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Homeschooling Kids With Dyslexia: Grades 1 – 3

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Homeschooling With Dyslexia Grades 1 - 3

I am a firm believer in the benefits of homeschooling kids with dyslexia.  I should know really.  I’ve been homeschooling kids with dyslexia for the past 20 years!  I have seen the failure of the public schools, despite the efforts of many well intentioned teachers and administrators.  The system is big, short on funds and dealing with children with all kinds of learning challenges.

I have also seen my kids thrive when they are able to learn at their own pace and are free from being misjudged by uneducated teachers and being compared to kids who are traditional learners.

Even the International Dyslexia Association agrees:

Dyslexic students need direct, systematic and individual instruction in reading and spelling and traditional schools do not always provide adequate levels of service.

If you’re still trying to decide whether or not to homeschool your kids with dyslexia, read this too.

First Things First

Before I launch into a discussion on the who, what, why, when and where of teaching kids in 1 – 3rd grades, there is something that needs to be understood.  We are homeschooling our kids because the ‘one-size-fits-all’ teaching of the public and most private schools doesn’t work for our kids who learn differently.  It is not my intention to create another set of unrealistic expectations for you as homeschool parents, but rather to offer some insights on what you may be experiencing and some ways that we have been able to encourage enjoyable and  individualized learning in our home full of dyslexic learners.

Basic Child Development Ages 6 – 9

It is important to note that many kids, especially those with Executive Function weaknesses, develop slower than average.  I have one son who is consistently 18 months behind his peers in social, emotional, intellectual and even in some ways, physical development.  He is making steady progress and so we persevere – learning at his pace.

Intellectual Development

  • Most kids learn to read during these years.  However, many dyslexic children do not. More on this in a minute!
  • By age 6 most kids can count to 100 and by age 9 kids are learning to multiply, or in our case with kids with dyslexia, skip count.
  • Increased ability to think logically
  • Learn to tell time
  • Very curious
  • These kids love hands-on experiential learning.

Physical Development

  • Kids at this age are becoming more coordinated and are able to dribble a ball, ride a two-wheeled bike and are better able to throw and catch balls.
  • Enjoy climbing
  • Enjoy learning to swim
  • Kids this age like to move. Many become restless and wiggle if they sit for too long, which is why school can be difficult for some children at this age.

Social Development

  • Children this age become more savvy with relationships and may have a ‘best friend’, but they also may have more conflicts with their peers.
  • Many children are competitive, and can become argumentative and quarrelsome when they lose.
  • Children in this age group can be hard on their younger siblings.
  • At age 6 or 7, kids tend to do best with one friend, but by age 8 or 9 they can begin working well in small groups of three or four.

Emotional Development

  • Children this age still tend to be self-centered. Most want to be first, and most want all the attention. Squabbles can break out when your child feels slighted.
  • It’s not uncommon for kids this age to sulk, pout, or worry. Helping him or her learn to deal with disappointments and worries is part of parenting this age.
  • These children tend to have their feelings easily hurt. They also tend to assume that people who hurt them “did it on purpose.”

Daily Dos

Before we get to curriculum choices and learning styles, here are a few things that are priorities in our homeschool.

Reading aloud

Because many dyslexic kids at this age are not able to read independently, it is vitally important to make reading aloud good literature a daily habit.  Reading aloud (or allowing the use of good quality audio books) fosters a love and appreciation for books and reading as well as exposing young learners to vocabulary and increasingly complicated sentence structures.  Consider practicing the gentle art of narration (telling back what you’ve heard) with your kids during and after read aloud time.

Limit screen time

This is more of a daily don’t.  It can be tempting for busy homeschool moms to get a little quiet by allowing kids to play on computer games or tablets but research has shown that screen time can have negative affects on young learners, especially those with attention issues like ADD or ADHD.

Provide plenty of down time or time to play

With the recent adoption of Common Core teaching in many American states, we are seeing less and less down time or play time being provided to kids even in these early grades.  Honestly, the negative impact of this change is enough reason to homeschool any child in my humble opinion!  Play time, especially outdoor play, has been linked to many lifelong benefits.

Encourage some independent learning

Kids with dyslexia can have a harder time with independent learning than kids who are confident readers.  All kids are different.  Some will naturally be more independent, however, I encourage you to find tasks, math fact practice, handwriting or copy work practice or something that your kids ages 6 – 9 can do independently and start having them do a little independent work each day.  Highly praise and encourage this behavior!

Hands on learning

This is what can really set your homeschool apart from the public and even private schools.  Most people, and especially kids of this age range, love to learn by doing.  This kind of multi-sensory learning taps in to physical, visual and auditory pathways which activates more areas of the brain and results in a better, more long lasting memory of learning.  See resources below for some ideas of good sources for hands on learning.

Foster friendships

Kids at this age are becoming more social.  Homeschooling families need to be intentional about providing sources of friendship for their kids.  Most homeschool families never have a problem with this but it bears mentioning.  Joining a small Cub Scout pack has been a huge source of social and emotional growth for my 8-year old son who was lacking in these areas.  Other sources for friends are churches, homeschool groups or co-ops, sports teams, robotic or programming clubs etc.

Learning to take responsibility

Kids at this age should be given simple and increasingly elaborate chores and household responsibilities.  Make lists and have them begin to take responsibility for their bedrooms, toys, clothing and pets.  We assign each child a small patch of garden every springtime.  This helps them to practice daily care and they love harvesting the fruit of their labor!

Learning to temper feelings – learning self control

I have often said that character training is a subject just like reading, writing and math. I mean, we spend plenty of time every day teaching these things anyway, right?  Looking at character training as less of an inconvenience and more of a daily-do will help you to have the right attitude when those training opportunities arise.

Curriculum Choices for Homeschooling Kids With Dyslexia

Character Training

Parents, especially homeschooling parents, will spend an enormous amount of time correcting behavior.  Even the most easy-going of kids will need to be taught to think of others before themselves, and to be patient and kind.  One powerful way to teach this most important of subjects is through the reading of good literature.  Don’t let your kids’ reading lags stop this from happening.  While other kids at this age may be reading to themselves, reading aloud can achieve the same or even better results.

Resources for Quality Read Aloud Materials

Other read aloud resources that we love:

The Read Aloud Revival at Amongst Lovely Things

Reading

The most important thing for homeschooling parents of kids with dyslexia to remember is to teach your kids at their ability level, which will likely not be their grade level.  In my posts on homeschooling Preschool and Kindergarten, I talked about the importance of laying a strong foundation in phonemic awareness in young children.

Not to worry, if you are just beginning to understand that your child is dyslexic, all of the programs that I recommend will teach phonemic awareness in their early levels if that is a skill your child needs help with.

All kids with dyslexia can learn to read with the right methods.  The method with the strongest track record for teaching kids with dyslexia to read is Orton-Gillingham.  To learn more fully about the Orton-Gillingham (or OG) Approach to teaching reading, read this post.

This site is full of articles on teaching reading.  If you’re still wondering how to teach your child with dyslexia to read, read these:

Is it Dyslexia?  Signs and Symptoms of Dyslexia

How Dyslexics Learn:  Teaching to the Dyslexic Strengths

Reading Methods That Work With Dyslexia

How to Teach Sight Words to Kids With Dyslexia

Building Fluency in Dyslexic Readers

Best Reading Programs for Homeschooling Kids With Dyslexia

There are several affordable, effective, research-based programs that can be used at home without becoming a certified dyslexia tutor.  Here are our top picks:

All About Reading All About Reading and their spelling program All About Spelling are hands on, simultaneously multisensory introduction into the written word. Every lesson comes with an engaging phonemic awareness activity that is so fun, your kids won’t know they are learning one of the most foundational skills of reading success. Lessons are completely scripted so there is little prep time for mom. The customer service at All About Learning Press is top notch. Specifically designed for the homeschooled student that struggles with reading. This program has all of the elements of an Orton-Gillingham research-based reading program. For more information, click the image below.

AAR-AAS-Footer-Banner

Barton Reading  Another one-on-one reading tutoring system, completely scripted for easy parent use and Orton-Gillingham based.

Logic of English  A comprehensive, completely scripted reading, spelling, handwriting and grammar program based on the Orton-Gillingham approach.  The Foundations levels are geared for ages 4-7 and include a daily variety of phonemic awareness and truly kinesthetic review activities.  
The Wilson Program Not as user friendly as All About Reading/Spelling or Barton but an affordable, evidence-based program that really works.

Best Math Programs for Homeschooling Kids With Dyslexia

Math-U-See  An uncomplicated, hands-on, time-tested program for teaching math.  Children learn each mathematical concept by building it, writing it and saying it.  Used with base 10 math manipulatives, many dyslexic children find success with Math U See.

Teaching Textbooks (beginning in 3rd grade)  Like having the ‘good’ math teacher year after year.  Teaching Textbooks is computer based (no Internet required).  Each lesson is taught and followed by 5 practice problems.  Kids then work each lesson right on the computer.  Immediate feedback allows students to watch the solution to any incorrect answers – after 2 tries.

Right Start Math  Another hands-on program that de-emphasizes counting, uses visualization of quantities, and provides strategies and visual pictures for learning the facts. Understanding and problem solving are emphasized throughout the curriculum. The primary learning tool is the Abacus, a specially designed two-sided abacus that is both kinesthetic and visual.

Touch Math  A highly visual, hands on program designed for kids who struggle with math.  

Fun and (mostly) free math resources:

  • cook a recipe
  • play a math game
  • play a board game
  • download a math app or game
  • play store with a toy cash register

Best History Programs for Homeschooling Kids With Dyslexia

Since most kids with dyslexia won’t be reading independently at this age, it will be important to find an enjoyable history program that can be read aloud or listened to on CD.

Story of the World by Susan Weiss Bauer  This program is available in paperback book with an optional CD version and a comprehensive curriculum guide and activity book that contains map activities, coloring pages, games, projects, review questions, cross-references to illustrated encyclopedias, and extensive book lists. Children and parents love the activities, ranging from cooking projects to crafts, board games to science experiments, and puzzles to projects.

Beautiful Feet  Learn history through literature with Beautiful Feet History Guides.

Five in a Row  The four volumes of Five in a Row contain 70 literature based unit studies covering Social Studies, Geography, Language Arts, Applied Math, Science and Art in a way that causes children to fall in love with learning.  Read each book once a week (5 days in a row) and choose an activity to teach along with the story.

Fun and (mostly) free history resources:

No need to bore your kids to tears with history.  Teach your kids with real learning.  Especially in the early grades, history should be more about exposure to ideas than learning names and dates.  Captivate your kids imaginations with:

  • read quality historical fiction
  • take field trips to historical sites or museums
  • play a history or geography game
  • put together a map puzzle
  • create a timeline and add events and people as you learn throughout the years
  • watch historical movies or documentaries

Best Science Programs for Homeschooling Kids With Dyslexia

Apologia Exploring Creation Young Explorers Series  For grades K-6.  This is a Christian curriculum that teaches about science from a creationist point of view.  Program comes with ideas for hands on projects.  Optional Science Journals available.

Five in a Row  The four volumes of Five in a Row contain 70 literature based unit studies covering Social Studies, Geography, Language Arts, Applied Math, Science and Art in a way that causes children to fall in love with learning.  Read each book once a week (5 days in a row) and choose an activity to teach along with the story.

As with teaching history, teaching science to kids in grades 1 – 3 can be low key, hands on and fun!

Fun and (mostly) free science resources:

  • read living science books
  • get outside and study nature
  • get a book of simple science experiments to do at home
  • visit a science museum or zoo
  • watch a science documentary or educational show
  • read biographies of scientists

Best Handwriting Programs for Homeschooling Kids With Dyslexia

Many kids with dyslexia will also struggle with the physical act of writing – also known as dysgraphia. Taking a relaxed approach to writing is not only doable as a homeschooler but is advisable.  Start handwriting by having your child trace letters in a shallow tray of salt or sand or trace sandpaper letters.  Move to dry erase pens on a white board after that.

Handwriting Without Tears (check out their iPad app!) Designed for kids who are struggling with learning to write.

Italic Series  A simple font that is easy to read and easy to write.

Logic of English Foundations reading program for ages 4-7 includes handwriting instruction.

Tools for Kids With Dysgraphia


A Few Thoughts on Grade Levels and Falling Behind in the Homeschool

If you talk to a burned out homeschool parent of a dyslexic child (I talk to lots of them!) it is pretty common that their educational goals for their kids – goals to be at or above ‘grade level’ – are making them crazy.

It isn’t until they begin to move from an achievement mentality to a progress/mastery mentality they begin to find the freedom and enjoyment of homeschooling.

What do I mean by a progress/mastery mentality?

Most homeschoolers need to shed the ‘school-at-home’ mentality in order to create a home learning environment in which their kids can thrive.  This is never more true than for the homeschool family teaching kids with dyslexia.

It doesn’t really matter how much you, or any well-meaning family member, wants your child to be reading at his or her ‘grade level’.  If they aren’t able to do it – you have to teach them, faithfully, at their current level until they get there.  Is your child making progress?  Are they mastering their subjects – regardless of what grade level they’re working on?

Read these posts for more information on Setting Goals for Your Dyslexic Homeschooler, and How to Know if You’re Doing Enough

Related Posts

 

Homeschooling Kids With Dyslexia:  Preschool

Homeschooling Kids With Dyslexia:  Kindergarten

Homeschool Kindergarten: Curriculum and Methods

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How to Homeschool Kindergarten

I remember when I first started homeschooling about 100 years ago.  Just kidding, it was only 20 years ago.  There are days, however, when it feels like it’s been 100 years!  I was absurdly anxious about homeschooling my Kindergartener.  Nowadays when I have a new Kindergartener to teach, I don’t even bat an eye, in part because I have done it so many times, but mainly because teaching Kindergarten has become simply a natural progression of our lifestyle of learning at home. 

As I recall our early days of homeschooling and the pressure (real or imaginary) that I felt I was receiving from well-meaning family members, I remember those insecurities and wondering whether we had chosen the best option for our kids.

I can clearly say now that I am so glad that we chose to homeschool.  Our first Kindergartener is 24 now and thriving!  I didn’t need to worry, despite the inevitable ups and downs of homeschooling.

Kindergarten as a Lifestyle of Learning

Most parents enjoy providing stimulating, age-appropriate activities for their children.  The only thing that changes once your child enters Kindergarten is that you will become slightly more intentional about teaching the 3 Rs – reading, writing and arithmetic.

If you’re looking for some guidelines for what kids in Kindergarten are learning, here is a list of what your child needs to learn by the end of Kindergarten:

  • Follow rules
  • Cut along a line with scissors
  • Establish left or right-hand dominance
  • Understand time concepts like yesterday, today, and tomorrow
  • Stand quietly in a line (maybe not so much for homeschoolers!)
  • Follow directions agreeably and easily
  • Pay attention for 15 to 20 minutes
  • Hold a crayon and pencil correctly
  • Share materials such as crayons and blocks
  • Know the eight basic colors: red, yellow, blue, green, orange, black, white, and pink
  • Recognize and write the letters of the alphabet in upper and lowercase forms
  • Know the relationship between letters and the sounds they make
  • Recognize sight words such as the and read simple sentences
  • Spell his first and last name
  • Write consonant-vowel-consonant words such as bat and fan
  • Retell a story that has been read aloud
  • Identify numbers up to 20
  • Know that addition is putting things together
  • Know that subtraction is taking away from
  • Count by ones, fives, and tens to 100
  • Know basic shapes such as a square, triangle, rectangle, and circle
  • Know her address and phone number
  • Understand how people in communities work together.
  • Use their five senses to make simple scientific observations.

Many of these things can be taught quite simply with a combination of good quality read alouds and  real life experience.  Add a reading and math curriculum to help guide you and you’re all set!.

How to Teach Your Kindergartener

General teaching principles:

As you can see from the list above, Kindergarten does not need to be a stressful, hard-core, educational experience for you or your child.  Just like other developmental milestones, all kids will master different milestones at different times and that is okay.  Remember when you counted the days until your first-born learned to walk?  Then with your second and third children, you relaxed more, knowing that they would eventually walk.  Relax, have fun, enjoy your kids!

One way to teach your young children to learn and still have fun is to utilize multi-sensory learning.  Multi-sensory learning, simply put, is teaching that is done using as many of the five senses as possible.  By seeing, touching, hearing, smelling, and yes, tasting while you learn, information is learned much more efficiently.  This is not generally the way a traditional schoolroom is structured.  The traditional classroom practice of textbooks, workbooks and sitting in desks was created as an organizational system for the many children needing to be taught.  It is okay to step away from this, in fact, it is recommended.  Multi-sensory learning is way more fun!

Teaching Math

Kindergarten Math

Teaching math in the early years is best done using a multi-sensory curriculum such as Math-U-See.  This simple, yet effective curriculum uses base-ten manipulatives that your child will use to build most of the concepts taught, followed by saying the concept, followed by writing and coloring the concept or number.  It includes a teacher’s DVD that explains how to teach each concept.  Young kids have a hard time with the abstract concept of number symbols but when they build math, they understand it.  There are oodles of hands-on math resources available to help you make math meaningful for your young children. Use your imagination and turn play time into learning time by counting, adding and subtracting as you play cars, Play-Doh or blocks.  Your kids will love you for it!


Teaching Reading

If you’ve been around the Homeschooling With Dyslexia web site for long, you will know that 7 of my 8 children are dyslexic.  Learn more about the early signs of dyslexia here.  When our first born was diagnosed with dyslexia some 17 years ago, we were encouraged to wait it out – that he was just a late bloomer.  Research has proven that waiting for your delayed reader is NOT the best thing.  In fact, early intervention for struggling readers is super important. 

Using the Orton-Gillingham Approach is the best method for teaching reading to a dyslexic child and, in fact, will help any child enjoy learning to read.   Choose a solid, well- regarded multi-sensory curriculum will help you know what to teach and when.  Our hands down favorite reading curriculum is All About Reading.

All About Reading

All About Reading is hands on, simultaneously multisensory introduction into the written word.  Every lesson comes with an engaging phonemic awareness activity that is so fun, your kids won’t know they are learning one of the most foundational skills of reading success.  Lessons are completely scripted so there is little prep time for mom.  The customer service at All About Learning Press is top-notch.  Although the program was specifically designed for the homeschooled student that struggles with reading, it can absolutely be used for the child who doesn’t.  This program has all of the elements of a research-based reading program.  For more information, click the image below.

Teaching History

The main way that I like to teach my younger kids about History is through historical fiction.  Kids love to read about Nathaniel Bowditch on the high seas or Thomas Edison’s many attempts at inventing the lightbulb.  For a more systematic approach to teaching history, we love the Story of the World series from Susan Wise Bauer.  I buy the audio CDs and the Activity books that include tons of fun, hands on activities that relate to the history stories.


Teaching Science

Remembering that we are talking about 5 & 6 year olds, I highly encourage you to stay away from any kind of textbook learning.  Kids can learn so much about Science through hands on learning.  Plant a garden, get a kitten (or an ant farm for the non-animal lovers out there!).  Let your kids help in the kitchen (both the cooking and the cleaning).


Teaching Handwriting

Lots of kids with dyslexia will struggle big time with the physical act of writing – also known as dysgraphia. Some of my dyslexic kids loved to write and draw while others hated it because it was so hard.  Keeping a relaxed attitude and introducing writing in a fun and non-threatening way is the best attitude to take during the early years.  Things we have used to ease our kids into handwriting:

  • dry erase pens, boards and age-appropriate worksheets slipped into plastic page protectors
  • simple workbooks that allow for tracing of letters
  • Handwriting Without Tears

What About Socialization?

I really believe that the fear of a lack of socialization in our homeschooled kids stems from a misunderstanding of what a day in the life of a homeschooled child entails.  Just because they are not in a classroom does not mean that they are not around people!  Dr. Raymond Moore, author of over 60 books and articles on human development, has done extensive research on homeschooling and socialization.

“The idea that children need to be around many other youngsters in order to be ‘socialized is perhaps the most dangerous and extravagant myth in education and child rearing today.”  Dr. Raymond Moore

Children often do not respond well to large groups. They become nervous and overexcited by noise and too many people. Learning can become difficult. Behavioral problems can develop. After analyzing over 8,000 early childhood studies, Dr. Moore concluded that, contrary to popular belief, children are best socialized by parents — not other children.

When 20 or 30 kids of the same age are in a classroom together day after day the peer pressure is enormous. Kids feel like they need to look and sound and be like everyone else, at the risk of forgetting or never discovering who they really are. This results in rivalry, ridicule, and competition – hardly the environment for healthy socialization.

A homeschooler who interacts with parents and siblings more than with peers displays self-confidence, self-respect, and self-worth. She knows she’s a part of a family unit that needs, wants, and depends on her. The result is an independent thinker who isn’t influenced by peers and is self-directed in her actions and thoughts.

Never underestimate the power of a loving home and a motivated parent to provide the best educational experience for your child!

More Posts on Homeschooling in the Early Years:

The Importance of Early Intervention in Overcoming Dyslexia

Homeschool Preschool:  Curriculum and Methods

Hands On Activities for Teaching The Alphabet

Teaching Phonemic Awareness

How to Teach Blending to Early Readers 

How about you?  What tips do you have for homeschooling in Kindergarten?

 

Classical Conversations and Dyslexia

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Classical Conversations and Dyslexia

After homeschooling kids with dyslexia for 20 years, I’ve tried just about every homeschool curriculum out there.  At least it feels that way and a quick look at my bookshelves pretty much confirms it.  Trying, tweaking and switching out homeschool curricula is just part of the homeschool experience whether your kids have dyslexia, as 7 of my 8 kids do, or not.

One thing I never considered for more than 5 minutes, however, was Classical Conversations.  If you aren’t familiar with Classical Conversations (CC) it is a homeschooling approach based on the 3 phases of the classical education model;  Grammar, Dialectic and Rhetorical.

When most people think of CC they think of children of superior IQ chanting long lists of Latin verbs and reciting elaborate passages from memory.  Knowing the inherent working memory weaknesses that kids with dyslexia have, no sane parent of dyslexic child would dare to consider such a rigorous program, right?

Then a friend of mine, whose son is dyslexic, started a CC group in our town.  I emailed her and asked her how her dyslexic son managed such a rigorous academic load, full of foreign language, grammar and {gasp!} memory work.

He was doing great and here’s why.

Classical Conversations is designed to teach according to the particular level of brain development at each age.  In the elementary years, or the grammar phase, children learn the grammar or vocabulary of  a wide variety of subjects because that is what their brains are naturally wired to do.

The Stages of Classical Education

Grammar Stage (roughly grades K-5): This stage is called the grammar stage because every subject has a grammar to it; that is, the basic building blocks of that subject.

  • In English, it is the parts of speech; in literature, memorized poetry.
  • In history, it is names, dates, battles, events.
  • In geography, capitals and countries.
  • In math, addition and multiplication tables.

The elementary years of a child’s development are unique in that it is the one time of life where memorization is both natural and fun.  During the grammar stage of learning, the goal is to fill students’ minds with large amounts of information through tools such as songs and chanting.  My kids with dyslexia love this very kinesthetic learning with the added bonus that this memorization lays a tremendous foundation for future learning.

Logic Stage (roughly grades 6-9): In the logic stage learning to the think the primary object.  Students ages 11-13 are growing new neurons in the part of the brain that controls reasoning ability.  As middle schoolers begin to want to question and argue (ahem), the Logic stage takes advantage of this development, and equips them to think and argue soundly by training them in formal logic, paragraph construction, thesis writing, the scientific method, and the criticism and analysis of texts. Students begin to apply logic by assessing the validity of arguments and learn to view information critically with a more discerning mind. This stage of learning takes advantage of a student’s need to know how and why in addition to what.

Rhetoric Stage (roughly grades 10-12): One of the most valuable tools in our modern world is not simply knowing information (massive amounts of information are available to us easily on the internet), but to be able to synthesize information and then communicate it in a compelling manner.   A classical education focuses on equipping young people to communicate with others effectively.  In addition, students study the Great Books of the Western tradition, as they learn from authors whose words and ideas have transformed cultures and history.  Learning from these cultural giants, they themselves begin at a young age to develop their own voice.

Our Experience With Classical Conversations

This post will focus on the Grammar Stage of CC – Foundations and Essentials.  If you’re looking for information on the Logic Stage of Challenge A and dyslexia, read this.

Foundations and the Dyslexic Student

Our four youngest kids are in the Foundations and Essentials programs of CC.  In a Classical Conversations Foundations class, students meet once a week in classes of no more than 8 kids.  Parents stay with their kids during this time.  The morning co-op is made up of five 30 minute sections.  A trained ‘tutor’ introduces the week’s new memory work in Geography, History, Science, Math, Latin, English Grammar and a section of a timeline of world history.  During each 2 1/2 hour meeting the tutor will also teach a lesson in Fine Arts and Science and kids will do a 3 minute presentation on a particular subject.

Because all of this new memory work is learned to songs and chants often with hand motions, my kids with dyslexia are easily able to remember.  Are they the quickest kids in the class?  Not always.  We practice each week’s memory work for about 10-20 minutes a day.  That is all it takes!

Since starting CC 2 years ago, I have noticed a huge growth in my kids vocabulary and ability to talk and understand a wide variety of subjects from History, Geography and Science.

Essentials and the Dyslexic Student

Essentials is an English grammar and writing program for kids in 4-6th grades that meets in the afternoons for 2 hours after Foundations.  Essentials is a complete language arts course but there is surprisingly little writing that goes on in class.  Students compose sentences and learn the rules of writing by talking about them (called the dialectic model). Parents learn about English grammar and writing, too, because they sit in class with their kids. They watch the parent tutor (teacher) model the lesson and then teach as much or as little as they want their kids to learn from the lesson at home.

Writing and Grammar
My initial reaction to Essentials was to be completely overwhelmed.  There is a lot of detailed grammar information presented in the first weeks that was completely over my head even as a college graduate with 6 total years of foreign language study!  However, we stuck with it and as time has progressed our tutor (teacher) has been systematically laying a foundation of grammar knowledge and usage that is making more and more sense.  The dialectic model of discussion takes the pressure off of kids.  They can participate if they want to and I have found that my kids both are inspired and encouraged by the dialogue and are eager to participate.

Math Drill
Grammar instruction lasts for 45 minutes followed by 30 minutes of math practice.  During the math drill, kids practice mental math computations  by playing games with numbers. Using dice, whiteboards, cards, and fun games, the games drill students in multiplication tables and other operations in order to gain speed and improve accuracy in math computation.  As a dyslexic student this looks like a recipe for disaster, doesn’t it?

Dyslexics are known for having difficulty memorizing rote information such as math facts.  The use of mental math games forces them to rely on and push their infamously weak working memory.  Yet my two daughters in Essentials (one dyslexic and one not) enjoy the game format and competing against their classmates.  Proponents of using exercises to improve working memory know that it is a matter of using it or losing it.  I see the math drill section of Essentials as a much needed exercise in improving working memory as well as math facts – two areas of great need for most dyslexics.

Writing
Using the writing curriculum from the Institute for Excellence in Writing, kids are taught to write paragraphs and essays, and practice using stylistic techniques in a fun environment.  Students write papers about History topics they are covering in the Foundations program, so the learning is connected, which I love. Tutors model a few writing techniques in class, allow students to practice the techniques, and then suggest a writing assignment to complete at home.

A typical writing class looks something like this:

The tutor demonstrates a writing technique such as using metaphors.

She gives several examples of metaphors, then goes around the room and asks each student to make up his or her own metaphor.

She may also model the structure of a good paragraph and ask students to compose sentences together to construct a paragraph that she writes on the board as they go.

Students are asked to write a paragraph at home the following week using that structure and a metaphor for further practice.

This interactive setting has been tremendously helpful for our kids.  Kids with dyslexia have great, creative minds that get bogged down when required to read and write.  The dialectic method of discussing information being learned relieves this burden and frees our dyslexic kids to really focus on learning.

Classical Conversations in Middle and High School

We have one dyslexic child in the junior high level of Classical Conversations, Challenge A.  For information on how to help a dyslexic student thrive in Challenge A, read this.  We’re committed to CC though and will continue to post about our experiences there.

How about you?  Have you participated in a Classical Conversations Co-Op?  What was your experience?

Homeschool Preschool: Curriculum and Methods

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homeschool preschool

Why talk about choosing to homeschool your preschoolers you might ask?

Preschoolers Thrive at Home

Many parents these days, homeschoolers included, are putting their children in preschool thinking that they are giving their kids an academic or social head start.

The fact is, there is no evidence that healthy children from healthy homes benefit from attending preschool at all. In fact, the research shows that there are no long-lasting benefits to preschool even for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Studies have actually shown more advanced developmental skills and greater empathy in children who stay home with mom, while increased aggression and sadness occur in those who spend the day away from their mothers.

Learning Through Play

Preschool aged kids learn primarily through play. Finding and collecting rocks on a nature walk help kids learn things like “big, bigger and biggest” and might inspire them to flip through a book on rocks if given the opportunity. 

Homeschool Preschool

There are, however, things that parents can do enhance their kids’ preschool years. 

Remember that preschool is less about learning facts and more about learning to love learning – something that comes naturally to young kids.

What should my preschooler be doing?

Scientists have gathered information on skills, also known as milestones, that kids achieve at various ages.  Though these are the major skills to look out for, be aware that every child develops differently.  My 8 kids have all developed these skills at different ages with one child consistently about 18 months behind schedule.  He keeps progressing though so we are all happy.  Thank God for homeschooling though!

Age 3

Social Development

Parallel play, enjoys being by others, takes turns, knows if he is a boy or girl, enjoys brief group activities requiring no skill, likes to “help” in small ways–responds to verbal guidance.

Intellectual Development

Says short sentences,  great growth in communication, tells simple stories, uses words as tools of thought, wants to understand environment, answers questions, imaginative, may recite a few nursery rhymes.

Physical Development

Skips on one foot, draws “Man”, cuts with scissors (not well), can wash and dry face, dress self except ties, standing broad jump, throws ball overhand, high motor drive.

Emotional Development

Seems sure of himself, out-of bounds behavior, often negative, may be defiant, seems to be testing himself out, needs controlled freedom.

Age 4

Social Development

Cooperative play, enjoys other children’s company, highly social, may play loosely organized group games – tag, duck-duck-goose, talkative, versatile.

Intellectual Development

Uses complete sentences, 1540 words, asks endless questions, learning to generalize, highly imaginative, dramatic, can draw recognizable simple objects.

Physical Development

Hops and skips, dresses without help, good balance and smoother muscle action, skates, rides wagon and scooter, prints simple letters, handedness established, ties shoes, girls small muscle development about 1 year ahead of boys.

Emotional Development

Self-assured, stable, well-adjusted, home-centered, likes to associate with mother, capable, of some self-criticism, enjoys responsibility. Likes to follow the rules.

Age 5

Social Development

Highly cooperative play, has special “friends”, highly organized, enjoys simple table games requiring turns and observing rules, “school”, feels pride clothes and accomplishments, eager to carry out some responsibility.

Intellectual Development

Can tell long tales, carries out directions well, reads own name, counts to 10, asks meaning of words, knows colors, beginning to know difference between fact and fiction-lying, interested in environment, city, stores, etc.

Physical Development

Stands on one foot for 10 seconds or longer,h ops; may be able to skip, can do a somersault, uses a fork and spoon and sometimes a table knife, can use the toilet on her own, swings and climbs

Emotional Development

Wants to please friends, wants to be like friends, more likely to agree with rules, likes to sing, dance, and act, shows concern and sympathy for others, is aware of gender, can tell what’s real and what’s make-believe, shows more independence, is sometimes demanding and sometimes very cooperative.

For more detailed lists of developmental milestones, see this article from Understood.org.

Simple Ways to Homeschool Preschool at Home

Preschool Homeschool

Keeping your child home during the preschool years – homeschooling your preschoolers – should be simple and only take a little extra effort at being intentional with your time.

The following are some of the every day things you as a parent can do to nurture your preschooler during this time:

• Lots and lots of reading aloud. Encourage your kids’ love for books by taking time to read each day.

• Encourage your child to help with simple chores like folding dish clothes, putting away silverware, sweeping with a small broom and putting away their toys.

• Playing with siblings is a fantastic way to teach and encourage appropriate behavior while playing.   Help them to learn the value of sharing and friendship.

• Help develop good language skills by speaking in complete sentences and using “grown up” words. Talk about everything – what you’re doing, seeing, cooking and reading.  Fill their minds with lots of interesting conversations.

• As your preschoolers become more, how shall we say…assertive (ahem), try allowing them to make simple choices (for example, deciding what to wear, when to play, and what to eat for snack).

Curriculum Suggestions for the Preschool Years

One of the most practical guides to teaching preschool and kindergarten is Ruth Beechick’s  The 3 Rs. These 3 small books contain tons of practical ways to teach using everyday experiences and materials.

Character Study

One of the best ways to inspire noble character in your kids is to find quality books to read aloud together. Sure we can sit down with them and tell them to be brave or kind but it is so much more relevant when they actually get to know a character in a story showing bravery or kindness.

Books list for character building books:  

Other read aloud resources that we love:

The Read Aloud Revival at Amongst Lovely Things

Math

Think hands on math for any math resources you are considering.   While you may find a preschooler here and there who likes to sit down and fill in work sheets, most prefer to learn through experience.  Because our younger kids looked up to their older siblings, and wanted to sit at the school table with them, I gathered a variety of seat work resources such as coloring books and free downloadable preschool worksheets slipped into sheet protectors so they could ‘do school’ with their big brothers and sisters.

Remember the rock example from above?  Everyday experiences can be some of the most meaningful ways of learning.  Have kids count any and everything.  Point out colors and play “I Spy” with colors while in the car or just hanging out at the breakfast table.

Some of our favorite Hands On Math Resources:


Pre Reading Skills

This can be a sensitive subject depending on who you’re talking to.  

Some kids will learn to read as young as 3 years old.  This is good but not something to push.  Some kids won’t read independently until they are 12 years old.  This is not the end of the world but can be remediated with the right teaching methods. 

Remember, I’ve homeschooled 8 kids – 7 who were delayed readers due to dyslexia. Studies do show that early intervention is best for kids with dyslexia.  Not sure if your child is a late bloomer or dyslexic?  Read this list of the early signs of dyslexia.

The best place to start preparing your preschoolers to read is to teach Phonemic Awareness.  Phonemic Awareness is possibly one of the most critical skills that a preschool child can acquire.  It is the ability to hear the individual sounds in words.  All preschoolers can hear, understand and repeat the word ‘cat’.  However, not all preschoolers can understand that the word ‘cat’ is made up of three distinct sounds /c/  /a/   /t/. 

Kids who lack phonemic awareness when they enter the school years are more likely to struggle learning to read. 

Resources for teaching Phonemic Awareness: 

All About Reading’s Pre Reading program is full of games and hands-on activities for teaching phonemic awareness easily and affordably.

teach phonemic awareness

Teaching Handwriting

Lots of kids with dyslexia will struggle big time with the physical act of writing – also known as dysgraphia. Some of my dyslexic kids loved to write and draw while others hated it because it was so hard.  Keeping a relaxed attitude and introducing writing in a fun and non-threatening way is the best attitude to take during the early years.  Things we have used to ease our kids into handwriting:

  • dry erase pens, boards and age-appropriate worksheets slipped into plastic page protectors
  • simple workbooks that allow for tracing of letters
  • Handwriting Without Tears

 

Everything else

Pretty much everything else your preschooler needs to learn can be taught with a combination of reading aloud and real life.

Science concepts:

  • Plant a garden – nature walks, create a nature table
  • Get a pet
  • Or for the less adventurous, get an ant farm, a polliwog or caterpillar/butterfly kits
  • Simple cooking – consider buying child-sized implements 


Physical coordination and life skills:

  • Wash dishes
  • Help fold laundry – towels are a good place to start
  • Sweep and dust
  • Dress up and make believe play

Games

There is so much to be learned through game playing!

Classic physical games such as jump rope not only help develop a child’s body and brain, but through reciting rhythmic jump rope rhymes, a child is also developing memory and language skills.

Traditional circle games such as “Ring Around the Rosey,” or “Duck Duck Goose” help children develop social skills, like learning to take turns.

There are many great cooperative board games to help develop logic, language, sequencing and so on.


Music

  • listen and singing
  • finger plays
  • rhythm instruments
  • play silks for dance

 

Art

  • Painting
  • Drawing
  • Handwork
  • Crafts help develop a child’s fine motor skills.

Neurological science has shown us that the nerves in the fingertips are directly wired to the brain, and by developing a child’s small motor skills through these activities, neurological pathways are being formed and strengthened, which lead to an increased capacity for learning.

More Resources for Homeschooling in Preschool

For links to more hands on resources for preschoolers and beyond, follow me on Pinterest.

pinterest_logo

What are your best tips for homeschooling your preschoolers?

 



Homeschool Preschool

How to Homeschool Your Dyslexic 7th Grader

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I’ve been getting a lot of emails recently asking how we homeschool our dyslexic kids in 7th grade.  I think that the concern lies in that we know our kids are getting older and that more and more is going to be required of them academically in the coming years.  If our kids are struggling to learn because of dyslexia, this time can be worrying.

How to Homeschool Your Dyslexic 7th Grader

The middle school years are transitional in many ways.  There are significant physical and emotional changes that are taking place during these years that were part of the reason that middle schools were started in the first place.  Middle school students from 6th through 8th grade don’t quite have an elementary school mindset and are not quite ready for high school.

Middle school is a time to help our kids understand their growing minds and bodies and also to begin to prepare our kids for higher level learning that will be required of them as high school students.  This understanding has been helpful for me as I plan for how to homeschool my dyslexic middle schoolers.

We focus a lot on experiential, hands-on learning in the younger years.  We learn History by reading good literature.  We learn Science by planting a garden, studying nature, raising animals and doing simple experiements.  We learn to organize our thoughts for writing by practicing writing’s precursor, narration.

Homeschooling middle school is a time of transition to a future of more independent learning.  Since I am homeschooling with the end in mind, I am looking in the middle school years to what skills my kids will need as they enter in to their high school years.

Remediation for the Dyslexic Middle School Child

We’ve talked about remediation – building (or repairing) a strong foundation in reading, writing, spelling and math.  This often involves intense, systematic instruction or tutoring from a qualified dyslexia tutor in areas of academic weakness.

I continue to remediate, or strengthen, the weaknesses that my kids with dyslexia have during the middle school years.  It is during this time that I recommend to parents that if their child is still significantly behind – say 3rd grade or below in reading level – that the parents seek out the help of a certified dyslexia tutor.  In my experience, even our kids that did not receive the benefits of my current knowledge of what really works with dyslexia, most of our kids were beginning to read decently on their own by 12 years old.  If your child is still struggling significantly – they need some intensive help.

In our home, middle school remediations have been:

  • Continuing with an Orton-Gillingham reading program
  • Finding a certified dyslexia tutor
  • Modifying curriculum to the child’s ability
  • Working one-on-one in other trouble spots like math and spelling

Middle school is also the time when I begin to introduce more in the way of accommodations. Accommodations will help kids become more independent learners.

Accommodations for the Dyslexic Middle School Child

Accommodations are tools that we give our kids so that they can express themselves at their intellectual ability despite their slow or inaccurate reading, writing and spelling skills.  I love how Brock and Fernette Eides of The Dyslexic Advantage look at accommodations.  As a wheel chair requires a ramp to enter a building so a dyslexic learner needs accommodations to show what they really know.  Remember, if the goal of our instruction is that our kids gain knowledge – what difference does it make how they attain that knowledge.  Read this post for more information on accommodations that are helpful for students with dyslexia.

It is in the middle school years that I ramp up on the accommodations, introducing helpful technologies so that my kids can continue to learn at an increasingly complex level as independently as possible.

Accommodations we have used in middle school:

  • audio books
  • curricula with audio and video components
  • text-to-speech apps
  • speech-to-text apps
  • spell checking apps
  • allowing narration of papers (in the absence of speech-to-text apps)

Homeschool Dyslexia

Setting Goals for the Dyslexic Middle School Child

The beauty of homeschooling kids with dyslexia is the freedom to create individualized lessons for our kids.  In that vein, it would be somewhat pointless for me to list a set of ‘goals for middle school students’.

However, by looking forward to the skills we want our kids to have before they leave home, we can set some long term goals and then work backwards to set individualized goals for our kids today.

Long-Term Homeschool Goals

These are some of the long terms goals for our homeschool family:

  • Be able to take notes during a lecture or talk of some kind
  • Be able to write a 5 paragraph essay (I said long term – stop freaking out!)
  • Be able to learn from a text book
  • Be able to take a test confidently
  • Be able to discuss ideas articulately
  • Be able to manage time effectively
  • Be able to perform higher level math
  • Be able to understand their learning strengths and weaknesses
  • Be able to fluently use assistive technology where needed
  • Understand the flow of History
  • Understand the vocabulary and workings of basic physical and life sciences

How to set Short-Term Goals in Middle School

Remember that many of these goals are the end product and will take years of practice to perfect.  Students with dyslexia benefit greatly from direct instruction in how to learn.

Essay writing:  Our kids grew up liking to write even though they were terrible spellers.  I learned early on not to correct spelling (unless asked) on recreational writing.  As our kids neared high school we used several resources (see below) to help them think more about how to organize their writing.   Our goal was not perfect writing but a certain ease with the written word so that when they entered high school, they had a decent understanding of how to organize a paragraph or paper and could focus more on style and technique more appropriate for that stage of learning. Read this post for more ideas on Teaching Writing to Kids With Dyslexia.

Note-taking:  I started our kids on note taking while in church.  I just sent them with a little notebook and asked them to take notes during their class.  Read this post for more information on Teaching Note-taking Skills ( please note that this link will take you off of the HomeschoolingWithDyslexia.com web site and on to my general homeschooling web site, Abundant Life).  Note-taking is a skill that develops over time and with practice so get them started now.

Learning from a text book:  Partially because I was looking to teach this particular skill and partly because I had a houseful of young kids that still needed a lot of my time, I purchased several classes of Switched-On-Schoolhouse for my middle schoolers beginning in 7th grade.  History and Science were the subjects that seemed to be slipping through the cracks so these are the subjects that we chose.  What I liked about SOS was that it followed a typical scope and sequence and style of a traditional textbook curriculum and, since it is all on a computer – though not an online program – offered a text-to-speech option that was very helpful.

Be able to take a test confidently:  Using SOS (see above) was also helpful in teaching my kids about test taking.  The SOS program allows highlighting of text so that our kids could easily learn to highlight what was important in a passage and then go back later and reread those passages to study for a test. We also discovered the Quizlet app (a flashcard app) during this time and completely love it for its flexibility and ease of use.

Be able to discuss ideas articulately:  The middle school years are a time when our growing children’s minds are beginning to change from concrete understanding to more abstract reasoning.  Ever notice how much your tweens love to argue?  It is important for kids of this age to be able to discuss points of History or what ever else they are learning about.  Make time for this!

Time management:  We have some kids who are naturally organized and motivated and others who are not.  Every day I write each child’s school requirements in a spiral bound notebook for them to check off as completed.  We also have chore lists.  It has been said that it takes 30 days to build a habit.  I have seen this to be true.  If I implement these check lists and patrol them faithfully for at least 30 days, the activities become habit.  Kids with dyslexia often have trouble with executive function (a fancy term for organization) and many will also have some kind of attention deficit.  If you’re looking for what to do about the child who is constantly ‘forgetting’ to do their chores or schoolwork, read this post.

Be able to perform higher level math:  I’ve had kids who could solve Algebra problems in their heads and others who struggled with Algebra throughout their high school years.  What I have come to know (we just finished our 20th year of homeschooling!) is that the kids who were not strong in Math – despite much effort – went on to pursue careers that did not require Math.  I don’t say this to dissuade you from teaching higher level math but to encourage you not to over worry about this area!  That said, take the middle school years as a time to really assess what your kids know.  Some kids can skip a 7th grade curriculum – that is mostly review of previously learned information – and some do well to really hone their basic math skills before moving on to Pre-Algebra. Take the time needed to build this foundation and don’t feel pressure to be at or above grade level if your child really isn’t there.  Read this post for more information on teaching Math to kids with dyslexia.

Be able to understand their learning strengths and weaknesses:  As your child is pushed to perform at higher levels of learning, you want to begin to hone in on how your child learns best.  While my kids were doing SOS for History and Science, one child absolutely needed the text-to-speech function of the program to get through the material while another child preferred – after some experimentation on her part – to simply read the material.  One child loved the Quizlet app for vocabulary review while the other learned that she needed to write down the definitions on flash cards in order to remember.  Helping kids to understand that all people learn differently and to look for ways that they learn best has been an important life skill for all of our kids to learn.

Be able to fluently use assistive technology where needed:  Our Resources page has lists of assistive technology and apps that are specifically appropriate for people with dyslexia.  Choose an area that your child needs to work on and teach them how to use some form of assistive technology that will help. Dyslexics will likely need this kind of support through much of their lives.

Understand the flow of History:  I love the Classical method of teaching History.  Beginning with Ancient History and moving chronologically through to Modern Times in cycles that repeat over the elementary and middle school years has been a great way for our kids to grasp the flow of History.  If you feel that your kids don’t have this down yet, try working with a timeline through the middle school years.  Creating this visual can be super helpful for holding events and people in their place.

Understand the vocabulary and workings of Physical and Life Science:  See our curriculum recommendations below.

middle school dyslexia

Our Favorite Middle School Curriculum for Kids With Dyslexia

These are curricula that our family has used and enjoyed.  That being said, some kids liked them more than others depending on their preferred style of learning.  These are suggestions not absolutes.  You will need to experiment with your kids to find a good fit.

Language Arts:

Reading:

Spelling:

  • All About Spelling:  An Orton-Gillingham based spelling program from the makers of All About Reading.
  • Sequential Spelling:  Not O-G but uses a systematic way to find the patterns in words.  Many dyslexics love this program.

Grammar:

  • Easy Grammar:  An easy to use program that teaches parts of speech by first recognizing prepositions and prepositional phrases.
  • Daily Grams:  Short daily practice in punctuation, capitalization and other basic sentence writing rules.
  • Winston Grammar:  A hands on approach to learning parts of speech.

Writing:

Literature:

  • Progeny Press:  Literature guides by grade level.  Choose several to go through per year.
  • Sonlight:   A literature-based curriculum full of wonderful living books.  Many people use their reading lists to create their own curriculum or read aloud schedules.

Math:

  • Math U See:  a hands on approach to math
  • Teaching Textbooks:  No reading required.  Lessons presented in video format.  Enter the answers to each problem write in to the computer.  Learn how to do missed problems immediately.

History:

  • Switched on Schoolhouse:  A computerized program that is purchased by subject.  Pick a subject or two that your middle schooler might be interested in to teach them how to learn from a traditional textbook format.
  • Story of the World: History taught through story.  Get the activity book to round out this curriculum with hands on activities and living books that correspond to the period of History that you are studying.
  • My Father’s World:  A Christian curriculum that combines the study of all subjects (except Math and Reading Instruction) based around the study of History.  A great, interconnected way to study that is also designed to be used easily with more than one student at a time.  Your whole family will study the same things, at different levels.

Science:

  • Switched on Schoolhouse:  I’ve mentioned this program several times now in this post.  This program serves the purpose of helping kids to become more independent learners by use of accommodations.
  • TOP Science:   Tons of hands on science activities for all ages.
  • Real Science 4 Kids:  Offers grade-level kits as well as unit study materials for a wide range of subjects geared for the middle school crowd.

A Parent’s Mindset

It is important to note that although this post talks a lot about traditional learning and grade levels, homeschoolers should exercise their freedoms when teaching their own unique children.  While we certainly want our kids to be well-educated, it is okay for that to look different for your family.

We can (and should) look for own kids’ interests and abilities and tailor their curricula and requirements accordingly.  We are looking for progress here.

Most kids, whose love of learning has remained in tact, begin to really thrive in middle school.  This may be in 6th grade or 8th grade – or maybe later.  No two kids will learn the same so be open to your child’s unique needs and abilities.

Finally…

Whew!  That was a long post.  I heard it said a while back that the most important years to homeschool are the middle school years.  Our kids are particularly vulnerable during these years.  Homeschooling your middle school child may not be the easiest thing to do but it is often the best thing that you can do!

Alternatives to a Traditional College Degree

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As the mother of 8, seven with dyslexia and two 10th graders looking to their futures, I set out to write this 10-day series on Preparing Your Student with Dyslexia for College Success so that I would have the info that I need to help my dyslexic kids to be successful should they choose to go to college.

If you are new here, you should know that while I come from a long line of college-educated folks, my husband is not.  In fact, I don’t know of one of his family members that has attended college.  However, he is one of the most brilliant and insightful people that I know.  He has single-handedly supported our family of 10 for all of these years by utilizing his exceptional entrepreneurial skills and solid work ethic.  We have traveled extensively with the culmination of this adventurous living being that our two oldest kids took their junior years off of high school to attempt  amazing world record setting sailing adventures of their own.  (Psst… neither of them has gone to college since then!)

It took many years for me to even begin to believe that there are viable alternatives to a traditional college degree.

Alternatives to a Traditional College Degree

What better way to end this series on preparing for college ( and yes, I wholeheartedly believe that all dyslexic kids can succeed in college if that is where there passions lie) than to talk about alternatives to a college course of study.

Just Google ‘alternatives to college’ and you will be bombarded with insightful writings on the current state of college education;  it’s financial burdens, lack of guarantee of securing a job, and the state of debauchery experienced on campus.

Is it really worth going into many tens of thousands of dollars of debt with such a dubious return?

I won’t go into all of the pros and cons of whether or not to pursue a college degree here.  Suffice to say that there are alternatives to college.  These alternatives lead to happy, successful and meaningful lives.

If your child is not passionate about attending college, having a good sense of what he or she wants to actually gain by going to college, perhaps you should consider one of these alternatives:

Certification Programs

Certification programs are available through community colleges, free standing for-profit schools or corporate programs.  These programs vary in price and length of study but they all offer specific training to do a specific job such as medical assistant, information technology, photography, film and many other fields.  Often taking less than a year to complete, these types of training can equip a person with the skills to get a good job earning far more than their uncertified peers.

Associates Degrees

More and more employers are looking for this 2-year degree often offered by the local community college.  On average, people with an associate degree earn 24% more than those with a high school diploma alone.  These degrees usually result in a career-oriented skill such as nursing, or business and information technology.

Trade School

Trade schools allow students to learn basic, professional skills in two years or less.  Trade schools eliminate the general-ed type of courses and get right to the core skills needed to get a job.

Get Experience

Life experience can help a person to hone in on their potential career interests.  Work experience can also look good on a resume.  There are other experiences as well.  Travel, taking classes (without working towards a major) or volunteering are other areas of experience that can benefit a young person as they try to find their niche in the world.

Start a Business

Not all business owners have a college degree, in fact, many people who don’t necessarily make a good traditional student also make some of the best entrepreneurs because of their passion and people skills – two of the most important things to have in a successful business.

When I speak to parents of dyslexic children, I notice that many of us are worried.  We’re worried about these kids who learn differently and how they will ever ‘get a job’ or get a degree’ and ‘be successful’.

Passion and Ability

I am always quick to remind them of something that their dyslexic kids already have – the big picture.  What does your child like to do?  I mean really like to do?  What is your child good at?  I mean where are their giftings?  Where do their talents lie?  In my experience, it is often where these two things intersect – passion and ability – that their future lies.

If this formula leads to college – fine.  If not, fine.  Just as many dyslexic people have overcome the odds to successfully complete Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral degrees in many walks of life so have many gifted and talented people NOT gone to college and gone on to live successful and fulfilling lives.

It isn’t about telling your kids to aim high or to aim low, it is about finding the path that they were made for, which in the end, with the right skills and motivation will result in success and fulfillment.

What do you think?  Is it possible to build a successful career without going to college?

Please Share!

Thank you for joining me here today for the 10-day series – Preparing Your Dyslexic Student for College Success. If you haven’t subscribed and would like further posts from HomeschoolingWithDyslexia.com to come to your inbox, click here to sign up for free email updates from Homeschooling With Dyslexia.

Join me today over on the Homeschooling With Dyslexia Facebook page to further the discussion of preparing your dyslexic student for college success.

Please help me spread the word about this series by sharing this post via the links below to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or a by leaving a comment below.

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Financial Aid and Scholarships for Students with Dyslexia

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Thank you for joining me on for this 10-day series on Preparing Your Student With Dyslexia for College Success. To read the whole series, click here.

Your student with dyslexia may be prepared for college and even been accepted into their college of choice, but what about paying for college?  There are specific scholarships for students with dyslexia.

Financial Aid and Scholarships for Students with Dyslexia

It used to be that when I thought of  scholarships, I immediately thought only of the straight A students.  Let’s face it, getting free money isn’t easy these days.  There are a lot of people with amazing transcripts.  What hope does a hard working dyslexic student have?  A lot.  Keep reading.

Many private scholarships are available that grant money to students based on their particular strengths, interests, disabilities and other characteristics or qualities. The following is a list of scholarships particularly for students with learning disabilities.

First Stop – FAFSA

Federal student aid is one way to cover the cost of college. Your first stop should be filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This application allows you to determine your eligibility for Pell Grants, federal student loans, and other student aid. This application can be filled out online.

Pell provides grants, which do not have to be paid back, to students who can demonstrate financial need. Students can qualify for up to a maximum of $5,550 per school year. Need is determined based on the resources which a (dependent) student’s family can contribute to the cost of attending college. An independent student’s aid amount is based on their own financial resources.

Maximize Grant Money Before Borrowing

After selecting colleges of interest, find out what kinds of financial aid your college offers and try to work with the school to better suit your needs.  It is important to maximize grant aid before you borrow to pay for the cost of college.  It is also important to use federal student loan programs before borrowing from private sources.  Federal student loan programs often provide better terms and conditions and offer more protections for borrowers who might fall behind on their loan payments after school.  Overall think before you borrow with these tips from CollegeBoard.org.

Grants and scholarships

Books

Financial Aid for the Disabled and Their Families 2012-2014 

This book identifies funding and financial aid resources for high school kids and older with disabilities on education, career development, training, assistive technology, etc.

Web Sites

CollegeBoard.org

Locate scholarships, loans, internships, and other financial aid programs for college that match your education level, talents, and background. Complete the profile form, including a place to check for learning disability, and Scholarship Search will find potential opportunities from a database of more than 2,000 undergraduate scholarships, internships, and loan programs.

Center for Scholarship Administration

A list of scholarship programs available to students that are categorized by topics and special interests.

CollegeNET

Allows students to search for scholarships that match their personal profiles and needs.

Council for Exceptional Children

A list of grants, scholarships, and funding links and resources for students.

FastWeb.com

A widely used resource on money for college, financial aid, and more.

GreatSchools

A list of books, web links, and specific scholarships and loans that address financial aid opportunities for students with disabilities.

HEATH Resource Center

In the search bar on the right, enter “Financial Aid” for links to scholarships for students with LD.

Sallie Mae

Information and resources to assist students with the financial aid process.

Scholarships for Students With Learning Disabilities
NCLD’s list of scholarship opportunities specifically for students with LD.

Students.gov

State funding information for post-secondary education.

U.S. Department of Education

Financial aid from the U.S. Department of Education, including information about Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, PLUS loans and more.

Buckley Moss Society, Anne and Matt Harbison Award

The P. Buckley Moss Society introduces an annual scholarship to provide incentive for, and recognition to, a graduating high school senior with a learning disability who has made arrangements to go to college. This is a grant of $1,000 made toward the tuition at the recipient’s chosen college or university.

Anne Ford Scholarship Established for College-Bound Students With Learning Disabilities

The scholarship is an annual gift of $10,000 to a promising high school senior with learning disabilities who plans to pursue a university degree.

FinAid

This comprehensive financial aid website focuses on post-secondary school funding and lists college scholarships for the persons with a learning disability. There’s also some information on ways to pay for private education institutions. One helpful part of this site is their Scam Alert section that lists the most common scholarship scams, including suspicious aid offers. You can also sign up for e-mail lists and discussion groups. All in all, it’s a very useful site that’s easy to navigate and straightforward in its presentation.

The Foundation Center Cooperating Collections

Located in every state, these free funding information centers in libraries and nonprofit resource centers provide a “core collection” of Foundation Center publications and products.

The Hal Hazelett Scholarship

Two $1,000 scholarships for students with LD, one of which is designated for a student pursuing an education and/or a math degree. One ADD/ADHD scholarship will also be awarded.

Incight Go Getter Scholarship

A renewable $750 award available to high school students with physical, learning, cognitive, hearing, or vision disabilities.

LD Resources Foundation

Awards of assistive technology tools (ex. Kurzweil products, Dragon Naturally Speaking and MacSpeech Dictate, Franklin Dictionary) are available to college students diagnosed with LD and/or ADHD. Students must be enrolled at a college/university with the intention of pursuing an undergraduate degree.

The Lime Connect Fellowship Program

This program is available to a current sophomore at a four-year university in the U.S. The student must have a disability, such as LD. The comprehensive program includes educational workshops, interview preparation, organized mentor programs, and continued support and coaching through the recruitment process via a leadership development program, plus a $1,000 award.

The Marion Huber Learning Through Listening Award

Three $6,000 and three $2,000 awards available to high school seniors with LD who demonstrate leadership skills, scholarship and a high level of service to others; must be a member of Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D).

Rise Scholarship Foundation
A $2,500 scholarship is available for a current high school senior with a documented LD who plans to attend a college or university in the upcoming academic year.

Saralu Belkofer Scholarship

Two $2,000 awards are available to students with LD. Students must be a high school senior or involved in post-secondary education. An additional Internet marketing internship is available, if the student(s) is interested.

Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities Youth Achievement Award

A $1,000 award for a student with LD and/or ADHD who has demonstrated initiative, talent, and determination resulting in a notable accomplishment in any field–including art, music, science, math, athletics or community service.

Theodore R. & Vivian M. Johnson Scholarship Program

Available to students with disabilities with financial needs who enroll in a State University System of Florida institution.

Keep Learning – Don’t Give Up

If you do not qualify for many of these scholarships, or are simply looking for more opportunities to get money for college, do not despair. Think beyond your learning struggles: what do you want to study? What activities have you been involved in? Are you or your parents members of any associations or groups? Any of these may lead to a scholarship. Sign up for a free scholarship search engine like Fastweb or Sallie Mae’s Scholarship Search to create a profile and search for all scholarships that may apply to you. Learn as much as you can about financial aid—the more knowledgeable you are, the better prepared you will be when college bills arrive.

Join us here tomorrow when we’ll talk about Alternatives to a Traditional College Degree.

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Understanding the College Application Process for Students With Learning Disabilities

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Thank you for joining me on for this 10-day series on Preparing Your Student With Dyslexia for College Success.  To read the whole series, click here.

We’ve taken a good look at getting ready for college, acquiring the skills needed, understanding the different kinds of programs available, and how to find a good college fit for your student.  Today we’re looking at the college application process.

Understanding the College Application Process for Students With Learning Disabilities

General Tips for Applying to College

Much of the application process takes place the summer before your senior year.

Create a folder for each college you are considering.  Put a checklist of what you need for the application on the front of the folder.

It is recommended that all students applying to college choose between 5 -8 schools and include safety (sure to get in) reach (not so likely to get in) and matches (college is a good fit for your students profile).

Consider using the Common Application.  It is a standardized application used by more than 525 colleges.  Instead of filling out eight different applications, you can fill out one and submit it to each college.  You may need to submit additional or separate documents to some colleges.

Think beyond admission.  Sure, it is impressive to get into a ‘great’ school, but if it is not a good fit for you or your student, how much success will be found there?

Should I Disclose a Learning Disability on my Application?

You are not required to disclose your dyslexia (or any other disability) at any time and the college is prohibited from asking.  However, if you believe that your disability has had a negative impact on your graes and test scores and that those scores don’t accurately reflect your ability to do college level work, then it might benefit you to explain that to an admissions officer.

Once a student is accepted, the college will give all incoming students information regarding the office that provides services to students with disabilities.  It will be your responsibility to contact the appropriate officials and request the services you feel you need.  Please see the post College Readiness:  What Successful Students Do to learn more about self-advocacy and other skills your dyslexic student will likely need in college.

Identify Key Messages you Want to Convey

As you apply to colleges, you want to make sure they know who you are and what they will get if they admit you. Selective colleges are very deliberate as they choose students with an eye toward assembling communities that include talents, interests, and perspectives that range the spectrum. What do you have to offer? Leadership? Cultural sensitivity? Inventive curiosity? Compassion for the less fortunate? Begin thinking now about how you will convey key messages regarding your potential “gifts” as you apply for admission.

The College Essay

Many colleges do not require an essay for admission.  Check with your college of choice for their particular policy.  The essay should be in your students own words and may even touch on their learning struggles and how they have overcome them.  Statistics show that GPA and quality of the college essay are better indicators of college success than a students SAT or ACT score.  Make sure your kids are learning good writing skills and put forth their very best effort if a college requests an essay.

Should I Apply to Colleges if my Admission Test Scores are Lower Than Their Published Ranges?

Yes. The admission scores and grades that colleges show on their websites are averages or ranges — not cutoffs. There are students at every college who scored lower (and higher) than the numbers shown.

Remember that colleges consider many factors to get a more complete picture of you. For example, they look at the types of classes you take, your activities, recommendation letters, your essay and your overall character. Colleges are looking for all kinds of students with different talents, abilities and backgrounds. Admission test scores and grades are just two parts of that complete picture.

Brag Sheet and Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation are another indicator of college success.  During the middle and high school years, keep a ‘brag sheet’ listing your child’s volunteer or service projects, club memberships, reading lists and any other meaningful information.  This simple list can be provided to whomever you ask to write a college recommendation letter.

Preparing for a College Interview

The key word here is to prepare!  Students must be comfortable talking about themselves.  Try writing down key points that you want to make on 3 X 5 cards for practice and consider bringing them into the interview with you.

A combination of preparation and focusing on the big picture, beyond admission to success, will help you and your student find and get accepted to the right college.

 

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Thank you for joining me here today for the 10-day series – Preparing Your Dyslexic Student for College Success. If you haven’t subscribed and would like further posts from HomeschoolingWithDyslexia.com to come to your inbox, click here to sign up for free email updates from Homeschooling With Dyslexia.

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How to Get Your Student With Dyslexia Accommodations on College Entry Exams

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Thank you for joining me on for this 10-day series on Preparing Your Student With Dyslexia for College Success.  To read the whole series, click here.

One major roadblock for dyslexic students trying to get into college is performing well on college entrance exams – either the SAT or the ACT.  Low scores on these tests may not accurately reflect a dyslexic students abilities.  Obtaining accommodations on college entry exams can help kids with learning disabilities perform at their real intellectual ability.

accommodations dyslexia college entrance

Dyslexia advocate, Sally Shaywitz, has been working with colleges across the country to look beyond these scores and so you will find more and more colleges who will overlook a poor score in light of your overall high school portfolio.

Test-Optional Colleges

As previously mentioned in my post on Options for After High School, community colleges do not require SAT or ACT testing and are a viable way to start your student’s college years.

Some schools exempt students who meet grade-point average or class rank criteria while others require SAT or ACT scores but use them only for placement purposes or to conduct research studies.  Check with the school’s admissions office to learn more about specific admissions requirements.

There are more and more Test Optional Colleges.  For a list of schools that do not use SAT or ACT Scores for admitting students into bachelors degrees programs => click here <=  This is not a comprehensive list.  You are encouraged to contact any college that your child may be interested in and ask for that school’s specific policy regarding college entrance testing.

How to get Accommodations on the SAT

If your dyslexic student is planning on taking the SAT, accommodations are available.

It is important to allow plenty of time to apply for accommodations.  The College Board says requests can take approximately 7 weeks to process.  They also recommend starting the application process in your freshman year.  Students can use any accomodations awarded through out their high school careers.

Documentation

Eligibility is determined by a review of your student’s documentation.  Documentation requirements include psycho-educational reports (testing) describing the functional limitations of the disability.  For a complete list of which tests are accepted for this documentation requirement, click here.

Functional Limitations

Having a disability does not automatically entitle your student to accommodations.  There must also be proof that the disability requires accommodations.  Additional documentation should include proof that your student used accommodations in high school and needed them to succeed.  A student’s functional limitation must result from his or her disability.  It describes how the student’s daily functioning is affected, as well as how the student’s disability affects his or her ability to take College Board tests.  A student’s functional limitations should be described in his or her documentation.  For more information on documenting functional limitations => click here <=

For more information on applying for accommodations on the SAT for your dysleixc student visit the CollegeBoard web site.

 How to Get Accommodations on the ACT

Accommodations on the ACT test is also available.  Students can apply for extended time or special testing which includes things like even more time, or further asisstance like marking answers or providing a reader who will read the test to your student.

Visit the ACT web site for complete instructions on how to apply and what accommodations are currently available.

Differences Between the SAT and the ACT

Understanding the differences between the two college entrance exams may help you as you plan for which test your student will take.

 
SAT
……………………………………….		 ACT ………………………………………
Philosohpy Primarily focuses
on general reasoning and
problem-solving
skills		 Based more closely
on high school curriculum than is the SAT
Popularity Most popular on the East and West Coasts More popular in the Midwest
Acceptance Every US 4-year college or universitywillaccepteitherexam Every US 4-year college or university will accept either exam
Structure 10 short sectionsQuestions get progressively harder 5 long sectionsQuestions get progressively harder in Math but questions are randomly ordered in all other sections
Length 3 hours 45 minutes 3 hours 25 minutes
Scoring 1/3 Critical Reading1/3 Math1/3 Writing (grammar and essay)Essay is not optional – constitutes 28% of Writing ScoreTotal Max Score:  2400 1/4 English1/4 Math1/4 Reading1/4 ScienceEssay is optional – check with college requirementTotal Max Score:  36
Score Deductions For every incorrect answer, 1/4 of a point is deducted No penalty for marking incorrect answers
National Average 1509 21

 

Have you had a student with a learning disability take a college entrance exam.  What tips can you share?

Please join us here tomorrow when we’ll look at the Understanding the College Admissions Process for Students With Dyslexia.

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Thank you for joining me here today for the 10-day series – Preparing Your Dyslexic Student for College Success. If you haven’t subscribed and would like further posts from HomeschoolingWithDyslexia.com to come to your inbox, click here to sign up for free email updates from Homeschooling With Dyslexia.

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Parent Dyslexia Class

How to Help Your High School Graduate Decide What’s Next

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This post is part of a series on Preparing  Students With Dyslexia Find College Success.  To read the entire series from the beginning, click here.

Not all kids want or need to go straight to a 4-year university after high school.  There are many options available.  If you have a child nearing high school graduation, it is important to know what viable options are out there for their foray into the adult world and help them to choose the best fit for your unique child.

How to Help Your High School Graduate Decide What's Next

Dyslexic learners have been attending and graduating from college for as long as college has been around.   With the right skills, accommodations and campus support college is all the more doable for the dyslexic student.  Take a lesson from your dyslexic learners who are prone to think outside the box and don’t be afraid to think outside the box when you are choosing from the many options available for pursuing education after high school.

Most people think of going straight to a four-year university right out of high school as the best option for their kids, but there are actually many options.  The best choice for your student is unique to your family situation.

Post Grad Year

A post grad year should not be confused with a Gap Year which will be covered next.  A Post Grad year refers to an extra year of high school that is generally taken at a freestanding boarding school.  The purpose of a Post Grad Year is to give students time to improve academically or emotionally.  If your child is enrolled in a public or private school, they will have earned their high school diploma before taking their Post Grad studies.

For homeschoolers this may involve working with your homeschool group to rearrange credits allowing for essentially a fifth year of high school.  This entails pushing back 9th grade credits onto the 8th grade year and proceeding with another year of high school.

This growing trend has the benefit of giving your student more time to prepare for the SAT or ACT, time to mature and time to practice more of the skills needed for the transition from high school to college.

Gap Year

A Gap Year is when a student applies to college but defers attendance for one year.  Usually this time is used to explore interests or gain meaningful work experience.

There are actually Gap Year programs that are designed with this type of student in mind.  These programs provide different opportunities for travel and service for the student who wants time to expand their perspective and gain direction that may give the college years more meaning and focus.

Community College

Community colleges may be the right route for your student.  Benefits to choosing a Community College straight out of high school (or even after a Gap or Post Grad year) are:

  • There is no SAT or ACT test requirement.  This should not be your main reason for choosing the Community College.  There are accommodations available for students with dyslexia and more and more colleges will waive the SAT requirement for these students as well.  We’ll talk more about how to get accommodations on college entrance exams tomorrow.
  • Provides time for remediation if needed.  Community college students can take remedial level courses in math and english if needed while at the same time getting used to the changes and new responsibilities of being a college student.
  • Schedules tend to be more flexible with more classes being offered in the evenings.
  • Cost of tuition is considerably less which can alleviate pressure to graduate quickly.  This allows time to take a lighter course load and to switch majors if your student is not quite sure in which direction he or she is headed.
  • Many community colleges have partnered with local universities to make transferring straight forward.

Colleges Exclusively for Students With Learning Disabilities

All colleges are required by law to provide some level of support for students with documented (recent psycho-educational testing) learning struggles.   These services are provided by the Office of Student Services.  We talked more about the different types of college support programs last week.  There are a few colleges that are specifically set up for the student with dyslexia.  These colleges provide the highest level of support for dyslexic students than other colleges.

Beacon College

Beacon College is accredited college in Leesburg, Florida that offers traditional classes and curriculums, but they design each class in a way where dyslexic students learn and excel.  Beacon College offers both Associates Degrees and Bachelors Degrees.

Landmark College

Landmark College in Putney, Vermont is also an accredited college that offers various Associate Degrees.  Landmark takes the approach of teaching students the skills and strategies necessary for success in college and the workforce.

This list is full of links to regular Colleges with with Programs for Learning Disabled Students.  While these colleges are not devoted entirely to students with learning disabilities, they do offer programs designed to support students with learning disabilities.

Four-Year College or University

The traditional route for many high school graduates is to go straight to a 4-year University.  As I said before, all colleges are required to provide some level of support for students with disabilities.  Last week we looked at the skills needed for college success, the types of college support programs available and how to find the right college.  Tomorrow we will look at understanding the application process and later this week financial aid and scholarships for students with learning disabilities.

Alternatives to College

With the growing concern over the lack of jobs available to recent college grads and the shocking statistics of crippling college loan debt, wise parents will consider alternatives to a traditional 4-year (or more) college degree.  I will dedicate an entire blog post to alternatives to college later this week, but for now, here are four ideas to get you thinking:

Certification

Certification programs are available through community colleges, free standing for-profit schools or corporate programs.  These programs vary in price and length of study but they all offer specific training to do a specific job such as medical assistant, information technology, photography, film and many other fields.

Associates Degrees

More and more employers are looking for this 2-year degree often offered by the local community college.  On average, people with an associate degree earn 24% more than those with a high school diploma alone.  These degrees usually result in a careeer-oriented skill such as nursing, or business and information technology.

Trade School

Trade schools allow students to learn basic, professional skills in two years or less.  Trade schools eliminate the general-ed type of courses and get right to the core skills needed to get a job.

Start a Business

Not all business owners have a college degree, in fact, many people who don’t necessarily make a good traditional student also make some of the best entrepreneurs because of their passion and people skills – two of the most important things to have in a successful business.

I hope that you find this information as valuable as I did as I researched it for my own family of dyslexic kids.  I hope you are beginning to see that as you begin to plan and prepare for the college years there are not only many helps available but also many options.

Join us tomorrow when we”ll be talking about  How to Get Accommodations on College Entrance Exams.

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Thank you for joining me here today for the 10-day series – Preparing Your Dyslexic Student for College Success. If you haven’t subscribed and would like further posts from HomeschoolingWithDyslexia.com to come to your inbox, click here to sign up for free email updates from Homeschooling With Dyslexia.

Join me today over on the Homeschooling With Dyslexia Facebook page to further the discussion of preparing your dyslexic student for college success.

Please help me spread the word about this series by sharing this post via the links below to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or a by leaving a comment below.

Parent Dyslexia Class

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