Mrs. Faith Berens:  Homeschool Conference Speaker and Workshop Leader Details

• Language Arts: Reading

You Can Homeschool Your Struggling Learner and We Can Help!
This workshop will provide an overview of HSLDA’s Struggling Learner/Special Needs Department and the many resources we provide to both members and non-members. Faith will share diagnostic checklists for struggling learners and common roadblocks homeschooling parents face. She will help you navigate around those and share strategies for success with your children who learn differently. (With Krisa Winn)

Tackling Tricky High School Issues
This workshop addresses some of the challenges associated with homeschooling struggling or atypical learners in the high school years. Do you have questions such as, “How do I award my child with special needs a diploma?” or “What do I do since my child with dyslexia can’t read typical high school level material?” Faith discusses alternative course work, specialized curricula and learning materials, assistive technology, transcript options, possible graduation guidelines/high school programs for special learners, post-high school options, as well as tips for navigating the process of applying for testing accommodations for the college boards.

Developing and Drafting SEPs (Student Education Plans)
Does your child have a learning disability or perhaps severe special needs? Have you pulled your child out of public school where he used to have an IEP (individual education plan)? Participants will learn the purposes and benefits of writing an SEP, student education plan, the homeschool version of an IEP. This workshop also provides guidance in how to draft an SEP.
Participants will look at sample student education plans and receive both a template of a Student Education Plan and a resource list of books that will assist them in drafting their own
homeschool student education plan.

The Nuts & Bolts on Teaching Struggling Learners
This workshop offers practical resources, lists of materials, and curricula in order to help equip you as you work with a struggling learner in your home school. Multi-sensory teaching methods, direct instruction, modeled teaching, and “scaffolding”instruction are shared, as well as ideas for designing a unique home instruction program tailored to your child’s specific challenges.

Reading Difficulties:Strategies & Techniques I & II

• Master’s degree in reading from Shenandoah University
• Thirteen years of teaching experience in both public and private Christian schools
• Served as a classroom teacher
• Served as a Reading Recovery® teacher
• Served as a reading specialist
• Served as a educational therapist
• Joined the HSLDA team of Special Needs Coordinators in 2008
• Homeschools her own children
• Works as a private educational consultant, evaluator, and tutor

Faith Berens lives in Stephens City, VA, with her husband, Matthew, daughter, Hailey (10), and son Hayden (3). Faith joined the HSLDA team of Special Needs Consultants in 2008 and homeschools her children, as well as works as a private educational consultant, reading consultant for private schools, and evaluator. Some of her passions include reading for pleasure, singing/leading worship, traveling, nature/ science, facilitating Bible studies, and teaching reading to struggling students.

Faith holds a Master’s degree in reading from Shenandoah University. She has over 15 years of teaching experience that includes serving as a classroom teacher in public and private Christian schools, Reading Recoveryteacher, reading specialist, NILD educational therapist, home educator, and tutor. Her areas of expertise are early childhood literacy, reading assessment, and the identification and remediation of reading difficulties and disabilities.