Support Group   

Schedule of 2007-08 Support Group Meeting Dates and Topics

This page contains links to our monthly Support Group Agenda's.  Agendas frequently contain reminders on due dates, helpful information, valuable resources, articles and lecture notes.  Sometimes individuals list items for sale. Links to each month's agenda are generally made available during the first week of the following month.

For information about due dates for forms and evaluations for our ISP Members, see our Master Calendar page.

2007--08 Support Group Audio Files, Agendas, and Topic Notes

In order to listen to a digital recording of our Support Group Topics, simply click on the link and the file will download to your computer.  Download time will vary according to your connections speed. A fast connection with a 284 kb/second transfer rate will take about 3 minutes to download.  The file will then open in a media player on your computer, such as QuickTime, Windows Media Player, or RealOne Player.

• Becoming the Best Teacher You Can Be  Teaching given at the Hensley Ranch on September 15, 2007 by Sharon Hensley (.wav format; 48.5 MB; 1 hour 16 minutes).
  
  Notes to accompany Becoming the Best Teacher You Be

• October 2007 Agenda
• Balancing and Prioritizing (.wav format; 53.4 MB; 1 hour 24 minutes)
  Notes (.pdf) to fill out while listening to Balancing and Prioritizing (.doc)
  
• November Agenda
• Motivating the Reluctant Learner (.wav format; 57.4 MB; 1 hour 30 minutes)
  Outline (.rtf)


• The following Evaluating Curriculum talks accompany the AVCS Books catalog.  Sharon Hensley reviews the products explaining in general how they are used in teaching. 
• Evaluating Reading Curriculum (.wav format; 57.4 MB;1 hour 30 minutes)
• Evaluating Writing Curriculum  (.wav format; 52.5 MB; 1 hour 22 minutes)
   
• March 2008 Agenda
• Integrating Language Therapy into Your Curriculum (.wav format; 52 MB; 1 hour 10 minutes) 
  Outline (.pdf)
• April 2008 Agenda
• Social Language Skills~Using Talk About  (.wav format; 47.9 MB; 1 hour 15 minutes)

2006--07 Support Group Audio Files, Agendas, and Topic Notes

•  Reviving Your Teaching Audio Recording © Debbie Strayer 2006

  This is the second part of a day-long workshop given by Debbie Strayer in September 2006.  The first part, Gaining Confidence to Teach will be available on line soon for $15.
   

•  October Agenda

  Experiencing Writing Difficulties (.wav format; 27.9 MB; 46 minutes)

•   November Agenda

    Information Processing (.wav format; 44.2 MB; 70 minutes)
    Discussion Notes
   

•   January Agenda

   Experiencing Reading Difficulties (.wav format: 45.6 MB; 72 minutes)
    Exercise and Discussion Notes: Three pages, please read in order, one at a time.
   

•  February Agenda

     Instead of discussing Motor Difficulties, we devoted this month's meeting to gathering feedback and ideas for future meetings.  Do you have a topic that you would like Sharon or a guest speaker to address?  Click on this link and give us your feedback!
   

•  March Agenda

     Listen to four AVCS members answer the question: "What helped you the most to accept your child's diagnosis?" Take time to listen to each of the ladies; it is definitely worth 18 minutes of your time!

  Evening Topic: Issues Unique to Families With Younger Special Needs Children.  Unfortunately, due to technical errors, we did not record this topic.
   

•  April Agenda

           Issues Specific to Older Children (.wav format 28.5 MB; 1 hour 29 minutes)
           Issues Specific to Older Children Discussion Notes

•  May Agenda and Discussion Notes

   Learning Disabilities and Social Skills (.wav format 23 MB; 1 hour 12 minutes)  This discussion summarizes the main points of Learning Disabilities and Social Skills with Richard Lavoie...Last One Picked, First One Picked On video. (Available in our Lending Library.)  Find out how to do "Social Autopsies." Listen to Sharon Hensley substitute "The Hidden Curriculum" portion of Lavoie's presentation with communication issues that arise in home school settings. 

2005--06 Support Group Audio Files, Agendas, and Topic Notes

"Life Happens While I Homeschool: Scheduling Issues and Ideas" (wav format; 49 MB).

Discussion Notes: "Life Happens While I Homeschool: Scheduling Issues and Ideas"  

  Social Skills  AVCS Consultant, Pamela Lindsay, reveals a new approach to teaching socially appropriate behavior that is meaningful and memorable for students.  Unfortunately, only the introduction to Pamela's lecture was recorded at our meeting.  Additional notes will soon be made posted to this page. (8.59 MB .wav audio file; 14 minutes listening time.)

  Visualization Skills to Enhance Spelling and Comprehension.  Based on techniques and ideas from Linda Bell's work, Sharon Hensley, M.A., augments and demonstrates questioning a student in order to elicit mental imagery.  (45.9 MB .wav audio file; 1 hour 12 minutes listening time; approximately a 2 minute download time on a 400 MB/sec connection.) 

  Mastery Learning: When is it Time to Move On? Presented by Sharon Hensley  (44.6 MB .wav audio file; 1 hour 10 minutes; approx. 3 minute download time

    Acceptance Issues: How to Love Your Children as They Really Are
Presented by Sharon Hensley (53.8 MB .wav audio file: 1 hour 24 minutes listening time 3.33 minutes download time)

  Helping Your Sensitive, Intense, and Overwhelmed Child Learn to Cope, Part 1, Part 2   Due to technical difficulties, this session must be downloaded in two parts; the first is 32 minutes long, and the second is 39 minutes long; you won't miss anything, however.  
  Outline to take notes on while listening to the above lecture

  Teaching Listening Skills
Sharon Hensley discusses reasons for poor listening skills, frustrations of daily communication, and techniques for improving listening skills.  (47.9 MB .wav file:  1 hour 15 minutes listening time.)
  Lecture Outline

  Evaluating Curriculum
Posing questions that home educators might ask when evaluating curricula, Sharon Hensley demonstrates how to select curriculum that best suits your child and your teaching style.  (57.2 MB .wav file:  1 hour 30 minutes listening time.)
  Evaluating Curriculum Outline

2004--05 Discussion Notes

• April: Early Math Ideas by Linda Rapp

To download a media player, click on the link provided.

    QuickTime (Apple)

    Windows Media Player

    RealOne Player