CONFERENCE SPEAKING
Gary and Jan have been workshop presenters and conferences speakers since 2003. They were keynote speakers in North Dakota (2005) and Alaska (2007) and were featured speakers in Springfield, MO (2008), Indianapolis (2008), Portland, OR (2008), and Kansas City (2009).
Gary and Jan began their homeschooling adventure in 1982. Though not old enough to be pioneers, they were in that first group of settlers who followed the faint trails that later developed into the super highways of modern homeschooling. Their three children, homeschooled through high school, experienced the challenges life on the educational frontier presented. Amazingly enough they each became responsible, intelligent, sociable, well-read adults who still love to learn. Gary and Jan currently have three rambunctious grandsons and one darling granddaughter. (Maybe now that Jan has a female granddaughter she'll be called something other than "Where's Grandpa?")
After their children were on their own, the Blooms began their exhibitor/speaker life believing that what they learned in their years of homeschooling and living could be used to help other parents homeschool differently, better, with more joy, and maybe even less pain! Jan’s books and advice on what to read have helped countless
parents who believed good reading was important but didn’t know where to begin.
Gary gets to take the credit for the many dads who now
incorporate a family reading time into their day. Both Gary and Jan love being
used by God to heal, protect, challenge, and build up homeschooling families
coast to coast.
In
addition to BooksBloom seminars, they have been speakers at many state
conferences including MACHE in Minnesota, CHEC in Colorado, CHEA in California,
NCHE in North Carolina, INCH in Michigan, and OCHEC in Oklahoma.
GARY BLOOM
When
Jan and Gary decided to home school in 1982, Gary worked two jobs and
long hours so Jan could stay home to teach their three children. He worked for
the Billy Graham Association 12 years before moving to rural Minnesota for a four-year back-to-the-land
"adventure" and employment in the grocery industry. In 2001
he and Jan began traveling to homeschool conferences with their ever-expanding inventory of great vintage
and out-of-print books.
Gary
received his B.S. degree in Psychology from Northwestern College in St Paul, MN
twenty-five years after beginning college. He has a special concern for
homeschooling dads and their challenges and struggles. He loves to read,
especially true-life adventures about explorers, inventors, and people who
triumph in life-threatening situations. His favorite part of school as a youth
was lunch and recess.
HOW TO REALLY LOVE YOUR HOMESCHOOLING
WIFE or, What NOT to Say at the End of the
Day!
(Alternate title: HOW TO REALLY IRRITATE YOUR HOMESCHOOLING WIFE)
Speaking from 35 years of husbandly experience, Gary offers cautions, correction, and consolation for husbands with homeschooling wives. His useful advice will help husbands understand their wives better and will enable them to help their wives find joy and affirmation in the day-to-day challenges of homeschooling, parenting, and partnering.
GATHER ‘ROUND,
CHILDREN: Read Alouds for Dads and
Kids
Supper
has been eaten, the dishes are washed, pajamas are on, and the BEST time of the
day is here–story time! Join Gary, who read to his children faithfully for
years, as he explores how a father can build a special relationship with his
children through time spent reading aloud together. Guidelines and suggestions
will be offered that will get even a non-reader dad off to a great
start.
THE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO BUILDING
BOOKCASES- A How-to
Workshop
With
only a few power tools and some lumber you can get those books out of boxes and
onto shelves–shelves that you will be able to put together quickly and easily
after attending this workshop for moms and dads. Gary, who has built dozens of
these bookcases, will demonstrate step by step how to build a functional,
practical, inexpensive, and good looking bookcase.
THE RETURN OF MR.
INCREDIBLE: Becoming Men of Purpose and
Passion
Dads,
when was the last time you felt like Mr. Incredible BEFORE he was squelched by a society that prohibited masculinity? When was the last time you
climbed a mountain, went sky diving, or experienced God’s power in prayer? Join
Gary, an only son with 5 sisters, left fatherless at age 14, as he explores the
Bible's teaching on being a man. Discover how masculinity is not
something to be ignored or ashamed of, but a tool to be kept sharp or
a weapon kept ready to be used in the battles of life. The same passion that
men have for challenges and battles is only a dim reflection of the passion for
God that grows out of being a true man.
KOWABUNGA!
DADS AND
LADS: Building
Lasting Bonds
Homeschooling is not just a mom thing -
dads are a vital component in developing sons who love life and honor God and
their families. Join Gary, a veteran homeschool dad, as he explores
ideas, activities, and strategies for the dad who wants to build lasting
relationships with his sons that build family unity and provide the framework
for godly manhood.
JAN BLOOM
Jan
received her B.S. degree (with a major in Physics and minor in Math) from the
University of Minnesota College of Education. She taught briefly in a
public school before having children. Jan and Gary began
homeschooling their three children in 1982 after being introduced to the idea
at a L’Abri seminar and convinced of its benefits a month later following an
interview of Dr. Raymond Moore by James Dobson. Using the
"living books" approach of Charlotte Mason along with the real life
experiences encouraged by Raymond Moore three interesting, well-read children
were educated into college.
Jan developed a vintage bookselling business based
on the knowledge she gained investigating and identifying the best books for
capturing the hearts and minds of children. This led to writing a
book about these great authors and series, Who Should We Then Read? Jan's second book, What Should We Then Know?, encourages families to develop a quality home library. Volume 2 of Who Should We Then Read? with 155 new authors, is now available. In
addition, Jan has authored an ebook, Business by the
Books, which highlights important character development and business
understanding found in the pages of "ordinary" books. She has also been a contributor to Homeschooling Today, The Old Schoolhouse, and Home Educating Family magazines.
Jan’s
favorite reading is fiction, with mysteries at the top of the list. She enjoys reading hundreds of children's books every
year in order to choose the ones that are good, true, uplifting, and even,
sometimes, just plain fun! Jan's favorite memory of grade school is writing the daily schedule on the chalkboard for her beloved fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Forseman.
JAN'S WORKSHOPS
SAILING ON LIVING
LIGHT: Voyaging with Great
Books
Adventure, excitement, understanding, and delight - welcome to the
world of living books, where the fresh breezes of new worlds stir imaginations!
Beyond the dull, dry textbooks await REAL books that add life, depth, breadth,
and excitement to learning. Discover how to travel through subjects
with authors of books that are interesting, informative, well written,
and enjoyable, books that become guides and maps as we
journey through life. Jan, a veteran homeschooler and author, will navigate
through both nonfiction and fiction, explaining how each fulfills educational,
emotional, and spiritual
objectives.
KEEPERS OF THE BOOKS: The Vital Importance of a Home Library
Throughout history, reading and owning books have been associated with
culture, learning, and wisdom. In modern times, books have yielded to
electronic information systems. Jan, a vintage bookseller, believes that the
older books, written true to a Christian worldview and absent many modern
biases, need to be rescued from destruction, read by the students of today, and
kept safe for future generations. Jan gives guidelines on choosing which books
to include in a home library, which books to borrow from a public library, and
which books to send to the trash. Practical suggestions on book repair,
deodorizing, and organizing will also be discussed.
TALLY HO!: Hunting for the Great
Books
A
show-and-tell to familiarize you with the appearance and
importance of specific books, series, and authors that are worth hunting for to include in your home library. Don’t overlook treasures! Jan
Bloom, an experienced book hound, will equip you to be a super shopper at library
sales, thrift stores, bookstores, and on the Internet.
YEE HAW! Books for
Boys
Most
boys love reading books filled with adventure, discovery, unusual facts, and
heroic, courageous behavior, but their moms, the primary book finders, don't know which books fulfill these ideals. Jan Bloom, vintage
book dealer and mother of a male reader, searched for great books that appealed
to boys and were well-written with positive role models and a healthy
worldview. Jan will give suggestions of authors for all ages of boys, from
those early "reading is too hard" days to "I hardly have time to
read anymore" years.
BEFORE ROMANCE, BEYOND ROMANCE: Books for
Girls
Romance novels sell. Even
Christian publishers produce hundreds of new romance titles every
year. What exactly is a romance novel? Are they all
bad? What else is there to read? What should be read and
when should it be read? Join Jan, an avid reader, as she walks
through the different age and interest levels of girls in order
to suggest quality reading that teaches important life lessons and truly
prepares young women for whatever God has planned for
them.
THE FOUNDATIONAL FIVE: Bible Stories, Fairy Tales, Mother Goose, Aesop’s Fables, and Mythology
David
and his five smooth stones, Cinderella and her glass slipper, Mary and her
lamb, the tortoise and the hare, and dynamite are only a few examples of how
these five collections of tales have influenced our literature, our language,
and our lives. Learning the prime stories gathered in these sources equips your
students to enjoy a lifetime of reading and getting the most out of the
allusions, metaphors, and subtle remarks mined from the greatssics.
YES, SIR! Homeschoolers and the
Military
Serving
one’s country has a glorious and noble past. What do homeschoolers need to
consider if time in the military or even a career in the military is of
interest? The different branches of the service, the service academy
requirements, ROTC and JR ROTC, the Guards, the Reserves, and other programs
will be discussed and evaluated. Though as Christians we know our true home is
NOT really the good old U.S. of A., we have been placed in the greatest country in the
world, and we have to be ready to encourage anyone who is willing to fight for
our freedom. Jan and Gary’s son, JJ, is currently serving in the U.S.
Navy.
HELP! I'M
FAILING! Hope for the Faint of
Heart
Jan, a
veteran homeschooler, uncovers and discusses many of the misconceptions,
unrealistic expectations, and problems that make homeschooling
difficult. Her message addresses prevention and positive steps for the
new homeschooling mom and hope, help, and healing for the veteran
homeschooler.
CRADLE TO
GRADE: Preparing Your Children to Love
Reading
Booklovers become worldchangers, but they are
grown, not born. Jan, a booklover and veteran homeschooler, will give
advice to help parents of young children develop strategies and lifestyles that
will "till the soil" and prepare a child's mind for the hard, but
joyful, work of learning from books. Caution: Do not come
if you are not ready to give up or considerably cut down on TV and computer
time...
CREATING
CAPACITY: Preparing
Your Children to Love LIFE
Imagine winning a prize
from your favorite store in which as much as you can carry out of the
store is yours - you choose the container to fill. Would you choose a
sandwich-sized bag? A copy paper box? A shopping
cart? A U-Haul? Jan will discuss how to help our children
develop the sturdiest and largest containers so that their prize winning trip
through life is all it can be.
BUSINESS BY
THE BOOKS: Encouraging
Entrepreneurs
Business ideas, business suggestions,
and business acumen can all be found in the pages of books. Jan will
identify many of the best books that develop important and necessary business
ideals for all ages. Books that have been written by wise, astute,
intelligent business people as well as fun storybooks about young entrepreneurs
will be featured, since both fiction and nonfiction reading can encourage,
enlighten, and empower willing learners.
