Everything Your Child Needs to Know…and How to Teach it to Them

In this encouraging and sometimes humorous workshop, homeschool graduate Natalie Wickham reflects on the four aspects of her homeschool education that she appreciates the most. Drawing on her own experiences, observation of and conversations with other homeschool families, insightful survey responses, and biblical principles, Natalie’s heart is to inspire the next generation of homeschoolers. The number one question in the minds of many homeschool parents is whether they are teaching their child everything they need to know. Natalie highlights an important distinction that must be made when asking this question, and provides practical suggestions that will benefit every homeschool family.

Helping Your Children Become Effective Communicators

Parents are the most important influencers of their children’s communication skills, positively or negatively. In a culture where texting-lingo is becoming an accepted norm, articulate young people increasingly stand out. Homeschool graduate Natalie Wickham shares how her parents encouraged and enforced high standards in both written and verbal communication. This session will be full of practical ideas you can use in formal and informal settings to help your children become excellent communicators.

How to Incorporate Music Education into Your Homeschool

Students who participate in musical studies perform better in other subject areas. Not only that, but learning to understand and appreciate good music can be fun! Natalie Wickham, a homeschool graduate and Nationally Certified Teacher of Music, will share tried-and-true strategies for incorporating music into your homeschool using activities and games that your children will love.

Pajama School – stories from the life of a homeschool graduate

Do you get to wear your pajamas to school? Do you have recess or snow days? What about socialization? Every homeschooler fields dozens of questions like these. Natalie Wickham goes beyond providing simple answers and shares candidly about the experiences that led her to conclude that education is about much more than academics. In addition to sharing answers to many Frequently Asked Questions, this session will include an extended question-and-answer period.

Panel Discussion with Other Homeschool Grads

[NOTE: Many families who are in the early years of homeschooling or are just considering homeschooling love hearing from homeschool graduates about what worked in their families (and what didn’t). If there are other homeschool graduates willing to participate in such a panel, Natalie would be eager to join them!]

Why and How to Homeschool through College

Since graduating from high school in 1999, Natalie Wickham has started two businesses, founded a successful music educator’s blog, authored a book, served on numerous professional boards, and presented workshops to graduate students and professionals – all without a college degree! Find out some of the surprising advantages of continuing to homeschool through college, and learn about many of the resources available to assist young people in pursuing an alternative higher education path.

Journey to Self Publishing - 12 steps to successfully publish your book

Many people have dreams of writing a book, but consider it an overwhelming or even impossible task. The publishing world is more accessible than ever to aspiring authors, but long-held hopes are quickly buried during the process of trying to dig through the plethora of options available. In this candid interview, author and publisher Natalie Wickham discusses the three types of publishing, gives an overview of the four critical components of a book, and lays out 12 steps that will help you navigate the path toward successfully publishing your book.

Sibro Publishing 2010

Exploring a Galaxy of Music Practice Incentive Package

Blast off into an exciting year of lessons! This "out-of-this-world" practice incentive will have students eagerly striving toward new heights in their musical studies. Mission details are custom-designed by the teacher each week, with the student choosing his own "Stellar Student Selection" and "Cosmic Challenge" to accrue more points toward placing objects in his team's galaxy. Students take ownership for their progress by determining their own mission rating each week, and you'll find them jumping at any opportunity to earn extra points!

Natalie's Piano Studio 2010

Pre-Piano Camp Program Package

A six-week outline of lesson plans designed for children ages 4-5. The format is designed for a one-hour class that is held once a week. The activities, games, and lessons are suitable for anywhere from 2-12 children per class. Each week's lesson plan includes a focus on: rhythm and pulse, keyboard skills, memory work and choir (including hymn history stories), written theory, and music appreciation (including listening to music and stories about the lives of the great composers). Each class is divided into 10-minute segments that will keep young children fully engaged and eager to continue their musical studies!

Natalie's Piano Studio 2010

5 For Fun! Games and Activities for the Private Piano Lesson

Ever wish you could come up with a quick game off the top of your head to engage a student or help them better understand something? 5 For Fun! is a collection of easy (5-minute!) games and activities for the private piano lesson. From Keys on the Piano, to Notes on the Staff, to Intervals, to Chords, to Key Signatures, to Rhythm, plus an appendix with additional resources, you're sure to find just the perfect game to help introduce or reinforce music concepts to your students. Each page is laid out in a clean format, with a picture of the game, a list of supplies needed, step-by-step instructions for how it works, several ideas for variations, and a collection of links to related resources on the Internet. These are games and activities that have been favorites with my students over the years, so we hope that you love them, too!

Natalie's Piano Studio 2010

Pajama School - stories from the life of a homeschool graduate

Do you get to wear your pajamas to school? Do you have recess or snow days? What about socialization? Every homeschooler fields dozens of questions like these. Natalie goes beyond providing simple answers and shares candidly about the experiences that led her to conclude that education is about much more than academics. Whether you’ve been homeschooling since the days of the New England Primer or are just embarking on this educational adventure, you will find hope, humor, and an ample dose of reality in the pages of Pajama School.

Sibro Publishing 2009

Mastering the Mystery of Music Practice Incentive Package

Calling all super sleuths to the scene! The suspense is high in this captivating practice incentive. Weekly mastery challenges selected by the student will be the key to cracking the code and unlocking the mystery. Categories like "staff scout," "terminology trainer," and "rhythm recon" will have students enthusiastically advancing in their musical studies, eager to receive the next clue and earn a listing in the official studio Agency Directory!

Natalie's Piano Studio 2009

Go for the Gold! Practice Incentive Package

The Olympic spirit of both team cooperation and competition is in full force with this energetic practice incentive! Students are assigned to a team color at the beginning of the year and have the opportunity to earn lots of points each week that contribute to their individual and team scores, all in the hopes of propelling their team toward the GOLD! Designed to focus specifically on three areas - written theory, sight-reading, and ear-playing - this format capitalizes on the strengths of each student while motivating them to work diligently to develop their weaknesses for short designated sessions.

Natalie's Piano Studio 2008

Let's Have a Ball! Practice Incentive Package

A musical ball, that is! This exciting practice incentive is especially designed to promote camaraderie and help students become "well-rounded" musicians. Different aspects of the theme will have them developing brains, brawn, and beauty. Throughout the year students can earn rubber bouncy balls for completing various assignments and practicing consistently. Balls can then be traded in for entry slips into a drawing that is held at each of the themed musical balls throughout the year. You will be amazed at how much your students will learn to enjoy performing using this approach!

Natalie's Piano Studio 2007

Climbing the Ladder to Success Practice Incentive Package

Up, up, and away! In this fun practice incentive, students hone their sight-reading skills as they tackle piece after piece to advance to the next rung of the ladder. Students are given a 4-step outline for learning each piece and must demonstrate excellence in order to move on. Along the way there are numerous opportunities to earn Diligence Dollars, which can be accumulated all year long and turned in for an incredible prize at the end of the year!

Natalie's Piano Studio 2006