Begin your Conference experience early on Friday with a seminar led by Cathie Baier, offered before the Conference officially opens. (You must register for both the Seminar and the Conference in order to attend.)
9:00 a.m.–12:00 noon Friday | Differentiated Learning: Teaching the Child God Entrusted to You
“…O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek…to be understood as to understand…” — Prayer of St. Francis
God chose you as your child’s first and most important teacher. But what happens when the curriculum that worked beautifully for one child doesn’t work for another—or when a “good” program still leads to frustration, tears, or disengagement at the kitchen table?
This is where differentiated learning becomes a gift rather than another burden.
Differentiated learning isn’t about doing more or making lessons harder. It’s about understanding your child and responding with confidence. In this session, you’ll learn how to adapt content, methods, and outcomes so each child can work toward the same core goals—without constant battles or burnout.
You’ll discover:
This isn’t about making learning easier—it’s about making learning engaging, appropriate, and meaningful. When children feel understood, learning sticks. This workshop equips parents with research-based, homeschool-tested strategies that build motivation, retention, and a lasting love of learning.
1:00–4:00 p.m. Friday | Differentiated Instruction: Practical Tools for Your Homeschool Day
This hands-on afternoon session moves from theory to real-life application—especially for parents teaching multiple children at different levels.
We’ll focus on intentionally differentiating:
This workshop will address:
We’ll also address time management, organization, and curriculum development, with an emphasis on simplifying your systems rather than adding more.
Parents will learn how to configure a Learning Management System (LMS) to assign, track, and assess their children’s work—providing the documentation needed for high school transcripts and future academic pursuits.
Please bring a laptop to set up your own LMS during the workshop.
(Seminar size may be limited to allow for personal guidance.)
Cost: $50/person, includes bound workbook to take home.
“…O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek…to be understood as to understand…” — Prayer of St. Francis
God chose you as your child’s first and most important teacher. But what happens when the curriculum that worked beautifully for one child doesn’t work for another—or when a “good” program still leads to frustration, tears, or disengagement at the kitchen table?
This is where differentiated learning becomes a gift rather than another burden.
Differentiated learning isn’t about doing more or making lessons harder. It’s about understanding your child and responding with confidence. In this session, you’ll learn how to adapt content, methods, and outcomes so each child can work toward the same core goals—without constant battles or burnout.
You’ll discover:
- What differentiated learning really is (and what it’s not)
- How to teach the same subject to children with different abilities, interests, and maturity levels
- How to support a struggling learner without lowering expectations
- How to challenge a strong learner without adding busywork
This isn’t about making learning easier—it’s about making learning engaging, appropriate, and meaningful. When children feel understood, learning sticks. This workshop equips parents with research-based, homeschool-tested strategies that build motivation, retention, and a lasting love of learning.
1:00–4:00 p.m. Friday | Differentiated Instruction: Practical Tools for Your Homeschool Day
This hands-on afternoon session moves from theory to real-life application—especially for parents teaching multiple children at different levels.
We’ll focus on intentionally differentiating:
- Content – what your child is learning
- Process – how your child learns
- Product – how your child shows what they know
This workshop will address:
- Creating a learning environment where your children feel confident, focused, and ready to learn
- Designing lessons that meet each child where they are
- Managing the diverse needs of multiple children
- Assessing progress in a way that supports growth and clarity
- Building transcripts naturally as part of your homeschool rhythm
We’ll also address time management, organization, and curriculum development, with an emphasis on simplifying your systems rather than adding more.
Parents will learn how to configure a Learning Management System (LMS) to assign, track, and assess their children’s work—providing the documentation needed for high school transcripts and future academic pursuits.
Please bring a laptop to set up your own LMS during the workshop.
(Seminar size may be limited to allow for personal guidance.)
Cost: $50/person, includes bound workbook to take home.
Presenter: Cathie Baier
Cathie Baier and her six children began their homeschooling journey in 2003. Four of her children have graduated from high school with associate degrees. One is in graduate school. Two have graduated college, two are in college, and two are in high school. Before children, Cathie developed curricula and taught classes for adults worldwide on various topics in the computer industry at the corporate and post-secondary levels. She loves developing curricula, teaching homeschool co-op classes, and organizing clubs and classes for her kids. She and her family live in Bloomington, MN, and are parishioners at Nativity of Mary.
