Understanding Dyslexia
Dyslexia: A Complex Diagnosis
I talk to a lot of parents who are confused by their kids' learning struggles. It is vital to understand that dyslexia is a complex diagnosis that affects more than reading, writing, and spelling. If you're new to the world of kids who struggle to learn - WELCOME!...
From Confusion to Confidence: The 10 Stages of Homeschooling a Child With Dyslexia
As I was working on my new book, No More School: Meeting the Educational Needs of Kids With Dyslexia and Language-Based Learning Difficulties, I realized that there are stages we go through as parents homeschooling a child (or children) with dyslexia. As I share my...
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...
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...
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...
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. Â I especially love to learn from people who have gone before me who have practical experience successfully teaching kids. I...
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...
Learning Disability or Learning Difference?
Kids with learning difficulties are often labeled as having a learning disability. What if we looked at them instead as having a learning difference? Early on in our days of homeschooling, my creative, entrepreneurial, and dyslexic husband bought a boat, we moved on...
Dyslexia Success Starts With This One Thing
When I first started homeschooling 25 years ago I didn't even know that there were smart people who struggled to learn. School was always easy for me and I was one of the 'good students'. I found it easy to sit still, pay attention, follow directions, and learn in a...
Late Bloomer or Struggling Learner?
Have you ever been told that your struggling learner may just be a late bloomer? While that is a comforting thought and takes some pressure off of us, it is a common misconception with serious consequences. My boys started annual testing with their educational...
What I Wish I’d Known Before I Started Homeschooling
This is my 25th year of homeschooling my outside-the-box, bright-but-struggling, dyslexic kids. I created this site to help other families who are homeschooling their kids with dyslexia who are not so far along the path. I often think back to my early years of...
Dyslexia Success: The 6 Success Attributes Your Kids Need and How to Teach Them
In a 20-year longitudinal study of struggling learners, researchers uncovered six success attributes associated with dyslexia success. The good news is these are all things that you as a parent or teacher can foster in your kids in the day to day. I vividly remember...