If you're one of the thousands of new homeschool families, here are 7 powerful mindset shifts that will help your new life of teaching at home more peaceful and productive. There is a steep learning curve to go from the formality of doing school at home to a...
Marianne
Teaching Kids the Strengths of Dyslexia
It's a great time to be dyslexic! More and more there is a shift taking place to view dyslexia as a learning difference with many unique strengths. Yes, dyslexia comes with struggles; learning to read, write, and spell can be HARD. But, researchers like Brock and...
Using Games to Improve Memory and Learning
Kids who are smart but struggle to learn often have underlying weaknesses in their working memory. Here are some simple games that can be played at home to improve memory. Working memory is the ability to hold pieces of information in your mind (remembering) while...
Best Books on Dyslexia for Parents
Nothing has had a greater impact on the success of my homeschool than learning about dyslexia and how these bright but struggling students learn. Since it's World Book Day in the USA today, I thought I'd share my picks for the best books on dyslexia for parents. We...
How to Modify Homeschool Curriculum for the Students With Dyslexia
There are great homeschool curricula available for kids with dyslexia. But what if buying a new curriculum is not an option? Let's take a look at some ways you can modify homeschool curriculum for the student with dyslexia. I recently corresponded with a wonderful mom...
How to Learn From a Textbook: The SQ3R Method
The SQ3R Method is an excellent way to help kids learn from a textbook. This post will show you what the SQ3R Method is and how to teach it to your kids. As a long-time, homeschooling parent of 7 kids with dyslexia, I don't usually recommend a traditional textbook...
When Life Gives You a Pandemic, Learn!
There's nothing like a pandemic to teach you what's really important in life. We're wrapping up our second week of quarantine. I was thinking today about the many challenges our family has homeschooled through over the past 20+ years. I've homeschooled through...
How to Teach Reading at Home
You don't need to be a trained dyslexia tutor to teach reading at home. Do you remember learning to read? I don't. I don't remember learning phonics, I don't remember learning spelling rules, and I never even knew that there were intelligent people who struggled with...
How Interest-Led Learning Can Jump Start Your Homeschool
Learn how to tap into your kids' natural curiosity with interest-led learning and give your homeschool renewed energy and momentum. After homeschooling for more than 20 years, I can safely say that I've tried just about every homeschool method out there. If I haven't...
3 Kinds of Dyslexia Support Groups and Why You Need Them
One of the things that helped me along the path of teaching, understanding, and nurturing my kids with dyslexia was finding a dyslexia support group. Have you ever felt alone or like no one else understood what you were experiencing? I know I have and it...
Can I Really Homeschool my Child With Dyslexia?
Can parents teach their kids with dyslexia? Teaching a child with dyslexia to read, write, and spell is a challenge, yes, but with the individualized attention that is inherent in the homeschool environment, not only is it possible, it can actually be the best path...
Informal Reading Assessments
Have you ever wondered at what grade level your child is reading? Have you wanted a way to measure your child's reading progress? Informal reading assessments can be a valuable way to see how your child is progressing. Assessments can also show you areas where you...
The Truth About Dyslexia and Spelling
For most people with dyslexia, reading improves steadily over time. Also for many dyslexics, spelling does not. Spelling continues to be a problem for many people with dyslexia throughout their lifetime. That will be the topic of this week's Mailbox Monday: "My...
Homeschooling a Child With Inattentive ADHD
Successfully homeschooling a child with inattentive ADHD isn't always easy but the freedom and flexibility to them in the way they learn is of such benefit, it is worth the struggle. Today's Mailbox Monday question has to do with just that: "Do you have any experience...
Help for the Shut Down Learner
Do you have a child who shuts down when it comes to learning? This week's Mailbox Monday speaks to this situation. "My son IMMEDIATELY says “I don’t know” to ANY educational question. No thought or attempt to try. Any suggestions for that? Have any of your...
My Adults Kids Who Were Homeschooled: What worked and what didn’t
A unique look at four adults that were homeschooled. What worked and what didn't. Welcome to our first edition of Mailbox Monday. I started this series in an effort to answer more of your questions that come through email, Facebook, and Instagram every week. As a...
Overcoming Dysteachia
This post on Overcoming Dysteachia was first published as a series of weekly newsletters. Since it struck a nerve with so many of you, I am republishing it here. Subscribe to the newsletter here: Table of contentsOvercoming Dysteachia Means...
Homeschool Mom Self-Care
This type of post - Homeschool Mom Self-Care - is a little out of the norm for me as I spend a lot of time here educating parents about learning differences. The reality is though that teaching kids who learn differently, even from one day to the next, can be...
Books Every Parent Should Read About Teaching Kids With Dyslexia
One thing I've learned after 20 years of homeschooling a houseful of smart and creative kids with dyslexia is that I am never done learning. I especially love to learn from people who have gone before me who have practical experience successfully teaching kids. I...
Strengths-Based Learning for Reluctant or Struggling Learners
Would you like to learn a teaching method that fosters resilience and confidence in your kids? What if this method caused kids to be excited for learning, earn higher GPAs, and have more hope for their futures? I thought so! Let me tell you a bit about strengths-based...
Choosing a Homeschool Science Curriculum
The way I choose a homeschool Science curriculum is very similar to the way I choose a homeschool History curriculum. Following the guidelines I shared in my previous post, Choosing Homeschool Curriculum: A Grade-by-Grade Guide, I focus on different priorities during...
Choosing a Homeschool History Curriculum
There are a ton of options for choosing a homeschool history curriculum for kids with dyslexia. In my previous post, the Grade-by-Grade Homeschool Curriculum Guide we talked about what areas to focus on grade-by-grade. Homeschool History Curriculum for the...
Choosing a Homeschool Math Curriculum
If you're planning and purchasing homeschool curriculum for kids with dyslexia, be sure to check out the first post in this series - Choosing Homeschool Curriculum: a Grade-by-Grade Guide. It is full of big-picture ideas about where to focus your priorities during...
2 Teaching Paths: The Deficit Path or the Difference Path
I've been talking over the past few posts about looking at our outside the box learners in a different way. Oftentimes, too often really, kids who are struggling to learn by traditional methods (reading to learn or writing to communicate) have been treated as if there...