Conference Speakers
Sonya Shafer
Simply Charlotte Mason
Sonya Shafer is a popular homeschool speaker and writer specializing in the Charlotte Mason Method. She has been on an adventure for more than 20 years, studying, researching, practicing, and teaching Charlotte’s gentle and effective methods of education. Her passion for homeschooling her own four daughters grew into helping others and then into Simply Charlotte Mason, which publishes her many books and provides a place of practical encouragement to homeschoolers at simplycharlottemason.com.
Speaker Sessions
Laying Down the Rails: The Power of Good Habits in Your Homeschool
(Homeschool How-To)
Discover the secret to smooth and easy days: habit training. Learn how to instill the good habits that Charlotte Mason encouraged parents to cultivate in their children — and discover practical tips for cultivating the top three!
Little Changes, Big Results: Habits for Teens and Adults
(Homeschool How-To)
When dealing with habits, little changes can add up to big results. In this session for teens and adults, you’ll learn what is involved in cultivating your own habits (and how it’s different from cultivating them in your children), explore a handful of little changes that can give you big results, and be encouraged to embrace those habits that will set you up for success and shape your life.
Five Flavors of Homeschooling
(Homeschool How-To)
The world of homeschooling is a lot like the world of food. You know that you want to provide nutritious meals for your children’s minds, but there are many possibilities for what that food could look and taste like. Join Sonya for a simple overview of the five main flavors of homeschooling: traditional, classical, Charlotte Mason, unit studies, and unschooling. Find your preferred flavor and learn how to shop for a successful homeschool menu.
Reaching Your Child’s Heart
(Family Discipleship)
A mommy-to-mommy challenge about priorities in your homeschool: Sonya shares six ways to reach your child’s heart — taken from Elizabeth’s example in Luke 1 — and four obstacles that can keep us from reaching the heart.
Using Charlotte Mason with Special Needs
(Homeschool How-To, Unique Learning)
Yes, you can use Charlotte Mason principles and methods with a special needs child. Sonya shares what she has learned from more than 20 years of teaching her daughter with autism, pervasive developmental delays, and language processing issues.
Lessons From the Valley
(Family Discipleship, Unique Learning)
After diagnosing her youngest daughter with autism, Sonya found herself in a spiritual valley. Though your valley may look different, the giants she encountered there may seem eerily similar to yours. Learn what Scriptures the Lord used to help her overcome five giants in the valley: Fear, Faltering Faith, Uncertainty, Guilt, and Self-Pity.
Join thousands of other homeschoolers this June 12-14th at the Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference. Expect to have a lot of fun and fellowship with other homeschool families, find great deals on curriculum, and get practical encouragement for your homeschooling at our workshops and general sessions!
Thank you to our 2025 Conference Sponsors
