Speaker: Melissa Coombs

Melissa and her husband Shawn are the happy parents of five children. They began homeschooling many years ago when their oldest two were in the first and second grades. Melissa never dreamed of homeschooling and thought it was the craziest thing she ever heard of, until the Lord informed her that she needed to homeschool her own children! She reluctantly jumped in with both feet and quickly learned what a challenge home education could be, but how absolutely WONDERFUL it was! She also learned that four of her five children were dyslexic, and has become knowledgeable about dyslexia and how to face and overcome the challenges involved with it. Melissa has been a mentor and support to other moms who have children with learning disabilities. She now confidently says that homeschooling is the best thing she has ever done for her family, and is grateful for the countless blessings that have come from homeschooling her children.

Melissa is the author of The Hows and Whys of the Year Supply, and is passionate about food storage and preparedness and is a popular speaker on these subjects. Melissa and her family enjoy gardening and canning, and any outdoor activities, especially hiking, camping, canoeing, fishing, rappelling, snowboarding and boating. Melissa’s special love is raising chickens, and she currently has a large flock of beautiful laying hens.