10,000+ books and orchestrate a very successful
half-day sale on Wednesday before the conference
started on Thursday. Hundreds of single parents,
missionary and pastoral families, and families-in-
need greatly benefitted from the gleaning room
filled with leftover UCS books. If you are interested
in volunteering with the Squires for the 2020
RMHC UCS, please contact them at: rnjplus6@
yahoo.com.
PARTNER'S PAGE

CHEC BOARD OF TRUSTEES:
Bill Roach, President
George Sechrist, Vice President
Brenda Kelly
Chad Roach
Ian Serff
Steven Vaughan
CHEC DIRECTORS:
Steve Craig, Executive Director
Kevin Swanson, Director of
Generations
Mike Cheney, Director of AME
The CHEC Homeschool Update is published
triannually by Christian Home Educators of Colorado,
19039 Plaza Drive, Suite 210, Parker, CO 80134.
The purpose of the Homeschool Update is to
provide information, resources, and leadership
for home educating families while effectively
communicating the activities, opportunities, and
needs of Christian Home Educators of Colorado.
The Homeschool Update is free to all who
request it. Donations are gladly accepted.
The views expressed by contributors and
advertisers in this news magazine do not
necessarily reflect those of CHEC.
Permission is granted to reprint any portion of
this magazine, except where noted, provided
the following credit is given: “Reprinted from the
CHEC Homeschool Update, Volume 3, Issue #105,
2019; 720-842-4852, CHEC.org.”
Editor:
Shari McMinn, sharimcminn.com
Creative Designer:
Sarah Lee Bryant, sarahleephoto.com
Advertising Policy:
Ads are published on a space-available, first-come,
first-served basis and are subject to approval.
Payment must be made by the deadline to reserve
ad space. New advertisers must include complete
product description. We reserve the right to refuse
any ad submitted.
CHEC’s mailing list is not sold or rented.
Advertising in this magazine provides an excellent
opportunity to reach homeschooling families
likely to be interested in your product or service.
Questions may be directed to
admanager@CHEC.org.
Circulation: V1 V3: 5,500  V2: 6,500
Next Advertising Deadline: November 15, 2019
For advertising opportunities with CHEC,
go to CHEC.org/advertise.
Copyright © 2019 by CHEC
NEXT with CHEC
Rocky Mountain
June 25-27, 2020
Homeschool Intro /
HighSchoolBeyondSeminars
October 19 January 11, 2020
CHEC
Spelling Bee
January 18, 2020
Refresh Ladies Day
of Encouragement
March 14, 2020
Homeschool Graduation
Ceremonies
May 22 23, 2020
Homeschool Day
at the Capitol
April 16, 2020
Meet Your
Legislator Day
January 30, 2020
Homeschool Group
Leaders Retreat
March 27-28, 2020
Casterline Widows'
Banquet
November 2
Online Homeschool Family
Relationships Summit
October 14-19
Visit CHEC.org/events to learn more!
Speaker
Leslie Ludy!
CHEC EVENTS

HEALTH CARE
YOUR
SET FREE
For twenty-five years, Samaritan Ministries
members have been sharing health care — all
without the interruption of insurance. Ranchers
and Samaritan members, the Van Dyke family
doesn’t pay an organization for their health care.
Instead, they send their money directly to another
member who has medical expenses. They know
exactly where their money goes and what it does.
SAMARITANMINISTRIES.ORG/CHEC
(877) 978-1663

A free online event that will urge (and equip!) you to find God’s wisdom for your closest
relationships so you can communicate with truth and grace, strengthen your family’s
unity even through conflict, and lead your family to become a world-changing force
for the kingdom of God.
✓Video sessions with top speakers ✓Online exhibit hall with exclusive
NONPROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE
PAID
DENVER CO
PERMIT #792
Christian Home Educators of Colorado
19039 Plaza Drive, Suite 210
Parker, Colorado 80134
Change Service Requested
Dear families: If you no longer want to receive this magazine, please contact
the CHEC office and ask to be removed from our mailing list. Thank you.
720.842.4852 I1.877.842.CHEC Ioffice@CHEC.org
Register now at HomeschoolSummits.com
THE 6TH HOMESCHOOL SUMMITS EVENT IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY AND

Homeschool Update Magazine - 2019, Volume 3, Issue 105

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Homeschool Update Magazine - 2019, Volume 3, Issue 105

Similar to Homeschool Update Magazine - 2019, Volume 3, Issue 105 (20)

More from Christian Home Educators of Colorado

More from Christian Home Educators of Colorado (13)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Homeschool Update Magazine - 2019, Volume 3, Issue 105