Please help me find a store/conference!

[Luckymama]

After reading the forums here, other websites, blogs and curricula websites for a month, I've started to narrow down what should work for dd10 next school year. But I would prefer to look through the books in person first before ordering online.

 

I plan on using secular materials if at all possible. I haven't been able to locate any homeschool stores in my area. There is a fabulous educational products/teacher supply store in my town but it only carries preschool and lower elementary items like texts and workbooks (yet I can get all kinds of science experiment-y stuff, maps, etc there)

 

I'd love to experience a vendor hall at a homeschooling conference. Google is failing me here. I found a listing on the Rainbow Resource website and followed links. The somewhat nearby conferences all seem to be very religious in nature, going by speakers/topics. Would the vendors all be religious? Would I find secular materials there? Has anyone attended the CHAP convention in Harrisburg PA? Is it large enough to have varied vendors? I have a date conflict with an April conference in Maryland.

 

Homeschooling isn't widely done in this area. The local Christian hs group lists a used curriculum sale on the website but doesn't give any dates----I haven't received my "official" membership information yet.

 

Next year I'll be able to plan better!

 

And I'm in northern Delaware. Driving into New Jersey, outside Philadelphia, down to Baltimore/DC is not a problem. I'd drive 3-4 hours for a really good store.

 

Thanks for any help. If there are truly no stores or other conferences around here, then I'll go ahead and place my online orders :)

[crl]

From my understanding, the CHAP convention is huge. My friends often encourage me to go, but I haven't been able to leave my kids overnight with anyone yet. (We don't have family close and all my friends are at CHAP already.) You should check out the website to see the list of speakers and vendors to see if it is worth your time and drive.

http://convention.chaponline.com/

[EmeraldGirl]

Hello,

 

I live in Delaware and am involved in Tri-state which has a book sale the first Tuesday of May at 5PM at Bible Fellowship Church in Newark. CHAP is a very large "local" conference which I have attended for many years. Sometimes I go and listen to the speakers; other years I have only looked at curriculum. Feel free to contact me via email.

[ElizabethB]

The NOVA conference in Northern VA is big and has a fair amount of secular materials. Susan Wise Bauer usually speaks. As a bonus, they have a mp3 of all their speakers. If you can't make it, it may be worth the $40 to you to listen to all the talks. You'll have a better idea of all the speakers in a few months.

[Beach Mom]

The CHAP convention has a much better vendor hall for browsing than the MD curr. fair. Because there are speakers at CHAP the vendor hall is less crowded, especially on Friday. The hall itself is more spacious and because CHAP has speakers all the people aren't on the floor at once. We live within 30 mins of the MD fair but forgo it for CHAP because it is a much better environment for really looking at materials.

 

Although CHAP is a Christian group, there are many, many vendors there with secular materials. Rainbow has a huge booth there, there are many independent book dealers and lots of space to browse. I highly recommend it.

[Mandamom]

http://www.forthischild.net/

 

Here is a store in eastern Baltimore county that is pretty good. It is about 1/2 the building in the picture they show. The biggest problem is that they have very limited hours (they were trying to sell the store due to health issues). I have bought from them before and was pleased with the service and the used books. I have not been there recently, though.

 

I know there was a small homeschool store in Harford County, MD although I have no idea where it is, the name of it or if it is still in business. If you want me to I can ask around.

 

I have only been to the MD conference. I hear really good things about CHAP though.

[SonshineLearner]

This is going to sound super crazy, but why "secular" when you're other kids are doing Catholic school?? I understand not wanting verses on every page, but you are excluding a huge sector.... from what you could choose. Some material is just the best... regardless of the fact that it's Christian. (kinda like my math isn't from a Christian company, I chose Singapore.) Just a thought:-)

[T Baer]

The CHAP convention has a much better vendor hall for browsing than the MD curr. fair. Because there are speakers at CHAP the vendor hall is less crowded, especially on Friday. The hall itself is more spacious and because CHAP has speakers all the people aren't on the floor at once. We live within 30 mins of the MD fair but forgo it for CHAP because it is a much better environment for really looking at materials.

 

Although CHAP is a Christian group, there are many, many vendors there with secular materials. Rainbow has a huge booth there, there are many independent book dealers and lots of space to browse. I highly recommend it.

 

I've been to both as well. I am trying to decide if I want to just go to the MD curriculum fair which is 30 min away or make the drive, spend the night and go to CHAP. I found good deals at both. But if you want to go to hear different speakers, then CHAPS is the one to go to.

[PeterPan]

If you're going to drive and spend a couple nights at a hotel anyway, maybe you'd like to come to the Cincy convention? http://www.cincinnatihomeschoolconvention.com Biggest thing around here, HUGE, HUGE, HUGE. SWB and tons of others will be there.

[Luckymama]

Thank you so much for the help/advice!

 

Next year we will plan ahead to drive to the really big conventions :)

 

lisafriess, thanks for the date for the TriState used sale. That info can't be found on the website, and the site says that I can't join until I'm actually homeschooling my youngest. I will try to contact someone through the website this week. I hope to meet you someday :)

 

As for the secular materials, the kids actually use secular materials at the various Catholic schools, with the exception of religion/theology classes of course. From my month of reading and looking at sample pages, I'm just drawn to more of the secular materials. BUT that's why I really want to get my hands on the actual books, in order to make a truly informed decision!