Teaching Tips

Overcoming Emotional Issues Caused by Dyslexia

Overcoming Emotional Issues Caused by Dyslexia

The main factor that determines whether a person with dyslexia will thrive or not is the presence of someone in their life that is supportive. Here are some tips to help with overcoming emotional issues from dyslexia.   Yesterday we talked about how discouraging...

Homeschool Priorities for Kids With Dyslexia

Homeschool Priorities for Kids With Dyslexia

After homeschooling kids with dyslexia for nearly 30 years and now having graduated 5 of them from high school, here are a few things I've learned are priorities for homeschooling kids with dyslexia. Teach them at their level. You are not behind! One of the reasons...

Self-Directed Learning with Blake Boles

Self-Directed Learning with Blake Boles

Self-directed learning is an approach to education that allows students to choose what and how they learn. Similar to unschooling or interest-led learning, it is a powerful method for real learning that is especially helpful for kids who are non-traditional learners...

Fostering Internal Motivation to Learn

Fostering Internal Motivation to Learn

Over my nearly three decades of parenting and educating kids with dyslexia and ADHD I have learned that if we can foster a child's sense of internal motivation, home education is way easier and more enjoyable for everyone. But how do we foster internal motivation?...

Narration: An Introduction to Composition

Narration: An Introduction to Composition

Charlotte Mason, an English educator from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, left an enduring legacy in the field of education with her innovative and holistic approach. One of the key components of her philosophy is narration, a powerful technique for teaching...

A Day in the Life of a Non-Traditional Homeschool

A Day in the Life of a Non-Traditional Homeschool

I’ve been sharing here and there how we are homeschooling our non-traditional 9th grader this year. I've had quite a few questions about what our day looks like so today I'm sharing a typical day in the life of our non-traditional homeschool. Of my 8 kids, 6 have...

How to Choose the Best Dyslexia Options

How to Choose the Best Dyslexia Options

There are so many good resources for teaching kids with dyslexia it can be hard to know what the best dyslexia options are. We're well into the school year now. The honeymoon period with its excitement over new curricula, courses, and co-ops has ended and we are faced...

When to Take a Break From Reading Instruction

When to Take a Break From Reading Instruction

Does your child shut down when it comes to reading? Do they cry or berate themselves or refuse to do their reading lessons? It may be time to take a break from reading instruction. The scenario is not uncommon. For a variety of reasons, children can come to resist...

Four Ways to Troubleshoot Learning Struggles

Four Ways to Troubleshoot Learning Struggles

Using weekly review planning sheets helps me to troubleshoot my kids' learning struggles with confidence. Many of us have spent a lot of time over the summer planning and preparing for the current school year. Maybe you joined one of my coaching groups or you went to...

Adaptive Typing With Dyslexia and Dysgraphia

Adaptive Typing With Dyslexia and Dysgraphia

One of the most common accommodations offered to students with dyslexia and dysgraphia is learning to type. Adaptive typing is a specific method of typing that works well. Because people with language-based learning difficulties have a hard time with the written word,...

A Day in the Life: Homeschooling With Dyslexia

A Day in the Life: Homeschooling With Dyslexia

It has been a while since I shared what a day in the life of our homeschool with dyslexia looks like. For years I have shared these kinds of posts to show how we juggled the needs of a houseful of dyslexic kids. Today, our dynamic looks a lot different. Who We're...

Kids Homeschool Assessment

Kids Homeschool Assessment

You know the old saying "Ain't Mom happy, ain't no one happy"? In my 30 years of parenting, I have come to understand that "Ain't the kids happy, ain't no one happy" is also true. Do this quick Kids Homeschool Assessment to find out how your kids really feel about...

5 Powerful Habits to Improve Learning

5 Powerful Habits to Improve Learning

Cultivating these 5 powerful habits will improve learning for your kids with dyslexia. I’m writing this post during that nebulous time between Christmas and New Years when you’re not sure what day it is or what you’re supposed to be doing. If you’re in this season and...

Do Colored Overlays Help With Dyslexia?

Do Colored Overlays Help With Dyslexia?

Have you wondered if colored lenses or overlays could help your child with dyslexia? The quick answer is no. But keep reading to see if colored overlays might still help your struggling reader. Dyslexia and Vision Problems Research on dyslexia has shown that dyslexia...

8 Things I do Each Day With my Dyslexic Reader

8 Things I do Each Day With my Dyslexic Reader

These are the daily habits that help my dyslexic reader to be more successful. I have been homeschooling kids with dyslexia for over 20 years!  Where did the time go? I am mainly focused these days on my 9 and 12-year-old sons.  One of these guys is moderately...