Teaching Tips
Choosing Homeschool Curriculum: A Grade by Grade Guide
I remember the days when my oldest child was still not reading fluently or independently at 11-years old. I had a houseful of little guys - 9, 5, 4 soon followed by 4 more beautiful children. It was super stressful because I didn't understand what this homeschooling...
From Ordinary to Extraordinary: Growth Mindset Tips for Teachers
Cultivating a growth mindset in my kids has had an amazing impact on our day-to-day interactions. Where I used to hear a lot of negative self-talk, I now hear my kids actually coaching themselves to use another strategy or telling me to wait while they 'find the...
Feel More Productive With a Minimum Viable Homeschool Day
There's not a mom out there that doesn't desire a more productive homeschool day. Juggling the many needs of running a home, caring for family needs, and nurturing a marriage can often leave us out of time or out of energy when it comes to teaching our kids at home....
A Day in the Life of Our Homeschool With Dyslexia
One thing I've always loved to read is homeschool day-in-the-life posts. There's just something fascinating about seeing how other families teach their kids at home. I've been writing my own day-in-the-life posts since 2012. I just went back and read some of them and...
When Orton-Gillingham Isn’t Enough
Several years ago, one of our kids was majorly struggling with learning to read, despite 3 years of intense professional Orton-Gillingham (OG) reading instruction. In fact, at 11-years-old, he was still struggling to do much more than sound out three letter words! It...
Visual Processing and How it Affects Learning
Does your child think that a square and a circle look the same? Does he bump into things, spill things, or seem unaware of where objects are in relation to his body? Does he skip words or entire lines when reading, or read the same sentence over? All...
Auditory Processing and Learning Struggles
Do you have a child that has trouble following directions, keeping up with conversations or understanding jokes, or has trouble with reading, spelling, speaking, or rhyming? These could be a sign of auditory processing weakness or auditory processing disorder which...
What is Executive Function? Signs of Executive Function Weakness in Kids
Does your child know what they're supposed to do—but can't seem to get started? Do they constantly lose things, forget directions, underestimate how long assignments will take, or become completely overwhelmed by a project that has several steps? Maybe you find...
Working Memory and Learning Struggles
Do you have a child who fails to follow directions despite repeated instruction, has difficulty staying on task, has a poor attention to detail, or often looses track of their belongings? Weak working memory may be at the root of their struggles. What is Working...
How Teaching Advanced Phonemic Awareness Boosts Reading Fluency
One of my goals for this year is to read more. Not with my kids - but for my own learning! Coincidentally, I have stacks of books around our house that have been recommended to me as a dyslexia tutor/advocate. I'm plowing through some of these now by reading a little...
Are You Struggling Teaching Writing This Year?
Parents can struggle teaching writing to kids with dyslexia because although our kids usually have lots of creative ideas and could talk all day about them, the ability to write and spell those amazing words is often limited. Personally, I have often struggled...
Homeschool Reading Prep: How to Plan for a Great Year of Reading
You've done the research. You've chosen your homeschool reading curriculum. How can you best prepare to use the information and tools you've acquired to have a great year of reading? Teaching reading to kids with dyslexia isn't exactly easy, but spending an hour now...