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100 Best Resources for Kids Who Struggle With Math

May 11, 2017 By Marianne Leave a Comment

Just like with teaching reading to kids with dyslexia, finding the right resources and methods for teaching kids who struggle with math can make a tremendous difference in their learning.

The following 100+ resources are books, websites, games, apps, and curricula that teach math in a variety of multi-sensory ways that will provide effective tools for teaching math.

Some of the links below are affiliate links. I earn a small commission when you purchase through these links. Please know that I never recommend products that my own kids haven’t benefited from. Thank you for your support of Homeschooling With Dyslexia!

Math Resources From Homeschooling With Dyslexia

Teaching Math to Kids With Dyscalculia Parent Class: This is our 8th parent class and covers in depth the causes of dyscalculia, why some kids struggle, what signs you may be seeing, simple strategies and effective activities to do with your kids at home to improve their math sense. Online video and downloadable audio formats with downloadable pdf for notetaking and access to our private Facebook group for class members only. Learn more and purchase here.

Math Posts from Homeschooling With Dyslexia

Understanding Dyscalculia

10 Ways to Help Kids Overcome Math Anxiety

The Link Between Dyslexia and Dyscalculia

Homeschool Math Curriculum for Students With Dyscalculia

How We Teach Homeschool Math

Books About Teaching Math

Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students’ Potential through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching By Jo Boaler and Carol Dweck

Mathematical Mindsets provides practical strategies and activities to help teachers and parents show all children, even those who are convinced that they are bad at math, that they can enjoy and succeed in math. Jo Boaler—Stanford researcher, professor of math education, and expert on math learning—has studied why students don’t like math and often fail in math classes.

Family Math Books: The FAMILY MATH books frequently are used and recommended by teachers to help families rediscover the fun and excitement in making mathematics discoveries together. With an emphasis on four-to-eight-year-old children, activities in the FAMILY MATH for Young Children book use commonly found items and bring family members together in the process of learning from each other.

With over 300 pages of lively activities, the classic FAMILY MATH book represents one of the greatest strides taken to involve parents in the mathematics education of their children. Using easy instructions and simple objects such as beans, blocks, pennies, buttons, and string, parents, and kids solve problems together. For students in grades K-8.

Multiplication and Division Facts for the Whole-to-Part, Visual Learner by Christopher Woodin of the Landmark School

This program utilizes semantic reasoning strengths, and a combination of whole-to-part processing and gross motor-kinesthetic therapies to compensate for deficits in working memory, expressive language mechanisms, and executive function. By establishing a strong conceptual base, students are able to learn, store, and retrieve facts accurately and efficiently apply them to solve problems.

The Everything Kids Math Puzzles Book by Meg, Glenn, and Sean Clemens
Solving math puzzles stimulates thinking in a low-key way. No tests, no lessons, just thinking and solving. Fun for the whole family. BREAK BREAK BREAK

Web Sites About Teaching Math

Dyscalculia.org
Tons of resources and links for learning more about dyscalculia.

Understood.org
Search the Understood website for tons of information on dyscalculia, dyslexia and other learning struggles.

Woodin Math
Chris Woodin is a specialist in the fields of mathematics and learning disabilities. A graduate of Middlebury College and Harvard Graduate School of Education, he has taught extensively at Landmark School, where he holds the Ammerman Chair of Mathematics. This site is full of innovative teaching tips and methods.

Homeschool Math Curricula for Kids With Dyscalculia

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. Read my full review of Teaching Textbooks here.

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. We use Math U See until 3rd grade and switch to Teaching Textbooks.

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.

Shiller Math: A Montessori-based math curriculum that focuses on the multi-sensory learning of basic math concepts.

Resources for Learning Math Facts

Times Tales: Times Tales is a creative, innovative mnemonic-based program that makes it fun and easy to memorize the upper multiplication facts. Times Tales uses cute, simple stories to provide students with a “memory peg”, allowing them to quickly recall otherwise abstract facts.Math It

Math-It: A wonderful, activity-based program to help your kinesthetic learner master the facts! A combination of mental math “tricks” (ie, to add nine to any number, count one back and add “teen”) or shortcuts and hands-on drill.

Skip Counting Songs: Skip counting has saved my older kids when they needed to know (but struggled to remember) their multiplication facts.

YouTube Channels for Teaching Math

Kahn Academy: 1000s of videos on every subject. Also, visit the Kahn Academy website for more math videos.

Jo Boaler’s Number Talks: Stanford professor Jo Boaler demonstrates number talks and how to teach kids to decompose and recompose math problems to increase math sense.

Chris Woodin of Woodin Math: Tons of creative, hands-on math teaching ideas from math expert, Chris Woodin.

Landmark School: Kinesthetic Learning: Chris Woodin is an accomplished teacher in the world of students with language-based learning disabilities. With a Masters in Education from Harvard Graduate School, Chris Woodin has brought innovative kinesthetic learning techniques into the lives of Landmark students. Kinesthetic learning is based on doing rather than observing.

Parent Teacher Education

How to Learn Math is Stanford University’s Jo Boaler’s class on teaching math.

Maths Explained Video tutorials to help with dyscalculia and math difficulties.

Math classes from Triumphant Learning Video course that teaches hands-on activities for learning math facts.

Math Puzzles and Games

Tangrams
Explore shape, size, comparison, spatial reasoning, patterns and designs using these brightly colored plastic geometric puzzles.

Wooden building blocks
Studies show that kids who played with building blocks as young children did better with math throughout their entire school career!

Rubik’s cube

ThinkFun Math Dice Jr: Kid’s First Mental Math Game
Simple rules and chunky, brightly colored dice make this game fun for early math learners.

ThinkFun Math Dice: The Fast Fun Game of Mental Math (for older kids)

Players try to get closest to the target number by creating different equations using addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, even powers.

Sum Swamp

Journey through the swamp by adding and subtracting numbers on the dice.

Money Bags Place Value Game

For ages 7+. Includes plastic coins and paper dollars.

The Allowance Game

Perfect for teaching kids to identify money values, add & subtract money and more. For ages 5-11.

Sequence Numbers

The cards have the equations….the game board has the answers. Each card has an addition or subtraction equation. Match a card to its correct answer on the board, then place your chip there. Groups of numbers are color-coded to help with number recognition.

Math Card Games

All three of these games are easy to learn, fast-paced, and encourage flexible thinking – a foundational skill for success with math.

Blink II Uno II Set

Math Manipulatives

Kids who struggle understanding math concepts benefit tremendously from the hands-on learning provided by using 3-dimensional manipulatives when learning math.

Using manipulatives makes it easier for kids to discuss their math thinking, encourages them to ask questions, enables them to understand concepts, find multiple ways to solve problems, and helps them to demonstrate their new knowledge and skills.

You can use low-tech items such as beans, coins, buttons, and Legos. There are a ton of fun and affordable math manipulatives available along with teaching resources. Here are some of our favorites:

Transparent Color Counter Chips

100 Animal Counters

Two Sided Counters

And Magnetic 2 sided counter ten frames

Pattern Blocks

Pattern block activity packs

Colored Wooden Blocks

Unifix® Cubes

Unifix Cube Pattern Kit

Base Ten Blocks

Math U See base 10 blocks are the best because the different numbers have different colors

Less Expensive Options for Base Ten Blocks

322 Piece Place Value Set

Magnetic Base 10 Set

Fraction Circles

A physical representation of fractions as parts of a circle helps students to recognize equivalences.

Geoboards

Large Geometric Solids

Attribute Blocks

100s Chart

100s Chart with Pockets

Individual sized laminated 100s charts

100s Chart Teaching Activities

30 Things to do with a 100 chart

More 100s Chart Teaching Ideas

Abacus

See this informative post on how to teach math with an abacus.

Cuisenaire rods

Cuisenaire Rod Teacher Resource

Place value mats

Play money

Magnet numbers

Dominoes

Domino Addition Game Book

Mini clocks

Learning Clock

Playing cards

Card Games for Kids (book)

Edible Math Manipulatives

M&M’s

Skittles

Dry cereal

Chocolate bar for fractions

Operation Math (iOS $2.99, Android $1.99) This app turns your students into spies who travel around the world on different missions. Kids can choose which operations they want to practice as they make their way through the app.

Number Frames (free for iOS, Chrome, and other web browsers) The Math Learning Center has lots of great resources for students, including interactive math tools to help students practice skills. With this tool, students explore the relationships between numbers as they represent each operation with virtual manipulatives. This free app gives kids the space to build a foundation that makes math fluency practice most meaningful.

Sushi Monster (iOS free) Scholastic’s app offers children multiplication and addition problems. They have to reach a target number by picking the correct factors and addends listed on different pieces of sushi.

Quick Math – Arithmetic & Times Tables (iOS $1.99) With this app, kids answer traditional skill-and-drill questions—but they don’t have to enter answers using a keypad. Instead, they can write the answer anywhere on the screen of their device, and the app reads their handwriting and records their response.

Number Line (free for iOS, Chrome, and other web browsers) This mobile and web app is perfect for helping students model their thinking as they explore different operations.

Pet Bingo by Duck Duck Moose (iOS $1.99, Android $1.99) In this game, children answer addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division questions and place their answers on a bingo board. The app is full of colorful cartoon characters and offers visual models to help students understand each problem.

Meerkat Math HD (iOS $1.99) This adventure app asks students to complete different races using math facts. In order to make their meerkat avatar run and jump fast enough to be a winner, they have to answer each question quickly and correctly.

10monkeys Multiplication (iOS $1.99, Android free) Kids can practice multiplication facts with this animated app. The goal is to help monkeys trapped in a tree escape by answering a set of questions correctly. This app is broken down into different times tables and includes a reference chart so kids can review facts.

Math Vs Zombies (iOS $4.99, Android free) This silly app asks children to add, subtract, multiply, or divide one- and two-digit numbers. Students need to answer each question correctly in order to zap the zombies back into humans.

YodelOh Math Mountain (iOS $2.99, Android $1.99) A virtual take on a traditional carnival game, this app helps children practice all four operations. They have to work quickly so that the yodeler doesn’t fall from the top of the mountain.

Karis Math Online, highly visual math games that promote math sense.

Duck, Duck, Moose A variety of free, award-winning educational apps

Apps that teach about time:

Activity Timer

Talking Clocks

Tech Finder at understood.org

Chrome Apps and Extensions

Here are six Chrome apps and extensions to check out. (Extensions add functions to the Chrome browser.) They can be used on Chromebooks or on any device with a Chrome browser. The best part? They’re all free.

Simple Chrome Calculator opens in a pop-up window in Chrome. It can do basic arithmetic, but it also has many advanced functions, like exponents, logarithms, and sine, cosine, and tangent. It requires kids to use a mouse or trackpad to click on buttons—they can’t type in math problems. If your child prefers to type in math problems rather than click, she may want to try the official Chrome calculator tool.

Cloudy Calculator also opens in a pop-up window. It’s a flexible tool that kids can use for many different math problems. If they type in words (“five times five”) the answer will be in numeral form. Kids can create their own variables and even get basic facts like the population of a city.

Search engines like Google can also do these things. But this tool gives simple one-line answers that are stored in the tool’s history. This way kids can access them for further calculations. Kids can also enlarge text and change fonts. To learn how to get the most out of this tool, kids should review available commands by clicking “Help.”

gMath is an add-on for Google Docs, the word processor for Chrome. With gMath, kids can type out or dictate math problems or equations. They can also insert graphs and statistical charts, and create drawings. These tools can be useful for kids who need to show their work. Kids can also print out or save their Google Doc, along with the math work they’ve done.

Graspable Math opens in a sidebar window in Chrome. It lets kids manipulate math equations. Kids can pull equations from websites, or type in their own. Then with special click commands, they can move, combine and separate the numbers and variables. (This can be especially helpful for kids who struggle with handwriting.)

The tool can also do basic math like adding and subtracting. That includes math problems with fractions. It can also be used with equations that have powers and exponents. Each command has an accompanying video on the Graspable Math website that shows how it’s used.

The Math Learning Center has 10 stand-alone Chrome apps for math manipulatives. These are virtual objects like number lines and blocks that kids can manipulate to understand math concepts.

Each of these apps opens in a separate Chrome window. The apps include fractions, money pieces, number lines and more.

Wolfram Alpha is a powerful computation engine. Kids can type in math problems, definitions, and equations. The tool will do the computation and give detailed answers in a new tab. For example, if kids type “calculate the area of a circle,” the tool will bring up a formula where they can input the radius and get an answer. The Pro version will show a step-by-step solution for the problem.

Search engines like Google can also compute answers and give formulas. But this tool does it without giving all the search results, which can be distracting.

Price: Free (Pro version for students is $4.95/month)

Assistive Technology

FX MathPack (includes FX Draw, FX Equation, FX Graph and FX Stat): $65 (Mac or Windows)

Includes: math notation, graphing tool, and drawing tool

With the math notation:

FX Equation lets kids write out equations very quickly. Kids can type in the equation using their keyboards. They can also easily insert the equations they create into Word, PowerPoint, and other programs.

With the graphing tool:

Kids can type out an equation and plot it or draw various lines and curves directly on virtual graph paper. They can then print out the results.

Kids can also view the plot in 3D, add math notations, shading and notes to different sections.

(You can also buy the individual programs separately.)

Geogebra: Free (Mac or Windows)

Calculator, graphing tool, drawing tool, equation solving tool

With the graphing tool:

Kids can plot the path of equations. There are many options for viewing and annotating the plotted graphs.

With the drawing tool:

Kids can draw lines, points, shapes and other features. When they do, the program gives the corresponding equation.

With the equation-solving tool:

The program has a simple equation solver. By clicking on an equation, kids can solve for one or more variables.

Kidspiration: $39.95 (Mac or Windows)

Virtual manipulatives, graphic organizers

With the virtual manipulatives:

Aimed at grade-schoolers, this program has several sets of virtual objects. These include fraction tiles, base ten blocks and more. After kids use the objects, they can save their work as image files.

With the graphic organizers:

The program has a “Step Workspace” that lets kids show and explain their steps as they do math problems. Kids can add as many steps as they need.

MathTalk: $295 (Windows)

Math notation and dictation

With the dictation:

Kids can dictate math symbols and equations. They can use their voice to type out everything from pre-algebra to high-level calculus.

MathTalk requires that a computer has Dragon (formerly Dragon NaturallySpeaking) installed, as well as the program Scientific Notebook (which is included with the software).

MathType: $57 for students (Mac or Windows)

Math notation program. By typing out or clicking on commands, kids can generate complex math equations using thousands of symbols.

MathType can handle advanced math like derivatives, statistics, and matrices. Once kids type out their answers, they can print or save and email their work.

Matti Math: $29.95 (Mac or Windows) (The tools in this software are also available for free online at the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives.)

Kids have access to dozens of virtual objects like number lines, pie charts, algebra balance scales and more to help them understand math concepts.

Assistive Technology Finder

Visit this Assistive Technology Finder on the amazing Understood website.

Graph paper – with larger boxes

Graphic organizers to help with math – free printable from Understood.org.

Online Math Resources

Basic Math Resources

AAA Math has numerous interactive arithmetic lessons. Topics covered include addition, counting, comparing, decimals, equations, estimations, graphs, fraction, multiplication, and more. You can also sort topics by grade level, starting in kindergarten and ending with eighth grade.

Aplus Math caters to grades K-12 so you will find a wide variety of math topics here. The site has flashcards, games, homework help, and practice worksheets.

Math Reference Tables covers general math, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and above. Its general section includes number notation, addition, multiplication, fractions, and units and measurement. This site can also be translated into Spanish!

Elementary Mathematics is organized by grade level (K-5). Each grade has different math activities specifically targeted to that age group. Grade 1, for instance, includes information on addition, subtraction, estimating sums, fractions, and much more. Grade 5, on the other hand, has info on measurements, graphs, angles, and dispersion.

KidZone Math offers helpful math resources in fun, kid-appropriate formats. A range of free, printable worksheets is available, organized by grade level, activity type, and theme, allowing kids to find a worksheet that suits them best. In addition, this site provides timed quizzes on addition, subtraction, and multiplication.

Math Arcade has a plethora of games for kids kindergarten to eighth grade to practice their math skills. The site includes addition, subtraction, fractions, division, and much more.

Math is Fun! as evident from its name, attempts to present math to kids as an enjoyable, interactive subject. Simple explanations are supplemented by practice problems in the following topics: numbers, algebra, geometry, data (mean, median, mode, surveys, tables), and measurements. Also included are puzzles and quizzes, as well as an elaborately illustrated dictionary of basic math terms.

Multiplication.com focuses, as one may expect, exclusively on multiplication. The site features games, self-correcting timed quizzes, resources, and instructional videos. This is a great site for any child struggling with multiplication tables.

Educational Math Games Online

Cool Math Games tests younger kids’ math abilities in a variety of challenging ways. Find games that will strengthen different skills useful in math, such as numbers, strategy, logic, and memory.

Funbrain is a fun resource for kids, kindergarten through eighth grade. At funbrain, you can challenge your math knowledge playing enjoyable games like math baseball or by visiting the math arcade.

Math Games for Kids tests basic knowledge of math in skills like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The games are organized by subject so you can really strengthen a child’s weak area.

Math Playground allows you to explore many levels of math in many fun ways. Try practicing your Cartesian coordinates by saving the Zogs or guiding the gecko through a vast land of fractions.

Online Math Learning allows for kids to test different math skills in ways that will make them feel like they’re playing video games rather than being forced to learn. This resource is conveniently organized by subject, and has games for preschool kids all the way up to high school kids.

Online Algebra Resources

Algebasics has video tutorials explaining the basics of algebra, equations, ratio and proportion, absolute value, polynomials, factoring, linear equations, radicals, applications, and much more.

Algebra-Class.com offers help with solving equations, graphing equations, writing equations, inequalities, functions, exponents and monomials, polynomials, and the quadratic equation. It also has a list of resources.

Algebra.help contains lessons on topics that include equations, simplifying, factoring, distribution, and trinomials, as well as equation calculators and worksheets. This site also has an extensive list of math resources and study tips.

Algebra Help covers topics such as fractions, percents, decimals, algebraic expressions, addition, multiplication, and word problems. Each section includes explanations and examples.

College-Cram.com allows students to choose the algebra subject they are struggling with from a drop-down menu, select the appropriate chapter, and pick your resources. The pages will feature formula solvers, bottomless worksheets, flashcards, quizzes, interactive overviews, and brief lessons and study sheets.

Interactive Mathematics has a large section on algebra, including information on factoring and fractions, the quadratic equation, exponents and radicals, systems of equations, matrices, and determinants, and inequalities.

Math Expression has videos, worksheets, and lessons to help you develop your algebra skills. Math topics include algebra, exponents, symmetry, fractions, measurements, angles, and more. The site also includes a list of useful resources.

Online Geometry Resources

AAA Math: Geometry: This site includes basic geometry facts and calculations, as well as instructions for calculating the area, perimeter, circumference, surface area, and volume of various shapes.

Class Zone: Class Zone is a fantastic site for any geometry student. It covers proofs, basics of geometry, quadrilaterals, transformations, circles, surface area and volume, and much more.

Discovering Geometry: Discovering Geometry has explanations, condensed lessons, practice sections, a guide specifically for parents, and student Web links.

EdHelper.com: Looking for free, printable geometry worksheets – with optional answer keys – for both middle school- and high school-level geometry? This site is the place for you!

Elementary Geometry Resources: Elementary Resources splits up their resources by grade level from grades 1-5. Lessons vary drastically by age level, but all are easy to understand and should help any struggling geometry student.

Learning Math: Geometry: The geometry of Learning Math has information for students and teachers K-8. Video tutorials cover topics such as triangles, polygons, geometry basics, dissections and proofs, and the Pythagorean theorem.

Math League: The geometry section of this website is perfect for anyone desiring straightforward explanations for concepts under the following categories: basic terms, angles, figures and polygons, area and perimeter, coordinates and similar figures, and space figures and basic solids.

SparkNotes: Contains everything you need to know about geometry proofs: terms, the structure of proofs, sample problems, and more.

Online Trigonometry Resources

Dave’s Short Trig Course: Easy to navigate, this site has a table of contents containing sixteen different topics, including applications of trigonometry, angle measurement, chords, sines, cosines, tangents and slope, right triangles, trigonometric functions, and the area of a triangle. All sections contain in-depth explanations as well as graphs and diagrams.

S.O.S. Mathematics: Trigonometry: This site is equipped with detailed explanations and examples of angle measures, trigonometric functions, and trigonometric equations. In addition, there is an entire section devoted to solving equations, with sample problems and solutions. A table of trigonometric identities is also available as a helpful reference.

Trigonometry Help is a comprehensive resource for students of trigonometry, complete with detailed descriptions of basic terms (including types of angles, laws, and formulas), lists of trigonometry identities, tips for picking a tutor, and even a brief history of the subject.OnlPre-Calculus Resources

CliffNotes: Pre-calculus contains detailed explanations of the following topics: relations vs. functions, combining and composing functions, inverse functions, factoring polynomials, quadratic equations, exponential functions, and logarithmic functions.

Graphing Calculator Help part of Prentiss Hall’s website, allows you to select your brand or model of calculator, and then offers instructions on how to perform many different operations on that specific calculator.

Texas Instruments: Equipped with tutorials on graphing calculators, explanations and practice problems on a range of concepts, test preparation advice, and more, this site is sure to be an invaluable tool for any student of pre-calculus – or, indeed, any level of math.

Tulyn: Math For All is designed to aid the pre-calculus student through video tutorials, worksheets, and word problems. This site also contains discussions, allowing students to both ask and respond to questions.

Online Calculus Resources

Calculus Help presents explanations for topics ranging from the chain rule to integration by parts.

Calculus-Help.com contains tutorials with audio clips on limits, continuity, and derivatives. This site also offers sample problems and other calculus tips.

The Calculus Page offers problems with step-by-step solutions, as well as information on derivatives, exponents, and logarithms and a glossary of terms.

S.O.S. Mathematics: Calculus provides detailed descriptions for the following topics: sequences, series, limit and continuity, differentiation, integration, techniques of integration, local behavior of functions, Power Series, and Fourier Series. Numerous examples and sample problems are included.

Visual Calculus: This site contains explanations, tutorials, and animations covering the following topics: limits and continuity, derivatives, applications of differentiation, integration, applications of integration, and sequences and series.

How about you? What are your favorite math resources?

10 Ways to Help Kids Overcome Math Anxiety

May 5, 2017 By Marianne 4 Comments

For kids who struggle with math – the ones who have trouble with math no matter what they try – it is not uncommon to feel anxiety when even simply thinking about math. As the mom of a handful of kids who struggle with math, sometimes called dyscalculia, I have had a ton of practice helping them not only to figure out how to solve math problems but to overcome their unnecessary worrying about math. Whether your child is six or 16, these 10 tips will help them to build their confidence and ability in math class.

10 Ways to Help Kids With Math Anxiety

Normalize their challenges. I often laughingly refer to myself as my kids’ life coach. How encouraging is it to a struggling learner to hear that many students have a hard time with math. Research shows that up to 50% of students nationwide are experiencing some degree of math difficulty. Remind kids that “All kids can learn math, we just need to figure out how you learn best.”

Read this post on learning styles for more information on the different ways kids learn.

Play math games. Playing games calms kids who are naturally math anxious and allow them to practice skills in a non-threatening environment. Games also tend to be more engaging than your typical math curriculum and engage multiple senses which speeds learning.

Encourage questions. When your child comes to you exasperated with a math problem or assignment, resist the temptation to tell them what to do, rather ask a question. What do you think you should do? Why? Is there another way to solve this problem? What is the problem asking? Don’t be too quick to help them out. Once they realize that they can figure out how to solve math problems by thinking them through, their confidence will grow.

Remember the concept of a growth mindset. Research has shown that when parents or teachers praise a child’s level of effort rather than their level of success or correctness kids respond by developing a growth mindset – or the belief that they can learn and that they are not limited by a set amount of intelligence.

Slow down. Research has shown that timed tests in the early years were a major turning point for many students who needed more time or needed to understand what they were learning as opposed to simple rote learning. Stanford professor, Dr. Jo Baker, talks about the importance of teaching math strategies over math speeds.

Remediate but allow accommodations. While our kids are school aged, particularly in the elementary years, it is wise to continue to remediate areas of weakness that we observe in our kids. We practice math facts just as we may have our kids with dyslexia practice reading fluency or learning sight words for reading. As time goes on, when appropriate, we introduce assistive technology and other accommodations that help our kids to compensate for their areas of weakness.

Educate yourself so you can educate your child!

Take a class. Teaching Math to Kids With Dyscalculia is a one-hour, online, parent class full of the latest research and tons of effective teaching tips for kids who struggle with math.

Make Reading Practice Fun: Nessy Reading and Spelling Review

April 28, 2017 By Marianne 17 Comments

I was compensated for this review. All opinions are my own and as you know, I never promote anything that my own struggling readers haven’t truly benefited from. This post also contains affiliate links.

This website exists to educate parents on the best methods and resources for teaching their struggling learners to learn. The reality is though that we can be the best teachers and use the best curriculum but learning for our kids is still hard. And honestly, who does enjoy doing what is hard? Not me!

This is why I was so excited when my two sons with dyslexia (ages 6 and 9) tried and loved the Nessy Reading and Spelling online reading program.

Why Nessy Reading and Spelling Works With Kids With Dyslexia

There are hundreds of online programs for teaching reading. What sets Nessy Reading and Spelling apart from other programs is their approach to teaching reading.

Unlike most online reading programs, Nessy Reading & Spelling is Orton-Gillingham-based. The Orton-Gillingham (O-G) approach to teaching reading is one of the only approaches that has been proven to be effective with dyslexic kids. For more information on the O-G approach, read this.

Why my Kids Love Nessy Reading and Spelling

Kids begin their adventure in learning by taking a short placement test in spelling and reading called the Nessy Challenge. This helps parents to know where to start the program.

Visit the islands of Nessy, play games, and win nuggets

Next, kids visit the islands of Nessy, watching short, simple, animated videos to teach phonetic concepts. The videos are engaging and a little silly which helps my little guys remember.

The strategy videos are followed by fun games that practice the concept for both reading and spelling.

Nessy Reading & Spelling Banana Wheels Game

Hands Off My Bananas Game – Nessy Reading and Spelling

Sorting game – Sir Minky – Nessy Reading and Spelling

There is enough variety in the games that kids don’t get bored, but not so many different games that they become overwhelmed. Kids collect golden nuggets for playing which adds another layer of motivation. Also, games only review one concept at a time which provides some laser-focused learning time that my kids need.

Why Moms Will Love Nessy Reading and Spelling

Printable worksheets. While I’m not usually a fan of worksheets for my kids with dyslexia, one thing that I appreciated about the program as a homeschool mom was the amazing free, full-color, printable worksheets and card games that coincide with every concept taught. These have been fantastic for review between the kids’ sessions on the computer. I slipped the worksheets in plastic page protectors and my sons use dry-erase pens to complete them.

Nessy Reading and Spelling has over 1,000 free worksheets

Kids are really learning. Another reason that parents will love Nessy Reading and Spelling, is that their kids are really learning.

Kids with dyslexia need a LOT of practice with reading and spelling to become fluent. With Nessy Reading and Spelling, my kids are having so much fun they don’t realize how hard they are working. This is a win-win.

One thing to note is that while Nessy Reading and Spelling can be used to teach any kind of learner to read, dyslexic or not, it may not be suitable for a stand-alone reading curriculum for kids with dyslexia.

My 9-year old is on the more profound side of dyslexia. He uses Nessy Reading & Spelling purely for review and fun. My 6-year old is more mildly dyslexic and seems better able to keep up with the pace of the program. If he starts to move too quickly and forgets the concepts he’s learned, I print off some worksheets and card games for review before he practices on the computer again.

Affordable. At $12/month, Nessy Reading and Spelling is well worth every penny. They are even offering a 15% discount off your first month for Homeschooling With Dyslexia readers with discount code – BLOG17. The best deal is to purchase a yearly subscription at 15% off which reduces the monthly price to about $7.00/month! Or purchase the complete Parent Pack which includes the following 5 Nessy products for 15% off.

About Nessy Learning

The people at Nessy Learning created Nessy Reading & Spelling to help children who learn differently. They know what works and have a sincere desire to help kids and educate parents. Download a free copy of the Nessy Dyslexia Explained e-book.

Follow Nessy Learning on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube for more educational information and encouragement on your dyslexia journey!

With summer right around the corner, Nessy Reading & Spelling would make an excellent resource for summer reading review that is not only effective but fun!

Teaching the Profoundly Dyslexic Child

April 21, 2017 By Marianne 2 Comments

If you prefer to listen to this post, click on the player below.

Every child with dyslexia is unique. There is no one profile of strengths and weaknesses that typifies every person with dyslexia. There are signs of dyslexia that can be known, but not every person will have all the signs or struggle with the same things. One of the reasons for this is that there are a variety of underlying weaknesses that affect dyslexia.

Almost every person with dyslexia will have weaknesses from one degree to another in the following areas:

visual processing
auditory processing
working memory
executive function

Intelligence also plays a role. It can be difficult to detect dyslexia in dyslexic people with higher than average intelligence because they often figure out compensation strategies that can mask dyslexic weaknesses. The degree of dyslexia a person has will be affected by their relative strengths in each of these areas and result in either mild, moderate, or profound dyslexia.

Mild Dyslexia

Having seven kids (and one husband) with dyslexia, I’ve just about seen it all. My mildly dyslexic kids learned to read independently, despite my early years of bumbling through programs that didn’t work, at about 9 or 10 years of age. The more they read, the better they spelled, and today as teenagers and adults you cannot tell that they are dyslexic except for the occasional incorrect homonym spelling (too, to, there, their, your, you’re).

Moderate Dyslexia

My moderately dyslexic kids learned to read independently (without intervention with an OG reading program) when they were older – between 11 and 12 years old. They seemed to have more coexisting learning issues, like dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and attention issues (executive function weaknesses).

They can read, but they don’t enjoy it much and prefer to listen to books and podcasts and watch YouTube videos to learn. Their spelling, even as adults, still has errors although they are all becoming masters of assistive technology helps such as speech-to-text apps and phonetic spell checkers.

For a list of the best assistive technology for people with dyslexia, visit our Resources Page.

Profound or Severe Dyslexia

I have two kids who are profoundly dyslexic. They have a lot more confusion about just about everything. One of my kids simply could not remember how old he was even at 9 years old with much prompting!

They definitely had more co-existing learning issues but their weak executive functioning skills were by far the most debilitating of their issues. Executive functions help us to plan, organize and prioritize our thoughts. This disorganized thinking, in addition to dyslexia, makes learning that much harder.

How to Test for Different Degrees of Dyslexia

There is no clear set of criteria for determining an individual’s degree of dyslexia. It can be predicted by how far certain test scores are away from each other, or standard deviations. Every case is relative and will depend on how the diagnostician determines it. We were not told a level with our profoundly dyslexic son. Yes, his test scores had some extreme numbers, but it was the long-term struggle he had learning to read even with the right kind of dyslexia instruction that led to him being labeled as profoundly dyslexic.

Dyslexic kids will grow up to be dyslexic adults, but with help, they can increase cognitive functions and can move out of the mild, moderate, or profound levels which is why many diagnosticians don’t classify.

How to Teach Profoundly Dyslexic Kids

The number one warning sign of a profoundly dyslexic child is their painfully slow progress, even with solid, professional dyslexia tutoring. By the time our first profoundly dyslexic child was school-aged, we knew a lot more about dyslexia.

We knew that he was dyslexic, but when he wasn’t learning well at home, we found a local certified dyslexia tutor. Progress was slow so we upped his sessions to 3 times a week. He even went to the tutor all summer with little improvement.

After three years, he still couldn’t pick up a book and read. He was almost 12 years old.

We switched to a program in our area that incorporated more working memory exercises, visual and auditory memory exercises and crossing the midline activities. His reading took off that year!

That awesome multi-sensory, Orton-Gillingham program is called NILD. Visit the NILD website to learn more or to find a tutor in your area.

Besides finding a qualified educational therapist to teach, these are other support strategies for teaching the profoundly dyslexic student:

Scaffolding: Scaffolding providing additional support for kids while teaching. It could mean breaking up the learning into chunks and then providing individualized instruction with each chunk. When scaffolding reading, for example, you might preview the text with your child, discuss key vocabulary, or chunk the text and read and discuss as you go.

Teach them strategies: One hallmark strategy across all subjects for kids with profound dyslexia is to explicitly teach them strategies for completing their work. Examples of useful strategies are: mind-mapping for organizing their thoughts, lists of procedures and ‘cheat sheets’ for math, acronyms for remembering facts, and so on.

For more information on teaching strategies and providing scaffolding for dyslexic learners, check out my Parent Course: Teaching Organization with tons of tips for teaching organization to kids with executive function weaknesses.

Accommodations: Maybe your child your child is not able to read their assignment at all. In this case an appropriate accommodation would be to give them an entirely different piece of text to read, read it to your child, or allow the use of an audio version, and you may modify the writing assignment that follows. For more on the best accommodations for dyslexia, read this.

Assistive technology: Since kids who are profoundly dyslexic will be reading below their grade level longer, introducing assistive technology as soon as needed is super helpful. Speech-to-text apps record their words so they can express their true thoughts on a subject without worrying about spelling. Text-to-speech apps can read text online or e-books out loud to them. Phonetic spell checkers can actually decipher their attempts to spell and help them find the correct word.

For lists of the best assistive technology for people with dyslexia, see our Resources Page.

Some Encouragement for Parents of Profoundly Dyslexic Kids

Yes, these kids need a lot of support!

It is important to remember that dyslexia and its accompanying learning struggles make school endeavors difficult. That is why it is called a learning disability my many.

In my experience, dyslexia is a learning difference. Our friends and family that have so much trouble in school often take off once they leave school. The reason for this is that their strengths often lie in non-academic areas. That is not to say that they lack intelligence. It is to say that we are all created for unique purpose with a unique set of strengths that equip us to achieve that purpose.

For more information on the strengths unique to people with dyslexia, read this post on Dyslexic Strengths.

Do you have a child with profound dyslexia? How do you help them?

How to Successfully Deschool Your Child With Dyslexia

April 14, 2017 By Marianne Leave a Comment

If you are just beginning to homeschool a dyslexic child who has been in a public or private school for some time, you may be interested in knowing how to successfully deschool your child.

What do I mean by ‘deschool’?

Deschooling is stepping away from academics for a period of time in order to decompress from the pressure and stress of your child’s school experience. This time is used to restore an interest in learning and create new habits of how to learn.

Taking a break from formal academics, even for a short time, can fly in the face of reason since many parents pull their kids from traditional school settings because their kids are ‘behind’ academically.

Why Deschooling Helps

The pressure on kids with learning struggles to keep up with their peers can take a significant toll on a child’s confidence and desire to learn.

Here’s why I recommend taking a period of time to deschool your dyslexic child:

Calms anxiety: Kids with dyslexia and other learning differences often battle anxiety whether they’re homeschooled or in a public or private school. Anxiety can significantly impact a child’s ability to learn. Taking the pressure off for a time can help kids feel less anxious and more in control of the direction their education is headed.

Boosts confidence: Being measured against peers that don’t have learning differences day after day can cause kids with dyslexia to lose confidence. Believing that you aren’t intelligence is one of the most devastating myths about dyslexia that are hurting our kids today. Taking a break from formal academics to spend time on interests and relationships takes the focus off of your child’s areas of weakness and onto areas of strength.

Increases interest in learning: Most kids with unremediated learning differences in the public or private school have developed a closed mindset with regards to their ability to learn. Continual failure to meet teachers’ expectations leaves many kids believing that, not only are they not smart, but that they cannot learn. When kids take time away from formal academics to focus on their interests for a time, they experience real life learning and interest increases.

Allows time to focus on the parent-child relationship: Studies of successful dyslexics revealed that the one thing that had the biggest impact on their success was the presence of one caring adult. Taking time to show your child that you are on their side and that you want what is best for them will help them to relax and trust you on your new homeschooling journey!

How to Deschool Your Child With Dyslexia

Talk to your child. Let your child know that you are taking some time away from formal studies to heal and enjoy life together. Encourage them to discuss things that they liked and disliked about school.

Take a break from formal academics. While this may seem counterintuitive for a child who was ‘behind’ in school, trust the process. Taking a break to restore a child’s interest in learning will help them to learn more effectively once you get back to the books.

Go exploring. Begin to nurture your child’s interests by getting out of the house and taking trips to places of interest such as zoos, museums, national parks – anywhere that is of interest. Allow your child to choose where to go. There is a lot of freedom in homeschooling. Take some time to enjoy your freedom to create your own schedule! Notice how much learning actually takes place on outings like these.

Get connected. Find a local homeschool group and more importantly, find a dyslexia support group where you can ask questions and get encouragement when needed.

Read out loud. The benefits to reading out loud to kids are many, but for the dyslexic child, it is even more powerful. Without the pressure to do the reading themselves, their enjoyment of reading and of a good story are increased – not to mention the increase in vocabulary and understanding of more complex grammatical structures.

Do life together. Cook, garden, clean out their rooms, visit family and friends. Kids who are used to being around other people all day can feel lonely or isolated when first leaving school. Spending time with friends and family can help with this. Filling our kids’ days with meaningful interactions can help them feel productive and begin to tap into a new rhythm of life.

Deschooling for Parents

As important as it is for kids to have some time to deschool, parents benefit from some time to deschool as well. Most parents only know school in the traditional setting. Creating a ‘school-at-home’ is a common choice among new homeschoolers. I strongly encourage you to take some time to learn about different homeschool methods, learning styles and curriculum choices before getting started.

Get my Free Ebook

I created a free 50-page ebook, Homeschooling With Dyslexia 101: What You Need to Know About Homeschooling Your Kids With Dyslexia that walks parents through these topics and much more. Download it for free below:

3 Kinds of Dyslexia Support Groups and Why You Need Them

March 23, 2017 By Marianne 2 Comments

One of the things that helped me along the path of teaching, understanding, and nurturing my kids with dyslexia was finding a dyslexia support group. Have you ever felt alone or like no one else understood what you were experiencing? I know I have and it is a terribly lonely place to be.

If you prefer to listen to this post, click the player below.

Why You Need Support on Your Dyslexia Journey

Growing up, I never even knew that there was such a thing as dyslexia. I never struggled much in school and wasn’t aware that about 20% of my classmates had trouble with reading, writing, and spelling despite being fun-loving and perfectly intelligent.

So when our first born (and 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th and 8th) struggled to learn to read I was at a complete loss as to what to do or how to help them. In fact, without realizing it, I believed most of the myths about dyslexia.

I’ll never forget the day I met two other moms with kids my son’s age whose kids were also dealing with dyslexia. We learned so much from each other – things like how our kids were awesome despite their reading issues, what curricula were working and which weren’t, and how to find a tester and tutor in our area. Most importantly, I didn’t feel alone anymore. These ladies became trusted friends that I could call on when things got tough or if I had a question or concern. Let’s look at how you can find the support of like-minded families on the same journey as you.

Types of Dyslexia Support Groups

There are essentially 3 kinds of support groups that I have been involved with:

Local support groups: You can find local support groups on your local International Dyslexia Association website (not the main IDA website). You can find the local branch of the IDA closest to you here. These groups meet either monthly or quarterly and choose topics of interest to their attendees. The downside of these groups is that most, if not all, attendees are not homeschoolers and you may have to travel some distance to find a group near you.

Start your own support group. Our homeschool group has a meeting once a month with speakers and activities for families with kids with all kinds of learning challenges. I like this option because the members are truly local and can be a wealth of information on local services, tutors, and programs that work. These are the moms that you can call on the phone and meet for coffee or at the park when you need an ear.

Online support groups: Online support groups are a terrific way to get connected with other families with kids with dyslexia. They are missing the local aspect of the first two groups, but the benefit of these groups is that you have the experience of wide range of members with a variety of experiences. You can ask the most random of questions and someone will be able to relate. There are a few groups that I frequent.

Best Online Dyslexia Support Groups

Homeschooling With Dyslexia Facebook Page: This is my page so I am a bit biased. 😉 Everyday, this page shares articles on dyslexia research, teaching methods, inspiration and posts from the HomeschoolingWithDyslexia.com website. Reader questions are posted once or twice a day for feedback from the community.

Homeschooling Dyslexic Kids Facebook Page: This is a very responsive and active community. Readers questions post directly to the wall and members are quick to respond. This is a very supportive and knowledgeable group.

Dyslexia Support for Parents of Dyslexic Kids Facebook Page: A large group with lots of activity and interactions. Not specifically for homeschooling, but full of lots of great information.

Not the Former Things Facebook Page: A super encouraging page with an emphasis on dyslexia, autism, sensory processing issues, chronic illness, complicated diagnoses, and the daily struggles and joys of homeschooling outside the box kids.

You don’t need to travel this path alone – nor should you!

Where have you found support on your dyslexia journey?

Grading Rubrics for Homeschoolers + Free Rubric Template Download

March 7, 2017 By Marianne 1 Comment

I received an email recently from a reader asking for tips on how to assign a grade to her dyslexic high school student who was not working up to ‘grade level’. He was working hard, but the end product was far from that of a traditional 16-year old. This is a common dilemma for homeschoolers. What this homeschooling mom needed was a grading tool that could be individualized for her unique student.

Creating your own unique grading rubric is a great solution to the ‘how to assign a grade’ dilemma.

If you would prefer to listen to this post, click on the player below.

What are Grading Rubrics?

Rubrics are not only a systematic way to establish grades for your homeschool student, they also are a great way to let students know exactly what is expected of them. They are a powerful tool for creating customized learning goals for students, especially those who are not up to grade level due to dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, or other learning difficulties. Take a look at the Writing Rubric below for an example of how a rubric works.

Writing Rubric Example

Example rubric from www.alamoinstructure.com

How Grading Rubrics Work

A rubric is a scoring tool that lists the grading criteria for an assignment. These criteria are broken down into specific categories relevant to the assignment.

In the writing rubric example above, along the left-hand column, the assignment criteria are:

Thesis
Organization
Supporting evidence
Mechanics
Content

Along the top of the rubric, there are also ratings, including points earned, for several levels of competency for each of the criteria:

Excellent
Adequate
Needs improvement
Developing
No mark – criterion not attempted or completed

In the rubric example above, these ratings include a point score for each level which I really like. Points can be tallied and a grade given based on whatever scale you choose for your homeschool. For example: 90-100% = A, 80-89% = B, 70-79% = C, etc. Assigning a point value to each rating helps a student and parent to know exactly how to grade each aspect of the assignment.

How to Make Your Own Grading Rubric

Make a list of what you want the students to accomplish through the assignment (criteria).
Organize your list from most important to least important.
Decide on an overall point value for the assignment.
Assign each item on your ranked list a point value.
Multiply your total point value from step 3 by each item’s assigned percentage to arrive at the point value for that item.
On a fresh sheet of paper, write each criterion on your list in order from most to least important. Make sure to leave room in between each category.
Assign specific grading criteria (i.e. what you expect them to do) for each main criteria from step six.

You can simply write your grading rubric on paper or type it if you’re proficient with a spreadsheet program. If you’re like me and spreadsheet programs make you break out in a cold sweat, you’re in luck. There are a variety of rubric makers that are available online.

RubiStar

Teachnology

iRubric

There are also some sites with free downloadable rubrics. These can also be used for ideas on how to create your own customized rubric.

Teacher Planet

Universtiy of Wisconsin

More Rubrics from Teacher Planet

Customizing Rubrics for Kids With Dyslexia

Back to the question from my reader with the high school-aged son who was ‘behind’ in his writing skills.

Note: I’m not a fan of the term behind. All of our kids are on a journey of learning and as long as they are making progress, I’m happy.

So if your child needs to make progress with writing a thesis statement, you can weight this criterion more heavily with your rubric. If your child still struggles with grammar, give that less of a percentage of the total grade. Or be super specific and focus on just one area of grammar such as capitalization and end marks or any other relevant goal that you may have.

A Note About Accommodations

The use of accommodations should not affect a student’s grade. Go ahead and allow any and all accommodations for your child. Accommodations for writing are things like using speech to text, not counting off for spelling, or having someone scribe for him. For more information on the best accommodations for kids with dyslexia, click here. Remember accommodations are used to allow students with learning difficulties to express themselves at their intellectual level. Students with dyslexia in public school are not marked off for the use of accommodations and neither should your homeschooled student.

Get Your Grading Rubric

Download our free customizable grading rubric here!

How about you? How have you assigned grades to your homeschooled students?

8 Things You Need to Know After a Dyslexia Diagnosis

November 28, 2016 By Marianne 1 Comment

I’ve been homeschooling and parenting kids with dyslexia for a long time – over 20 years! I still clearly remember how it felt to finally receive a dyslexia diagnosis after years of struggles and frustration teaching our oldest to read. Eight kids later (7 of whom are dyslexic), I am confidently teaching my kids with dyslexia and have become a certified Orton-Gillingham dyslexia tutor.

If I could go back in time to when our oldest was diagnosed with dyslexia all those years ago, I would wrap my arms around myself, give myself a big hug and say:

8 Things You Need to Know After Your Child is Diagnosed With Dyslexia

Aren’t you glad you know why your son was struggling so? Having a dyslexia diagnosis, whether an official or unofficial one, is such a relief! Now you know that it wasn’t your poor teaching or poor parenting that was the cause of all the struggles you’ve been having. Dyslexia is the most researched learning issues around and there are many, quality resources available to help you understand and help your dyslexic child. See our Resources Page for lists of reliable dyslexia products, services, books, and websites.

Your child will learn to read! Even though it may seem some days like he never will. ((another hug here)) Dyslexia does not need to be a mystery. Research has confirmed, not only what dyslexia is, but how to teach the people who are dyslexic. For more information, read how to teach your child with dyslexia to read.

Dyslexia is not an illness that needs to be cured or a disability that needs to be treated. Dyslexia is a genetic difference in brain wiring that results in a different way of processing the written word. Some would go so far as to say that it is not a learning disability, but a teaching disability. It is not a sign of weaker intelligence. It is a different kind of intelligence. Learn more about the strengths of dyslexia.

Your child is smart and you’re not a bad parent. These are just two of many other ridiculous and harmful myths about dyslexia. Start by reading this list of myths about dyslexia and consider taking one of our parent classes to get up to speed on what dyslexia really is, and isn’t.

You can teach your child with dyslexia to read. Pick one of these research-based reading programs that have been proven to work with students with dyslexia. I wish I had known more about these programs when my kids were younger. I would have saved a lot of time, tears, and money!

You don’t need to be afraid to homeschool him. Experts actually agree that the traditional school setting does not allow for the individualized teaching that students with dyslexia (and dyscalculia and dysgraphia) need. Download my free ebook, Homeschooling With Dyslexia 101: What You Need to Know About Homeschooling Your Kids With Dyslexia.

Don’t be overwhelmed by all of the products and programs that claim to ‘cure’ dyslexia. First of all, dyslexia cannot be cured because it isn’t an illness. If a company claims to be able to cure your child of their dyslexia, they don’t know the research on dyslexia. Resources Page for lists of reliable dyslexia products, services, books, and websites.

Success Despite the Dyslexia Diagnosis

Researchers asked successful adult dyslexics what things they attributed to their success. The number one factor was the presence of one caring adult who believed in them and took the time to learn about dyslexia and advocate for them.

If you’re new to the world of dyslexia, we are here to support you. I created a series of Parent Dyslexia Classes designed to teach parents and teachers what I have learned over the past 20+ years of teaching my own dyslexic kids.

My Gift to You

Visit our Parent Dyslexia Class page and enter discount code NEWBIE on checkout to receive $10 off your first class.

Our Experience With Classical Conversations Challenge A With Dyslexia

November 23, 2016 By Marianne 11 Comments

Can a 7th grader with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and ADHD succeed in Classical Conversations Challenge A program?

We are wrapping up our first semester of Challenge A. The rumors are true. The Classical Conversations Challenge program is, well, challenging. However, it is the highest quality education I have seen in my 20+ years of homeschooling and well worth the investment of time and effort.

Challenge A is rigorous for all students whether dyslexic or not. Our daughter did complete two years of Foundations and Essentials. After much counsel, we held her back from starting Challenge until her 8th-grade year so that she could have one more year of Foundations and Essentials. Many families go this route and I do not regret for a minute making that choice.

Our Classical Conversations ‘Challenge A’ Experience by the Course

Rhetoric

In Class: Rhetoric for the first semester of Challenge A consists of weekly reading assignments in It Couldn’t Just Happen as well as memorizing three new ‘catechism’ questions each week. Catechism questions are key points taken from each week’s reading.

At Home: Because of the volume of material to be memorized each week, we opted right away to use the Quizlet app to review the catechism questions. While handwriting has been linked to better learning and memory, that is not always the case for students with dysgraphia. We began by reading It Couldn’t Just Happen (ICJH) out loud with her 6th-grade sister who will be in Challenge A next year. We have had a ton of great conversations. After a few weeks, my daughter took charge of the reading that is broken down into very manageable daily assignments.

The study method that CC teaches the kids to use is an excellent lifelong tool for learning non-fiction from a text. Weekly assignments are broken up into smaller daily assignments in seminar each week.

Day 1: Scan the assigned chapter’s title, charts and graphs, section titles, images, and captions and write a sentence or two on what you think the chapter will be about.
Day 2: Read the chapter like it is a novel, ignoring pictures and graphs, etc. Make a list of vocabulary words not known, and highlight in blue things you found interesting.
Day 3: Using the Rhetoric Study Guide from the CC Challenge A Guide write down each section title and write in one sentence the main point of that section.
Day 4: Read through assigned chapter again and review questions at the end of the chapter with parents.

The content of Rhetoric is highly engaging and our dyslexic daughter had no issues with the content or assignments. Consistent review of the catechism questions will be important for mastery.

Science

In Class: Science in the first semester of Challenge A consists of weekly research assignments on an assigned topic from the field of Natural Science. Students research the topic using simple books with the key being similar to the ‘summarizing a text’ lessons in the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) program. Kids in grades 4- 6 who participate in the Classical Conversations Essentials program will have three years of IEW instruction. Students illustrate their papers and include the paper and drawing in a Science Journal. During the weekly Challenge A seminar, students present their paper and drawing to the class.

At Home: At first, our daughter’s papers were fairly short. The goal of Science in Challenge A is to improve research skills. Our dyslexic daughter already enjoys researching and she also loves to write (although she types and spelling isn’t 100%) and so was not too much of an issue. Two years of IEW was a big help. Prepping to present her paper was not an issue either since she has had 2 years (the program is 3 years long but we started late) of weekly presentations in the Classical Conversations Foundations program.

Geography

In Class: Geography in the Challenge A program involves learning to draw the world by memory and labeling territories, countries, states, capitals, major waterways and land masses over the course of the year. Students also learn 5-6 geography terms each week.

At Home: Sheppard Software World Geography Games was a life saver for my daughter. She was able to learn all of the territories and capitals of Canada during the first week and easily drew the maps each week. Learning the entire United States in 2 weeks brought her to tears so I recommend having your kids really work on learning this some before entering Challenge A. All of the kids had trouble with this and all of the parents allowed some scaling back. At the end of the first semester, students are to draw the entire western hemisphere from memory to the best of their ability. We scaled back on how many physical features she was required to learn, focusing on countries, territories, states, and capitals and major bodies of water and landforms. Even with this scaling, she has a vast knowledge of world geography.

Composition With the Lost Tools of Writing

Composition in the Challenge A program consists of learning to use the tools of the Five Common Topics in developing a persuasive essay.

I was very pleased with the writing program used in Challenge A – the Lost Tools of Writing (LTW) from the Circe Institute.

The program systematically introduces each of the 5 Common Topics (Definition, Comparison, Circumstance, Relationship, and Testimony) kids write rudimentary persuasive essays; one paper every three weeks based on the current literature assignment.

The teacher’s manual gives a good overview and summary of each essay and the online video instruction is a must watch, extremely helpful tool.

A key takeaway for LTW is that students in Challenge A are being introduced to the tools of writing. Like an inexperienced carpenter’s apprentice, students are taught what the tools are and how to use them but not expected to make anything highly skilled. Remember that LTW will be repeated the following two years in Challenge B and Challenge A. I understand this year to be one of exposure, not mastery.

I read somewhere that a better name for the Lost Tools of Writing would be the Lost Tools of Thinking. I can see that my daughter is learning to think more deeply about her proofs and I love being able to walk with her through this process.

Math

Math in Challenge A consists of an hour of math discussion and mental math activities based off weekly lessons (completed at home) in Saxon 8/7.

After much counsel with other Challenge A parents and our daughter’s Challenge A tutor, we decided to stick with Teaching Textbooks for Math.

The reasons for this are:

she was doing really well with Teaching Textbooks
she can do it independently
I didn’t want to have to learn a new math program as well as all the other new programs in Challenge A

So, how did it go? Just fine. She didn’t always know all of the math that was being discussed but it didn’t stop her from enjoying and learning from the conversations.

Latin

Latin in Challenge A uses the Henle First Year Latin text.

If you’re like me, Latin was a big unknown and was approached with more than a little trepidation. There are three other dyslexic students in our Challenge A class. One is only learning the vocabulary in Latin and I have always held that option in the back of my mind for our daughter. So far, I haven’t felt the need to play that card.

Much like the Classical Conversation’s Essentials program, Latin in Challenge A feels a lot like being thrown in at the deep end of the pool without a ‘floaty’. There is a LOT to learn and although they are working through the text slowly, keeping up with Latin has been a challenge. Now in our third year of CC Essentials, (an in-depth grammar and writing course for kids in 4-6th grades), I understand the 3-year cycle. Year 1 was a blur and we were able to master a small portion of the material. Year 2, we picked up more, and now, in Year 3, we are finally mastering the content. I believe that that will be the case with Henle Latin and so we press on.

Our creative, experienced tutor has done a fabulous job teaching Latin and one of the parents, who has had several kids go through Henle Latin, hosts a Latin study group each week for two hours where the kids go through their exercises together.

So while initially, I tried to keep up with the Latin, after about 6 weeks, I had to let go. Our dyslexic daughter is a whiz with the vocabulary and enjoys the challenge of learning new words. The grammar has been more difficult. I should mention that our daughter is a super easy-going kid and doesn’t sweat not knowing everything (unlike her poor mother).

I am reassured after speaking to several moms of Challenge A kids with dyslexia, that her knowledge of Latin will come together. Dyslexic learners like to understand the big picture first and then add details. I prefer to understand all the little pieces and fit them into one big whole. I am trying to let go of how I think Latin study should look and am in close communication with our daughter’s Challenge A tutor on her progress.

Latin is definitely a difficult class and a lot of work. Remember each subject should take only an hour per day. After that, parents should scale the work to meet the needs of their child.

Key Takeaways for Challenge Program and Dyslexia:

There is a huge learning curve during the first 4 weeks. You will likely feel like you can’t keep up and that you will never get organized. Not true. You will.

Find a designated workspace as soon as possible
Try making a checklist for each day’s work. We used a dry erase board but you could use a student planner or spiral notebook.
Know that developing a daily routine will take some time because there is just so much to organize.

Spending only 1 hour per day, per strand. This is a CC guideline. If you find that you are taking longer, look for ways to scale back. There are lots of scaling tips in the CHA guide.

Use these struggles to teach problem-solving and time management skills. Talk through each difficulty and brainstorm ways to manage them.
If you have weekday activities, plan on spending some time in the evenings and weekends to finish Challenge A assignments.

Look for accommodations to help with areas that are taking a lot of time.

Look on CC Connected – Challenge Level for ‘cheat sheets’ and other reference tools to make your student’s workload lighter.
Consider using the Quizlet app for Catechism and Latin vocabulary and grammar review.
Listen to literature assignments on audio books. Listen to all books during the Summer to lighten the load once class starts in the Fall.
Read this post full of ideas for accommodations and modifications for dyslexic students in Challenge A.

Find a good balance of independence as soon as possible.

Working alongside your student will help you to see the areas in which he or she might be struggling. Do this until you get systems in place that help with this.
Talk about how it’s going regularly. Find out what is working and what isn’t and brainstorm together ways to help.
Encourage grit. If your child learns nothing but that value and discipline of hard work, your year will be a success. Of course, they will learn much more than that!

Communication

Because I have younger kids in the Foundations and Essentials program, I am unable to sit in class with my Challenge A daughter. I do check in with her tutor at the end of every class to see how she is doing and to be certain that she is participating in class and keeping up. I love that her tutor knows her character so well and encourages diligence, friendship, and flexibility.

Unlike the Classical Conversations Foundations and Essentials program, the CC Challenge tier is a drop-off program. I strongly recommend, however, staying highly involved with your child’s learning. This includes checking all assignments each week for completeness, quizzing kids on their memory work, and keeping in regular communication with your child and their tutor.

Seeing the Big Picture

I am looking at this year as an enormous catalyst for character and habit growth. If she learns half of what she is studying, and learns to be diligent with her studies and enhances her ability to think, I will be a very happy mama.

The biggest complaint that I hear from parents of dyslexics about the Classical Conversations program is that their kids are not performing as well as other students. For example, their child is not as quick to recall facts, not as detailed in their maps, or not as quick to understand and remember Latin grammar rules. This very well may be true.

In my experience teaching kids with dyslexia over the past 20 years, I have to say “Stop comparing your kids to other kids!” Your child is uniquely gifted and those gifts are different from other kids. The freedom for our children to be who they were created to be is a HUGE part of homeschooling in the first place. Even more importantly, is teaching our kids to understand themselves and appreciate their differences.

That was an epic post! Please leave your comments or questions below. Let’s start a conversation!

The One Thing You Need to Become the Best Homeschool Teacher

November 2, 2016 By Marianne 4 Comments

If you would prefer to listen to this post, click the play button below:

This post was inspired by an email I received recently. This concerned mama wanted my advice on how to be the best teacher she could for her son with dyslexia. She had done much to prepare herself for the task of home educating her son, yet she desired to do even more. The heart of this reader is one that I see in many of you and is why I love being in community with you all. I was a little bit surprised by my response to this dear reader, and I wanted to share these thoughts with you today.

Parents who want to teach their kids with dyslexia – or ADHD or ADD or dysgraphia or dyscalculia – sincerely desire to provide their kids with the best education and the best environment for living and learning that they can.

Preparing to Homeschool Kids With Dyslexia

Most of the parents I talk to have already read many of the books every parent of a dyslexic child should read. They have even taken my parent dyslexia classes which are a great way to get up to speed on what dyslexia is and how kids with dyslexia learn, as well as understanding how the many facets of dyslexia affect learning.

I’ve even spoken to parents who have gone through dyslexia tutoring training, whether it is with the Dyslexia Training Institute like I did in San Diego (their online program is awesome) or maybe they are a Barton tutor or they have gone through some other agency to become a certified dyslexia tutor.

Even after doing all of these things to prepare themselves to teach their kids with dyslexia, these parents will still email me and say to me, “You know, I have done all of these things. I pulled my kids out of school because they are being traumatized there. I have gotten certified, read all these books, taken your classes and so now, we are starting to teach, what do I do? What advice do you have for me?”

And this is the advice that I have for that parent who has done everything that they can to prepare themselves to teach their children that learned differently. They have educated themselves. They have researched curriculum using the guides on our site.

The One Thing

My advice for a parent who is in this situation is that the only thing this type of parent is lacking, and all of those things are excellent by the way, is experience.

What I mean by that is that you can study the research on dyslexia and you can understand how dyslexia affects your child, how it affects reading and spelling and handwriting and math and organization and motivation and all these things. You can know all that, but nothing is going to prepare you like experience is and the only way to get experience is to actually pull out the books, sit down at the table or the couch or the floor, the bed or wherever you are going to your school, and get started.

You are going to have good days where you see your children’s love of learning blooming. You are going to see those ‘aha’ moments where they are truely learning something hard. Because of your prepartation, you will see fewer meltdowns and tears, but then there are still going be days where you have been teaching them the same sight word for a month and they cannot remember it. Not even for a day.

I know that all of you know of what I speak, right? About this time you are thinking, what am I going to do? Or maybe your child has mastered learning all of their sounds, and yet when it comes to blending a three-letter word together, it’s just not happening.

This is what I am talking about with experience.

My first reaction to these sorts of situations was to panic. My first reaction was to be discouraged and to be frustrated and to not know what to do, but I am telling you, that if you have done all of this research and gone through all of this training and preparing yourself, you will find the answer for each unique problem that your child encounters.

I bring up these examples of the problems that you may face because they happen to be ones that I faced myself. Here I am, you know, I have created these courses, I have been homeschooling for 20 years, I am a certified dyslexia tutor, and yet my 5-year-old learned all of his sounds and could not blend a single word together no matter what I tried.

And so you know what I did? I went on Google and I looked and I looked and I looked.

Because of all of my training and education, I knew the things that were not going to help, right? I knew that filling out worksheets was not going to help. However, I knew that driving a Matchbox car over the letters might work. I knew that hopping on paper letters on the floor, saying each sound until hopping on the next one might help, because I know my kid, I know what kinds of things work with kids with dyslexia, and so sure enough, I was able to figure that out with him.

He needed that extra multi-sensory input and perhaps a little more time as he was little young for his age. Now that he is 6, he is much better able to blend words together and it is not an issue, but it was an issue that really threw me for a loop when I first encountered it.

So, if you are a parent who has done the training, who has read the books, taken the classes, purchased the right curriculum and you are wondering what else you can do, it is pretty simple; though not necessarily easy.

I will never say teaching kids with dyslexia is easy.

You simply need to get started. You need pull out the books, sit down at the table and start, and when you come to those bumps on the road, you know that you have the ability to figure it out.

No one knows your child like you do. No one cares for your chld like you do. You both may cry from time to time, but what does not kill you makes you stronger.

Getting Started Homeschooling With Dyslexia (free ebook)

My Parent Dyslexia Courses