I talk to SO many parents who are concerned, confused, worried, and overwhelmed about the lack of progress their kids with dyslexia are having learning to read and spell. I totally get it! Although all of my kids are reading now, there were many years where I...
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 Unschool With Sue Patterson
If you have ever been interested in how to unschool full-time or even temporarily (sometimes referred to as deschooling) you will want to listen to this interview with the amazing Sue Patterson from Unschooling Mom 2 Mom. Watch the video below or listen to the audio...
Unschooling the Struggling Learner
Kids struggle with learning for all sorts of reasons. Their struggles can stem from poor (even traumatic) school experiences, illnesses of various types, or learning differences like dyslexia and ADHD. Whatever your story is, unschooling is a great option for all...
Building Confidence in Kids With Dyslexia
There is no one simple way to build confidence in kids with learning differences like dyslexia. This post will share how our family of seven kids with dyslexia (as well as some ADHD, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia) helped our kids to become more confident despite their...
The Elementary Years With Dyslexia
After 30 years of parenting and homeschooling my seven kids with dyslexia, here is what you need to know about the elementary years with dyslexia. If you would prefer to listen to this episode, click play below: I met with some of my online mentoring group parents...
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...
3 Things to Think About When Choosing Homeschool Curriculum
One would think that after 26 years of homeschooling 8 kids, I'd have no problem choosing our homeschool curriculum. Two things: Every kid is different, so every year is different.There are lots of new and amazing curricula available every year. Next year, I'll have 2...
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...
How to Find Your Unique Homeschool Rhythm
Finding a simple, daily homeschool rhythm makes school days go smoothly. I stepped out of my bedroom on Monday morning with what seemed like a thousand things on my mind. Oh yeah, and don't forget to homeschool the kids! And then we got started with our routine and...
7 Mindsets for New Homeschool Families
If you're one of the thousands of new homeschool families, here are 7 powerful mindset shifts that will help your new life of teaching at home more peaceful and productive. There is a steep learning curve to go from the formality of doing school at home to a...
Can I Really Homeschool my Child With Dyslexia?
Can parents teach their kids with dyslexia? Teaching a child with dyslexia to read, write, and spell is a challenge, yes, but homeschooling allows parents to give their kids the individualized education that they need. Prefer to listen to this post? Click on the...
Help for the Shut Down Learner
Do you have a child who shuts down when it comes to learning? This week's Mailbox Monday speaks to this situation. "My son IMMEDIATELY says “I don’t know” to ANY educational question. No thought or attempt to try. Any suggestions for that? Have any of your...
My Adults Kids Who Were Homeschooled: What worked and what didn’t
A unique look at four adults that were homeschooled. What worked and what didn't. Welcome to our first edition of Mailbox Monday. I started this series in an effort to answer more of your questions that come through email, Facebook, and Instagram every week. As a...
Homeschool Mom Self-Care
This type of post - Homeschool Mom Self-Care - is a little out of the norm for me as I spend a lot of time here educating parents about learning differences. The reality is though that teaching kids who learn differently, even from one day to the next, can be...
Late Bloomer or Struggling Learner?
Have you ever been told that your struggling learner may just be a late bloomer? While that is a comforting thought and takes some pressure off of us, it is a common misconception with serious consequences. My boys started annual testing with their educational...
Homeschool Burnout: What you need to know
We all experience homeschool burnout from time to time. I'm not saying that to discourage you. I'm saying that to help you have the right expectations. We all get burned out from time to time. Expect it. What is Homeschool Burnout? Homeschool burnout (or any kind of...
Homeschool Charter Schools and Dyslexia
This article will discuss the pros and cons of joining a homeschool charter school for children with dyslexia. Despite a growing awareness of dyslexia, the traditional school setting continues to fail to offer students with dyslexia the kind of individualized...
What I Wish I’d Known Before I Started Homeschooling
This is my 25th year of homeschooling my outside-the-box, bright-but-struggling, dyslexic kids. I created this site to help other families who are homeschooling their kids with dyslexia who are not so far along the path. I often think back to my early years of...
My Homeschool Success Formula
Are you looking for a formula for success as you homeschool your struggling learners? This is the closest thing you will find to a formula for a more peaceful, purposeful homeschool. To listen to this post, click on the player below. When our family first started...
How to Make a Quick and Effective Mid-Year Homeschool Assessment
Feeling off track in your homeschool? Make a quick, mid-year homeschool assessment to put your mind at ease. I talk to a lot of homeschool moms. We come from all walks of life but we all have this one thing in common; we all feel like we're not 'doing enough'....
What Homeschooling Kids With Dyslexia Really Looks Like
I talk to lots of parents who are pulling their kids with dyslexia out of school and choosing to homeschool. They've done the research and have their ducks in a row but the actual day to day teaching is still a mystery. Because I've been homeschooling for so long, its...
Homeschooling When You Want to Quit
It's early September and I've already seriously considered putting one of my kids in school. It probably has a lot to do with the age of said child - 15 going on 25 - but 3 weeks into the school year does seem rather soon to consider quitting homeschooling. I actually...
The 5 Pillars of a Thriving Homeschool
Are you surviving rather than thriving in your homeschool? I get emails all the time from homeschool parents with stories like this: "I feel like I know what needs to get done, but because of my kids' dyslexia, I can't quite do it. Everything takes too much of me. ...